October 25, 2007 (New York City)
November 2, 2007 (United States)
Bee Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Columbus 81 Productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Simon J. Smithand Steve Hickner (in the former's feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by the writing team of Jerry Seinfeld, Spike Feresten, Barry Marder and Andy Robin, it stars the voices of Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, John Goodman, Patrick Warburton, and Chris Rock. The film centers on Barry B. Benson (Seinfeld), a honey bee who tries to sue the human race for exploiting bees after learning from his new florist friend Vanessa Bloome (Zellweger) that humans sell and consume honey.
Bee Movie debuted in New York City on October 25, 2007, and was released in theaters in the United States on November 2. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its humor and voice cast but criticized its plot and lack of originality, and was a box-office disappointment, grossing $293.5 million worldwide on a budget of $150 million. Nevertheless, it has since gathered a cult following, partly driven by memes of the film shared on social media, which most often lampoon the film's premise, script and celebrity cameos.