Under the Boardwalk is a 2023 American animated musical comedy film from Paramount Animation, released under the Nickelodeon Movies imprint. Directed by David Soren from a screenplay he co-wrote with Lorene Scafaria, the film follows two rival hermit crabs — a timid land crab named Armen (voiced by Michael Cera) and a sea-crab tourist named Ramona (voiced by Keke Palmer) — who fall in love after a storm sweeps them away from their New Jersey boardwalk community. The film had a limited theatrical release on October 27, 2023, followed by a wide video-on-demand release on November 7, 2023.
Quick Facts
| Title | Under the Boardwalk (2023) |
| Type | Animated Movie (Musical Comedy) |
| Release Date | October 27, 2023 (theaters); November 7, 2023 (VOD) |
| Director | David Soren |
| Writers | Lorene Scafaria & David Soren (screenplay); Lorene Scafaria & David Dobkin (story) |
| Composers | John Debney & Jonathan Sadoff (score); Sean Douglas & Jonathan Sadoff (songs) |
| Genre | Animation, Musical, Comedy, Family |
| Where to Watch | Paramount+, digital rental/purchase |
Score & Composer
The score for Under the Boardwalk was composed by veteran film composer John Debney together with Jonathan Sadoff, while the film’s original songs were written by Sean Douglas and Jonathan Sadoff. Ariel Rechtshaid, a Grammy-winning record producer, mixing engineer and multi-instrumentalist, served as the film’s music producer.
Director David Soren is a longtime DreamWorks Animation veteran whose most notable earlier work includes two Madagascar-franchise TV specials, Merry Madagascar (2009) and Madly Madagascar (2013), both of which he wrote and directed, as well as the animated features Turbo (2013) and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017). Under the Boardwalk marked his feature directorial debut for Paramount Animation.
Every Song (by Scene)
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome to New Jersey | Under the Boardwalk cast | 3:20 |
| 2 | Anyone Else | Keke Palmer & Michael Cera | 2:00 |
| 3 | Line in the Sand | Cast | 2:33 |
| 4 | Look Around | Keke Palmer & Michael Cera | 2:17 |
| 5 | More Than a Meathead | Bobby Cannavale | 2:07 |
| 6 | Going Out | Cast | 2:28 |
All six songs were written by Sean Douglas and Jonathan Sadoff. Sony Masterworks released the soundtrack EP, Under the Boardwalk (Songs from the Motion Picture), on November 3, 2023; the EP runs 14:51 total and is available on Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.
Where to Stream
Under the Boardwalk streams on Paramount+ and is available to rent or buy digitally on platforms such as Amazon Video and Apple TV. The film was also released on DVD on December 19, 2023.
Cast
- Keke Palmer as Ramona, a sea hermit crab
- Michael Cera as Armen, an aquaphobic land hermit crab
- Bobby Cannavale as Bobby Marinara, Armen’s friend and Mako’s rival
- Russell Brand as Mako, a sea hermit crab and Ramona’s previous love interest
- John Magaro as Manny, one of Bobby’s friends
- Jon Rudnitsky as Jimmy, one of Bobby’s friends
- Steven Van Zandt as Bruno, Armen’s wise old uncle
- Vanessa Bell Calloway as Val, Ramona’s overbearing mother
- Shoshannah Stern as Shelly, Ramona’s deaf sister
- Ron Funches as Anemone, the organism living inside Armen’s old shell
- MrBeast in a cameo voice role as the “Hot Sauce Crab”
Official Trailer
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Under the Boardwalk soundtrack?
John Debney and Jonathan Sadoff composed the film’s score, while Sean Douglas and Jonathan Sadoff wrote the original songs. Ariel Rechtshaid produced the music.
Who sings “Anyone Else” and “Look Around” in the movie?
Both songs are performed as duets by Keke Palmer and Michael Cera, who voice the film’s two lead hermit crabs, Ramona and Armen.
When was Under the Boardwalk released?
It had a limited theatrical release on October 27, 2023, followed by a wide video-on-demand release on November 7, 2023, and a DVD release on December 19, 2023.
Is there a full soundtrack album?
Sony Masterworks released a six-song soundtrack EP, Under the Boardwalk (Songs from the Motion Picture), on November 3, 2023. It runs just under 15 minutes and is available on major streaming platforms.
Where can I watch Under the Boardwalk?
The film streams on Paramount+ and is available to rent or purchase digitally on platforms including Amazon Video and Apple TV.
Related reading: Movie Soundtrack hub, Streaming hub, Paramount+ hub.