Barnyard (also known as Barnyard: The Original Party Animals) is a 2006 American animated comedy film produced by Nickelodeon Movies and O Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is produced, written and directed by Steve Oedekerk and features an ensemble cast of Kevin James, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliott, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, Andie MacDowell and David Koechner. It tells the story of Otis, a carefree Holstein cow (actually a male bullock with an udder) who learns the value of responsibility when he becomes the leader of his farm home's community after his adoptive father's death from a coyote attack. Barnyard began development in 2002 and was released in the United States on August 4, 2006. The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $116.5 million worldwide against a $51 million production budget. It was continued with a television series called Back at the Barnyard, which aired on Nickelodeon and later Nicktoons for two seasons.