Steven Universe: The Movie

SU Movie Poster.jpg

General Information

Original broadcast
September 2, 2019

Details

Country
United States

Network
Cartoon Network

Creator(s)
Rebecca Sugar

Credits

Directed by
Rebecca Sugar

Chronology

Preceded by
“Change Your Mind”

Succeeded by
“Little Homeschool (Steven Universe Future)”

Steven Universe: The Movie is a 2019 made-for television film based on Steven Universe. It premiered on September 2, 2019. It was first announced at SDCC 2018.

The film takes place two years after the events of the first series finale, “Change Your Mind”.

A DVD set was released on November 12, 2019.

Synopsis

Steven thinks his time defending the Earth is over, but when a new threat comes to Beach City, Steven faces his biggest challenge yet.

Plot

After an introduction from the Diamonds (“The Tale of Steven”), Steven Universe (now 16 years old) greets the citizens of the Gem Empire. The Diamonds want him to stay to fulfill his mother Pink Diamond’s role as a leader (“Let Us Adore You”), but he refuses. Back on Earth, the Crystal Gems celebrate their newfound peace (“Happily Ever After”). Almost immediately, a giant drill lands on the hillside, and Spinel, a deranged and cartoonish Gem, appears, announcing her intent to kill Steven and the rest of the Earth (“Other Friends”). Using a scythe-like weapon, she “poofs” Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst back into their gem forms; her attacks also weaken Steven’s Gem powers, though his body is unharmed. Steven manages to poof Spinel with the scythe.

Steven calls his father, Greg, for help. The Gems regenerate their bodies (including Ruby and Sapphire separately), but their memories have been erased; Pearl assumes that she is Greg’s servant (“system/BOOT.pearl_final(3).Info”). With her memories gone, Spinel is a goofy and happy-go-lucky Gem whose function is to entertain her companion. Steven seeks advice from Peridot, Lapis Lazuli, and Bismuth; they try to raise Steven’s spirits (“Who We Are”). Bismuth recognizes Spinel’s weapon as a “Rejuvenator”, a device used to reset the minds of rebellious gems back to their default state. Spinel compares the situation to a puzzle, suggesting that they find the Gems’ “missing pieces” to restore their memories, inspiring Steven to try to reenact Ruby and Sapphire’s first fusion. Spinel’s antics cause scaffolding to collapse, almost crushing Ruby; when Sapphire shoves her to safety, they fuse into Garnet (“Isn’t It Love?”), but she still has no memory of her life.

After Steven recovers Amethyst’s memory by reenacting experiences the two had together (“No Matter What”), Peridot discovers that Spinel’s drill is injecting a chemical that will kill all life on Earth. Steven’s attempts to remove the injector only accelerate the process. In order to revive Pearl’s memory, the group takes her to a Sadie Killer and the Suspects concert, hoping their music will bring back her memories of rebellion (“Disobedient”), but Pearl insists that as long as Greg exists she will obey him. Steven uses what little energy he has left to fuse with Greg (“Independent Together”), which enables Pearl to recover her memory. She tells Steven that Spinel was once Pink Diamond’s playmate; overcome with sadness, Spinel flees.

Steven follows Spinel to a desolate garden in space, where she reveals her backstory: When Pink Diamond began the Gem colonization of Earth, she told Spinel to wait for her in the garden; Spinel was left there alone for 6,000 years before learning that Pink Diamond no longer exists (“Drift Away”). Steven tells her that he will never abandon her and that he will make up for his mother’s mistakes (“Found”).

Back in Beach City, Spinel turns off the injector, but when Steven begins shifting his attention back to everyone else, she accuses Steven of just using her, suggesting he’ll abandon her or wipe her memory again. She turns the injector back on and attacks Steven. As he tries to explain the truth to her, Garnet recovers her memory (“True Kinda Love”). Steven sends the others to rescue the humans of Beach City while he confronts Spinel. Steven finally realizes why his Gem powers have not yet returned: his desire for an unchanging “happily ever after” has left him resistant to the notion of growth and change, which he needs to re-experience. Embracing this fact, he regains his powers and battles Spinel, trying to convince her that she can change as well (“Change”). Their fight destroys the injector, and Spinel relents after realizing how much she hates what she has become.

The Diamonds suddenly arrive, intending to live on Earth with Steven. He introduces Spinel to them and they take an immediate liking to her and her goofy personality (“Let Us Adore You (Reprise)”). The Diamonds accept her in place of Steven and she happily goes with them, now with people who will love her unconditionally. Steven and his friends gather to rebuild Beach City. Steven, Connie, Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst, and Greg perform a Broadway-style “Finale”.

Characters

Protagonists

Steven Universe
Garnet
Amethyst
Pearl

Antagonists

Spinel

Supporting characters

Peridot
Lapis Lazuli
Bismuth
Connie Maheswaran
Lion
Ruby
Sapphire
Greg Universe
The Great Diamond Authority
- White Diamond
- Blue Diamond
- Yellow Diamond
- Pink Diamond (flashback; non-speaking)
  - Rose Quartz (pictured/flashback; non-speaking)
Blue Pearl
Yellow Pearl
Steg (debut)
Opal
Alexandrite (non-speaking)
The Off Colors
- Lars Barriga
- Fluorite (non-speaking)
- Rhodonite (non-speaking)
- Rutile Twins (non-speaking)
- Padparadscha (non-speaking)
Citizens of Beach City
- Nanefua Pizza
- Sadie Killer and the Suspects
  - Sadie Miller
  - The Cool Kids (non-speaking)
    - Jenny Pizza
    - Sour Cream
    - Buck Dewey
- Bill Dewey (non-speaking)
- Harold Smiley (non-speaking)
- Ronaldo Fryman (non-speaking)
- Onion (non-speaking)
- Vidalia (cameo; non-speaking)
- Yellowtail (cameo; non-speaking)
- Peedee Fryman (cameo; non-speaking)
- Mr. Fryman (cameo; non-speaking)
- Kiki Pizza (cameo; non-speaking)
- Kofi Pizza (cameo; non-speaking)
- Barbara Miller (cameo; non-speaking)
- Jamie (cameo; non-speaking)
- Cat Steven
Various Unknown Gems (non-speaking)
- Unknown Quartzes
Various Uncorrupted Gems
- Snowflake Obsidian (non-speaking)
- Biggs Jasper (non-speaking)
- Ocean Jasper (non-speaking)
- Crazy Lace Agate (non-speaking)
- Zebra Jasper (non-speaking)
- Blue Lace Agate (non-speaking)
- Lace Amethyst (non-speaking)
- Angel Aura Quartz (non-speaking)
- Nephrites (non-speaking)
- Quartz Monsters (non-speaking)
- Heaven Beetle (non-speaking)
- Earth Beetle (non-speaking)
- Larimar (non-speaking)
- Watermelon Tourmaline, possibly a fusion (non-speaking)
- Orange Spodumene (non-speaking)
Jasper (debut regeneration; imagined)
Nephrite (as the Centipeetle Mother; imagined)
“Doc” (imagined)
“Eyeball” (imagined)
Holly Blue Agate (imagined)
Aquamarine (imagined)
Topaz (imagined)
Carnelian (imagined)
Flower Monster (imagined)
“Skinny” Jasper (imagined)

Three “Famethyst” Amethysts, including 8XJ (imagined)
Peridots (non-speaking)
Topazes (non-speaking)
Another Heaven and Earth Beetles (non-speaking)
a blue Zircon and a yellow Zircon (non-speaking)

Vocal

Act 1

“The Tale of Steven”
“Let Us Adore You”
“Happily Ever After”
“Other Friends”
“system/BOOT.pearl_final(3).Info”

Act 2

“Who We Are”
“Isn’t It Love?”
“No Matter What”
“Disobedient”
“Independent Together”
“Drift Away”

Act 3

“Found”
“True Kinda Love”
“Change”
“Let Us Adore You (Reprise)”
“Finale”

Instrumental

Act 1

“Once Upon a Time”
“Message to the Universe”
“Home Sweet Home”
“The Arrival”
“One on One”
“With Friends Like These”

Act 2

“Crystal Gem Huddle”
“Hijinks Will Ensue”
“Search Party”
“Echoes of Friendship”
“Our Handshake”
“No Ordinary Injector”
“Let’s Duet”
“Running Out of Time”
“Feelings Flooding Back”
“A Special World”

Act 3

“Downward Spiral”
“The Missing Piece”
“Not Good at All”
“There’s No Such Thing as Happily Ever After”
“Are We Interrupting Something?”

Production

The movie is executive produced by Cartoon Network Studios and Rebecca Sugar. Co-executive producers include Kat Morris, Joe Johnston, Alonso Ramirez Ramos (known for storyboarding 14 episodes of the series Gravity Falls), and Ian Jones-Quartey.
Rebecca Sugar also serves as the film’s director.
Former Crewniverse member Ian Jones-Quartey is also involved on the film’s story.
Storyboard work on the movie took place between late 2017 and early 2018.
- Christopher Pianka, otherwise known for The Owl House, is credited[9] as a storyboard artist on the movie.
It was animated by Sunmin Image Pictures Co.
On June 13, 2019, new musical additions to the cast such as Chance the Rapper and Gallant were announced via Cartoon Network’s Twitter.
The official trailer for the movie was released on July 19th, 2019 during the Steven Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
The movie is rated TV-PG-V, unlike the show which is rated TV-PG.