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Animated drama

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Ending

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021) movie poster

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.

IMDb rating
5.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes
75%
worldwide gross
$2.7M
Echo Score
51
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021) movie poster
Released
Runtime
56 min
Genres
Drama , Fantasy , Comedy , Animation
Original language
English
Studio
Disney+
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

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
  • 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
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Cast & crew

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.

Also Starring in Diary of a Wimpy Kid

· 1 more
From the director

More from Swinton O. Scott III

One more film directed by Swinton O. Scott III: A Cool Like That Christmas.

Full filmography
Ratings

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).

51 /100

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.

Plot

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

Read the full summary
Box office

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box Office

Diary of a Wimpy Kid grossed $2.7 million worldwide.

2021 box office

Worldwide gross

$2.7M

International
$2.7M
Videos

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Official Trailer
Quiz

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

  1. Question 1: not answered
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  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
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  10. Question 10: not answered

What does Greg Heffley refer to his journal as?

Details

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
  • 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?

FAQ

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.

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