Captain Avispa
2024 Dominican Republic film
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Captain Avispa (Spanish: Capitán Avispa) is a 2024 Dominican animated superhero film directed by Jean Gabriel Guerra and Jonnathan Melendez (in their directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Miguel Yarull and Gustavo López,[2] based on an idea by Juan Luis Guerra inspired by his own song "Las Avispas".[3][4] It was the highest-grossing film of 2024 in the Dominican Republic. It is considered the most expensive Dominican film ever produced, based on its reported production budget.[5]
Jonnathan Melendez
Miguel Yarull
by Juan Luis Guerra
| Captain Avispa | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Spanish | Capitán Avispa |
| Directed by | Jean Gabriel Guerra Jonnathan Melendez |
| Screenplay by | Gustavo Lopez Miguel Yarull |
| Based on | "Las Avispas" by Juan Luis Guerra |
| Produced by | Amarilys Germán Juan Luis Guerra |
| Starring | Luis Fonsi |
| Edited by | Geu Florentino Gómez |
| Music by | Juan Luis Guerra |
Production company | Guerra Toons |
| Distributed by | Caribbean Films Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Language | Spanish |
| Budget | RD$128.5 million[1] |
Synopsis
Superhero Captain Avispa is charged with protecting Avispatrópolis and the Honey Kingdom. However, when his evil arch-enemy, the hornet Jacques Puasón, hatches a plan to take over the colonies, Captain Avispa must fight him while upholding his values.[6]
Voice cast
The actors participating in this film are:[7][8]
- Luis Fonsi as Captain Avispa
- Joy Huerta as Honey Bee
- Juanes as Sergeant Picadura
- Karen Martínez as Ximena Colmena
- José Guillermo Cortines as Jacques Puasón / Bobby Flashington / Máximo Waxon / DJ
- Adalgisa Pantaleon as Queen Ada
- Roger Zayas as Mayor Panales
- Amelia Vega as Polibya Néctar
- Bianca García as Aki Teriyaki
- Héctor Aníbal as Mínimo Waxon
- Edwin Sánchez as Bombo Peluca
- Juan Luis Guerra as Leo Vespa / Juan Miel Guerra
- Paulina Guerra as Worker Bee
Production
In 2019, Juan Luis Guerra announced his foray into filmmaking as a producer with the development of an animated feature.[9] The film was produced remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] It required 600 hours of sound mixing.[11]
Release
Captain Avispa had its world premiere on April 1, 2024, at the Downtown Center in Santo Domingo,[12] followed by a wide national theatrical release on April 4.[13]
Reception
Box office
In its opening weekend, it attracted 26,800 viewers,[14][15] becoming the fifth-best opening for an animated film in the Dominican Republic,[16] and ending its first week with more than 30,000 viewers.[17]
The film attracted a total of 150,976 viewers throughout its theatrical run in Dominican theaters. It was the highest-grossing dominican film of 2024 with RD$46.8 million.[18][19][20] In its opening week in Colombia, it grossed $46,750, ranking as the 6th highest-grossing film of the week. Over its first five weeks, it eventually earned more than $95,000.[21]
Accolades
| Award / Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soberano Awards | 25 March 2025 | Best Film - Drama | Juan Luis Guerra | Nominated | [22][23] |
| Platino Awards | 27 April 2025 | Best Animated Film | Captain Avispa | Nominated | [24][25] |
Future
In September 2024, during an interview with Diario Libre, producer Juan Luis Guerra confirmed that he is working on a sequel: "We are trying to have a second part and, above all, develop that industry (animation) here in the Dominican Republic."[26]