The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking is a
1988 fantasy-
adventure-
musical film based on the books of the
fictional character Pippi Longstocking, created by
Swedish children's book author
Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002). While the title suggests the movie is a continuation, it is in fact a remake of the original story. It was released in movie theaters worldwide in wide release in 13 languages by Columbia Pictures, and was directed by
Ken Annakin, a Disney legend and
Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. It was a box-office failure, holding the distinction of having the 59th-lowest per-screen revenues of a wide-release movie in history as of April 2009.
[www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=newadventuresofpippilongstocking.htm] It grossed $3.6 million during its domestic release in the U.S., with a per-screen average on opening weekend of only $1,105.
It was released on DVD in 2001.
Plot
After her father's ship 'Hoptoad' is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking (
Tami Erin) is stranded with her horse, Alfonso, and her pet monkey, Mr. Nilsson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy (David Seaman Jr.) and his sister Annika (Cory Crow), venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a river in barrels, running away in a homemade autogyro, keeping the house from being demolished by crooks, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Pippi saves the orphanage from a fire and decides that the orphanage is not for her. She is reunited with her father on Christmas day and he offers her the chance to become a cannibal princess. At the last minute Pippi decides to stay because she cannot leave Tommy and Annika.
