Tad dreams of becoming an archaeologist traveling the world, uncovering hidden secrets and lost treasure, but his job working construction keeps him daydreaming instead of exploring. The chance of a lifetime comes when he is invited to attend archaeologist Sara Lavrof's presentation of her latest discovery - the papyrus that proves the existence of the Necklace of Midas, the legendary King who turned everything he touched into solid gold.
Tad, the Lost Explorer is a 2012 Spanish animated adventure comedy film directed by Enrique Gato. The film is a spinoff of Gato's 2004 short film, Tadeo Jones and its sequel Tadeo Jones and the Basement of Doom. While technically based on the shorts, the film was mainly adapted from the Spanish graphic novel Tadeo and the Secret of the Toactlum, illustrated and co-written by Juan López Fernández (Jan) and written by Javier Barreira, Gorka Magallón, and Gato. The film was adapted and written by Barreira, Magallón, Ignacio del Moral, Jordi Gasull, and Neil Landau. The film's music was composed by Zacarías M. de la Riva. The English cast features the voices of Kerry Shale, Ariel Winter, Bruce Mackinnon, Mac McDonald, Liza Ross, Cheech Marin, and Adam James. The film was produced by Telecinco Cinema, El Toro Picture, Lightbox Entertainment, Ikiru Films, Telefónica Producciones, and Media Networks, with the participation of AXN, Canal Plus, and TVC.