Synopsis

During World War II, Valiant, a small wood pigeon with big ambitions, travels to London to join the Royal Homing Pigeon Service. Alongside the streetwise Bugsy and a mismatched squad of recruits, he is sent on a dangerous mission across the English Channel. With enemy falcons hunting them, the unlikely heroes must deliver a vital message and prove their courage.

Factoids & Trivia

• Valiant was produced by Vanguard Animation and Ealing Studios, and was Vanguard Animation's first feature film.

• The film's 76-minute running time made it one of the shorter theatrical animated features of its era.

• More than 200 artists from 41 countries reportedly worked on the production, reflecting its international animation workforce.

• Voice recording reportedly continued for more than two years, despite the film's relatively brief final running time.

• The character's name recalls a real carrier pigeon named Valiant, associated with a 1916 World War I mission during the Battle of Verdun.

• The Royal Homing Pigeon Service was based on a genuine British wartime communications service that used pigeons to carry messages from the battlefield.

• The soundtrack includes Edith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien." Although the song fits the film's themes, it was recorded in 1960, 16 years after the movie's 1944 setting.

• The film earned approximately $61.7 million worldwide against a reported $35 million budget.