# Alvin and the Chipmunks in film
**Alvin and the Chipmunks in film** refers to the theatrical and direct-to-video movies built around the singing chipmunk trio Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, characters created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. in 1958. The film record spans a 1987 animated theatrical feature, direct-to-video specials of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and a series of four live-action/CGI hybrid films released by 20th Century Fox between 2007 and 2015, with a reboot announced for 2028.[1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-chipmunks-get-a-makeover/) • [2](https://www.thereadingorder.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-movies-in-order/) • [3](https://www.stblaw.com/about-us/news/view/2026/07/15/big-shot-pictures-acquires-minority-stake-in-alvin-and-the-chipmunks-franchise)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Creator and origin | Ross Bagdasarian Sr. introduced the Chipmunks in 1958 on the novelty record "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late!)"; he died in 1972.[4](https://cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2019/19-0007-S5_misc_1_03-08-2019.pdf) • [1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-chipmunks-get-a-makeover/) |
| Live-action series | Four films, 2007 to 2015, all released in December by 20th Century Fox and pairing CGI chipmunks with human actors.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks) |
| Highest earner | *The Squeakquel* (2009): $443,483,213 worldwide on a $70,000,000 budget.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks) |
| First film's result | *Alvin and the Chipmunks* (2007): $55,000,000 budget, $44,307,417 opening weekend, $362,605,033 worldwide.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks) |
| Critical reception | The 2007 film scored 28% on the Tomatometer (106 reviews) against a 64% Popcornmeter from more than 250,000 ratings.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1184827-alvin_and_the_chipmunks) |
| Earlier films | *The Chipmunk Adventure* (1987) grossed $6,804,312 domestically; *Meet Frankenstein* (1999), *Meet the Wolfman* (2000), and *Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks* (2003) went direct to video.[7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3829894917/) • [2](https://www.thereadingorder.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-movies-in-order/) |
| Next film | Big Shot Pictures acquired 25% of the franchise in July 2026; a theatrical reboot is planned for late 2028, the characters' 70th anniversary.[3](https://www.stblaw.com/about-us/news/view/2026/07/15/big-shot-pictures-acquires-minority-stake-in-alvin-and-the-chipmunks-franchise) |
## The 2007 film
*Alvin and the Chipmunks*, directed by Tim Hill and released December 14, 2007, is a live-action/CGI comedy in which a struggling songwriter, Dave Seville ([Jason Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-lee)), finds success after taking in three singing chipmunks: the mischievous Alvin, the brainy Simon, and the chubby, impressionable Theodore.[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/alvin-and-the-chipmunks) David Cross plays the record executive Ian, who in the story spoils the trio with toys and a house of their own while pushing them to perform for money, and the voice cast includes [Justin Long](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-long), Matthew Gray Gubler, and [Jesse McCartney](https://www.edgepedia.org/jesse-mccartney).[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/alvin-and-the-chipmunks) • [9](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/alvin-and-the-chipmunks/critic-reviews/) The film carries a PG rating for "some mild rude humor," runs 92 minutes, and its songs include a rap-flavored "Witch Doctor" and covers of "Funkytown" and "Bad Day."[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/alvin-and-the-chipmunks)
The premise translated the 1958 recording trick into cinema: Bagdasarian had recorded his own voice at half speed so that playback at normal tempo produced the characters' high-pitched sound, and the films apply that squeaky vocal identity to CGI chipmunks placed among live actors.[10](https://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/125907/kritik.html) Acting opposite empty space that CGI would later fill was a recurring challenge for the human cast; reviewers noted Jason Lee and [David Cross](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-cross) playing scenes against nothing.[11](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-2007)
## The live-action sequels, 2009 to 2015
*Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel* followed on December 23, 2009, directed by [Betty Thomas](https://www.edgepedia.org/betty-thomas). Fox scheduled it one week after the release of *Avatar*, which the studio had largely financed, as a partial hedge against that film's possible commercial failure; the sequel earned $443,483,213 worldwide, the series' best result.[12](https://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/article/2009/12/09/les-na-vi-et-les-chipmunks_5980650_3476.html) • [5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks) *Chipwrecked* (December 14, 2011) placed the trio and their caretaker on a desert island and drew sharp reviews; *Screen* called it a "particularly noxious concoction" of pop-cultural referencing and manic activity.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks) • [13](https://www.screendaily.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-chipwrecked/5035751.article) *The Road Chip* (December 18, 2015) remains the most recent theatrical entry in the series; its domestic gross of $85,886,987 on a $90,000,000 budget marked the lowest return of the four.[14](https://knowanimals.com/when-was-the-last-chipmunk-movie-made/) • [5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks) After 2015 the films stopped, with no theatrical release for more than a decade before the reboot announcement.[15](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/alvin-the-chipmunks-are-getting-another-reboot-viewers-are-not-optimistic-just-stop/)
## Earlier and direct-to-video films
The first Chipmunks movie was *[The Chipmunk Adventure](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-chipmunk-adventure)* (1987), an animated theatrical feature released May 22, 1987 by The Samuel Goldwyn Company; it grossed $6,804,312 in North America.[7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3829894917/) Universal Pictures then issued *Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein* (September 28, 1999) and *Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman* (August 29, 2000) direct to video, followed by the puppetry-based *Little Alvin and the Mini-Munks* in 2003, a format that many listings mistake for animation.[16](https://sagalist.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks)
## Reception and commercial performance
The live-action films were consistent commercial performers despite weak critical scores. *The Squeakquel* leads the franchise in domestic gross at $219,614,612, just ahead of the first film's $217,326,974; *Chipwrecked* earned $133,107,389 domestically and $349,088,523 worldwide.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks) The 2007 film's critics' consensus on Rotten Tomatoes called it "cutely rendered" but faulted "bland potty humor and a rehashed kids' movie formula," and individual critics ranged from Karl French's "endearing effort" for under-10s to Tim Robey's "Pure hell."[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1184827-alvin_and_the_chipmunks) Metacritic reviews recorded both poles: *Variety* called it "a harmless and frequently humorous trifle," while *The Hollywood Reporter* found the average-looking CGI wanting next to earlier animated incarnations.[9](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/alvin-and-the-chipmunks/critic-reviews/) The first film also won a Kids' Choice Award.[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/alvin-and-the-chipmunks)
The December release slot held for all four Fox films, and budgets rose steadily from $55 million to $90 million while worldwide returns fell from $443 million to $250 million across the sequels.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks)
## The 2028 reboot
In July 2026, Big Shot Pictures, a family-entertainment company launched that year and led by former Paramount co-Chief Executive Brian Robbins, acquired 25% of the franchise in partnership with Bagdasarian Productions.[3](https://www.stblaw.com/about-us/news/view/2026/07/15/big-shot-pictures-acquires-minority-stake-in-alvin-and-the-chipmunks-franchise) Plans call for new digital-first short-form content and a theatrical reboot film in the second half of 2028, timed to the Chipmunks' 70th anniversary.[15](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/alvin-the-chipmunks-are-getting-another-reboot-viewers-are-not-optimistic-just-stop/) The studio has revealed a first look at Alvin's new design, and fan reactions to both the reboot announcement and the design have been largely skeptical.[17](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/the-chipmunks-reboot-just-unveiled-alvins-new-design-fans-are-all-worried-about-the-same-thing/) • [15](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/alvin-the-chipmunks-are-getting-another-reboot-viewers-are-not-optimistic-just-stop/) As of the July 2026 announcement, neither the film's director nor whether it would again pair the animated chipmunks with live actors had been confirmed.[18](https://www.filmstarts.de/nachrichten/1000213428.html)
## References
1. ["The Chipmunks" Get A Makeover, CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-chipmunks-get-a-makeover/)
2. [Alvin and the Chipmunks Movies in Order: Complete 2026 Guide, The Reading Order](https://www.thereadingorder.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-movies-in-order/)
3. [Big Shot Pictures Acquires Minority Stake in "Alvin and the Chipmunks" Franchise, Simpson Thacher](https://www.stblaw.com/about-us/news/view/2026/07/15/big-shot-pictures-acquires-minority-stake-in-alvin-and-the-chipmunks-franchise)
4. [Alvin and the Chipmunks: A Six Decade Success Story, City of Los Angeles](https://cityclerk.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2019/19-0007-S5_misc_1_03-08-2019.pdf)
5. [Alvin and the Chipmunks Franchise Box Office History, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks)
6. [Alvin and the Chipmunks, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1184827-alvin_and_the_chipmunks)
7. [Franchise: Alvin and the Chipmunks, Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr3829894917/)
8. [Alvin and the Chipmunks: Parents' Guide & Movie Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/alvin-and-the-chipmunks)
9. [Alvin and the Chipmunks critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/alvin-and-the-chipmunks/critic-reviews/)
10. [Alvin und die Chipmunks, FILMSTARTS.de](https://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/125907/kritik.html)
11. ["Theodore! Simon! ALLLLvinnn!" movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-2007)
12. [Les Na'vi et les Chipmunks, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/article/2009/12/09/les-na-vi-et-les-chipmunks_5980650_3476.html)
13. [Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Screen](https://www.screendaily.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks-chipwrecked/5035751.article)
14. [When Was The Last Chipmunk Movie Made? Series Update, Know Animals](https://knowanimals.com/when-was-the-last-chipmunk-movie-made/)
15. [Alvin & the Chipmunks Are Getting Another Reboot & Viewers Are Not Optimistic, ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/alvin-the-chipmunks-are-getting-another-reboot-viewers-are-not-optimistic-just-stop/)
16. [Alvin and the Chipmunks Watch Order: Every Film and Episode, SagaList](https://sagalist.com/alvin-and-the-chipmunks)
17. [The Chipmunks Reboot Just Unveiled Alvin's New Design, ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/the-chipmunks-reboot-just-unveiled-alvins-new-design-fans-are-all-worried-about-the-same-thing/)
18. [Nach über 10 Jahren Pause: Eines der erfolgreichsten Franchises der 2000er kehrt ins Kino zurück, FILMSTARTS.de](https://www.filmstarts.de/nachrichten/1000213428.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Awards and screen reference › Collective, character, and franchise filmographies › Franchise and series filmographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license