# Sky High (2005 film)
**Sky High** is a 2005 American superhero family comedy directed by Mike Mitchell, released by [Walt Disney Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/walt-disney-pictures) on July 29, 2005 and rated PG[1](https://movies.disney.com/sky-high) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63609). It follows Will Stronghold ([Michael Angarano](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-angarano)), the teenage son of the world's most famous superheroes, the [Commander](https://www.edgepedia.org/commander) (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston), as he enters Sky High, a floating high school for power-gifted teens, without having developed any superpowers of his own[3](https://d23.com/a-to-z/sky-high-film/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | July 29, 2005 (United States, wide), rated PG[1](https://movies.disney.com/sky-high) • [4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sky-High) |
| Director / writers | Mike Mitchell; Paul Hernandez, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63609) |
| Running time | 99 minutes (AFI and D23); 100 minutes per The Numbers[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63609) • [3](https://d23.com/a-to-z/sky-high-film/) • [4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sky-High) |
| Box office | $63,939,454 domestic and $83,109,359 worldwide against a $35,000,000 production budget; opening weekend $14,631,784 in 2,905 theaters[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sky-High) |
| Music | Michael Giacchino[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63609) |
| Home video | Released on video November 29, 2005 by Walt Disney Home Entertainment[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sky-High) |
| Current streaming | Disney+ in the United States[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sky-high) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and cast
The film is set in a world where superheroes are commonly known and accepted[6](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0405325/credits/). Will Stronghold arrives at Sky High, a high school campus placed on a flying island that stays in constant motion as a precaution against those with "nefarious plans"[7](https://www.filmeducation.org/pdf/film/StorytellingK-Z.pdf) • [8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/sky-high). On his first day he is humiliated during "Power Placement", the ritual in which students demonstrate their abilities for Coach Boomer ([Bruce Campbell](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-campbell)) and are sorted into the Hero class or the Sidekick class; without a manifest power, Will is made a sidekick[9](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/sky-high). He must then survive his freshman year while dealing with an overbearing gym coach, a bully with superspeed, a dangerous rebel who shoots fire from his hands, and the usual parental expectations and girl problems[3](https://d23.com/a-to-z/sky-high-film/).
The supporting cast includes [Danielle Panabaker](https://www.edgepedia.org/danielle-panabaker) as Layla, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Gwen Grayson/Royal Pain, Lynda Carter as Principal Powers, Dave Foley as Mr. Boy, [Steven Strait](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-strait) as Warren Peace, Nicholas Braun as Zach, Kevin McDonald as Mr. Medulla, and [Cloris Leachman](https://www.edgepedia.org/cloris-leachman) as Nurse Spex[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63609) • [3](https://d23.com/a-to-z/sky-high-film/). The Commander and Jetstream keep their identities secret by working as real-estate agents[10](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2005/07/skyhigh/).
## Production
The screenplay is credited to Paul Hernandez, Bob Schooley, and Mark McCorkle; Schooley and McCorkle were also the creators of the Disney animated series *Kim Possible*, and the film shares that show's habit of poking fun at hapless adults who are outsmarted and rescued by high school students[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63609) • [11](https://ctlsites.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1320/2021/04/Hoovestol_Critical_Rewrite.pdf). Director Mike Mitchell stated in a DVD bonus feature that the film operates on two premises: "the adults are all insane" and "the girls are all smarter than the boys"[11](https://ctlsites.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1320/2021/04/Hoovestol_Critical_Rewrite.pdf).
Andrew Gunn produced for Walt Disney Pictures, with Shelly Johnson as cinematographer, Peter Amundson as editor, Bruce Robert Hill as production designer, and a score by [Michael Giacchino](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-giacchino)[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63609). The score was recorded on May 3 and June 1, 2, and 3, 2005 at the Eastwood Scoring Stage in [Burbank, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/burbank-california)[12](https://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.10676/.f).
## Box office
Sky High opened at number 3 on the weekend of July 29, 2005, grossing $14,631,784 from 2,905 theaters, about 22.9 percent of its eventual domestic total[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sky-High). It ran for an average of 6.4 weeks per theater and finished with $63,939,454 domestically and $83,109,359 worldwide, roughly 2.4 times its $35 million production budget[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sky-High). [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) lists the worldwide figure slightly higher, at $86,369,815[6](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0405325/credits/). Domestic receipts accounted for 76.9 percent of the gross reported by The Numbers[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sky-High).
## Reception and later standing
Critics were moderately favorable. The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus called it "moderately entertaining, family-friendly fluff"[11](https://ctlsites.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1320/2021/04/Hoovestol_Critical_Rewrite.pdf). Steven D. Greydanus of Decent Films compared it to *Spy Kids* and *The Incredibles*, finding it "underachieving and derivative", but concluded that in fusing superhero trappings with John Hughes-style high school cliches it was "competent, wholly inoffensive, and consistently mildly entertaining"[10](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2005/07/skyhigh/). The Los Angeles Times found it "too hopelessly contrived for its actors to be able to make it work", though it noted [Kurt Russell](https://www.edgepedia.org/kurt-russell)'s performance playing Steve "with tongue in cheek"[13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jul-29-et-sky29-story.html). Time Out described the film as playing "fast and loose with the superhero concept" and never taking itself too seriously[14](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sky-high).
The film found a fanbase beyond its theatrical run, and 2005 critical commentary positioned it as the family-friendly alternative among that summer's superhero films, alongside the darker *Batman Begins*, with themes of friendship, anti-bullying, and self-confidence[11](https://ctlsites.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1320/2021/04/Hoovestol_Critical_Rewrite.pdf). A junior novelization tied to the film was published by [Random House](https://www.edgepedia.org/random-house) in 2005[15](https://www.randomhouse.com/kids/pdf/rhspan205.pdf).
As of late 2026, Sky High is streaming on Disney+ in the United States and available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google TV, and YouTube[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sky-high) • [16](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/sky-high/21449/where-to-watch/).
## References
1. [Sky High, Disney Movies](https://movies.disney.com/sky-high)
2. [Sky High (2005), AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/63609)
3. [Sky High (film), D23](https://d23.com/a-to-z/sky-high-film/)
4. [Sky High (2005), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Sky-High)
5. [Sky High streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sky-high)
6. [Sky High (2005), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0405325/credits/)
7. [Film Education: Storytelling K-Z resource](https://www.filmeducation.org/pdf/film/StorytellingK-Z.pdf)
8. [Sky High review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/sky-high)
9. [Sky High review, Children and Media Australia](https://childrenandmedia.org.au/movie-reviews/movies/sky-high)
10. [Sky High review, Christianity Today](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2005/07/skyhigh/)
11. [Katherine Hoovestol, "Sky High as a Coming Out Narrative", University of Georgia](https://ctlsites.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1320/2021/04/Hoovestol_Critical_Rewrite.pdf)
12. [Sky High soundtrack, Intrada](https://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.10676/.f)
13. ["'Sky' doesn't leave stratosphere", Los Angeles Times, July 29, 2005](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jul-29-et-sky29-story.html)
14. [Sky High review, Time Out](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sky-high)
15. [Random House Kids Spanish catalog, Sky High junior novelization](https://www.randomhouse.com/kids/pdf/rhspan205.pdf)
16. [Where to Watch Sky High, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/sky-high/21449/where-to-watch/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Science fiction and fantasy films (individual works) › Science fiction and fantasy films of the 2000s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license