The film is based on Acker's Academy Award-nominated 2005 short film of the same name created at the UCLA Animation Workshop. Focus Features released it theatrically on September 9, 2009. It received generally mixed reviews from critics and earned $48.4 million on a $30 million budget. It also received an Annie Award nomination for Best Animated Effects in a Feature Production. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 29, 2009. As of 2019, this is the only adult animated film released by Universal Pictures (under Focus Features) to date.