Mr. Katzenberg notes that Rango didn't really burn up the turnstile all that much, and Viacom/Paramount rejoins:
Viacom's Paramount Pictures "would be pleased" to extend a film distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation, which expires next year, but both sides could live without it, Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said Thursday. ...
Viacom and DreamWorks Animation have a lot of joint projects happening. There's Penguins of Madagascar, there's the coming Kung Fu Panda (t.v. version) which will roll out after the movie. But yeah, I suppose it's true that the two companies don't need each other for survival purposes; nevertheless it's certainly been a profitable partnership for both until now, and Viacom might be anxious to stay partnered if Kung Fu Panda II goes through the roof as predicted.
Paramount has the longest history of any of the majors being partnered with an outside cartoon studio. In the thirties and forties it was the Fleischer brothers. Now it's DreamWorks Animation. In the future it might be Industrial Light and Magic. Push away all the love and hugs at press events, and all these things are business arrangements, marriages of convenience. As soon as it stops working for either party, the relationship ends.
Because it ain't a marriage in a church. It's business.
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7 comments:
rango's got a long way to get into the black. It's a pretty lame kid's cartoon. DreamWorks has nothing to worry about.
I found Rango fun, well crafted, and entertaining. I guess I'm not as sophisticated as you are. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it, but it's past arrogant to pass off your subjective experience as fact.
Anyway, the posting was about box office and distribution.
It's official. 'Rango' is the new 'Astro Boy'.
Yes, they are exactly the same.
Astroboy, although just as juvenile as rango, wasn't nearly as ugly. Just as dull, but not as ugly and badly designed.
I never saw Astroboy. I never said that Rango was the "most" or "best" of anything, or anything at all hyperbolic. It's just that after all of the dismissive rants I had been reading, I expected the worst. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. I was entertained. Other CG films I have seen were better, perhaps, but I still didn't have the thought of asking for my money back.
I saw Rango and enjoyed it. The details and characters were appealing and fun. The only thing I saw that could have improved was the story. There were too many long, western cowboy in the desert, no action pans that broke up the story too much. They should have cut a little more of the fat off, so to speak.
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