Synopsis

Ted, the carefree caretaker of a struggling natural-history museum, travels to Africa to find a legendary artifact that could save the institution. His expedition goes awry when he encounters George, a curious little monkey who accidentally follows him home. In New York, George's endless enthusiasm causes chaos, but also helps Ted rediscover adventure, friendship, and a new purpose.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was developed as a feature-length origin story explaining how Ted met George, rather than adapting one specific book from the original series.

• Earlier versions of the project were planned as a live-action and animation hybrid before the filmmakers settled on a fully animated approach.

• The production used animation studios in the United States, Canada, France, Taiwan, and South Korea. The tight schedule was partly the result of time spent revising earlier versions of the screenplay.

• Jack Johnson wrote 13 songs for the accompanying soundtrack album, with nine appearing in the movie. He created early musical ideas in response to black-and-white animation sketches, allowing the songs and visuals to develop together.

• Because George never speaks, the songs help express his feelings and perspective. A cavaquinho was used to represent George musically, while piano themes were associated with Ted.

• The soundtrack album, Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, an unusual achievement for an animated-film soundtrack.

• The ship carrying Ted and George is named the H.A. Rey, honoring Hans Augusto Rey, one of the original creators of the Curious George books.

• The theatrical release was followed in 2006 by a Curious George television series on PBS Kids, extending the character's return to mainstream animation.