The Media (Sometimes) Drives Me Nuts

From today's Wall Street Journal:

[Frozen's performance highlights the emergence of family animation as one of Hollywood’s hottest performing niches: eight such films were released by major studios in 2013 and all but two grossed more than $100 million, the story notes. “Frozen” also took home a Golden Globe award. ...

This is supposed to be a big Flash!??

Close to two years ago, the Animation Guild's negotiating committee pointed out to the AMPTP that animation was the movie sector with the highest profit margins, beating all other segments of movie-making. And the big profits were going on years before that.

But when a newspaper of fact and opinion needs a storyline, it's always great to drag out the "Hey look! Crtoons are making money!" plotline. Why in God's nightgown is animation always emerging? It "emerged" twenty-plus years ago. By now it should be wrinkling in the sun.

Add On: And this high profit thingie is a worldwide phenomenon, as the Reporter points out:

Japan Box Office 2013: Animation Reigns Supreme, Hollywood Falters

Seven of the top ten hits of the year are animated, while Hollywood fare struggles to make an impact in a market it dominated a decade ago.

TOKYO – The Japanese box office was dominated by animation in 2013, with cartoons accounting for seven of the ten top-earning films. And even the third-biggest hit of the year Ted, the best performing live-action film, featured a CGI teddy bear.

A lack of the big local and Hollywood live-action franchises that have won over audiences in recent years, such as Umizaru, Bayside Shakedown, Harry Potter or Resident Evil, let the cartoons reign supreme in 2013, and left Hollywood struggling for market share. ...