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June 02, 2009
NYT On New Animation
The Story: Animation Upstarts Are Joining the Fray
The Reporter: Brooks Barnes
The Facts: There have been a total of 21 animated films released by studios other than Disney, DreamWorks, Paramount, Sony, Fox, and Warner Bros, that have grossed over $5 million in the last 30 years of the domestic market. Only 11 of those 21 have cracked $10 million. Only 4 have cracked $20 million. Only 1 has cracked $27.5 million. That film, Hoodwinked, released by The Weinsteins under their distribution deal with MGM, grossed a domestic total of just under $52 million.
There are four pick-ups that grossed more than that number for the six majors listed above. Two were Aardman Animation projects with DreamWorks in a pre-set deal (Chicken Run and Flushed Away), both of which were more successful overseas, as expected. One was Coraline, which Focus picked up after it was paid for by Phil Knight, grossing $75.2m domestic. And there was Pokemon: The First Movie, picked up by WB and grossing $86 million domestically. The follow-up, a year later, grossed only $44 million domestically.
After that, it’s:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (WB) - $35.2m domestic
Space Chimps (Fox) - $30.1m domestic
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (LGF) - $25.6m domestic
and..
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie (WB), Igor (Weinstein/MGM), and Valiant (Disney)… all between $19m and $20m domestic.
So… for the record… in the history of the movie business… there have been EIGHT animated films not produced by the major animation releasing studios that have done as much as or more than $20 million in this country. $75.2 million is the top.
Coraline
Hoodwinked
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Space Chimps
All Dogs Go to Heaven
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie
Fritz The Cat (1972)
The Care Bears Movie
So… how real is the opportunity in theatrical?
Not very. Not even when the synergy is good.
Miramax, and then Disney, have done god’s work in bringing Hayao Miyazaki to the American Public. One of the world’s greatest and most popular animators, the transition hasn’t worked for broad audiences. The first film, Princess Mononoke, did $2.4 million here after doing $157 million elsewhere. Spirited Away was “the big hit,” grossing $10 million here… and $265 million elsewhere. Howl’s Moving Castle? $4.7m domestic… $230m elsewhere.
We’re heathens.
Disney is going to do more Miyazaki, because they have some really good people over there who care about this stuff. But as a business thing? Not so much.
To simplify on Barnes’ reporting, there are a bunch of companies out there trying to break into CG animation of a cheaper level. All the major animation studios have dipped their wicks into the idea. And mostly, they have gotten out of the game. Direct-To-DVD, sure? Theatrical? They are tweeners. They take effort to put out, but don’t offer the hope of big returns… even when it’s being offered by Disney.
There might be an upstart that breaks through one of these days. Ralph Bakshi was one of the great independents, though he never did really big box office. Don Bluth was one of those guys in the past, rising high on An American Tale before being killed by Titan AE. Chris Wedge has delivered big for Fox. Aardman for DreamWorks. Pixar for Disney. Henry Selick, Bill Mechanic & Co went in with some big names and came out with a big hit (that should have been bigger). It can be done.
But it needs to be a genius whose vision somehow finds its way independently. It’s not the form or the function… it’s the movies, stupid.
Posted by dpoland at June 2, 2009 09:33 PM
Comments
For the record, DP, A Troll in Central Park is what killed Don Bluth. Anastasia may have temporarily resurrected him so he could killed again by Titan, but it wasn't as big of a bomb as Troll.
Posted by: lazarus ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 3, 2009 12:06 AM
LexG actually represents the American majority on this one.
Too many of the public (and even film critics, sad to say) think cartoons are only worthwhile when they're (a) Disney and (b) acceptable for family viewing (albeit sometimes with mature themes that qualify them to not be "just a kids film").
Anime has made sufficient inroads into pop-culture that I think the next generation, who've grown up with stuff like Ninja Scroll, Death Note, and Akira, might not have that prejudice. But right now, parents are buying the tickets.
Posted by: LYT at June 3, 2009 12:07 AM
I don't know WHO the hell that "9" movie is for, but all I know is I hit the fucking deck cracking up at the trailer when they crank up that Coheed and Cambria METAL riff. I might almost go see it if the movie has wall to wall METAL.
Posted by: LexG at June 3, 2009 12:18 AM
Lex, I suggest renting "Heavy Metal." You might be surprised by that cartoon.
Posted by: LYT at June 3, 2009 12:36 AM
9 is looking like it won't get anywhere near Coraline's numbers. I really like the short, but the trailer isn't giving me much confidence.
What about Balto? Wiki tells me it was "produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, distributed by Universal Pictures".
Posted by: KamikazeCamelV2.0 at June 3, 2009 12:37 AM
Apparently Space Chimps did boffo biz overseas. At least enough so to justify a theatrical overseas release for the sequel, which is going straight-to-DVD stateside.
Posted by: Alex at June 3, 2009 02:16 AM
Wasn't The Land Before Time from Universal? That did almost $50 million in 1988.
They're still making those damn movies.
Posted by: Josh Massey at June 3, 2009 06:13 AM
Although it was in an out of theaters in a flash, The Battle For Terra was better than I expected. Nothing amazing, but it had a sparse visual poetry, some terrifically low-key voice acting, and a stark, dark narrative that more or less stuck to its guns till the end. Worth a rental when the time comes.
Posted by: Scott Mendelson at June 3, 2009 06:47 AM
Shouldn't The Tale of Despereaux be on that list?
50 million last Christmas, not a barnburner but a decent take.
And Balto did under the $20 million threshold that he was talking about. Though they have managed to continue that in DTV which seems to be what will happen with Despereaux.
Posted by: hcat at June 3, 2009 09:28 AM
Disney is classy enough with their handling of Studio Ghibli material, right up until the point of giving them a marketing budget.
Posted by: Tofu at June 3, 2009 10:16 AM
That's because Disney handled its Miyazaki releases as arthouse fare, even with an Oscar for "Spirited Away". With the Mouse House on a "family values" kick I don't see them picking up another Miyazaki title.
Disney proper put in its bid for "Spirited Away" because Harvey Weinstein at corporate cousin Miramax mishandled "Mononoke".
Posted by: Chucky in Jersey at June 3, 2009 03:15 PM
Sorry Chucky, Disney is releasing Ponyo later this year.
Posted by: jeffmcm at June 3, 2009 03:19 PM
If Disney considers Miyazaki art-house fare, then why do they dub the damn things? At least in L.A. there'll be a token subtitled print somewhere, but most everyone else will hafta wait for the DVD to hear the original track.
Posted by: Cadavra at June 4, 2009 10:31 AM
That's a good point...if they're going for a 2-10 million art house run, just subtitle the things. I doubt tons of kids are going to see Princess Mononoke, are they?
Posted by: The Big Perm at June 4, 2009 10:39 AM
One thing to remember about Ghibli/Miyazaki is that Disney is also their Japanese distributor. The films may not be cash-cows in the States, but they're huuuuge in Japan (Ponyo made over $150 million) and Disney is no doubt eager to stay in their good graces. Miyazaki seems temperamental enough that he'd pull the plug on the deal if he thought Disney wasn't giving his films enough attention in the U.S.
Posted by: Bob Violence at June 6, 2009 05:53 AM
I had no idea that was the case, Bob.
Posted by: David Poland at June 6, 2009 12:18 PM
Mea culpa: I just checked and it turns out it isn't, at least not entirely -- seems Buena Vista only has the Japanese video rights and Toho has the theatrical (but Disney is involved on the production side, so they may get a cut of the theatrical). Still, I don't think that changes the situation much (Disney also has the video rights to most of the Ghibli back catalog, which is a very big deal).
Posted by: Bob Violence at June 6, 2009 08:54 PM
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