9

9 is a 2009 animated science fiction film directed by Shane Acker, written by Pamela Pettler and produced by Jim Lemley, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov and Dana Ginsburg. Set in an alternate version of the 1940s, Elijah Wood voices a small ragdoll-like robot who awakens shortly after the end of mankind and must find eight other robots to figure out the mystery behind humanity's destruction while tangling with the vicious creations of a massive soul-stealing machine. The film also features the voices of John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer and Crispin Glover, with Martin Landau and Fred Tatasciore. The film is based on Acker's 2005 CG-animated, Academy Award-nominated short film of the same name created at the UCLA Animation Workshop. Focus Features released it theatrically on September 9, 2009. The film received generally mixed reviews from critics, earned $48.4 million on a $30 million budget and received a Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures nomination in 21st Producers Guild of America Awards. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 29, 2009. As of 2023, it is Acker's only feature film to date while his other films, like Deep, were unknownly developed. Plot A scientist is ordered by his dictator to create a robot in the apparent name of progress. The scientist creates the B.R.A.I.N., a highly intelligent robot. The dictator seizes it upon its apparent completion and turns it into the Fabrication Machine, an armature that can construct an army of war machines to destroy the dictator's enemies. However, because the B.R.A.I.N. lacked a soul, it became corrupted and declared war on all biological life on Earth. On the verge of destruction, the scientist uses alchemy to create nine homunculus-like rag dolls known as "Stitchpunks" as a last resort to stopping the machines, giving them portions of his own soul via a talisman he created. He dies upon completion of the final doll.