Summary
The Psammead is an 'it', an ancient, ill-tempered sand-fairy with a spider-shaped body, bat-like ears, and snail-like eyes. It is grumpy but has the power to grant one wish a day, which must be made before sunset. Five siblings-Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and infant Hilary-encounter It and experience the highs and lows of frivolous wish-making.
Good for
- Family movie night
- Friends night
- Party vibe
Where to watch
Not streaming in United States. Where it is:
Fingerprint
At a glance
Critics vs audiences
Critics a little warmer than audiences (+6)
Critics 57Audiences 51GoodWatch 55
Tomatometer57%
Letterboxd · 6 K ratings2.8/5
IMDb5.5
Audience score42%
Box office
32%of its budget back
- Budget
- $16 M
- Worldwide
- $5 M
Worldwide it made back $5 M of the $16 M it cost.
Running time
1 h 28 min
Shorter than most adventure movies, −15 min on the typical 103
typical 10388Half of all adventure movies run 93–120 min.
Reach
Streams in 2 countries, rent or buy in 5 more
Released
2004
October 15, 2004
22 years ago
Genres
AdventureFantasyFamilyLanguage
English
Original language
Made in
France
United Kingdom
United States
Rated
- PGUnited States
Yes: it's rated PG in the United States, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.
What's in it
- ViolenceMild
- Gore, disturbing imagesLittle or none
- Frightening scenesLittle or none
- Sex, nudityLittle or none
- Dark themesMild
Levels from the title analysis.
Viewing guide
AdultsFamily Movie NightFriends NightParty VibeIntergenerationalKidsPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensBackground WatchComfort WatchDrop-in FriendlyPure Escapism
and 8 more16 people
- Tara FitzgeraldMother
- Freddie HighmoreRobert
- Alex JenningsFather
- Jonathan BaileyCyril
- Jessica ClaridgeAnthea
- Poppy RogersJane
- Zoë WanamakerMartha
- Kenneth BranaghUncle Albert
Suzy Eddie IzzardIt
Duncan PrestonSergeant- AMAlec MuggletonLamb
- APAlexander PownallHorace
- GSGeorgio SerafiniMr. Bialli
John SessionsPeasemarsh- KFKim FentonRFC Flier
- ZMZak MuggletonLamb
Directing · 1
- John Stephenson Director
Writing · 2
- David Solomons Screenplay
- Edith Nesbit Novel
Production · 13
- Victor Hadida Executive Producer
- Robert Jones Executive Producer
- James D. Stern Executive Producer
- Steve Christian Executive Producer
- Hannah Leader Executive Producer
- Sharon Harel-Cohen Executive Producer
Camera · 1
- Mike Brewster Director of Photography
Editing · 1
- Michael Ellis Editor
Sound · 1
- Jane Antonia Cornish Music
Art · 3
- Roger Hall Production Design
- Sonja Klaus Set Decoration
- Peter James Assistant Art Director
Other crew · 1
- George Cottle Stunts
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