History Trivia / HappyFeet

* ExecutiveMeddling: The movie originally involved a subplot regarding actual extraterrestrial aliens, whose presence was made gradually more and more known throughout, and who were planning to siphon off the planet's resources gradually, placing the humans in the same light as the penguins. At the end, through the plight of the main character, their hand is stayed, and instead, first contact is made. This was chopped out during the last year of production at the behest of the studio executives, and has yet to see the light of day in a finished form, although concept art is available, and certain shots from these sequences do remain in the film, those of space being the most prominent, having become instead a constant visual motif. The film would've been somewhat longer, by extension. This also explains the bizarre closing credits, in which the names of the cast and crew were displayed over various planets and stars.

*** Mumble's capture and imprisonment in the zoo is expanded and, aided by the narration, much more disturbing. It's also said that he spends a year inside. After he saves the penguin colony, we're also explicitly told the reason why the world governments backed off of fishing - which is not purely out of concern for the penguins, but because this event is just enough to push prior bills to ban overfishing through , and also because it could mean they're a sentient, cognitive species trying to communicate.

** This is further confirmed by the release of an early, undated draft of the screenplay, which includes the above-mentioned ending, as well as an even darker tone - confirming that, among other things, the film was originally and unequivocally aimed at a much narrower age-bracket, rather than the all-embracing tone of the finished film. The characters all curse like sailors, and the famine subplot is even further examined, along with the penguin society and religion, various character name changes and a much more eclectic soundtrack, featuring The Who, The Ramones, Iggy Pop and later-era Beatles, in place of what would become John Powell's orchestral soundtrack. You can find it [[http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Happy-Feet.html here.]]

** If what Creator/GabrielIglesias said is to be believed, he was actually meant to star in the film when he was starting out, but was talked out by his manager, feeling that his stand up was where he belonged. He regret not starring it because not only did the film succeed, but whatever role he was gonna have went to Creator/RobinWilliams.

* InMemoriam: Of [[Series/CrocodileHunter Steve Irwin]], who voiced the elephant seals and, in a deleted scene, an albatross. The film is also dedicated to Nick Enright, Michael Jonson, Robby [=McNeilly=] Green.

* LifeImitatesArt: In 2011, an emperor penguin was found on a Peka Peka beach, on New Zealand northwest coast. The public was quick to dub the lost bird "Happy Feet Jr."Like his namesake, the bird was taken in by Wellington Zoo, rehabilitated, and released back into the wild affixed with a satellite tracking device.

* AllStarCast: Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/HughJackman, Creator/HugoWeaving, Creator/BrittanyMurphy, Creator/ElijahWood, Creator/RobinWilliams, Creator/AnthonyLaPaglia, Creator/MiriamMargoyles, Fat Joe and Creator/SteveIrwin.

* FakeAmerican: Anthony LaPaglia puts on a New York accent as the mafia-type Skua Boss, while Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman put on Southern accents as Memphis and Norma Jean.
* InMemoriam: Of [[Series/CrocodileHunter Steve Irwin]], who voiced the elephant seals and, in a deleted scene, an albatross. The film is also dedicated to Nick Enright, Michael Jonson, Robby McNeilly Green.

* AllStarCast: Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/HughJackman, Creator/HugoWeaving, Creator/BrittanyMurphy, Creator/ElijahWood, Creator/RobinWilliams, [=Anthony LaPaglia=], Miriam Margoyles, Fat Joe and Creator/SteveIrwin.

** If what Creator/GabrielIglesias said is to be believed, he was actually meant to star in the film when he was starting out, but was talked out by his manager, feeling that his stand up was where he belonged. He regret not starring it because not only did the film succeed, but whatever role he was gonna have went to Creator/RobinWilliams.
* TheWikiRule: [[http://happyfeet.wikia.com/wiki/Happy_Feet_Wiki The Happy Feet Wiki]].

* ActingForTwo: Creator/RobinWilliams as Lovelace, Ramon, and Cletus, in a rare example of it being pretty obvious.

** An early cut of the film involved a subplot regarding actual extraterrestrial aliens, whose presence was made gradually more and more known throughout. The aliens were planning to siphon off the planet's resources gradually, placing the humans in the same plight as the penguins. At the end, thanks to Mumbles, their hand is stayed, and instead {{first contact}} is made. This was chopped out during the last year of production, and has yet to see the light of day in a finished form. There is proof in the form of [[http://www.woodland-mattepainting.com/matte_painting_portfolio/content/David_Woodland_mattepaint_55_large.html concept art]], and this dropped plot helps explain the outer space motif that remains in the film. The film would've been somewhat longer, by extension.

** As mentioned on the main page, the film was originally going to have actual aliens.

** E.G. Daily previously worked with Miller on both Film/LorenzosOil and Film/BabePigInTheCity.
** Miriam Margolyes also worked with Miller before on the first Babe movie.