Squashing the Little Guy?: New Academy Rules May Affect Non-CG Animation

Oh the Academy... At it again...

Up until now, animated features were nominated by two branches: The animation branch, the majority of the branch being animators and people who are waist-deep in that world. The other is the short films branch.

A new rule now says that everyone has a say. Everyone from every other branch of the Academy. Now the actual voters who pick the movies will have more of a say on what gets into the race in the first place.

That's... Troubling, to say the least...

The animation and shorts branches were responsible for getting some little indies into the limelight for a good few minutes. In their attempts to give more mediums a chance, they made at least one controversial decision. The Lego Movie, arguably 2014's greatest animated film, was completely snubbed. Why? Those same pickers wanted traditionally animated works and stop-motion filling some of those slots. The Lego Movie snafu was so big, it was a bigger trending topic than the Oscar nominees on the morning it all went down.

Now as frustrating as that hiccup was... Without these nominating folks, would the likes of Song of the Sea, Ernest and Celestine, any Studio Ghibli film, and so on... Would the likes of those ever have a chance at getting into the race? We know very well that the voters - a whole other group - don't watch most of the films, let alone the animated choices. We also know very well that a chunk of them either have contempt for the medium and/or are tone-deaf.

Do we all remember that leaked ballot back in 2014? Do we all remember that one anonymous voter who nonchalantly called Song of the Sea (an acclaimed Irish animated film) and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (an acclaimed Japanese animated film) "obscure freakin' Chinese f*ckin' things that no one freakin' saw"? Another close-minded individual abstained from picking an animated feature, saying he was done with those things since he/she was 6, and whenever his/her kid wanted to see one... He/she would drop them off at the theater and hang outside on their phone. This past race had a real gem, a fellow who said that he doesn't like animation or even animators! And went on to talk about his "turtle fetish"...

Academy, alright.

Now they'll have more of a say...

Will this push those "obscure freakin' Chinese f*ckin' things" out of the races for good? Will future marvels that aren't from the big guns have a hard time even getting nominated for Best Animated Feature?

Eric Beckman, founder of GKIDS, doesn't seem to think so. In speaking to Cartoon Brew, he expressed hope that the Academy will still nominate a diverse range of features each year. However, the Brew's piece mentions a Wrap article that hints at the whole rule change being a conspiracy to squash "old school" forms of animation (read: traditional, 2D, and stop-motion) out for good.

The committees have been under increasing criticism in recent years for shunning films like The Lego Movie and showing a marked preference for hand-drawn or stop-motion films over CG movies…The move should substantially increase the number of voters in the category, and perhaps lessen the bias toward old-school animation.

Bias towards "old-school animation"... Give me a bloody break.

Like the industry doesn't have a CG bias, 99% of the damn time.

It might be too early to tell, but... I don't like the sound of this. The Academy has shown time and time again that they are stuck in 1987 when it comes to evaluating animation. The Academy has never given it much consideration before then, even. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs should have been nominated for Best Picture of the year it was given a general release (1938, ceremony in early 1939), several of Walt's early films should've been nominated in their respective years. No, it took the Academy until the early 1990s to do it... And then they wouldn't do it again for another 18 years, creating the token category we have now.

Ever since Toy Story 3's nomination in 2010, no animated film has been in the Best Picture race. Inexcusable, but the Academy group is like most Americans - they think animation in almost every form is inferior to films shot with flesh-and-blood people in real-life locations. Imagine an art show only nominating photographs for Best Artworks of the Year. I don't need to spell it out for you animation fans of course, but doesn't that sound so absurd? Who in their right mind thinks a painting is simply inferior because it's not a capture of a real-life subject?

C'mon... Get. With. It.

The Academy Awards are really just an overblown advertisement for Hollywood, it is not the great decider of film excellence. It's an excuse for movie companies to put sexy "Winner of 5 Oscars" blurbs on DVD/Blu-ray jackets. That being said, I felt that some indies and traditionally animated films getting nominated gave them some spotlight that they probably wouldn't get elsewhere. Now, that might be a thing of past.

Maybe.

The Brew and others warn that this rule change could mean that the 5 nominees of this year will be The Lego Batman Movie, Emoji Movie, The Boss Baby, anything mainstream and CGI regardless of quality. Those folks in the feature animation and shorts branches don't have a bias, they want to spotlight high quality works of every kind of animation. Now, leaving out Lego Movie in 2014 - I agree - was a big mistake. If I were them, I would've swapped Big Hero 6 (a very good movie, don't get me wrong) for Lego. That way, we still would've had the 2D Song of the Sea and Kaguya in the race, alongside the stop-mo Boxtrolls.

Honestly, this news and the reports of the change being due to fear of "bias towards old-school animation" is another slap in the face, in a year that I think is - so far - kind of a bummer to begin with. Yeah, I'll say it now, the first quarter of 2017 has been relatively dour and I'm not quite sure on the rest of the year's mainstream output. Couple that with all these photoreal/live-action remakes of animated classics coming out left and right, studios setting up shop only to make the same ol' same ol', things like Emoji Movie happening... Yeah... I'm bummed right now. Not going to lie.

It might've always been this way in some way or another, but I never thought it was this... Worrisome.

What say you?

Rock-Solid: 'Early Man' Teaser Debuts

Alrighty! A teaser for Aardman's next stop-motion animated picture has arrived!


As expected, the teaser displays Aardman's wit, their sense of humor, and some lovely visuals. It's a nice little poke at how some trailers for big blockbusters are, and I especially liked the little Monty Python and the Holy Grail hat-tip. From everything we've seen plus this new teaser, I think the movie looks like it'll be a fun, eccentric good time.

Of course, I'm a rather impatient American. No American distributor has picked this one up yet, and it's due out in Europe in January. Will it get a US distributor soon? Or will we have to wait like last time? Aardman's previous film was Shaun the Sheep Movie, when that entered production they had ended their partnership with Sony Pictures Animation. Sony, like former partner DreamWorks, would release the films around the same time they were released in Europe. Shaun the Sheep Movie didn't land a US distributor until after its European debut in February 2015, Lionsgate picked up the film and then dumped it that following August.

Something tells me that this one will get picked up before it comes out overseas. Shaun the Sheep Movie was based on a fluffy little TV series (made by Aardman themselves, of course) that was barely shown here in America, whereas this is an original movie. Perhaps distributors will find this one to be an easier sell? Plus there's dialogue, Shaun the Sheep Movie was mainly silent.

Who knows. Aardman only scored one domestic smash hit, and that was their first feature-length film: Chicken Run. For a little while, it was actually the highest-earning non-Disney/non-Pixar animated feature until the release of Shrek. Wallace & Gromit did okay business here at best, the rest of their films did even worse. Overseas totals and low budgets keep the future features afloat... But I myself would like to see Aardman score another good-sized hit here in the states. Maybe Early Man is it, maybe it isn't.

What say you?

Apemation: Taika Waititi and Mark Gustafson To Direct 'Bubbles'

Do you remember the planned stop-motion biopic of Michael Jackson told from the perspective of his pet chimpanzee Bubbles?

It now has two directors.

The first man in question? Taika Waititi.

The acclaimed director of Marvel Studios' upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Bewilderpeople, and What We Do in the Shadows, Waititi is no stranger to animation. He wrote an early draft of Moana, and is also in actor in various films. The Bubbles project is the brainchild of screenwriter Isaac Adamson, Dan Harmon and Starburns (Anomalisa) were set to make it happen. Deadline reports that the story will play out the way Anomalisa did, hinting that this will indeed be an adults-only picture. It would have to be, honestly.

Waititi is not alone. He is directing alongside stop-motion veteran Mark Gustafson, animation director on Fantastic Mr. Fox. What an exciting combo! Waititi did state, however, that the film will not really be about Jackson: This film is not about Michael Jackson because that’s not a story for me to tell — or a story I’d be comfortable telling — it’s about a chimpanzee’s fascinating journey through the complex jungle of human life."

He went on to say "I think animation is the only way to approach a story like this. I really loved Anomalisa because it was beautiful and authentic in its meditation on loneliness. I’m really excited to be working with Dan Harmon and Starburns as we share similar sensibilities and want to tell human stories in unique and artistic ways."

Well... That's certainly a more interesting development in an animation world full of family movies and throwaway rental comedies. Hopefully it, unlike Anomalisa, gets something of a wider release now that Sausage Party did well at the box office. Hopefully that sent the message, that animation can reach other audiences beside the everyone/family audience. Viva la adults-only animation...

What say you?

Purebred: Details on Wes Anderson's Next Stop-Motion Film Revealed

Holy cuss! We finally have something of a first look at the next stop-motion animated film from Wes Anderson!

Who doesn't love Mr. Anderson's 2009 stop-mo adaptation of Fantastic Mr. Fox? No matter how far it may be from the Dahl classic, it's a one-of-a-kind animated film. Anderson brought his style to animation with finesse, the result was a film with a razor-sharp script, lowkey but prominent heart, a wonderful score, and splendid visuals. When it was announced that he was giving the medium another go for an original, mysterious picture about dogs, I was beyond excited!

We now know the name of the new canine film... Isle of Dogs...

Here's a first look at the Rex character, extracted from the man's Vimeo announcement...

It looks like Anderson and crew won't veer too far away from the overall aesthetic they used for Fantastic Mr. Fox.


It's a tiny first look, but exciting nonetheless! The expanded cast has also been revealed, and it's a knockout... Bill Murray (obviously), Bryan Cranston, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Greta Gerwig, Jeff Goldblum, F. Murray Abraham, Harvey Keitel, Akira Ito, Akira Takayama, Koyu Rankin, Courtney B. Vance, Yoko Ono, and Edward Norton...

Wow...

Are you cussing ready? I sure as cuss am!

Ready, Set, Go: The Eligible Films in the Animated Feature Race [UPDATE]

That time is upon once again folks...

The Oscar prelude...

Note: The real list was released today - November 11th... What follows is the original article, and then the update, for a lot of the films on the Variety list ended up being on the official list...

Variety has released the (note: unofficial, but still very likely) list of 21 eligible animated features aiming for the five nomination slots. As usual, I'll list them and some premature predictions. Alphabetical order, let's go!

First up is Rovio and Sony ImageWorks' The Angry Birds Movie, based on that app we all know. It wasn't all that well-received, it's not award winner material. After The Lego Movie's snub, I'm not sure the Oscars would consider another big brand-based movie, especially one whose critical reception was nowhere near the unanimous praise for the brick flick.

Next up is April and the Extraordinary World. GKIDS knows how to score with great independent animated features, as their other releases put up a good fight in previous Oscar races, even imported films that were around 2-3 years old! April and the Extraordinary World blended sci-fi, steampunk, and adventure into a beautiful traditionally animated story. With the way the Oscar nom-pickers are now, I can see this being a very strong candidate... But GKIDS has other strong contenders on hand.

Then we get to Finding Dory... Here's where things get a little tough... The Academy has shown little love for non-Toy Story Pixar sequels, but with one of them (Cars 2) the reasons are obvious. Monsters University on the other hand got good enough reception, but Disney themselves didn't push the Pixar prequel, they poured all the Oscar love into "grand event" Frozen from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Monsters University should've gotten into the race, not fluff like Despicable Me 2 and The Croods. Anyways, Finding Dory's critical reception, not to mention its box office, is significantly better. The film also explored disabilities, and was very resonant. And of course, it is Pixar in good form. Those right there guarantee it a nom, right?

No, actually... Ever since the changes to the Oscars were implemented, things have been different in animationland. After 2013, the folk who pick the nominees for Best Animated Feature made it their mission to make more diverse choices. This is why The Lego Movie got left out of the 2014 race, and why LAIKA's stop-motion film The Boxtrolls - a pleasant but unspectacular film - got in. It also made room for great films like Song of the Sea and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Finding Dory, being a "good" mainstreamer and a sequel in this new climate, was already not quite locked. In 2011, it would've been.

Disney also has two other animated biggies, both from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Zootopia I think is a guaranteed lock given the film's quality and the fact that it tackled timely issues, it's one of the best-received movies of the year. Some have worried that the Oscars could last-minute view it as a Lego Movie-type, but I don't think so. In a year where most of the mainstreamers have been good enough, Zootopia has quite a few advantages. Moana is the one to look out for, for it is a big musical in the Renaissance tradition, it's about a princess (and the marketing is emphasizing the "girl power"), it has all those ingredients they love, is sure to be a box office smash. Oh, and the guy behind Hamilton was a driving force in the film's soundtrack.

(Okay, I guess we can ignore alphabetical order from this point onward...)

If Moana gets Frozen-level reception or higher, I think it's a lock. Zootopia and Moana getting into the race could squeeze the Pixar sequel out, for the three other slots need to go to films that would normally get pushed out by mainstreamers. Since the likes of Kung Fu Panda 3 and The Secret Life of Pets weren't spectacular, there's lots of room. Sing could be a potential candidate. No Illumination film has gotten unanimous praise yet, and early buzz on this feature - screened at the Toronto International Film Festival a few months back - is quite good... But will it be loved enough to get a nod? Since both aren't out yet, Moana and Sing are kind of up in the air, though I think the former has higher chances at locking a slot than the latter. Kubo and the Two Strings is definitely a lock. LAIKA, stop-motion, it's excellent. It's in.

GKIDS is loaded. They have acclaimed films from all around the world, like Phantom Boy and Miss Hokusai. My Life as a Zucchini, a stop-motion film from France and Switzerland, shouldn't be counted out either for it tackles some weighty themes. The last of the GKIDS releases is Mune: Guardian of the Moon, which is definitely more kid-oriented and cutesy. I don't think one really has a chance.

Sony Classics is readying The Red Turtle, which goes wide in January 2017. That's a co-production with Studio Ghibli, so that has a very good chance at getting in. Your Name is the current anime sensation, a blockbuster in Japan that has gotten lots of praise. That is being brought here via FUNimation. Shout! Factory has the 2D Long Way North, which could get in, but the other indies seem stronger. The Little Prince got lots of love, is thankfully eligible, and it's stop-motion... But I still feel that others have a greater chance at getting in.

The rest are the mainstreamers. Ice Age: Collision Course? Nope. Sausage Party? Nada, despite the aggressive push it's getting. Trolls? Nope. Secret Life of Pets? Not really. Ratchet & Clank? Forget it. Storks? Also not really. The Jungle Book is not counted, despite the fact that everything in that movie except Mowgli is CG. I must give the animation branch props for focusing on animated movies that know they're animated, not VFX trying to emulate real life... But still, it's kind of a contradiction, and this is coming from someone who didn't love the film.

Anyways...

The Angry Birds Movie - 5% chance
April and the Extraordinary World - 90% chance
Finding Dory - 80% chance
Ice Age: Collision Course - 0% chance
Kubo and the Two Strings - 100% chance
Kung Fu Panda 3 - 50% chance
The Little Prince - 70% chance
Long Way North - 70% chance
Miss Hokusai - 80% chance
Moana - depends on quality, will update
Mune: Guardian of the Moon - 10% chance
My Life as a Zucchini - 75% chance
Phantom Boy - 90% chance
Ratchet & Clank - 0% chance
The Red Turtle - 90% chance
Sausage Party - 50% chance
The Secret Life of Pets - 50% chance
Sing - depends on quality, will update
Storks - 50% chance
Trolls - 50% chance
Your Name - 80% chance
Zootopia - 100% chance

Buckle up, I think it's going to be a wild race...

Update...

The real list is here, as of November 11th... It includes a record twenty-seven animated features...

Here are the ones I missed, all which are foreign/independent features:

Bilal - From last year, a UAE-produced animated feature based on the real-life Bilal ibn Rabah.

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV - Based on the long-running video game series, this opened theatrically in Japan this past summer.

Monkey King: Hero is Back - Another entry that is actually over a year old. The Chinese animated feature that at one time held the record for biggest animated movie in that country.

Mustafa & the Magician - Apparently an Indian production. Can't seem to find much on this one.

Snowtime! - Another 2015 film, from Canada. I've heard good things about this one.

25 April - A New Zealand production about the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign. This also came out at festivals last year.

I can't say much about these inclusions, because I feel their changes at getting in are similar to some of the other indies that I already went over.

You'll also notice that Norm of the North, The Wild Life, and Ratchet & Clank are completely absent. Not submitted, I see...

Reviews for Moana are already pretty good, so I think it's chances are very high at getting in, but some reviewers seem a bit dissatisfied with the story. From now on, I think this and Finding Dory will compete for a second slot for The Walt Disney Company. I think Zootopia easily locks one, so for the other slot, it's either Disney Animation's Oceanic odyssey or Pixar's return to the big blue. Who gets in?

Anyways, revised:

The Angry Birds Movie - 5% chance
April and the Extraordinary World - 90% chance
Balil - 25%
Finding Dory - 80% chance
Ice Age: Collision Course - 0% chance
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV - 25% chance
Kubo and the Two Strings - 100% chance
Kung Fu Panda 3 - 50% chance
The Little Prince - 70% chance
Long Way North - 70% chance
Miss Hokusai - 80% chance
Moana - 80% chance
Monkey King: Hero is Back - 15%
Mustafa & the Magician - 15%
Mune: Guardian of the Moon - 10% chance
My Life as a Zucchini - 75% chance
Phantom Boy - 90% chance
Ratchet & Clank - 0% chance
The Red Turtle - 90% chance
Sausage Party - 50% chance
The Secret Life of Pets - 50% chance
Sing - depends on quality, will update
Snowtime! - 25% chance
Storks - 50% chance
Trolls - 50% chance
25 April - 25% chance
Your Name - 80% chance
Zootopia - 100% chance

The plot thickens...

Cuss Yeah!: Wes Anderson's New Animated Film in Production

What's this? Wes Anderson's new stop-motion film is closer than we thought?

During an interview with Alexander Olch in GQ, Mr. Anderson let it slip that his new animated film is currently in production...

Wes Anderson, renowned auteur, entered the feature animation world with a bang with his stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox. Definitely quirkier than most mainstream animated fare, it was beautifully done in stop-motion, had a razor-sharp script, and it just knew where it was at. There was a confidence oozing from that picture like no other, and it excelled at pretty much everything else. It's a personal favorite of mine, from the writing to the staging to the tone to the subtle but potent emotional side.

His next animated film, also a stop-motion project, involves dogs, and its cast is pretty impressive so far: Bryan Cranston, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray (obviously), Edward Norton, and Bob Balaban.

Anyways, yes... In production! That means it could show up either next year or in 2018. It's interesting that Anderson is keeping it rather secretive, which I think could indicate that it is not based on a book. Whatever it does with talking dogs, I'm intrigued. I have a feeling it'll be a bittersweet comedy like its foxy predecessor, and one of all-time great animated talking dog films. If we get it next year, it'll be one heck of a coincidence: This, Rock Dog, and Blazing Samurai, all animated, all about talking dogs.

What say you?

Onward, Herd: 'Shaun the Sheep Movie 2' Beginning Pre-Production in January

Are ewe surprised? Shaun the Sheep Movie, based on Aardman's highly successful stop-motion TV series, is getting a sequel...

In addition to getting outstanding critical reception, Aardman's Shaun the Sheep Movie grossed $106 million at the worldwide box office against its tiny $25 million budget. Lionsgate's piss-poor handling of the film in the US ultimately did not matter, and it's technically Aardman's first real smash since Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. See, Flushed Away and Arthur Christmas failed to double their budgets, and The Pirates! barely doubled its budget. It's good to see that Aardman had a super-profitable film again.

No shock, they are going to move forward with a sequel, with Richard Starzak set to return to the director's chair. Pre-production is set to begin in January...

Rejoice, the Shaun The Sheep movie is getting a sequel! The original director starts pre-production work in January.https://t.co/rDnrpQNUQn pic.twitter.com/RewrH1Csqm

— Den Of Geek (@denofgeek) October 25, 2016

Which makes it seem like it'll be Aardman's next after Early Man, which is pegged for a January 2018 release. Whatever happened to the sequel to Wallace & Gromit? Or that Cat Burglars project? Either way, it's a smart move, and it's sure to be just as fantastic as the original. This will be Aardman's first-ever theatrical animated sequel feature. Presumably 20 years after the release of their first feature!

Anyways, good news all-around, more Shaun, more stop-motion, more Aardman. What say you?

From Demigod to Governor: Tom Hiddleston To Voice Villain in 'Early Man'

Well would you look at that, Aardman's latest, Early Man, has added Loki to its cast.

That's right, Tom Hiddleston will be voicing the villain of this very stop-motion picture: Lord Nooth, the governor of the Bronze Age town that the Stone Age characters, including main protagonist Dug, are at odds with. The character has been described as "ridiculously pompous". It's not Hiddleston's first voice acting gig. He had played Captain Hook in DisneyToon's Tinker Bell entry The Pirate Fairy over two years ago.

Interestingly enough, Deadline's article confirms that Studiocanal - who is financing the film - plans to shop it around next month to potential American takers. Does it land a distributor anytime soon? Or will we have to wait like we did with Shaun the Sheep Movie? Hopefully not the latter, and hopefully someone decent gets their hands on it. I can see this one getting a distributor before its UK release (January 26, 2018), I reckon Shaun took forever because it's a silent film and the TV show it's based on isn't quite known here. Early Man on the other hand is an original story and boasts quite the cast already, that could lead to a bigger distributor saying yes to it.

Right now, I think potential candidates are STX, A24, Focus, and Fox. Fox is losing DreamWorks next summer, so maybe they'll try to partner up with another animation studio so that they don't have just one under their tree. I'm not sure what's going on with Reel FX, it doesn't seem like they inked a distribution pact with Fox.

Anyways, it's good to see it moving forward. We'll probably get plenty more cast announcements soon...

Dawning: 'Early Man' Officially in Production

Yesterday, Aardman made it known... Their next feature-length project has officially entered production...

Here's a tiny look at what's in store...


Early Man, as reported earlier, is a stop-motion feature about a caveman named Dug and his hog friend Hognob. He and his tribe unite, and take on the Bronze Age... Through the world's very first soccer match! Yes it sounds different from your usual caveman adventure, and that's one reason I'm there. The other? Easy. It's Aardman! And Nick Park - the Wallace and Gromit creator himself - is directing! The last time he directed a feature-length film was Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit... That movie is over a decade old! You can also tell it's his, because this new duo really look like a prehistoric Wallace and Gromit.

Anyways, the film is set to open in the UK on January 26, 2018. It still hasn't locked a US distributor/date. Like other Aardman pictures, it'll be reasonably budgeted, reports say it'll cost around $50 million.

Even though we've seen little, it already sounds like yet another knockout from the studio across the Atlantic...

Box Office Report: 'Storks' Flies Low, 'Kubo' Lingers, 'Wild Life' Dead

Results are in, Warner Animation Group's second didn't quite soar.

However, Storks is far from doomed. The movie only cost around $70 million to make, as it was done by Sony ImageWorks in Vancouver. WAG's projects aren't animated in-house, hence their name: Warner Animation Group. The Lego Movie was a co-production between Animal Logic (also out of town) and a few other houses, while the upcoming Smallfoot will mostly be done at Sergio Pablos' Madrid studio. Smart strategy, but...

Why did Storks not open much higher than $20 million? Warner didn't seem to put much effort into marketing this one, methinks, putting all the love into Suicide Squad. Understandable in a way, if they were so disappointed with how Batman v Superman did ($872 million, in this day and age, is a disappointment... Because of an astronomical high budget and marketing costs... Let that sink in...), they were absolutely banking on the villain team-up to save them from an overall lousy year. Storks was much lower budget, so they probably figured a ho-hum campaign would be enough for it.

Anyways, $140 million is double the film's budget, should make that worldwide and should be all set. I'm confident it won't flop. It doesn't have much family competition up until Trolls hits, so it should do the usual multiplier for an animated family film. Word of mouth seems good, so we'll see how high it flies from here on out. As long as it's profitable, no worries, but c'mon WB. You coulda put more oomph into the non-Lego movie. Heck, you've felt The Lego Batman Movie's presence (which is opening in February, no less) more than Storks'. I know, I know, not every animated film is meant to pull those huge numbers out of a hat, regardless of their quality. At least WB was smart in not making this some $100 million-costing goliath. They'll win in the end.

Kubo and the Two Strings hangs in the top 10, losing 500+ screens, dropping 56%, and landing at $45 million domestically. Worldwide, it has collected $58 million, still quite below the other LAIKAs, but a few countries just got the picture, and quite a few more markets are left. Can it at least crack $100 million worldwide? We shall see.

The Secret Life of Pets still has some staying power, landing ahead of later films like Sausage Party and The Wild Life. Fell 45%, is now at $364 million domestically and $820 million worldwide. Hit-makers, Illumination's folk are. Watch Sing really soar this holiday season.

Sausage Party fell 52%, as it slowly crawls to the big one oh oh. $96 million here, $122 million everywhere. The Wild Life lost over 1,400 screens and dropped a massive 85%... Its third weekend. Curtains. No matter, the Belgian picture is at $29 million worldwide, it has doubled its tiny budget. Distributor Lionsgate will probably dump Rock Dog like this as well, come late February.

What say you?

Easing, and Expanding: Weekend Box Office Report

Unlike last weekend, our currently playing animated films didn't really drop...

The Wild Life only dipped 20%, the film now sits at $6 million. A much better fall than the Lionsgate-distributed Norm of the North from earlier this year, though it's probably not going to get anywhere near that film's final title. From what I saw of it at work, it seemed like it was clicks better than Norm and didn't seem as noisy and forced, but the dub voice acting? My ears...

Anyways, perhaps it could've been something bigger - for an animated feature made in continental Europe - if it had been distributed by someone else (Lionsgate is routinely bad at this, watch Rock Dog come and go in February) or given a better dub script. If the EU wants to really break into mainstream animation and compete with the heavies like Anna, Elsa, Woody, Buzz, Gru, the Minions, et al... It's going to take more than just something like Robinson Crusoe/Wild Life and someone like Lionsgate. Another story for another day...

Kubo and the Two Strings, which is on the brink of leaving my theater, lightly dipped 24%. That same weekend, ParaNorman dipped 26%, Boxtrolls saw its massive loss of screens, consequently falling 65%. Kubo and the Two Strings may not make much more than $50 million in the end, but the legs here - the same goes for Coraline and ParaNorman - speak volumes. Word of mouth was super-strong here! It's only at $10 million overseas, a bummer... But it won't matter, LAIKA has many things to fall back on.

Sausage Party is still in the 7-digits territory, falling 47% and getting up to $95 million. $119 million worldwide. C'mon now, start greenlighting similarly low-budget R-rated animated films already!

Worldwide, Ice Age: Collision Course passed $400 million, but that's second-the-last on the chart. Only the first Ice Age, back in 2002 without 3D, IMAX 3D, and the bigger market, grossed less. Again, I wonder if Blue Sky (and/or Fox) packs it in with this one, or uses that gross to justify one more. What's going on with Rio? Surprised a three hasn't been slated.

Finding Dory opened in Italy, with a fine $5 million. With that, it should make at least $15 million over there. Germany's the last big market, they get the fish on the 29th... C'mon fellas in those countries, get it to a billion! It now sits at $961 million worldwide...

Next weekend should spruce things up a bit... I wonder if a certain website is saying "There's an animation glut right now!"