My Little Pony: Equestria Girls | |
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File:My Little Pony - Equestria Girls logo.svg | |
Created by | Hasbro |
Original work | Toys |
Print publications | |
Book(s) | (see Books sub-section) |
Comics | (see Comics sub-section) |
Films and television | |
Film(s) |
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Short film(s) | Summertime Shorts (2017) |
Animated series |
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Television special(s) |
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Games | |
Video game(s) |
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Audio | |
Soundtrack(s) | (see Music section) |
Original music |
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Miscellaneous | |
Toy(s) | My Little Pony: Equestria Girls |
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, or simply known as Equestria Girls, is an American product line of fashion dolls and media franchise launched in 2013 by Hasbro, as a spin-off of the 2010 re-launch of the My Little Pony franchise. Equestria Girls features humanized versions of My Little Pony characters from Friendship Is Magic. It includes various doll lines and media tie-ins (including four films, music albums, a mobile app, three half-hour TV specials, sixteen "Summertime" animated shorts, a web series on YouTube, and four one-hour TV specials).
The Equestria Girls fictional universe is established as a parallel counterpart to the main world of the 2010 incarnation of My Little Pony, populated with humanoid versions of the characters from the franchise; the Hasbro website described them as "full-time students and part-time magical pony girls".[1]
Equestria Girls takes place in an alternate version of Equestria resembling modern-day Earth, whose population consists of humans with skins colored other than the usual human skin colors, with most being similar to their equine counterparts in terms of appearance and personality. Several locales in the parallel world serve as counterparts to the main cities and establishments in Equestria, such as Canterlot High School, a high school run by Celestia and her sister, Vice Principal Luna; and Crystal Prep Academy, an elite private school run by Principal Cinch.
Equestria Girls follows Princess Twilight Sparkle in the parallel world, which is accessed through a magic mirror. Together, with the counterparts of her pony friends, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy, along with her assistant Spike, Twilight will have to deal with the various magical happenings in Canterlot High that originate from the mirror portal.
Later films introduce two additional main characters serving as substitutes for Twilight: Sunset Shimmer, a former student of Princess Celestia; and Twilight "Sci-Twi" Sparkle, the parallel world counterpart of Princess Twilight Sparkle.
The earliest known official use of the "Equestria Girls" name occurred during 2011, when the American television channel The Hub (a joint venture between Discovery Communications and Hasbro; now known as Discovery Family) released a promotional commercial for Allspark Animation's My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic television series which featured a modified version of Katy Perry's "California Gurls";[2] the commercial has nothing to do with the later-launched franchise, however.
In late 2012, Hasbro registered trademark for the name "Equestria Girls" at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.[3] The franchise was briefly mentioned in the media earlier in February and March 2013.[4][5] In an interview in the February/March 2013 issue of the Kidscreen magazine, Hasbro's senior vice president of international distribution and development, Finn Arnesen, called My Little Pony a "top-priority" brand for the company; the film was described as "a new companion series" that would "[send] the pony heroes on a mission to a new world where they take on human form".[4] Equestria Girls was announced in May 2013 with a film and other media strategy,[6] and it was included in Hasbro's licensing program for My Little Pony announced in June 2013,[7] which began at the 2013 Licensing International Expo along with the company's other properties.[8] The spin-off was to be a part of the 30th anniversary of the My Little Pony brand.[6]
Along with the toys, Hasbro planned to produce related merchandise and media including films, apparel, and accessories. Hasbro's chief marketing officer, John A. Frascotti, called the franchise a "major strategic initiative" for the company.[6] The human-based toys were developed to appeal to girls in their teens as a means to extend the My Little Pony brand.[9] In addition, Hasbro will continue its licensing deals with book publisher Little, Brown and Company and comic book publisher IDW Publishing to publish related works.[7]
In the audio commentary included in the Rainbow Rocks home media, Meghan McCarthy commented that Equestria Girls was initially not intended to become an ongoing franchise, and the thought of a sequel did not cross her mind.[10]
Type | Fashion doll |
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Company | Hasbro |
Country | United States |
Availability | 2013–present |
Official website |
Character | Feature films | Animated shorts | YouTube webseries | ||||||
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Equestria Girls | Rainbow Rocks | Friendship Games | Legend of Everfree | Rainbow Rocks shorts | Friendship Games shorts | Summertime shorts | Better Together | ||
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 | 2017–present | ||
Twilight Sparkle | Tara Strong Rebecca Shoichet (singing voice) |
Rebecca Shoichet | Tara Strong Rebecca Shoichet (singing voice) | ||||||
Sunset Shimmer | Rebecca Shoichet | ||||||||
Applejack | Ashleigh Ball | ||||||||
Rarity | Tabitha St. Germain Kazumi Evans (singing voice) | ||||||||
Fluttershy | Andrea Libman | ||||||||
Rainbow Dash | Ashleigh Ball | ||||||||
Pinkie Pie | Andrea Libman Shannon Chan-Kent (singing voice) | ||||||||
Spike | Cathy Weseluck | Silent cameo | Cathy Weseluck | ||||||
Principal Celestia | Nicole Oliver | Nicole Oliver | |||||||
Vice Principal Luna | Tabitha St. Germain | ||||||||
Flash Sentry | Vincent Tong | Silent cameo | Vincent Tong | ||||||
The Dazzlings | Kazumi Evans Diana Kaarina Maryke Hendrikse |
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Principal Abacus Cinch | Iris Quinn | ||||||||
The Shadowbolts | Sharon Alexander Sienna Bohn Shannon Chan-Kent Britt Irvin Kelly Sheridan |
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Midnight Sparkle | Tara Strong | ||||||||
Gloriosa Daisy | Enid-Raye Adams Kelly Metzger (singing voice) |
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Timber Spruce | Brian Doe | Brian Doe |
Character | |||
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Dance Magic | Movie Magic | Mirror Magic | |
Twilight Sparkle | Tara Strong Rebecca Shoichet (singing voice) |
Tara Strong | |
Sunset Shimmer | Rebecca Shoichet | ||
Applejack | Ashleigh Ball | ||
Rarity | Tabitha St. Germain Kazumi Evans (singing voice) |
Tabitha St. Germain | |
Fluttershy | Andrea Libman | ||
Rainbow Dash | Ashleigh Ball | ||
Pinkie Pie | Andrea Libman Shannon Chan-Kent (singing voice) |
Andrea Libman | |
Spike | Cathy Weseluck | ||
The Shadowbolts | Sharon Alexander Sienna Bohn Britt Irvin Shannon Chan-Kent |
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Juniper Montage | Ali Liebert | ||
Starlight Glimmer | Kelly Sheridan |
Character | ||||
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Forgotten Friendship (2018) | Rollercoaster of Friendship (2018) | Spring Breakdown (2019) | Sunset's Backstage Pass (2019) | |
Twilight Sparkle | Tara Strong Rebecca Shoichet (singing voice) |
Tara Strong | ||
Sunset Shimmer | Rebecca Shoichet | |||
Applejack | Ashleigh Ball | |||
Rarity | Tabitha St. Germain Kazumi Evans (singing voice) |
Tabitha St. Germain | ||
Fluttershy | Andrea Libman | |||
Rainbow Dash | Ashleigh Ball | |||
Pinkie Pie | Andrea Libman Shannon Chan-Kent (singing voice) | |||
Spike | Cathy Weseluck | Cathy Weseluck | Silent cameo | |
Wallflower Blush | Shannon Chan-Kent | Silent cameo | ||
Vignette Valencia | Tegan Moss | |||
The Dazzlings | Kazumi Evans Diana Kaarina Maryke Hendrikse | |||
PostCrush | Lili Beaudoin Mariee Devereux |
Crew/Detail | Equestria Girls (2013) |
Rainbow Rocks (2014) |
Friendship Games (2015) |
Legend of Everfree (2016) |
Better Together (2017–present) |
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Director | Jayson Thiessen | Ishi Rudell | |||
Producer(s) | Sarah Wall Devon Cody |
Devon Cody | Angela Belyea | Angela Belyea Colleen McAllister | |
Writer(s) | Meghan McCarthy | Josh Haber | Joanna Lewis Kristine Songco |
Various | |
Editor(s) | Mark Kuehnel | Rachel Kenzie | Shannon Archibald Tom Harris |
Various | |
Composer | William Anderson | ||||
Songs by | Daniel Ingram | Various | |||
Based on | My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic created by Lauren Faust My Little Pony toyline by Bonnie Zacherle | ||||
Release platform | Theatrical | Discovery Family | Netflix | YouTube | |
Production companies | DHX Media (2D Vancouver animation studio) Hasbro Studios | ||||
Distributor | Screenvision | Hasbro Studios | |||
Release date | June 16, 2013 | September 27, 2014 | September 26, 2015 | October 1, 2016 | November 17, 2017 |
Runtime | 70 minutes | 71 minutes | 72 minutes | 73 minutes | 2–3 minutes |
MPAA rating | G | — | |||
TV rating | TV-Y | TV-Y7 | |||
BBFC rating | U | — |
Crew/Detail | Dance Magic | Movie Magic | Mirror Magic | |
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Directors | Ishi Rudell Katrina Hadley | |||
Producer | Angela Belyea | |||
Writer(s) | G.M. Berrow | Noelle Benvenuti | Rachel Vine Dave Polsky | |
Editors | Shannon Archibald Tom Harris | |||
Composer(s) | William Anderson (score) Daniel Ingram (song) |
William Anderson (score) | ||
Based on | My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic created by Lauren Faust | |||
Release platform | Discovery Family | |||
Production companies | DHX Media (2D Vancouver animation studio) Hasbro Studios | |||
Release date | June 24, 2017 | July 1, 2017 | July 8, 2017 | |
Duration | 22 minutes | |||
TV rating | TV-Y |
Crew/Detail | Forgotten Friendship (2018) | Rollercoaster of Friendship (2018) | Spring Breakdown (2019) | Sunset's Backstage Pass (2019) | |
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Directors | Ishi Rudell Katrina Hadley | ||||
Producer(s) | Angela Belyea | Angela Belyea Colleen McAllister |
Angela Belyea Katherine Crownover Colleen McAllister | ||
Writer | Nick Confalone | Whitney Ralls | |||
Editor | Nick Confalone | ||||
Composer(s) | Daniel Ingram[nb 1] Trevor Hoffmann[nb 1] John Jennings Boyd[nb 2] Lisette Bustamante[nb 2] |
William Anderson (score) John Jennings Boyd (song) Lisette Bustamante (song) |
William Anderson (score) Jessica Charlotte Vaughn (song) Jess Furman (song) Ethan Roberts (song) |
William Anderson (score) Jessica Charlotte Vaughn Jess Furman her0ism[nb 3] | |
Based on | My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic created by Lauren Faust | ||||
Release platform | Discovery Family | ||||
Production companies | DHX Media (2D Vancouver animation studio) Hasbro Studios |
DHX Media (2D Vancouver animation studio) Allspark Animation | |||
Release date | February 17, 2018 | July 6, 2018 | March 30, 2019 | July 27, 2019 | |
Duration | 44 minutes (TV edit) 50 minutes (unedited; YouTube)[19] |
44 minutes | |||
TV rating | TV-Y | TV-Y7 |
See also: List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters |
The following characters made their debut in the Equestria Girls series, which is primarily set in a fictional world parallel to the pony-inhabited fantasy setting of the current incarnation of My Little Pony, accessible via a magic mirror. The toys and other series of media additionally features alternate humanoid versions of pony characters in roles similar to the television series; characters as depicted in the television series who travel between worlds assume similar forms in the alternative setting.
Main article: List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters § Main characters |
The main characters are collectively referred to in merchandise as the Equestria Girls. Beginning in Rainbow Rocks, they are also the members of a rock band named the Rainbooms.
See also: List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters § Secondary characters |
The Equestria Girls counterparts of the minor, supporting and background characters in Friendship Is Magic television series also make appearances in the films and shorts. Among such characters, those released as toys include Cheerilee, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle), DJ Pon-3, Lyra Heartstrings, Octavia Melody, Photo Finish, Sweetie Drops and Trixie.
The counterparts of Friendship Is Magic characters which had their toys released but did not make appearance in any of tie-in media include Queen Chrysalis, Sapphire Shores, and Zecora.
See also: List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic characters |
Main article: List of songs in Equestria Girls |
The animated films and their related shorts, all produced by DHX Media's 2D animation studio in Vancouver, Canada for Hasbro Studios, revolve around the main cast of Friendship Is Magic, normally ponies, as teenage human characters in a high school setting in an alternate universe. The first two films were written by Meghan McCarthy and directed by Jayson Thiessen; the third film was written by Josh Haber and directed by Ishi Rudell; the fourth film was written by Kristine Songco and Joanna Lewis, and directed by Ishi Rudell.
Hasbro Studios lists the films as "TV specials" in the company's sales guide.[20] However, in the United States and Canada, the first two films, Equestria Girls and Rainbow Rocks, had limited theatrical screenings in select cities before they were released on home media (by Shout! Factory for the region) and broadcast on television. In the U.S., these films were screened in Screenvision theaters, without any rating from the MPAA, while in Canada, they were shown in Cineplex theaters, with classifications from provincial film boards. There are no box office records in either area are available for the two films. Internationally, there have been theatrical releases of the films in some areas, but in most cases the films were only shown on television before (or after) it was released on home media.
For the films Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games, a series of animated shorts released online accompanies each film. The shorts are also included on physical media releases of the films as a part of special features.
To maintain continuity of the films with the Friendship Is Magic television series, Hasbro used the same writing staff as the show, including the current story editor Meghan McCarthy, who considered the story to be "an extension of our mythology".[6] McCarthy stated that with the Equestria Girls setting, "we might explore different aspects of relationships that in the pony world don't quite work the same as they do when you set it in a high school setting", thus making the work more appealing to older girls that are in high or junior high school.[21]
In writing the script of the first film, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, Meghan McCarthy went back to the self-titled two-part pilot episodes of Friendship Is Magic, where Twilight Sparkle is sent to Ponyville for the first time and forced to meet new friends. She wanted to do the same with the film, in this case putting Twilight into a new world where she would again be forced to make new friends to succeed in her quest.[22] Released in 2013, the film was premiered on June 15 as a part of Los Angeles Film Festival that year, before having limited theatrical releases in the United States and Canada the next day, and was released on home media on August 6.
The second film released in 2014, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks, centers around Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and friends' activities against evil sirens using music. On February 13, 2014, Meghan McCarthy wrote on Twitter that she had worked on the film during the summer of 2013.[23] That same day, songwriter Daniel Ingram also wrote on the service that there would be a total of 12 songs in the film;[24] however, only 11 songs were used in the film. The film had a limited theatrical release from September 27, 2014, before it was out on home media on October 28 that year.
Released in 2015, the third installment, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games, was first teased by Rainbow Rocks co-director, Ishi Rudell on December 12, 2014.[25] The film was first broadcast on September 26, 2015 on Discovery Family in the U.S. and Family Channel in Canada, and was released on home media on October 13 that year. In the film, the alternative universe counterpart of Twilight Sparkle, a student at Crystal Prep, is forced by Principal Abacus Cinch to disrupt Friendship Games (a sporting event held every four years with Canterlot High) with magic.
On October 3, 2015, CEO of Hasbro Studios Stephen Davis said that a fourth film, subtitled Legend of Everfree, was in development.[26][27] The film was released on Netflix on October 1, 2016, and the home media release followed on November 1, 2016. In the film, the protagonists follow the damages at Camp Everfree caused by a creature so-called Gaea Everfree.
The four films are then followed by the three 22-minute specials were released on Discovery Family starting on June 24 and ended on July 8, 2017 respectively.[28][29] It was then followed by a series of "Summertime" shorts.
A digital web series was launched on Hasbro's YouTube channel with its first episode posted on November 17, 2017.
Two one-hour specials aired on Discovery Family in 2018. The first being Forgotten Friendship, which aired on February 17, and the second being Rollercoaster of Friendship, which premiered on July 6. A third being Spring Breakdown, which aired on March 30, 2019, and a fourth being Sunset's Backstage Pass, which aired on July 27, 2019.
Feature film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Duration | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls | June 15, 2013[nb 1] | Jayson Thiessen | Meghan McCarthy | Sarah Wall Devon Cody |
70 minutes | Released |
Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks | September 27, 2014[nb 2] | 71 minutes | ||||
Equestria Girls: Friendship Games | September 26, 2015[nb 3] | Ishi Rudell | Josh Haber | Devon Cody | 72 minutes | |
Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree | October 1, 2016[nb 4] | Kristine Songco Joanna Lewis |
Angela Belyea | 73 minutes | ||
Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship | February 17, 2018[nb 3] | Ishi Rudell Katrina Hadley |
Nick Confalone | Angela Belyea Colleen McAllister |
44 minutes | |
Equestria Girls: Rollercoaster of Friendship | July 6, 2018[nb 3] | |||||
Equestria Girls: Spring Breakdown | March 30, 2019[nb 3] | Angela Belyea Katherine Crownover Colleen McAllister | ||||
Equestria Girls: Sunset's Backstage Pass | July 27, 2019[nb 3] | Whitney Ralls |
Special | U.S. release date | Director | Writer(s) | Producer | Duration | Platform | Status |
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Equestria Girls: Dance Magic | June 24, 2017 | Ishi Rudell | G.M. Berrow | Angela Belyea | 22 minutes | Discovery Family | Released |
Equestria Girls: Movie Magic | July 1, 2017 | Noelle Benevuenti | |||||
Equestria Girls: Mirror Magic | July 8, 2017 | Rachel Vine Dave Polsky |
The My Little Pony 2015 Convention Collection released for San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 contains select songs from the first two films: Equestria Girls and Rainbow Rocks.
Main article: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (web series) |
A YouTube-exclusive series was originally going to premiere sometime in 2018;[30] however, it was moved up to a November 17, 2017 release instead.[31] The first season consisted of 37 episodes. It ended on October 5, 2018. The series is broadcast on Hasbro's official YouTube channel every Friday; the TV specials are broadcast on Discovery Family and were later uploaded to the YouTube channel in weekly installments. Season 2 premiered on January 11, 2019.
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Forgotten Friendship is an animated fantasy television special directed by Ishi Rudell and written by Nick Confalone. It is the first one-hour special. Originally aired on February 17, 2018 on Discovery Family, it features the core voice cast from the previous films/shorts/specials – Tara Strong, Rebecca Shoichet, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain and Cathy Weseluck. The story follows Sunset Shimmer's discovery that her friends' memories of her have been mysteriously erased; she returns to Equestria and seeks help from Princess Twilight Sparkle to find the cause before the memories vanish forever. The special is 44 minutes long, edited down from a 50-minute original cut of five episodes on Hasbro's YouTube channel.
Overall | Episode Title | Original airdate | Duration | Overall duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | A Friendship to Remember | March 9, 2018 | 10:16 | 10:16 |
2 | Homecoming | March 16, 2018 | 9:57 | 20:13 |
3 | Wiped Out | March 23, 2018 | 9:21 | 29:34 |
4 | Good Cop, Great and Powerful Cop | March 30, 2018 | 9:28 | 39:02 |
5 | Unforgettable | April 6, 2018 | 9:50 | 48:52 |
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rollercoaster of Friendship is an animated fantasy television special directed by Ishi Rudell and written by Nick Confalone. It is the second one-hour special. Originally aired on July 6, 2018 on Discovery Family as part of its "Summer Surprises" programming block. It features the core voice cast from the previous films/shorts/specials – Tara Strong, Rebecca Shoichet, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, and Cathy Weseluck. The story follows Rarity's acceptance of a summer job as a costume designer for a new amusement park and the strain that it puts on her friendship with the other girls, particularly Applejack.
Overall | Episode Title | Original airdate | Duration | Overall duration |
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1 | All Bite & No Park | August 31, 2018 | 10:16 | 10:16 |
2 | Frenemy Request | September 7, 2018 | 9:50 | 20:06 |
3 | Applejack Investigates | September 14, 2018 | 9:48 | 29:54 |
4 | Captured Images | September 21, 2018 | 7:17 | 37:11 |
5 | No Filter | September 28, 2018 | 10:57 | 48:08 |
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Spring Breakdown is an animated fantasy television special directed by Ishi Rudell and Katrina Hadley, and written by Nick Confalone. It is the third one-hour special. The special aired on Discovery Family on March 30, 2019. It features the core voice cast from the previous films/shorts/specials – Tara Strong, Rebecca Shoichet, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, and Cathy Weseluck. In this special, the girls take a luxury cruise for spring break, but wayward magic imperils the passengers and forces Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash to visit Equestria for help from Princess Twilight.
Overall | Episode Title | Original airdate | Duration | Overall duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bon Voyage | April 12, 2019 | 7:43 | 7:43 |
2 | Sea Legs | April 19, 2019 | 7:44 | 15:27 |
3 | Tropical Depression | April 26, 2019 | 7:43 | 23:10 |
4 | Friend Overboard | May 3, 2019 | 7:43 | 30:53 |
5 | Hoofin' It | May 10, 2019 | 7:44 | 39:37 |
6 | That Sinking Feeling | May 17, 2019 | 7:41 | 47:18 |
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Sunset's Backstage Pass is an animated fantasy television special directed by Ishi Rudell and Katrina Hadley, and written by Whitney Ralls. It is the fourth and final one-hour special. The special aired on Discovery Family on July 27, 2019. It features the core voice cast from the previous films/shorts/specials – Tara Strong, Rebecca Shoichet, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, and Cathy Weseluck.
The following juvenile fiction chapter books are originally published by LB Kids imprint of Hachette Book Group USA. The Orchard Book's imprint of Hachette UK, as well as The Five Mile Press in Australia, also published the books. The dates listed are the American publish dates.
No. | Title | Author | Date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Equestria Girls: Through the Mirror | G.M. Berrow | October 1, 2013 |
2 | Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks | Perdita Finn | April 8, 2014 |
3 | Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks - The Mane Event | Perdita Finn | October 7, 2014 |
4 | Equestria Girls: Sunset Shimmer's Time to Shine | Perdita Finn | May 5, 2015 |
5 | Equestria Girls: Friendship Games | Perdita Finn | October 6, 2015 |
6 | Equestria Girls: Twilight's Sparkly Sleepover Surprise | Perdita Finn | May 17, 2016 |
7 | Equestria Girls: The Legend of Everfree | Perdita Finn | September 6, 2016 |
8 | Equestria Girls: Magic, Magic Everywhere! | Perdita Finn | June 6, 2017 |
9 | Equestria Girls: A Friendship to Remember | Perdita Finn | December 5, 2017 |
Other than the chapter books, the following books was also published by the LB Kids imprint.
Title | Author | Date |
---|---|---|
Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree - Save Our Camp! | Louise Alexander | September 6, 2016 |
Equestria Girls: Wondercolts Forever | Sadie Chesterfield | January 3, 2017 |
Canterlot High Stories: Rainbow Dash Brings the Blitz | Arden Hayes | April 3, 2018 |
Canterlot High Stories: Twilight Sparkle's Science Fair Sparks | Arden Hayes | June 5, 2018 |
Canterlot High Stories: Pinkie Pie and the Cupcake Calamity | Arden Hayes | October 2, 2018 |
Make Your Own Magic: The Starswirl Do-Over | Whitney Ralls | February 5, 2019 |
See also: My Little Pony (IDW Publishing) |
A special short story, featuring the origins of Sunset Shimmer, was published in the IDW My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 2013 San Diego Comic Con comic variant in July 2013. It also included additional stories in a stand-alone issue, titled My Little Pony Annual 2013: Equestria Girls, released on October 30, 2013.[32][33]
An issue of IDW's Fiendship Is Magic features the sirens, the evil creatures as appeared in Rainbow Rocks.
No. | Title | United States release date | United States ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
My Little Pony: Annual 2013 | October 30, 2013 | 1631405152 | |
Stories take place before the first Equestria Girls film, including an 8-page story original published in the 2013 San Diego Comic Con variant of the main series, issue #9 (in July 2013), telling the origin of the character Sunset Shimmer. In the short, Sunset is shown as Princess Celestia's prized student in magic arts, whom Celestia hopes to groom into a princess. However, when Sunset becomes corrupted by images she sees in a magic mirror, Celestia realizes that Sunset may be too greedy and vain. Sunset goes against Celestia's wishes and breaks into the dark magic wing of the library, learning about the mirror's function and magic that can transform her into a winged unicorn. Celestia discovers this and expels Sunset as her student, but Sunset manages to escape and pass through the mirror, ending up in the parallel world.
In the main story, a prequel to the events of the film but told in flashback from a series of interviews, the five students, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash struggle as freshmen to Canterlot High. Pinkie cannot find a school club that makes her happy, while Rainbow Dash wants to be the star player of the Wondercolts soccer team despite her inability to play on the team. Meanwhile, Applejack is initially glad to see her cousins Babs Seed and Sunflower, but they ridicule her fashion while making friends with Rarity, the fashion expert. However, when Rarity asks Fluttershy, who has been worried about Sunflower's sick chihuahua dog but unable to speak up about it, to join them for lunch one day, Babs Seed and Sunflower refuse to allow her. On the day of the first game, Pinkie has found her true calling, as leader of the school's glee club, and gets Fluttershy to help distribute cheering equipment to the crowd. When Babs and Sunflower refuse Fluttershy's help, both Applejack and Rarity decide to abandon the two, and join Fluttershy. The crowd helps Rainbow Dash to remember the team spirit, and foregoes her ego to help her team to win. The five become fast friends, though all this is detailed in the present by Sunset to be used for her own gains.
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My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Holiday Special | December 17, 2014 | — | |
As the holidays approach at Canterlot High, Sunset is reminded that she is far distant from her family. Applejack hatches a plan with the rest of her friends to help cheer Sunset up with a series of slumber parties. During the first one, Applejack gets a call from Apple Bloom, who teasingly refers to her by an embarrassing childhood nickname. Applejack gladly explains its origins to the other girls, and Sunset writes to Twilight via her magic journal about the way her friends are helping to lift her spirits.
The next day, Applejack is shocked to discover that a social media user called "Anon-a-miss" has posted a message about the nickname, and that everyone at school has read it and begun to tease her. The situation worsens after the next slumber party, held at Rarity's house, when Anon-a-miss posts photos that the girls took of one another while trying on silly outfits. They begin to suspect Sunset, as she was the only person present at both events and the colors on Anon-a-miss' social media page now match the ones she favors. Soon, embarrassing secrets about other students begin to show up online, causing the student body as a whole to turn against Sunset. When Sunset writes to Twilight for help, Twilight reminds her of the Windigos in Equestria, which feed on hatred and distrust between friends, and reminds her of the importance of family. Sunset shows these messages to the other girls the next day and asks them if they honestly believe that she could be responsible for stirring up this trouble. The mention of family prompts Sunset to question Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity about the events leading up to their secrets being exposed. Their answers lead her to realize Anon-a-miss' identity, and she is proven right when Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle confess their involvement. Apple Bloom had created Anon-a-miss as a way to get back at Applejack for spending so much time with Sunset rather than her family, and the other two soon joined in, with other students feeding them fresh gossip. They delete the profile, and everyone gets back on good terms with one another in time for the final party at Sweet Apple Acres.
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My Little Pony: Fiendship Is Magic Issue 3 | April 15, 2015 | 1631403397 | |
In ancient Equestria, the sirens - Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk - have been feeding off the emotions brewed by the discord created by their singing in smaller towns but have turned their attention to the populous Canterlot. They arrive at the height of a multi-day musical competition. Their first attempt to sing with their traditional song is cut short as their song is far outdated, and Adagio comes up with singing "pop music" at the next chance. Their new song quickly enraptures the audiences, except for the wizard, Star Swirl the Bearded. Recognizing that their singing is turning the ponies of Canterlot against each other, Star Swirl finds the only way to fight back is to counteract the sirens with his own music. The Sirens and Star Swirl begin to try to one-up each other over several days, until Star Swirl finds he cannot hope to best the Sirens in musical ability. Remorsefully he uses the magic mirror to banish the sirens to a world without magic, hoping the trio will come to use their powers for good. In this new world, the sirens find themselves in the humanized forms, their magic weak but still strong enough to feed from with the power of their song.
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An online series of 15-30-second animated shorts was uploaded onto the official website and official YouTube channel on February 11, 2016 to promote the Equestria Girls Minis toy line.
Title | Release Date | Starring | Duration |
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"Pinkie Pie Slumber Party ft. Pinkie Pie" | February 11, 2016 | Pinkie Pie | 15 seconds |
"Pinkie Pie Slumber Party ft. Twilight Sparkle" | Twilight Sparkle & Spike | ||
"Pinkie Pie Slumber Party ft. Rarity" | Rarity | ||
"Pinkie Pie Slumber Party" | April 8, 2016 | The Equestria Girls | 20 seconds |
"Dance Off" | August 15, 2016 | Twilight Sparkle & Rainbow Dash | 30 seconds |
"Pillow Fight" | November 7, 2016 | The Equestria Girls | 20 seconds |
"Adventures at Canterlot High: Class w/ Principal Celestia" | February 3, 2017 | The Equestria Girls feat. Principal Celestia | 15 seconds |
"Adventures at Canterlot High: Sci-Twi's Lab" | Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Photo Finish | ||
"The Show Must Go On - Part 1" | June 13, 2017 | The Equestria Girls feat. Juniper Montage | 15 seconds |
"The Show Must Go On - Part 2" | |||
"Beach Fun" | March 22, 2018 | The Equestria Girls feat. Trixie and Spike | 15 seconds |
"Fun at the Theme Park!" | September 13, 2018 | The Equestria Girls | 15 seconds |
Title | Region 1 Release Date | Episodes | Additional Features |
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My Little Pony: Equestria Girls[34] | August 6, 2013 | Feature film | Through the Mirror of Equestria Girls Karaoke Songs ("Cafeteria Song" and "A Friend for Life") Pony-fy Yourself Printable movie poster |
Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks[35] | October 28, 2014 | Feature film | New featurette Prelude shorts Sing-alongs (Better Than Ever, Battle, and Rainbooms Battle)[nc 2] Audio commentary by Meghan McCarthy, Jayson Thiessen, Ishi Rudell, Michael Vogel, and Brian Lenard |
Equestria Girls: Friendship Games[36] | October 13, 2015 | Feature film | Deleted scenes Audio commentary Sing-alongs Animated shorts |
Equestria Girls (Three Movie Gift Set)[37] | October 13, 2015 | Box set | Lenticular Cover with Transforming Twilight Sparkle Bonus features Audio commentary on Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games Prelude shorts for Rainbow Rocks Animated shorts for Friendship Games Deleted scenes from Friendship Games Sing-alongs |
Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree[38] | November 1, 2016 | Feature film | Audio commentary Blooper reel Sing-alongs |
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Magical Movie Night[39] | August 8, 2017 | Specials
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Sing Alongs |
Up until the Friendship Games lineup, Hasbro has been releasing a series of live-action music videos to promote the toy line. The videos feature the female dancers, dressed as the protagonists, dance to the renditions of the song "Equestria Girls", a number heard in the first Equestria Girls film.
With the first lineup, Hasbro released a live-action music video, titled Magic of Friendship, on Entertainment Weekly website on August 30, 2013, depicting seven teenage girls, as the six protagonists and Sunset Shimmer, doing a new dance routine called "The EG Stomp" in a school cafeteria to a shorter Toy Commercial version of the "Equestria Girls" song.[40]
On February 20, 2014, Hasbro released a new live-action music video on its official website to coincide with the Rainbow Rocks lineup, depicting the protagonists in a rock band. The music video, also titled Rainbow Rocks, uses a rock version of the "Equestria Girls" song and portrays the protagonists performing the "EG Stomp".[41] Through the Equestria Girls YouTube channel, another music video was released on August 4, 2014. It depicts four more teenage girls, each one dressed as the Dazzlings and DJ Pon-3 respectively.[42] On February 2015, another music video titled "Rainbooms Remix" was released.
On August 14, 2015, the same year the Friendship Games lineup was launched, Hasbro released a live-action music video on its website, depicting five of the six protagonists as well as Sunset Shimmer in a sporting competition against Crystal Prep's Twilight Sparkle.[43]
On October 15, 2013, Gameloft's My Little Pony mobile game was updated to include the Equestria Girls mini-game.[44][better source needed]
A Rainbow Rocks missile command-type mini-game was added to the Hasbro Arcade mobile app on April 8, 2014. On October 29, 2014, the mini-game was updated to include the Dazzlings with two songs from the movie and one song from one of the live-action music videos.[45][better source needed]
On June 7, 2014, a Rainbow Rocks game titled "Repeat the Beat" was released on Hasbro's Equestria Girls website;[46][better source needed] almost two months later, two more games have been released on July 31, 2014, one of them being "Equestria Girls: Battle of the Bands"[47][better source needed] and the other being "Equestria Girls: V.I.F. (Very Important Friend)".[48][better source needed]
On August 4, 2015, a Friendship Games game titled "Archery Game" was released on Hasbro's Equestria Girls website.[49][better source needed]
There have been criticism over the anthropomorphism approach of the toy line, as well as the franchise overall. Prior to the Equestria Girls film's release, several mothers spoke to the New York Daily News stating concerns about the humanized characters, describing them as "too sexy", "anorexic", "going back to the original Barbie" or "looking like Bratz dolls", and several feared allowing their children to be influenced by the looks.[50] However, some considered it reasonable with other current media such as The Little Mermaid, with one parent stating she felt that it isn't "any worse than Ariel in a bikini top for two hours".[50] Slate's Amanda Marcotte considered that the characters' change to human form was to popularize Equestria Girls with the adult fanbase of Friendship Is Magic, who she claims "have expressed a strong interest in seeing the Ponies in sexy, humanized forms".[51] However, many of these adult fans expressed disappointment in the announcement of the franchise and the characters, considering Equestria Girls to be trying to pander to this older audience, and that the approach "goes against everything that Pony was trying to prove".[52] Craig McCracken, speaking for his wife Lauren Faust, Friendship Is Magic's creative showrunner for the first two seasons before stepping down, stated that McCracken felt she "wasn't the biggest fan" of Equestria Girls, opining that the approach of turning the pony characters into humans would have gone against the way she wanted to take the television series.[53]
The reception for the films and specials has generally been mixed to positive for retaining the quality of the original series, but has also included criticism for being commercialized, having much tie-in merchandise. When reviewing the Friendship Games film, Mike Cahill of The Guardian gave the film two out of five stars, calling it "craven commercialism", but adding that "it's not unattractively designed, and its peppy collegiate spirit trumps the sappiness of Disney's Tinkerbell spin-offs".[54]