Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Ending
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2021 animated drama directed by Swinton O. Scott III, starring Ethan William Childress as Rowley, Chris Diamantopoulos and Christian Convery. It runs 56 minutes and earned $2.7 million worldwide. Critics gave it 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 50 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.1/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 56 min
- Director
- Swinton O. Scott III
- Original language
-
English
- Studio
- Disney+
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Diary of a Wimpy Kid About?
The premise of Diary of a Wimpy Kid without spoilers. The whole story and the ending explained are in the plot summary further down.
Greg Heffley is a typical middle schooler with big dreams and an unfortunate lack of popularity. He keeps a diary to document his attempts to navigate the social minefield of middle school, hoping to achieve notoriety and rise to the top of the school’s popularity ladder. Facing embarrassing situations and outlandish schemes, Greg learns valuable lessons about friendship, loyalty, and what it truly means to grow up.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Themes & Keywords
· 31 tags- children
- middle school
- based on book
- animated remake of a live action film
- remake
- child
- cgi animation
- computer animation
- 3d animation
- school
- friendship
- smart
+19 more Show fewer
- life
- student
- class
- teacher
- boy
- girl
- shrekcore
- toy dump truck
- stuffed toy lion
- cg animation
- painted cgi
- greg heffley character
- wealth
- boy protagonist
- male protagonist
- best friend
- friend
- friendship between boys
- slimehouse
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cast & Characters
Ethan William Childress leads the cast as Rowley, with Chris Diamantopoulos as Frank and Christian Convery as Fregley. Directed by Swinton O. Scott III; 5 actors are credited in all.
- Director Swinton O. Scott III
- Ethan William Childress as Rowley
-
Chris Diamantopoulos as Frank -
Christian Convery as Fregley -
Brady Noon
Also Starring in Diary of a Wimpy Kid
· 1 moreMore from Swinton O. Scott III
One more film directed by Swinton O. Scott III: A Cool Like That Christmas.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Diary of a Wimpy Kid 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 50 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.1/10. Our Echo Score gives it 51/100, strongest in art & craft (70) and weakest in rewatch factor (35).
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Echo Score Breakdown
Diary of a Wimpy Kid delivers a passable entry in the franchise but fails to leave a strong impression. Critics note an identity that occasionally improves on its predecessor, yet question its purpose as a standalone film. Viewers highlight uneven animation quality and a story that feels derivative and unfinished. The combination of modest visual effort and lacking narrative depth results in a mixed reception, placing the film in the lower mid‑range of scores.
Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.
- Art & Craft 70
In terms of direction and visual craftsmanship, the film presents an animation style that oscillates between competent and uninspired. Some viewers describe the artwork as outstanding and adequately faithful, while others find the character designs uncanny and the overall visual presentation bland. The mixed commentary on production design and editing reflects a moderate level of artistic execution without a clear strength.
- Character & Emotion 45
When assessing character development and performance, the movie offers occasional moments of genuine chemistry, particularly between the protagonists, yet many observers note a loss of the original personalities. Voice work is described as adequate, but the depth and humor that defined earlier adaptations are largely absent. This results in a generally weak character presence that fails to engage the audience fully.
- Story & Flow 40
The narrative structure follows the source material closely but suffers from pacing issues and a sense of incompleteness. Critics and viewers alike comment that the plot feels derivative, resembling an extended series pilot rather than a self‑contained story. Missing scenes and truncated character arcs contribute to a lack of originality and diminish overall engagement, leaving the storyline feeling under‑developed.
- Sensory Experience 65
Auditory elements receive minimal attention, with the soundtrack and sound design described as unremarkable. Visual style, tied to the animation quality, draws mixed reactions; while some praise its vibrancy and fidelity to the comic aesthetic, others find it flat and lacking distinctive flair. Consequently, the sensory experience remains average, offering neither a striking auditory nor a notably compelling visual impression.
- Rewatch Factor 35
As for repeatability, the film provides limited incentive for additional viewings. The lack of fresh humor, a stagnant narrative, and an overall sense of redundancy diminish its appeal beyond the initial watch. While occasional entertaining moments exist, the consensus suggests that audiences are unlikely to seek out the movie again, resulting in low rewatch value.
-
IMDb 5.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 75% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 57%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 50 Metascore
User score 5.4
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 62% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 2.1 /5
11 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 4.2 /5
See on Movie Insider
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Plot Summary & Ending Explained
What happens in Diary of a Wimpy Kid from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events and the ending explained. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the first installment of what Greg Heffley insists on calling his “journal”—definitely not a “diary”—he sets out to share his candid thoughts and experiences as a typical middle school kid. A reluctant chronicler, Greg has reluctantly agreed to keep this journal under the pretense that it might lead him to fame and fortune, which, to his dismay, is far from his current reality. With a sigh, he shares his disdain for the “morons” he shares his school with, a sentiment that will resonate with many adolescents navigating their own school experiences.
Full summary
The whole story of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, scene by scene, with the ending explained
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box Office
Diary of a Wimpy Kid grossed $2.7 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$2.7M
- International
- $2.7M
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
How Well Do You Know Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What does Greg Heffley refer to his journal as?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Also Known As
33 alternative titles, including “En pingles dagbok” and “Diário de um Banana”.
- Also known as
-
- En pingles dagbok
- Diário de um Banana
- Saftirik Greg'in Günlüğü
- مذكرات طالب [COLOR yellow] [COLOR yellow] مدبلج[COLOR/] بالمصري [COLOR/]
- Το Ημερολόγιο ενός Σπασίκλα
- Le Journal d'un dégonflé
- O Diário de um Banana
- 윔피 키드
- Gregs Tagebuch: Von Idioten umzingelt!
- Diario di una schiappa
- Deník malého poseroutky
- 小屁孩日记
+21 more Show fewer
- El diario de Greg
- Dziennik cwaniaczka
- יומנו של חנון
- Dagbok för alla mina fans
- 葛瑞的囧日記
- Щоденник слабака
- Дневник слабака
- グレッグのダメ日記
- Het Leven van een Loser
- Egy ropi naplója
- ไดอารี่ของเด็กไม่เอาถ่าน
- En tøsedrengs dagbog
- 孱仔歷險記
- خاطرات یک بچه چلمن
- Journal d'un dégonflé
- Denník odvážneho bojka
- مذكرات طالب
- Jurnalul unui puști
- Nhật Ký Chú Bé Nhút Nhát
- 小屁孩日記
- Neropatin päiväkirja
Seen Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
Movies Like Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.
-
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2010 -
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules 2022 -
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days 2012 -
Diary of A Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw 2025 -
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown 2012 -
Diary of a Worm 2005 -
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life 2016 -
Kids World 2001 -
Wendell & Wild 2022 -
The Diary of Paulina P. 2023 -
Imagine That 2009 -
Pinocchio 2022
Diary of a Wimpy Kid FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid runs 56 minutes.
When was Diary of a Wimpy Kid released?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid was released on December 3, 2021.
Who directed Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid was directed by Swinton O. Scott III.
More films by Swinton O. Scott III Who is in the cast of Diary of a Wimpy Kid?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid stars Ethan William Childress as Rowley, Chris Diamantopoulos as Frank and Christian Convery as Fregley, among 5 credited actors.
How much did Diary of a Wimpy Kid make at the box office?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid grossed $2.7 million worldwide.
How is Diary of a Wimpy Kid rated?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid has 5.1/10 on IMDb, 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, 50 on Metacritic and 62% on TMDB.
Does Diary of a Wimpy Kid have a post-credit scene?
No. Diary of a Wimpy Kid has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
