Night at the Museum is an American media franchise of fantasy-comedy films based on the 1993 children's book by Milan Trenc, directed by Shawn Levy and written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. Starring Ben Stiller as a museum night security guard named Larry Daley, the first three films also star an ensemble cast featuring Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Steve Coogan, Patrick Gallagher, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Brad Garrett and Dick Van Dyke, while the video game and 4th film feature a recast ensemble of voice actors.

Films Night at the Museum (2006)

When Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), a divorced father who was having trouble finding a job, applies for a job at the American Museum of Natural History, he is assigned as a night guard. However, a seemingly easy job turns out to be a wild ride when he finds that an ancient spell has caused the exhibits of the museum to come to life.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)

Three years after the first film, several of the exhibits are transferred to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and Dexter the monkey steals the tablet of Ahkmenrah. Larry must break in and team up with his old friends, and new ally Amelia Earhart, to get it back from Ahkmenrah's resurrected evil older brother Kahmunrah before morning.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

Five years after the second film, Larry discovers that the tablet of Ahkmenrah's magic is failing. He and his now-teenage son Nick, along with Teddy Roosevelt, Sacagawea, Jedediah, Octavius, Dexter, Attila the Hun, and a new caveman figure named Laaa (who looks like Larry) travel to the British Museum in London to undo the curse, with the help of Ahkmenrah's parents and the narcissistic Sir Lancelot of Camelot, before the tablet's magic disappears forever.

Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (2022)

The story follows Nick Daley, the teenage son of Larry Daley (the former night guard of the American Museum of Natural History), as he takes on the role of night watchman at the museum. Like his father, Nick quickly discovers that the exhibits come to life at night thanks to a magical Egyptian tablet.

Nick struggles with anxiety and self-doubt but is determined to prove himself. His fears are put to the test when Kahmunrah, the villainous pharaoh from Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, escapes his underground tomb. Kahmunrah has plans to unleash the Egyptian underworld and take over the world with an army of the undead. To stop him, Nick teams up with the familiar living exhibits, including Teddy Roosevelt, Sacagawea, Attila the Hun, Laaa the caveman, and Joan of Arc, in a comedic and action-packed adventure. Together, they must prevent Kahmunrah from opening a portal to the underworld and destroying the world.

Future Thomas Lennon hinted that another film could be developed and expressed interest in doing another live-action film with Ben Stiller. He added that the animated film "opens up a lot of new possibilities".

In July 2025, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that a new live-action Night at the Museum film is in the works. The project is being produced by Shawn Levy's production company, 21 Laps Entertainment. Levy, will serve as a producer alongside Dan Levine and Emily Morris. Tripper Clancy has been hired to write the screenplay. The film is expected to introduce a new set of characters and historical figures, marking a creative shift from the original films.

Main cast and characters

Characters Films Video game Night at the Museum Night at the Museum: Night at the Museum: Night at the Museum: Night at the Museum: Recurring characters Lawrence "Larry" Daley Ben Stiller Zachary Levi Ben Stiller Theodore Roosevelt Robin Williams Thomas Lennon Mark Moseley Nicholas "Nick" Daley Jake Cherry Skyler Gisondo Joshua Bassett Jake Cherry Jedediah Owen Wilson Steve Zahn Dustin Leighton Octavius Steve Coogan Jack Whitehall Dave Wittenberg Dr. Leslie McPhee Ricky Gervais Jamie Demetriou Ricky Gervais Attila Patrick Gallagher Alexander Salamat Jim Cummings Sacagawea Mizuo Peck Kieran Sequoia Mizuo Peck Dexter Crystal the Monkey Dee Bradley Baker Easter Island Head Brad Garrett Kelemete Misipeka Jim CummingsBrad Garrett Ahkmenrah Rami Malek Crispin Freeman Cecil "C. J." Fredericks Dick Van Dyke Dick Van Dyke colspan="2" Gus Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney colspan="2" Reginald Bill Cobbs Bill Cobbs colspan="2" Erica Daley Kim Raver colspan="2" Gillian Jacobs Kahmunrah Hank Azaria Joseph Kamal Marc GraueHank Azaria Amelia Earhart / Tess Amy Adams colspan="2" Molly Hagan Ivan the Terrible Christopher Guest colspan="2" Neil Kaplan Napoleon Bonaparte Alain Chabat colspan="2" Brian George Al Capone Jon Bernthal colspan="2" André Sogliuzzo George Armstrong Custer Bill Hader colspan="2" Chad Einbinder The Thinker Hank Azaria colspan="2" Ted BiaselliHank Azaria Abraham Lincoln Statue colspan="2" Cherub Cupid Statues Jonas Brothers colspan="2" Jonas Brothers Able the Space Monkey Crystal the Monkey colspan="2" Dee Bradley Baker Albert Einstein Bobbleheads Eugene Levy colspan="2" Eugene Levy Laaa colspan="2" Ben Stiller Zachary Levi Merenkahre colspan="2" Ben Kingsley Jonathan Roumie Single-film characters Rebecca Hutman Carla Gugino colspan="4" Don Paul Rudd colspan="4" Christopher Columbus Statue Pierfrancesco Favino colspan="4" Meriwether Lewis Martin Christopher colspan="4" William Clark Martin Sims colspan="4" Sailor Joey Motorola Jay Baruchel colspan="3" Brundon the Security Guard Jonah Hill colspan="3" Docent Mindy Kaling colspan="3" Oscar the Grouch Caroll Spinney colspan="3" Darth Vader Thomas Morley colspan="3" Lancelot colspan="2" Dan Stevens colspan="2" Tilly colspan="2" Rebel Wilson colspan="2" Shepseheret colspan="2" Anjali Jay colspan="2" Madeline Phelps colspan="2" Rachael Harris colspan="2" Garuda Artefact colspan="2" Robin Williams colspan="2" Hugh Jackman / King Arthur colspan="2" Himself colspan="2" Alice Eve / Guinevere colspan="2" Herself colspan="2" Joan of Arc colspan="3" Alice Isaaz George Washington colspan="3" Chris Parnell Seth colspan="3" Akmal Saleh Ronnie colspan="3" Bowen Yang Mia colspan="3" Shelby Simmons Bodhi colspan="3" Tenzing Norgay Trainor Neanderthal colspan="4" Chad Einbinder Sheila Burns colspan="4" Molly Hagan Billy the Kid colspan="4" Ted Biaselli Cleopatra colspan="4" Julie Nathanson Ben Franklin colspan="4" André Sogliuzzo

Additional crew and production details Film Director Producer(s) Writer(s) Composer Cinematographer Editor(s) Production companies Distributor Night at the Museum Shawn Levy Shawn LevyChris ColumbusMichael Barnathan Thomas LennonRobert Ben Garant Alan Silvestri Guillermo Navarro Don Zimmerman 1492 Pictures20th Century Fox21 Laps Entertainment 20th Century Fox Night at the Museum: John Schwartzman Don ZimmermanDean Zimmerman 1492 Pictures20th Century Fox21 Laps Entertainment Dune Entertainment Night at the Museum: David GuionMichael Handelman Guillermo Navarro Dean Zimmerman 1492 Pictures20th Century Fox21 Laps Entertainment Night at the Museum: Matt Danner Shawn Levy Ray DeLaurentisWilliam Schifrin John Paesano Luc Perrault Walt Disney PicturesAtomic CartoonsAlibaba Pictures21 Laps Entertainment Disney+

Reception

Box office Title YearBox office grossBudget North America Elsewhere Worldwide Night at the Museum 2006 $250,863,268 $323,617,961 $574,481,229$110 million Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian 2009 $177,243,721 $235,862,449 $413,106,170$150 million Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb 2014 $113,746,621 $249,458,014 $363,204,635$127 million Total $ $ $$387 million

Critical and public response The franchise has received mixed reviews from critics. Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore Night at the Museum 43% (136 reviews) 48 (28 reviews) A- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian 45% (167 reviews) 42 (31 reviews) B+ Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb 47% (112 reviews) 47 (33 reviews) B+ Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again 71% (14 reviews) colspan="2"

Video game

In April and May 2009, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – The Video Game, an action-adventure video game adaptation of the feature film of the same name, developed by Amaze Entertainment and Pipeworks Software, was published by Majesco to BlackBerry, Wii, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360. Ben Stiller reprises his role in the film as the voice of Larry Daley.

Stage In April 2020, Alan Menken revealed that he is working as lyricist and composer for a stage musical adaptation of Night at the Museum. On September 11, 2020, Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy revealed that he is also working on the musical, which has been in development for "a year and a half" by that point. Work on the musical had to be done remotely through Zoom due to COVID.

Theme park A Night at the Museum: Midnight Mayhem ride is at Genting SkyWorlds.

See also List of films featuring dinosaurs List of films featuring miniature people

References

External links

The Night at the Museum on Internet Archive Night at the Museum: The Junior Novelization on Internet Archive Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian: The Junior Novelization on Internet Archive Nick's Tales: Night of the Dragons on Internet Archive Nick's Tales: Night of the Giants on Internet Archive Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb: The Junior Novelization on Internet Archive