The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (released as The Pirates! Band of Misfits* in the US) is a 2012 stop-motion animated comedy directed by Peter Lord and produced by Aardman Features, featuring a star-studded voice cast led by Hugh Grant. The story follows the bumbling Pirate Captain and his crew, who accidentally capture Charles Darwin and discover their pet dodo, Polly, is the last of her species—prompting them to enter her in a Scientist of the Year competition in London. Their triumph leads to a meeting with Queen Victoria, who secretly plans to serve the dodo at a banquet for world leaders; when the Captain refuses to hand her over, he is stripped of his pirate status and abandoned by his crew. The Captain then reunites with Darwin and his former crew to stage a daring airship rescue aboard the queen's flagship, ultimately thwarting her plan in a chaotic explosion. Released in the UK on 28 March 2012 and in the US on 27 April 2012, the film grossed $123 million against a $55 million budget, received generally positive reviews, and earned an Academy Award nomination* for Best Animated Feature.