Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a 2009 American fantasy comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, and written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. The film stars Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest, Alain Chabat and Robin Williams. It is the second film in the Night at the Museum series, following Night at the Museum (2006).
The film follows the story of ex-museum security guard Larry Daley, as he infiltrates the Smithsonian Institution's archives to rescue most of the Museum of Natural History's exhibits upon Jedediah and Octavius's request, as they feel that being shipped there is a mistake.
The film was theatrically released on May 22, 2009, by 20th Century Fox. It received mixed reviews and became a box-office success, grossing $413 million on a $150 million budget. A third film, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, was released in 2014, and an animated sequel, Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, was released in 2022.
Plot
Two years after the events of the first film, Larry Daley has left his job as night guard at the Museum of Natural History to start a company selling his own inventions on direct response television. He visits the museum and learns that most exhibits are being moved to the Smithsonian Institution archives in Washington, D.C. and replaced with holographic displays. Furthermore, the Tablet of Ahkmenrah will remain, leaving the departing exhibits unable to come to life at night.
Larry receives a panicked phone call from miniature cowboy Jedediah, who explains that Dexter the monkey stole the tablet, the Smithsonian is now alive, and they are under attack by Ahkmenrah's older brother Kahmunrah. Determined to save them, Larry travels to Washington, D.C. and poses as a night guard to sneak into the archives, where he finds his friends trapped by Kahmunrah, who plans to use the tablet's powers to open the Gate of the Underworld and conquer the world.
Aided by Major General George A. Custer, who is captured, Larry is joined by Amelia Earhart. They evade Kahmunrah's soldiers inside the photograph of V-J Day in Times Square, leading Kahmunrah to enlist Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon Bonaparte and Al Capone to retrieve the tablet. Larry is captured, but when the tablet fails to open the Gate, Kahmunrah traps Jedediah in an hourglass and gives Larry one hour to decipher the tablet's combination.
Amelia falls in love with Larry, and the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial mistakes them for a couple as they reach the National Air and Space Museum, where Larry has to prevent all the rockets and aircraft from taking off. They encounter various historic aviation figures, including the Wright brothers, the Tuskegee Airmen, and Able the space monkey, while Albert Einstein bobbleheads explain that the tablet's combination is the value of pi. Napoleon, Ivan, Capone and their troops arrive, prompting Larry and Amelia to escape in the Wright Flyer.
They crash into the Smithsonian, where Kahmunrah uses the combination to open the Gate and summons Horus warriors. Miniature Roman general Octavius arrives with the statue of Lincoln, frightening the warriors back to the Underworld. Amelia gathers allies, including Larry's friends and Custer, leading to a climactic battle. Larry helps Custer overcome his fear of repeating the Battle of Little Big Horn, while Octavius rescues Jedediah. Larry recovers the tablet and turns Capone, Napoleon and Ivan against each other. Armed with his flashlight, Larry duels a khopesh-wielding Kahmunrah as Amelia reopens the Gate, allowing Larry to banish Kahmunrah to the Underworld.
After she flies Larry and the New York City exhibits home, Amelia reveals that she knows she is only a wax figure. She and Larry share a kiss before she flies back to the Smithsonian, almost taking a wrong turn to Canada. Two months later, Larry has sold his company and made an anonymous donation to renovate the Natural History Museum and extend its nighttime visiting hours when the exhibits are alive; believed to be animatronics and hired reenactors, the exhibits now interact with visitors. Back in his job as night guard, Larry meets a visitor named Tess who bears a striking resemblance to Amelia and also tends to get lost.
Cast
Ben Stiller as Larry Daley, a night security guard and Amelia's love interest. Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart, a wax model of the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and Larry's love interest. Adams additionally portrays Tess, a young woman at the end of the film who resembles Earhart. Hank Azaria as Kahmunrah, a pharaoh who is Ahkmenrah's malevolent elder brother. Azaria additionally provides the voices of The Thinker and the Lincoln Memorial's statue of Abraham Lincoln. Robin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt, a wax sculpture of the 26th President of the United States who is Larry's mentor. Williams additionally portrays a bronze bust of the president. Owen Wilson as Jedediah, a cowboy minifigure and Octavius' best friend. Steve Coogan as Octavius, a Roman general minifigure and Jedediah's best friend. Christopher Guest as Ivan the Terrible, the historic Tsar of Russia who allies with Kahmunrah. Alain Chabat as Napoleon Bonaparte, the leader of the First French Empire who allies with Kahmunrah. Jon Bernthal as Al Capone, a photographic standee of the gangster of the same name and founder of the Chicago Outfit who allies with Kahmunrah. Bill Hader as George Armstrong Custer, a military commander whom Larry befriends. Mizuo Peck as Sacagawea, a polyurethane model of the Lemhi Shoshone woman who guided Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and Teddy's girlfriend. Rami Malek as Ahkmenrah, a mummy of a pharaoh who becomes a fully living human at night and is the benevolent younger brother of Kahmunrah. Patrick Gallagher as Attila the Hun, a wax model of the leader of the Huns. Brad Garrett as the voice of the Museum of Natural History's Easter Island Head. Kerry van der Griend, Matthew Harrison and Rick Dobran as wax models of Neanderthals. Ricky Gervais as Dr. Leslie McPhee, the curator at the Museum of Natural History and Larry's boss. Jake Cherry as Nick Daley, the son of Larry Daley. George Foreman as himself. Shawn Levy as an actor portraying a father in a Daley Devices infomercial. Mindy Kaling as a docent at the National Air and Space Museum. Ed Helms (uncredited) as Larry's best friend and assistant. Jonah Hill (uncredited) as Brandon (pronounced ), a security guard at the Smithsonian. Randy Lee, Darryl Quon, Gerald Wong and Paul Chih-Ping Cheng as Atilla's fellow Huns. Jonas Brothers as the Cherubs. Jay Baruchel as Joey Motorola, a sailor who resides in the V-J Day in Times Square photograph. Alberta Mayne as Greta Zimmer Friedman. Eugene Levy as a group of Albert Einstein bobbleheads. Keith Powell and Craig Robinson as the Tuskegee Airman. Clint Howard and Matty Finochio as a pair of flight controllers at the National Air and Space Museum. Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant as Orville and Wilbur Wright, respectively. Caroll Spinney as Oscar the Grouch, a major character from the Sesame Street franchise who tries to ally with Kahmunrah but is dismissed because the ruler judges him to be "vaguely grouchy". Thomas Morley as Darth Vader, a major character from the Star Wars franchise who tries to ally with Kahmunrah but is turned away because the ruler judges him as "evil, asthmatic" and "a robot". Crystal the Monkey as Dexter and Able, a pair of mischievous stuffed capuchin monkeys.
Production
Development Writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon confirmed to Dark Horizons that they were writing a sequel to Night at the Museum, originally with the tentative title Another Night at the Museum. The writers said, "There'll be existing characters and plenty of new ones."
20th Century Fox announced that the sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian would be released during the Memorial Day weekend in 2009. Ben Stiller would return for the sequel, with Shawn Levy returning as director.
Filming The film was filmed in Vancouver and Montreal, with select scenes filmed inside the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. A scene was shot at the Lincoln Memorial on the night of May 21, 2008. Scenes were also shot at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on August 18 and 20, 2008.
The trailer was released with Bedtime Stories, Yes Man and Marley & Me (also starring Owen Wilson) in December 2008. The trailer accompanied the film Bride Wars in January, The Pink Panther 2 in February, and Dragonball Evolution in April 2009. The film was also promoted as an opening skit on American Idol, where a replica of the American Idol judge seats are being held at the real Smithsonian Institution.
Filmmakers lent the Smithsonian Institution props used in the movie that were displayed in the Smithsonian Castle, including the pile of artifacts featured in the film. The Smithsonian also made a brochure available online and at museum visitor service desks outlining where to find artifacts.
In 2009, numerous artifacts that inspired the film were on display at Smithsonian Museums along the National Mall. Many of the artifacts were labeled with "Night at the Museum" logos. Gift shops at the Smithsonian also sold a replica of the Einstein bobblehead, created specifically as a tie-in to the film.
Music
Alan Silvestri returned to score the sequel.
Varèse Sarabande issued the score on May 19, 2009. Release Theatrical A trailer for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian was released on December 19, 2008. The film was theatrically released on May 22, 2009, in the United States.
Home media Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 1, 2009, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
An alternate ending included on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film feature the return of Dick Van Dyke as Cecil Fredericks, Bill Cobbs as Reginald, and Mickey Rooney as Gus.
Reception Box office At the end of its box-office run, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian earned a gross of $177 million in North America and $236 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $413 million against a budget of $150 million.
On Friday, May 22, 2009, its opening day, the film's estimated gross was $16 million; for the second day, the film grossed $20 million; and for the third day, the gross was $19 million, coming in ahead of Terminator Salvation (which was released on Thursday) in 4,096 theaters at number 1, reaching up to $54.1 million, with a $13,226 per-theater average during the Memorial Day weekend. By comparison, Night at the Museum reached up to $30 million in its opening weekend in December 2006. For its second weekend, the film grossed $24.35 million, and for its third weekend, it grossed $14.6 million.
For the opening weekend of May 22, 2009, the film grossed $49 million while playing in theaters of 56 territories. In the UK, the film earned $6.6 million, $5.23 million in Russia, and $5.05 million in France. The largest markets in other territories were the UK, Japan, Germany, Australia and France, where the film grossed $32.8 million, $21.49 million, $18.78 million, $14.03 million and $13.3 million, respectively. The film was exhibited on 160 IMAX screens, and contributed $5.4 million of the gross. The top grossing IMAX venue was the Smithsonian. With the film, the Smithsonian had hopes of a financial boost like having its name planted on cereal boxes.
Critical response