Babe, fresh from his victory in the sheepherding contest, returns to Farmer Hoggett's farm, but after Farmer Hoggett is injured and unable to work, Babe has to go to the big city to save the farm.
Babe: Pig in the City commenced production at Fox Studios Australia in May 1997 and completed in August 1998. To say this film was produced at Fox is technically incorrect. When production commenced, ownership of the site had only just been transferred from the NSW Royal Agricultural Society to Fox a mere 1 month beforehand. The site was a complete shambles. Not only did the producers of "Babe, Pig in the City" have to make a film, they had to create a place in which to make it. An ex. Agricultural showground certainly threw up plenty of suitable facilities for which to make a film where animals were the star performers - but the sheer amount of work needed to bring "Babe, Pig in the City" to the screen is not readily apparent when watching the film. As production commenced, construction of the new studios also got underway. "Babe, Pig in the City" occupied the "old and decrepit" sections of the showground. Towards the latter stages of production, the "new side" construction fences encroached ever closer on the spaces being used and a "Cat and mouse" game ensued. Relocation of entire departments was common. More than half of the production was shot at night. "Babe, Pig in the City" still holds the record for the largest and most complex outdoor film back lot ever constructed in Australia. This back lot was constructed atop what was previously a large paved area for "sideshow alley" at the Royal Easter Show and remained in place on display at Fox until 2002. Likewise many locations around Sydney were also used including quite a few buildings within the old show grounds before they were demolished or refurbished into their new Fox roles.
Babe:
I'm not a porkpie.
Zootie:
Whatever you say, cutie pie.
Babe:
I'm not any kind of pie. I'm just a pig on a mission.
The orang-utan playing the part of Thelonius is a female, though the character is male. Male orang-utans have large, obvious cheek-pads, which are not present on this individual.
One of the singing mice thanks the audience for staying through the credits.
The scene where Ferdinand lands at the Gun Club is removed from some TV showings. The film cuts from him landing in daylight to his perching, out of breath, on top of a tall building after dark.
English
$90,000,000 (estimated)
$6,162,640 29 November 1998
$18,319,860
$69,131,860