Foreign B.O.

It's fragrant with the smell of money.

Weekend International Box Office -- (World Totals)

The Lego Movie -- $27,700,000 -- ($180,312,930 )

Frozen -- $18,200,000 -- ($955,746,000)

Mr. Peabody and Sherman -- $5,000,000 -- ($9,700,000) ...

The Disney musical is closing in on a billion dollars. (There's undoubtedly dancing on Dopey Drive.)

The latest DreamWorks cartoon is only out in very limited release, but seems to be performing well.

And the other big animated movie in the world marketplace?

Warner Bros.’ numbers on The Lego Movie have come in and they are, as expected, great numbers. It opened in the UK to $13.4M at No. 1 which accounted for a substantial amount of its $27.7M weekend. The cume for Lego is now $51.2M. Combined with domestic estimates for the four-day holiday weekend, the new worldwide cume estimate is $111M+. It will bow in France on Feb. 19, followed by Italy the following day and Russia next as it continues its international run. It’s currently in 42 markets on 7,100 screens. ...

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Cryptic

From the ongoing talks in Sherman Oaks.

“Today the Writers Guilds of America, West and East concluded two weeks of bargaining with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) toward a new Minimum Basic Agreement. The parties have agreed to a temporary recess for scheduling reasons. Negotiations will resume on March 4th. Neither the Guilds nor the AMPTP will be commenting further at this time.” ...

Are the parties closer to a deal than they were two weeks ago? Farther apart? I have no idea. Click here to read entire post

Phineas and Ferb Hoo Hah

Over on Cartoon Brew, there is a pithy and loving comment from Swampy Marsh (via a tweet) about moi:

Well, Steve H is an idiot. But, we are taking our first hiatus since 2006 and making plans for what is to follow... Stay tuned!

This refers (I think) to the news/rumor/something that Phineas and Ferb might be ending. So allow the "idiot" to expand on this a little bit. ...

Swampy and his partner have had issues regarding me before.

Several months ago, I made passing reference to the Phineas and Ferb Star Wars shows in a blog post. Apparently, the crew had been sworn to secrecy over the development of the shows, but the crew members (away from the studio) who told me about the oncoming Star Wars specials didn't mention they were Top Secret.

Even so, before I posted anything, I went online and noted other references to P & F Star Wars episodes on the Google (turned out the references were on fan sites, which don't count.) So I went and put up my horrid sentence about the Star Wars thing, carefree as a thirteen-year-old.

A couple of days later, I got angry phone calls from Swampy and Mr. Povenmire about how the offending sentence was causing big problems inside Disney because the shows hadn't been officially announced, and I was an idiot (that word again) and worse. And that the sites I'd seen talking about Phineas and Ferb Star Wars were amateurish fan things and I should have known better. ("And you're an idiot!")

I apologized for my indiscretion in an e-mail, (also on the phone) and took down the Star Wars reference because I'm a cooperative guy and the last thing I want to do is damage the brand. (Full disclosure: I also spoke to a Disney lawyer -- who wasn't yelling -- and offered to take down the post. She thanked me, and that was that.)

Fade Out.

Fade In:

Over the past few months, the Phineas and Ferb crew has told me the show is wrapping up and they've gotten their end dates, that the series doesn't have a pickup or green light for more episodes. And every time I've been over to Disney Sonora, there are more and more of the P & F artists gone from their spaces. And the few left say to me (again) that the show is wrapping.

So earlier this week, I quoted one of them.

Kindly note: I didn't say the show was wrapping. Disney employees did. I really wouldn't know if the show has wrapped permanently, or will come back in some other form, or a spin-off will happen (I've heard about that possibility from employees as well, but I really don't have any great insights. I don't follow the doings at Disney TVA all that closely.)

But here's what I do know. The fact that Disney TVA has laid off artists from one of its shows is not proprietary information. The fact that I've been told by staff that the series is wrapping up is also not proprietary. In any event, Disney TVA can always green light additional episodes and/or launch a spin off and/or produce more Phineas and Ferb specials next month or next year, and what crew members told me last week becomes inoperative. But former P & F artists are at other studios working on other shows and none of them have said they know about additional episodes being green lit.

For the record, I want there to be more episodes. More shows means more work and employment, and I'm all about more employment. And I hope Dan and Swampy have years of future success.

Lastly. Swampy Marsh sent me an e-mail of complaint about the Disney TVA post. I replied that he should have a Disney lawyer call me. In a separate e-mail he thanked me. And I e-mailed back "You're welcome."

Sweetness and light.
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Your Weekend Box Office

The new animated entry, it holds good.

The Lego Movie ended Valentine's Day in a tie with new entry About Last Night, but is expected to zoom ahead on Saturday for a possible $59 million-plus finish over the long President's Day weekend.

From Warner Bros and Village Roadshow Pictures, Lego Movie took in $13 million on Friday, pushing its domestic total to $93.3 million. The 3D animated movie, enjoying an amazing hold, will cross the $100 million mark sometime on Saturday. ...

The Nut Job appears to have dropped out of the Top Ten, more's the pity. So we're down to two animated features in the higher echelons of moviedom.

WEEKEND STEEPLE CHASE

1). The Lego Movie (WB), 3,775 theaters (0) / $12.8M Fri. / $20.2M Sat. (+58%) / $16.8M to $17M Sun. (-17%) / 3-day cume: $50M to $50.2M / $14.3M Mon. (-15%) / 4-day cume: $62M to $64.3M / Total Cume: $143M to $143.8M / Wk 2

2). About Last Night (Sony), 2,253 theaters / $12.9M Fri. / $7.9M Sat. (-38%) / $4.8M Sun. (-39%) / 3-day cume: $25.7M / $2.6M Mon. (-45%) / 4-day cume: $28.3M to $29.5M / Wk 1

3). RoboCop (Sony) 3,372 theaters / $6.8M Fri. / $8.2M Sat. (+20%) / $6.5M Sun. (-20%) / 3-day cume: $21.7M / $3.9M (-40%) / 4-day cume: $24.8M to $25.6M / Wk 1

4). Monuments Men (Sony) 3,083 theaters (0) / $4.9M Fri. / $5.9M Sat. (+20%) / $4.5M Sun. (-23%) / 3-day cume: $15.4M / $2.7M Mon. (-40%) / 4-day cume: $17.9M to $18.1M / Total Cume: $46.6M to $46.9M / Wk 2< 5). Endless Love (Uni) 2,893 theaters / $7.3M Fri. / $3.5M Sat. (-52%) / $2.3M Sun. (-35%) / 3-day cume: $13.2M / $1.3M Mon. (-40%) / 4-day cume: $14.5M to $15M / Wk 1 6). Ride Along (Uni) 2,511 theaters (-174) / $3.4M Fri. / $3.1M Sat. (-7%) / $2.2M Sun. (-32%) / 3-day cume: $8.7M / $1.1M Mon. (-45%) / 4-day cume: $9.8M to $10M / Total Cume: $117.3M / Wk 5 7). Winter’s Tale (WB) 2,965 theaters / $3.6M Fri. / $2.2M Sat. (-39%) / $1.3 M Sun. (-38%) / 3-day cume: $7.2M / $831K Mon. (-40%) / 4-day cume: $8M to $8.1M / Wk 1 8). Frozen (DIS) 2,101 theaters (-359) / $1.7M Fri. / $2.4M Sat. (+41%) / $2M Sun. (-13%) / 3-day cume: $6.2M / $1.8M Mon. (-10%) / 4-day cume: $7.8M to $8M / Total Cume: $378M+ / Wk 13

9). Lone Survivor (UNI), 2013 theaters (-856) / $1.2M Fri. / $1.6M Sat. (+34%) / $1.1M Sun. (-21%) / 3-day cume: $4M / $698K Mon. (-40%) / 4-day cume: $4.7M to $4.9M / Total Cume: $119M+ / Wk 8

10). That Awkard Moment (FOC) 1,922 theaters (-887) / $1.5M Fri. / $1.1M Sat. (-26%) / $805K Sun. (-29%) / $403K Mon. (-50%) / 3-day cume: $3.5M / 4-day cume: $3.9M / Total Cume: $21.9M / Wk 3 ...

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Don Vanderbeek, RIP

We found out Don passed on a few days ago.

Donald Vanderbeek, a former art director for the Dayton Daily News, died at his home in Malibu, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 31, from esophageal cancer. He was 64.

In 1995, after 15 years at the newspaper, Vanderbeek moved to California, where he worked with animation studios such as MGM, Hannah Barbara, Nickelodeon, Disney and The Simpsons. His illustrations ranged from children’s books and conceptual storyboards for movies to national magazines.

“He was Beek to everyone who knew him,” said Randy Palmer, who worked with Vanderbeek at the newspaper and said his friend’s work defined newspaper illustration in the 1970s and ’80s. “His work was recognized nationally and he received the industry’s top awards. Don’s artistic talents were only surpassed by his sense of humor and his devotion to his family and friends.” ...

His family related:

Donald William Vanderbeek passed away peacefully at his home in the mountains of Malibu, California on Friday, January 31st, 2014. He suffered from esophageal cancer and its complications discovered one year ago. His positive attitude throughout the year was beyond description, always making friends with everyone new he encountered.

Don was born in Dearfield, IL on August 9th, 1949. He was the son of Presbyterian minister, Dr. Bernard and Genevieve Vanderbeek. His childhood was spent in Holland, MI, Knoxville, TN, and in Charleston, WV where he graduated from George Washington H.S. in 1967. Don received a Bachelor's degree from The School of the Dayton Art Institute in 1972.

Starting at Graphics Three in Dayton, OH he then moved to the Dayton Daily News where he became Art Director. His impact during his 15 years here was substantial as the art department became a force of change for newspapers of that day. In 1995 the lure of southern California became too great and he moved on to work with animation studios such as MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Nickelodeon, Disney and The Simpsons. ...

Don knew no stranger, friends were family and family were friends. You knew you were marked when you were called one of his many terms of endearment such as "honey-sweety", "peaches and cream pie-face" and "tootsala" to name just a few! He often spoke of his "curse of charm" which claimed many victims, but his creativity and positive outlook were infectious. Don was very generous with his art, always creating a card or a painting for someone in particular. All were welcome in his home which he described as a museum. From geodes, fossils, and civil war artifacts to his beloved library of art, film, and naturalist books he took great care in all of them.

Don is survived by his two sons, Karl (Rhonda) Vanderbeek and Jon (Sarah) Vanderbeek, and granddaughters Anna, Annika, Ella and Hannah. He is also survived by his brother, Randy (Patti) Vanderbeek and sister Nancy Elliott as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister Sally Hutchison, and brother Larry Vanderbeek. He leaves many dear friends as well.

Condolences to Don's family and friends. A creative light has gone out. Click here to read entire post

Clawing Back

... from horrid #3.

Nickelodeon hopes its new 'Breadwinners' will rebuild TV ratings

Nickelodeon's new cartoon was hatched not through traditional television channels but in a Studio City efficiency apartment nicknamed the “Doodle Chamber.” The 4 1⁄2-minute cartoon about two feisty, accident-prone ducks was intended to be a one-off. But in the hurly-burly world of children's television, network executives are desperate to find that next big hit. ...

In 2012, Nickelodeon's ratings plunged 30 percent, allowing archenemy Disney Channel to grab the ratings crown. It was a tectonic shift in the pecking order of children's TV: Disney Channel has been the go-to channel among older children, particularly tween girls, with its wholesome scripted shows such as “Jessie.” Time Warner's Cartoon Network — with its irreverent animation, such as “Adventure Time,” ... has been a boy magnet and a perennial third. ...

The irony here is that Adventure Time was developed at Nickelodeon by Fred Seibert. I was privileged to get invited to one of its early screenings, and it was obvious that the pilot was way different than the usual run of television animation.

Sadly, the (then) execs at the studio declined to green light AT to series, and Fred took the show elsewhere. At the time, Nick management was hitching its wagon to Computer Graphics Imaging, which (also sadly) didn't pan out as it hoped.

So here we are, with Nick back in the hand-drawn game, creating multiple episodes of a wacky new show. Something wacky like ... Adventure Time.

Click here to read entire post

Remakeville

If it was a hit once or twice, so it can be a hit again, right?

Ron Howard is in talks to direct and produce Warner Bros.' live-action take on The Jungle Book.

Howard is poised to take the reins a month after Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel) fell off the project due to scheduling conflicts. ...

With Howard in place, Warner Bros. is able to keep pace with Disney, which has its own live-action adaptation in the works with Jon Favreau at the helm. Disney also made the 1967 animated classic The Jungle Book. ...

The great thing about stories and books in the Public Domain? You don't have to pay any money for them!

The terrible thing about stories and books in the public domain? Any rum dumb (and his cousin) can make movies from them.
So may the best conglomerate win! Click here to read entire post

At Disney TVA

I was at Disney TV Animation Sonora yesterday, doing a 401k enrollment meeting and walk through. There are (at the moment) a lot of empty cubicles. As a staffer explained: ...

Most the Phineas and Ferb board artists are gone. It was a nice, five-year run but the series and the specials have wrapped and people are off to other jobs, looking for other jobs. A few artists are swinging to other Disney shows here, but others not. ...

Another employee said to me: "The place is getting more and more corporate all the time. How long you've been here doesn't mean too much. It's how you're connected that counts."

Of course, there's always angst (and a touch of bitterness) when veteran staff members are cut loose, but it's like I keep telling artists: Companies are things. Despite what politicians and the Supreme Court says, they aren't people and don't care. You make your friendships and allegiances with people you work with, not with executives who who don't know you or what it is that you do, what role you play.

On the other hand, other shows in the building continue on with new episodes (Gravity Falls, for instance) and Diz Co. the mega-conglomerate is doing great. Like for instance:

... Studio Entertainment revenues increased 23% to $1.9 billion and the segment's operating income increased a whopping 75% to $409 million! The higher operating income was due to an increase in worldwide theatrical distribution results and increases in domestic home entertainment and television/subscription video on demand (TV/SVOD) distribution. The theatrical results reflected the strength of Frozen and Marvel's Thor: The Dark World during the current quarter compared to Wreck-It Ralph and no Marvel film in wide release during the same quarter last year.

The successful running of a movie at the box office provides results only for the quarter and that has been the case for Disney; however, that's just the first part of the total return the company generates through its franchised movies. Disney has shown a promising trend towards generating a higher figure of revenue from each successive sequel of its movies.

For example, Iron Man 3 topped $1.2 billion in global box office, far exceeding the $632 million for Iron Man 2. ...

Media networks and theme parks will be using the characters from the franchises such as Thor and Frozen for years if not decades to come. The plan for Disney to outperform the market is well-established and is already working miracles for the company's long-term investors. ...

Let's hope this translates into enlightened, long-term treatment of Diz Co. employees.


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2014-2015 CSATTF Grant Approvals

We're pleased to announce that for the 2014-2015 grant year, the Contract Services Administration Training Trust Fund (CSATTF) has approved reimbursement grants for qualified members of the Animation Guild to take selected classes at nine of the best schools for animation and CG training. The grants are for classes that begin between February 1, 2014 and January 31, 2015.

The grants will reimburse two-thirds of the cost of classes taken at the following schools:

• 3Kicks Art Studio
• Animation Mentor
• Computer Graphics Master Academy (CGMA
• Concept Design Academy
• Gnomon School of Visual Effects
• iAnimate
• Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art (LAAFA0
• Silver Drawing Academy

We're also please to announce that CSATTF has approved the return of the Toon Boom Storyboard Pro class taught by TAG member Sherm Cohen.

For further details, and to download grant applications, go to the Grant Classes page on the website.

Click here to read entire post

Gee. Who's Gonna Win the VFX Oscar?

Last night.

"Gravity" wins six awards on a night that begins with Patton Oswalt’s greeting, “Welcome to the first annual ‘Gravity’ Awards!”

The force of “Gravity” was overwhelming on Wednesday night at the Visual Effects Society’s 12th annual VES Awards, as the film won six awards and dominated the feature-film categories on the way to what could be an easy visual-effects win at the Oscars in two-and-a-half weeks.

Alfonso Cuaron’s spectacle set in Earth orbit won in six out of the seven categories in which it was eligible, including Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture, the category that most closely corresponds to the Oscar’ Best Visual Effects category. ...

No nail-biting suspense in the Visual Effects category for the Oscars, is there?

I think of Gravity as an animated feature. (When the supervsiors of the flick says "It's 80% animated," what else can it be?)

SO consider: If nominee Bullock wins for "Best Actress," it will be the first time there's been a Best Actress winner performing in an animated feature.

And if the nominated feature Gravity wins for Best Picture, it will be the first time an ANIMATED movie has picked up the award. Click here to read entire post

Addiction

Corporate addicts look for the biggest fix.

Why corporate welfare doesn’t boost employment
Politicians love giving money to companies to create jobs, but the benefits are fleeting, at best

... Desperate to create new jobs at any cost, governments across North America have been offering an array of subsidies, tax breaks, and even free land and buildings, to companies willing to invest—even companies that are already posting record profits. The competition has only become more cutthroat since the global financial crisis put job creation and economic growth top of mind among voters. Yet research suggests the benefits of corporate welfare are, at best, fleeting and rarely successful in attracting high-skilled, high-paying jobs. Politicians may score points with voters when they cut the ribbon on a new plant, but many economists argue such incentives only serve to destroy competition, distort labour markets and inflict long-term damage on the economy. ...

Governments have become so aggressive in pursuit of jobs that subsidies often amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars per worker. The Chicago think tank Good Jobs First estimates that state and local governments shell out $70 billion a year in subsidies, including the record-breaking $8.7 billion in tax breaks Washington state offered Boeing last fall to keep production of its 777x jets in the state—a bidding war so fierce that competitor Missouri promised to rebuild a highway and expropriate a golf course if the company agreed to move. ...

Today, some U.S. states offer more than what companies themselves are willing to put in. That has put pressure on Canadian provinces to up the ante, even though provinces typically shoulder more burden for the cost of health care and social programs than their American counterparts. It has led to a string of high-profile job losses in Canada, as U.S. companies have closed doors there in search of more generous offers back home. ...

In the 21st century, the really BIG welfare queens are huge corporations. They remind me of banana republics in the 1960s that used to threaten the U.S. government with "You give us more foreign id right now ... or we go COMMUNIST!"

Nothing has really changed, except it's multi-nationals now doing the threatening. They're a lot like banana republics, except their GDP is much bigger. Click here to read entire post

The Octopus

And the big get bigger.

Comcast will announce a deal to acquire Time Warner Cable in an all-stock deal worth more than $45 billion that will unite the biggest and second largest cable television operators in the country, according to people briefed on the matter.

The surprise merger — expected to be announced on Thursday — is likely to bring to an end a protracted takeover battle that a smaller cable rival, Charter Communications, has been waging for Time Warner Cable, and will be the second major deal for Comcast in recent years to radically reshape the American media landscape. ...

Maybe it's time to unlimber the Sherman Anti-Trust Act before our entertainment choices are strangled by One Big Cable Company. But in our current corporatist age, I'm not holding my breath. Click here to read entire post

Box Office Grosses and the Little Gold Man

So ... what's most helpful when striving for a shiny statue?

... I thought it would be interesting to track the average global box office grosses from this year's Academy Award nominees, per category. ... This year's numbers, compared to the last two years, were heavily skewed by the box office behemoth "Gravity" which, tied with "American Hustle", earned more nominations than any other film. ...

The Best Animated Feature's average box office was boosted by three megahits ("Despicable Me 2" ($970M), "Frozen" ($867M) and "The Croods" ($587M)), giving the category an average box office earning of $506M.

But at the top of the heap, yet again, is the visual effects category. Buoyed by "Gravity"'s giant earnings, the average visual effects Academy Award nominee earned $698M globally. Even with earning nearly $700M, "Gravity" is actually the third highest grossing film of the category, after "Iron Man 3" ($1.2B) and "The Hobbit 2" ($855M).

The five nominees for visual effects earned a total global box office gross of $3.5 billion. ...

It's been true since the dawn of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that hit motion pictures end up winning most of the Little Gold Men (r). Once in a while a small-budget art film slips in, but the big successful movies predominate in the major categories.

For visual effects, does anybody seriously believe a movie other than Gravity will win? And isn't Frozen the odds-on favorite to take the "Best Animated Feature" category. It's a huge grosser. It isn't a sequel. And it's the release with the Big Mo at just the right time.

It's always possible that I'm wrong, but I don't think I will be. Click here to read entire post

Still More Players in Animation

And the playing field grows more crowded.

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus — these subscription, on-demand providers are all investing heavily to step up their original content to attract and retain members. ...

To beef up its programming menu, Amazon last week posted 10 new pilot episodes online. It’s a repeat of last year’s crowdsourcing experiment that resulted in Amazon’s first two original comedy series, including the John Goodman-led “Alpha House,” as well as an upcoming trio of kids’ cartoons. ...

Netflix inked a deal with DreamWorks Animation last year for 300 hours of new programming, including the streaming service’s first original kids’ show, “Turbo FAST,” which debuted in December. It also has a multi-year pact with Disney for several live-action series revolving around Marvel characters. ...

Funny thing. A year ago, Amazon approached TAG about signing a contract. Ultimately we didn't reach an agreement because of changes they wanted in some of the contract documents, but today the company's legal reps called us again.

And it looks like ... this time ... we'll reach a deal.

I certainly hope so. When a new cartoon studio is launched, it's good to attract talent that knows how to execute. A collective bargaining agreement that pays industry-level wages and benefits will help to do that. Click here to read entire post

Cal Arts Posse

Vanity Fair tells the tale of

... directors who had been students in the California Institute of the Arts’ animation programs [that] generated more than $26 billion at the box office since 1985 ...

And are still generating billions.

A good story well told. (A few minor facts are wrong near the end, but history is written by the winners. So there you are.) Click here to read entire post

Sonic

He's still able to break the money and popularity barriers.

SEGA have decided to give its blue mascot a western retool. On February 6th, SEGA officially announced its new spin-off in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, Sonic Boom. The reboot, which consists of a brand new cartoon show, video game tie-in and merchandise campaign, will kick off later in the year.

Cartoon Network will be premiering Sonic Boom this autumn. Featuring 52 11 minute episodes, this comedic take on the adventures of Sonic and his friends is a joint production between SEGA of America, Inc. and the French animation company OuiDO! Productions. The game’s current voice cast is returning for both cartoon and game, so fans can rest easy knowing they’ll still hear Roger Craig Smith and Mike Pollock as Sonic and Dr. Eggman.

I've always thought of Sonic the Hedgehog as the Felix the Cat of video games. Always there, but never forgotten. Click here to read entire post

Clooney Speaks

This has overtones of "The Onion".

Speaking at a Friday press conference for his new film The Monuments Men, director George Clooney urged Britain to return VFX jobs stolen from California, claiming Americans “have a legitimate case” in demanding their return.

Responding to a Greek journalist’s question about claims Britain should return “appropriated” historical art treasures, Clooney responded, “Britain has a long history of swiping far more important stuff from the U.S. than the ridiculous number of priceless historical artifacts they’ve looted from around the world. First, they took our Rock ‘n’ Roll. Next, they took all the good movie villain roles. Then, they stole The Office. But that wasn’t enough. So, they decided to steal our visual effects industry. Effing wankers.” ...

I have a wee bit of skepticism that any of the above went down. But it's amusing to imagine that it did.

Add On: And of course, now I see it is made up.

All content on this website is a work of fiction. 2Day in Animation uses invented names, companies and organizations except in the case where public figures, companies, organizations and events are being satirized. Any other use of real names is purely accidental and coincidental. 2Day in Animation is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

So, if you're under the age of 18 ... get OUUutt!


H/t Jimbo Hillin and Dave Rand. Click here to read entire post

The Race Track Gets MORE Crowded

Yet another animated movie rolls down the straight-away.

Seth Green, Dakota Fanning 3D Animated Movie ‘Yellowbird’ Acquired by Wrekin Hill

In a seven-figure deal, Wrekin Hill Entertainment has acquired all North American rights to Christian De Vita’s 3D animated feature “Yellowbird” from TeamTO and Haut & Court, the company announced Monday.

Based on fantastic artwork by Benjamin Renner (“Ernest and Celestine”), “Yellowbird” features the voices of Seth Green, Dakota Fanning, Danny Glover, Elliott Gould, Jim Rash and Christine Baranski.

Antoine Barraud and Guilhem Lesaffre wrote the currently-in-production movie with Cory Edwards (“Hoodwinked”), and Wrekin Hill will release the film in theaters this fall. ...

Producing animated features continues to be a growth industry. There's your theatrical release, your distribution via little silver disks, streaming, tv syndication and merchandise tie-ins. We must never forget the endless possibilities of games and plastic action figures and stuffed toys, not to mention phone apps and video games.

You make a long-form cartoon that clicks at the box office, and the cash streams are plentiful. But it ain't like the profitability thingie is a secret ...

... It was a close contest but sci-fi/fantasy films came in second in the research firm’s analysis of different films’ financial performance in the decade from 2002 through 2011. ... Judged just by genre, average revenues for the decade’s 101 animated films ran 108.4% ahead of costs. DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 2 led the category with a 462% margin. ...

That was as of 2012. It's only gotten more lucrative since. Click here to read entire post

More Animation Jobs In L.A. ??

This looks encouraging:

The movie -- based on the Monkey King legend -- is the first title from the newly formed Aquamen Entertainment, which will be based in L.A.

A collective run by Internet mogul Robin Li -- China's richest man -- is backing a new film production venture that will be run by Korean filmmaker Jeongjung Kim and Chinese producer Gary Zhang.

The first title from Aquamen Entertainment is the 3D CGI tentpole Kong, based on the famous Chinese Monkey King Legend and intended to be one of the largest Asian animated projects ever mounted. Kong will be developed in association with a Korean animation studio, although Kim and Zhang intend to hire a Hollywood director.

Aquamen is based in Los Los Angeles. ...

We don't know how much staffing there will be in L.A., but an educated guess would point to pre-production and design work, with the bulk of production being done in the Middle Kingdom.

An assumption, but assumptions (at this point) are what we're going on. Aquamen (Inc.?) is not under a guild contract.

Yet. Click here to read entire post

Remembering Our Own

AFTERNOON OF REMEMBRANCE

In one week and six days the Animation Community will come together for the 20th edition of THE AFTERNOON OF REMEMBRANCE. It's our annual non-denominational celebration of all our friends who passed away the previous year.

In Memoriam 2013.

1. Gerry Anderson ( creator of Thunderbirds)
2. Andreas von Andrian ( animator)
3. Frederic’ Back ( French-Canadian filmmaker)
4. Toby Bluth ( art director)
5. Martha Buckley (checker)
6. Reed Cardwell (assistant animator)
7. Ron Dias (art director)
8. Diane Disney Miller ( Daughter of Walt, Philantropist)
9. Terri Eddings (Xerox)
10. Bob Godfrey (British animation director)
11. Denise Greenwalt ( Disney publicity)
12. Marcella Hahn (anim stock Librarian H&B)
13. Ray Harryhausen ( famed stop-motion VFX animator)
14. Lee Hartman (animator)
15. Tenny Henson (storyboard)
16. Eric Heschong (BG artist)
17. Nicholas Hoppe (effects animator)
18. Ray Jacobs (Layout)
19. Irv Kaplan ( HeMan art director, color stylist)
20. Bob Kirk (animator)
21. Apryl Knobbe ( Digital Matte Painter Sony)
22. Zina Nicole Lahr ( Stop Motion artist)
23. Jay Lawton ( Editor)
24. Ed Levitt (layout)
25. Shirley Mapes (ink & paint)
26. Tom McLaughlin (animator)
27. Charlene Miller (Xerox checker)
28. Armen Mirzarian (storyboard)
29. Ellen Moran ( WETA co-Producer of the Hobbitt)
30. Mitzi Mucerino (ink & paint)
31. Don Nelson (writer)
32. Karen Petersen (TV anim director)
33. Eleanore Pickett (checker)
34. Lois Ryker (ink & paint)
35. Jesse Santos (character designer)
36. Lou Scarborough (animator)
37. Lou Scheimer (Filmation Studio head)
38. Eva Schneider (assistant animator)
39. Harald Seiperman (Animator, story artist)
40. Kevin Traxler (Disney Production)
41. Hetta Van Elk (ink & paint)
42. Dardo Velez (animator)
43. Petros Vlahos (developer of Blue Screen matte technique)
44. Marcia Wallace (Simpsons voice actor)
45. Harold Whitaker (UK animator, author)
46. John Wilson (UPA director)
47. Jonathan Winters (actor, comedian)
48. Dora Yakutis (ink & paint)

This year the memorial is at

The Animation Guild, 1105 N. Hollywood Way in Burbank. Feb 23rd Sunday.

We'll have light refreshments starting at noon, then the speakers begin at 1:00PM.

It's an informative and interesting event that is free to all. In past years Chuck Jones came to speak about Friz Freleng, and Ollie Johnston spoke about Marc Davis. If you'd like to speak on behalf of one of your friends, please let me know.

See you there.

-- Tom Sito Click here to read entire post

Again, the Retirement Thing

After actual investing for retirement (putting money away for your autumnal years) the next most important thing is this:

One of the toughest tasks for investors ... is determining how much of a retirement portfolio should be in equities and how much in bond funds.

In fact, this is one of the three most important decisions that every investor makes. (The other two are selecting the best asset classes and selecting the best funds.)

If investors were purely rational beings, this wouldn't be much of a problem. Statistical probabilities can guide us to stock-bond allocations with varying levels of predictable return and risk characteristics. But in the real world, investors are people who have emotions.

When the stock market is declining, real-world investors often want to own lots of bonds and fewer stocks. This not only feels good, but it's easy to rationalize. After all, your money won't do you any good unless you can keep from losing it.

When the stock market is going gangbusters, real-world investors tend to favor having lots of stocks and fewer bonds. This also feels good and is easy to rationalize. After all, why own bonds that pay only paltry interest rates when your neighbors and friends are making double-digit returns in the stock market?

If it were possible to know in advance when the market would go up and when it would go down, this choice would be obvious and easy. And in fact it would become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When everybody "knew" the market was about to start a big gain, everybody would pour money into stocks; that in turn would raise stock prices (supply and demand at work), and everybody could see that this was "working."

And if everybody "knew" a bear market was about to start, trillions of dollars would desert the stock market, stock prices would fall, and everybody would be "right." At least for a little while.

But because it’s impossible to know the market's short-term future, this sort of emotion-based pendulum is counterproductive.

Year after year, millions of investors learn that painful lesson the hard way. Fortunately, many people eventually realize they need to approach the stocks-bonds question based on facts, history and probabilities. This is one of the things I've been teaching for many years.

In hundreds of investing workshops that I led, I would often ask for a show of hands: "How many of you would like me to make a guarantee that you can absolutely count on?" As you can imagine, nearly every hand went up.

But they were always startled (and not always happy) to hear my guarantee: "If you follow my best advice, I guarantee you will lose money."

But it's the truth. I don't care if your portfolio is all in fixed income, all in equities or some combination of the two, there will be periods when your investments will decline. The trick isn't to avoid all losses. The trick is to control those losses — and your emotions — so you can let your investments do what they're supposed to do for you. ...

Investing can be simple and (relatively) easy.

You set an asset allocation (age in bonds, the rest in broadly diversified stocks). Except that there's the emotion thing. People tend to freak out when their stocks/stock funds are headed south, and bail out. Which is usually at the wrong time, and usually a good way to lose money.

That's why I think it's better for most people to buy a Target Retirement Fund where the heavy lifting is done for you, and just keep putting money in it until you reach your "number" and/or retirement age. It's probably better not to look at your fund's total numbers when there's a market correction (bombs away!) but that more than most people can do.

Main points: 1) Pick an asset allocation, 2) Start feeding the allocation, and 3) Stick with it through good times and bad.

Upcoming Animation Guild 401(k) Enrollment Meetings

Tuesday, Feb. 11th -- Titmouse/Robin Red Breast -- 10 A.M., Lrg. Conf. Rm, Santa Monica Bldg.

Nickelodeon -- T.U.F.F. Puppy Rm. -- 2 P.M., A 26

Wed. Feb. 12th -- Disney TVA, Sonora Bldg -- 2 P.M., Rm 1172

Thurs. Feb. 13th -- Fox TV Animation -- 2 P.M., Main Conf. Rm.

Click here to read entire post

Apologizing for Dickishness

One of our fine, captains of industry forced to do a mea culpa.

Tim Armstrong, the chief executive of AOL, did an about-face on Saturday, reversing an unpopular change in the media company’s employee benefits program and apologizing for publicly singling out two families’ health care issues as a cause of those changes.

AOL had recently altered its 401(k) program, switching its matching payments to one lump sum at year-end instead of throughout the year. The change would have disadvantaged AOL employees, especially those who left the company before Dec. 31. On an internal call last Thursday discussing the new policy, he had attributed the change partly to soaring medical costs associated with two families’ “distressed babies.”

In an email to employees late on Saturday, Mr. Armstrong announced the company’s reversal. ...

Apparently two spouses of two employees had the really bad manners to have difficult child births, and the medical bills were high. And the company's revenue flow was (apparently) impacted.

So ... little Timmy only got to take home $12 million.

But as we learn repeatedly from the Chosen Few, the .01% work way harder than everybody else, so their right to $12 (or more) million per annum is sacrosanct. As is their right to be dick wads. Click here to read entire post

The International Scene, Box Office-Wise

I keep waiting for the animation to start eating itself, but noooo ...

International Weekend Box Office -- (World Totals)

The Lego Movie -- $18,100,000 -- ($87,210,000)

Frozen -- $24,000,000 -- ($913,778,000)

Mr. Peabody and Sherman -- $6,600,000 -- ($6,600,000)

Mr. Peabody and Sherman has barely launched, but the highlighted paragraph below is encouraging:

“Frozen” crosses $900 million in worldwide grosses with strong opening in China

“Robocop” blasted its way to No. 1 openings in 10 markets at the overseas box office this weekend but “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” pulled off an upset in the U.K.

In its first and only international debut, Fox’s kids film from DreamWorks Animation took in $6.6 million, including $2.2 million in previews, topping “Robocop” ($3.7 million) there. “Mr. Peabody” opens in France, Belgium and Switzerland next weekend, and in the United States on March 7.

Disney’s animated blockbuster “Frozen” continued what now seems an inevitable climb to $1 billion at the global box office with $24 million from 47 markets this weekend ...

Apparently, you make a quality animated cartoon, you can open your own mint.

Add On: Deadline details how animated features continue to frolic in foreign pastures.

... The Lego Movie, which did a whopping $69.1M domestically, debuted in 24 markets and raked in a strong $18.1M from 5,695 screens. It was notably constructive in Mexico where it was a strong No. 1. ...

Frozen opened in China on February 5, in the waning days of the Lunar New Year celebration that was packed with local pics. The Disney film earned an estimated $13.7M to make it the 2nd biggest Disney/Pixar animated bow ever. The last animated studio film to debut in the country was Universal’s Despicable Me 2 in early January which took $14.4M in its opening frame and now has over $49M. In Korea, Frozen dropped 32% from a weekend earlier for a new cume of $57.7M; it is the highest animated title ever in that territory. ...

Very nice.
Click here to read entire post

Art Directors Guild Awards

Warner Bros. has a good night.

“The Great Gatsby,” “Gravity” and “Her” won the top film awards from the Art Directors Guild on Saturday night, an unsurprising outcome since all three films are among the Oscar nominees in the production-design category.

For its Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards, the ADG splits its film categories into separate period-film, fantasy-film and contemporary-film categories. “Gatsby” was named tops in the period category, “Gravity” in fantasy and “Her” in contemporary.

The results gave Warner Bros. a sweep of the ADG film awards, one night after Sony enjoyed its own two-film sweep at the ACE Eddie Awards, which were held in the same room, the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel. ...

What's interesting to me is both Gatsby and Gravity are heavily CG (buh-bye actual sets so long crafts people) and the Sandra Bullock picture is 80% animated feature.

Brave new world. Click here to read entire post

Get Better, Martha

One of the hearty pioneers of animation has (apparently) encountered a couple of wee bumps. As executive board member Bronwen Barry relates:

... Martha Sigall, who celebrates her 97th birthday in a couple of months, had a few nasty falls last week! I am delighted to report that she's doing really well and on the mend in a West LA rehab facility-- She suffered a slight fracture to her tailbone(HER FIRST EVER BROKEN BONE!!) -- so will take awhile to heal..

I visited her today, and I must say, the facility is top notch..She's getting splendid care..WE LOVE YOU MARTHA!!! ...

Martha Sigall, for those who don't know, started at Leon Schlesigner's small studio in the 1930s. She was working at Schelsinger's (otherwise known as "Termite Terrace") at the dawn of unionized animation, and was a victim (recipient?) of the Schlesinger lockout, the labor dust-up that Chuck Jones described as "our own little six day war."

Click here to read entire post

This Month In Animation History

The Animation Guild's President Emeritus Tom Sito has been good enough to dig through his massive archive of significant February dates in animation (and entertainment generally), and present them to members. We give you a preview here:

Feb 2, 1922 - Twenty-one-year-old Walt Disney started Newman’s Laff-O-Grams in Kansas City.

Feb 5, 1953 - Walt Disney’s Peter Pan premiered. ...

... and a bit more:

Feb 10, 1940 - MGM’s “Puss Gets The Boot” the first Tom and Jerry cartoon and the first collaboration of the team of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera.

Feb 16, 1987 - “Family Dog” episode on Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories TV show. The first direction by Brad Bird.

Feb 23, 1935 - Walt Disney’s Mickey & Donald cartoon “The Band Concert”. This was the first color Mickey Mouse cartoon.

Feb 25, 1932 - TOONTOWN SCANDALS. Former Australian prizefighter Pat Sullivan was the producer of the Felix the Cat cartoons, the first true animation star. Although animator Otto Mesmer actually created him, Sullivan’s name is the only one on the titles. Felix was one of the top film stars of the 1920s. Lindbergh supposedly had a Felix doll with him in the Spirit of St. Louis and his body shape was the prototype of Mickey Mouse and dozens of other characters. While Mesmer quietly drew pictures Sullivan lived the fast life of a roaring twenties celebrity. 



Mrs. Marjorie Sullivan had been having an affair with her chauffeur. After a nasty scene when husband confronted wife and the chauffeur fled, Mrs. Sullivan mysteriously fell out of her window to her death. The scandal was front page news and Sullivan never got over it. He drank himself to death, which during Prohibition wasn’t easy to do. Sullivan’s death and his failure to get Felix into sound cartoons doomed his studio. Otto Mesmer went on to animate the first Broadway light signs but did not receive any recognition for his contributions to animation until he was re-introduced to the public at a Bob Clampett night at the Museum of Modern Art in 1975.

Feb 28, 1953 - Chuck Jone’s short cartoon “Duck-Amuck” debuts - called by Steven Speilberg the Citizen Kane of Animation.

February Birthdays: George Pal, Nathan Lane, Thurl Ravenscroft, Frank Frazetta, Matt Groening, Faith Hubley, Gahan Wilson, Paul Terry, Joe Oriolo, Edward Gorey, Tex Avery, Laura Croft, Mister Magoo.

An expanded version of Mr. Sito's "Great Dates in Animation" will appear in this month's Peg-Board.

Add On: And Gertie, she is 100 years old today.


Click here to read entire post

Leggy Box Office

Toys come in on top.

1). The Lego Movie (WB) 3,775 theaters / $18M Fri. / Est. 3-day Cume: $60M+ / Wk 1

2). The Monuments Men (SONY), 3,083 theaters / $7M to $7.3M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $21.8M to $22.1M/ Wk 1

3). Ride Along (UNI), 2,800 theaters (-67) / $2.6M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $8.6M to $8.8M / Wk 4

4). Frozen (DIS), 2,460 theaters (-294) / $1.4M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $5.8M to $6.1M / Total Est. Cume: $368M / Wk 12

5/6). That Awkward Moment (FOCUS), 2,809 theaters (0) / $1.6M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $5M to $5.2M / Total Est. Cume: $16.5M / Wk 2

Lone Survivor (UNI), 2,869 theaters (-416) / $1.3M to $1.4M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $5M to $5.3M / Total Est. Cume: $112.5M / Wk 7

7). Vampire Academy (TWC), 2,676 theaters / $1.6M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $4.5M to $4.8M / Wk 1

8). The Nut Job (OPRD), 3,004 theaters (-468) / $725K Fri. / 3-day Cume: $2.9M to $3.2M / Total Est. Cume: $54.5M / Wk 4

9). Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (PAR), 2,139 theaters (-768) / $900K Fri. / 3-day Cume: $3.1M to $3.3M / Total Est. Cume: $44M / Wk 4

10/11). American Hustle (SONY), 1,640 theaters (-576)/ $740K Fri. / 3-day Cume: $2.6M to $2.9M / Total Est. Cume: $138M / Wk 9

Surprise! We have THREE (count 'em) animated features in the Big Ten List, perching at #1, #4, and #8.

Just too much animation! The pictures are CANNIBALIZING each other!

Add On: We can safely assume that Warners has learned how to distribute animation, yes?

"The Lego Movie" clicked with moviegoers, assembling an exceptional $69.1 million debut at the weekend box office.

The better-than-expected result made the Warner Bros. collaboration with the Danish toy company easily the biggest hit of the year so far. A sequel is already in development. ...

Click here to read entire post

Long Hiati?

Last month, three Disney animated series were picked up:

Disney Junior has ordered new season pickups for its popular series Doc McStuffins, Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Sofia the First. ...

All three series have ranked among the top 10 cable TV series for 2013 in kids ages two to five in the US. The series are also featured in the Disney Junior Appisode app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch and are among the most-viewed episodes on WATCH Disney Junior for web and mobile devices. ...d

Word has reached us that, despite the pickups, there will be lengthy layoffs for the artists on Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Staffers say the time away from the studio for many of the artists will be in the range of five months.

(If true ... Yeowch!) Click here to read entire post

The Newest Animated Winner?

Looks like a #1 opening for Warner Bros.

“The Lego Movie” racked up $400,000 in 10 p.m. shows on Thursday, while “The Monuments Men” enjoyed a solid $550,000 debut.

Despite “The Monuments Men”s’ early lead, “The Lego Movie” is picking up steam in the daylight hours. It has generated an estimated $2 million by mid-day Friday, according to an individual with knowledge of the totals.

The first animated movie from Warner Bros. in three years is expected to open to north of $40 million. Many box office prognosticators expect that figure could climb even higher, depending on the severity of the winter storms that are expected to hit the East Coast this weekend.

In a promising sign, ”The Lego Movie” is on track to become the second-biggest advance ticket-seller among all animated films, right behind 2010′s “Toy Story 3,” Fandango told TheWrap earlier this week. ...

Warners is one of the only entertainment conglomerates that doesn't have its own feature animation studio or a bunch of animated features lined up on the tarmac, waiting to go.

In fact, it used to be that the WB was a death chamber for long-form, theatrical animation. Quest for Camelot, The Iron Giant and other big-screen animated projects sufferered short runs and low grosses at the hands of Warners distribution. But no more. Now animated features do as well at Warners as anywhere else.

As of yesterday (Thursday), there were still two animated features in the Box Office Top Tne. The Nut Job (#9) had a total domestic gross of $51,272,664, not at all bad for an independent feature. Disney's Frozen was hanging in at #4, with a grand total of $361,764,626.

By Sunday, there will still be two animated features in the upper ranks, but The Nut Job won't be one of them. It will have been replaced by The Lego Movie and (probably) skittered down to 12th or 13th place. Click here to read entire post

British Trade Association is Shocked ... SHOCKED ...

... that uncomped overtime could be going on here.

U.K. Screen Association Cries Foul Over Visual Effects Industry Petition

The trade association for U.K.-based VFX companies is asking BECTU to revise its VFX Working Time Charter.

The U.K. Screen Association -- which represents UK-based visual effects companies -- issued a letter of complaint to the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) in response to survey data published as part of its VFX Working Time Charter. It is asking the Union to withdraw and correct the Charter

The Charter petitions U.K. Screen member companies to maintain employers standards, saying that "for too many, working in the VFX industry can be a draining experience, with long, unpredictable hours and insecure contracts." It calls on association members to support voluntary and paid overtime, statutory rights to daily and weekly rest breaks, the right to representation and related conditions.

U.K. Screen's complaints are centered around what it claims is “rewording of survey questions in the reported output and the Union's inability to identify the source of respondents.” ...

(Or maybe they're just ticked off that someone is bringing the issue up.) ...

The reality of the situations? Pressure for employees to turn out work "faster, better, cheaper" is widespread. I encountered it in various industry nooks and crannies when I was a young, wet-behind-the-ears business representative. I run across the same thing now. A few examples:

* DreamWorks Animation had a small unit of draw-by-hand animators with an overly ambitious production manager who didn't like paying o.t. (The company corrected the problem when I brought it to management's attention.)

* Cartoon Network's Time Squad had supervisors who weren't interested in paying overtime. (They came from Rough Draft and weren't used to the concept.)

* Sony Adelaide, when it was up and running, had a semi-official policy of not paying overtime. The company designated almost everyone as "on call" employees. (Yours truly filed a grievance to get it stopped.)

* At different times during my tenure, units at Disney Feature, Disney TVA and Warner Bros. Animation have declined to pay overtime to employees who worked more than eight hours in a workday. ...

Unpaid o.t. has lifted its ugly head almost every year I've been in this job. I've filed grievances against it, held meetings, met with crews over lunch to devise strategies. Sometimes it's less a problem, other times it's more. But the issue is always out there. So what are the odds the same problem(s) go on in the United Kingdom?

High.



Click here to read entire post

Robert Iger SPEAKS

On the phone with the financial press.

... With Pixar and the created resurgence of Disney Animation, we now have the two strongest animations brands generating some of the greatest creative work in the industry, with Frozen being the most recent example. Frozen has now surpassed The Lion King to become the most successful Disney Animation movie of all time. It exceeded $870 million in global box-office before even being released in two of our most important markets. It just opened in China in the last 24 hours and it will open in Japan on March 15th. Frozen is not only a tremendous financial success, it's also an incredible creative trial earning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, as well as Oscar nominations for Best Animated Film and Best Song. It has also just picked up 5 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Animation.

Two months after opening, Frozen is still big in theaters. It was second in U.S. box-office just this past weekend. Additionally, the sound track is at the top of the charts and high demand for Frozen merchandise continues to drive strong retail sales. With tradition of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, Disney's Frozen will also be going to Broadway.

When we acquired Pixar in 2006, our goal was to not only support and benefit from the continued creative and commercial success of Pixar, but to rejuvenate Disney Animation under the leadership. Accomplishing this was not only a priority, but something that is and will continue to drive value across the company for years to come. We congratulate all those involved with Frozen and success speaks volumes, about the future of animation at our company. We are obviously proud of our performance this quarter and it's very satisfying to see long-term strategies come to fruition delivering results and driving greater value for our company and shareholders.
...

Mr. Iger's phone chat reeks of press handout ("For Immediate Release!") but the content above is important because it underscores continuing good news for animation.

All the major conglomerates are now wading in to animation. Sony. Fox-News Corp. Walt Disney Co. Even Viacom and Time-Warner are seriously in the cartoon business. (When there are sizable profits glittering on the table, all your fine entertainment congloms want to be bellied up to them.)

I doubt there will be layoffs in Disney's various Cartoonlands anytime soon. Of course people will be cut loose as projects end, but the trendlines have been up for a few years now. Diz Co.'s two most recent animated features will have grossed close to a couple billion dollars over the past nineteen months, and that bodes well for future employment.

We've been down this road before, in the go-go 1990s. Except this time animation revenues are on double steroids. We're seeing more television work, while feature employment continues to hold up. Happy news. Click here to read entire post

Adult Swim

It's on the march.

The big developments in late-night television are not all happening on NBC this week. Adult Swim, the network that is, in many ways, the new force in late night, has some significant news, too: It is expanding again.

Though its programming usually draws far less media attention than, say, the changing of the guard on NBC’s “Tonight” show, Adult Swim has amassed enviable viewership numbers: Among the audience groups many advertisers want most to reach, Adult Swim beats just about everything else in late night.

On Tuesday, the network will announce that it is adding another hour of programming to its schedule, moving further backward into prime time. Starting March 31, Adult Swim — a mix of animated and live-action shows, replete with the kind of irreverent humor that has been the stock-in-trade of late-night television for half a century — will offer programming from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day. It is claiming that hour from the Cartoon Network, which occupies the same channel space in the daytime hours and is also owned by Turner Broadcasting.

In explaining the move, Stuart Snyder, the president of Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media for Turner Broadcasting, said the time was right for the additional hour “coming off a record-setting ratings year in 2013.” Not to mention the “increasing demand we are receiving from advertisers,” he said. ...

The sad part for TAG is, there's icky live-action on the service. And animation from non-signator studios.

Nothing more heart-breaking than that. But at least Adult Swim's unbridled success expands the cartoon universe, so it's not totally awful. Click here to read entire post

At Warner Bros. Animation

I was over on the ranch* this afternoon, doing a 401(k) enrollment meeting and walk around. Things are a wee bit quiet. ...

WB Animation occupies one building on the lot and parts of three others. MAD TV, a staple for years, has shut down after its 100th episode (or whatever the number is) and a multi-year run. There's a Tom and Jerry direct-to-video project in work, and a couple of features cranking up.

Teen Titans Go! is one of the studio's recent success stories, and the series has been green lit for a second season. There is also a series underway that's keyed to an oncoming theatrical feature, but since I haven't seen any announcements about its existence, and since I'm not keen on getting an angry phone call from studio publicity about blatting about a yet-to-be-announced television project, I'll let your imaginations roam as you attempt to guess what this television project might be**.

There are a number of vacant cubes at WBA, but staffers inform me it will soon be getting livelier inside the studio. Here's hoping.

* The Warner Ranch. Near the corner of Hollywood Way and Verdugo Avenue. In the great long ago, it was known as "The Coumbia Ranch," and part of the studio headquartered in Hollywood on Gower Street. Close to half a century ago, Columbia Studios and Warner Bros. merged operations at their respective studios in Burbank. The combined operations of Columbia-Warner Bros. (known as "The Burbank Studios") went on for two and a half decades, but then an over-reaching Columbia executive triggered a lawsuit from the WB, and Warner Bros. won a large monetary judgment from Columbia and gained sole control of both Burbank lots. And that's how the Columbia Ranch became the Burbank Studios ranch and finally the Warner Bros. Ranch. Though a corner of the lot was long ago sold off to make a shopping center, the rest of the facility contains sets, sound stages, a day care center ... and an animation studio.

** Over the years, authoring this blog has caused me a few dollops of pain. Since '06 (when it started), I've received brusque and business-like phone calls from half a dozen cartoon studios claiming to be ticked off that TAG blog has revealed corporate secrets, and lecturing me on "professionalism" (Things like the title of a direct-to-video feature, or the screen shape of "The Simpsons Movie", or the news that a comic book character is coming back into circulation on the teepee or that some cartoon specials are being made. Important stuff like that.)

My personal opinion? It's mostly twaddle; no proprietary information has been revealed and the studios are only miffed because the non-news has gotten out ahead of a press release. But I have better ways to spend my nine-to-five existence than being bellowed at by some studio nitwit on the phone. So as the years rumble by, I've become more coy about what I write.

It makes the blog less interesting, but helps my life to be more ... ahm ... relaxed. Click here to read entire post

Tell Us Your Experience With Yurcor In NYC!

In late 2011, I became aware of unusual and unexplained deductions from the paychecks of visual effects artists working at The Mill in Santa Monica. Subsequently, I learned about Yurcor and its “Employer of Record” services for The Mill. The more I learned, the more I questioned whether the deductions were lawful. I wrote a few posts about the situation and perhaps you read them.

This spurred quite a few artists, who worked for VFX houses using Yurcor’s “Employer of Record” services, on both coasts to contact me. A few artists in California indicated they were willing to take action on behalf of their peers to recover the amounts deducted, and I helped them to get started doing so. Those individuals brought a class-action lawsuit against the Mill and Yurcor with respect to their California employees. That case has been tentatively settled subject to final court approval, which is currently scheduled for April.

The New York artists originally voiced many of the same complaints made in California, but added that the practice was much more prevalent in NYC. We are now ready, willing and able to help New York artists.

If you’re a New York artist who has worked through Yurcor and interested in attempting to recover questionable deductions made by Yurcor, please fill out the form linked below. Even if you have already done so, please fill it out again now so we can be sure our information is up to date. I will get back to you very soon.

Animation Guild NYC Yurcor Form

Click here to read entire post

The Mouse Triumphant

Of late, when has it not been?

Media giant [Disney] passes Wall Street projections for the first fiscal quarter ended Dec. 28

Box office smashes “Frozen” and “Thor: The Dark World” and the juggernaut that is ESPN propelled the Walt Disney Company to sterling earnings for the three months ended Dec. 28.

The media giant eclipsed Wall Street expectations in every key rubric. Diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of its fiscal year increased 32 percent to $1.04 from 79 cents in the prior-year quarter, while revenues climbed 9 percent to $12.3 billion from $11.3 billion in the year-ago period. Net income increased 33 percent to $1.8 billion.

Analysts had predicted diluted earnings of 92 cents and revenue of $12.25 billion.

The standout was the company’s studio division, which saw revenues jump 23 percent to $1.9 billion and operating income improve 75 percent to $409 million as audiences embraced the Oscar-nominated “Frozen” and the “Thor” sequel. ...

Until the end of this year, there won't be any high-end animated features rolling down the Disney turnpike. (We can't count India-animated Planes II as high end, can we? Even though it's formatted in magnificent WIIDE SCREEN?)

No Pixar offerings until 2005, and Big Hero 6 is still in story work, even as it moves into production. The studio division had a strong year, even as in 2012 it absorbed losses from the lacklustre Lone Ranger. My guess is: 2014 will be stronger than '12, but maybe less robust than the year just past. Click here to read entire post

The Clever, The Hardworking, And ...

... those in other categories.

Why clever and lazy people make great leaders

Avoiding unproductive things has its advantages

"You're looking for three things, generally, in a person," says Warren Buffett. "Intelligence, energy, and integrity. And if they don't have the last one, don't even bother with the first two."

Ideally you want all three, but people don't always cooperate. These qualities tend to be difficult to judge in hiring someone.

So we end up with all sorts of combinations and permutations in organizations.

A lot of people feel that stupid people are the "worst" problem. ... So what happens with smart, lazy people? ...

These people can be challenging to work with. They delegate and trust people to do their jobs. They don't micromanage; they question. They avoid unproductive things (think meetings, paper shuffling, busy work). They don't seek consensus because often that means more work, not less. They focus on a few key priorities. They don't run around with solutions looking for problems. ...

Think about the above.

In the cartoon biz, I've known a number of gifted people who did good work yet didn't want to grind away at scut work.

My friend Pete Young (from the Disney Feature Animation department of long ago), successfully pitched a number of projects to upper management, yet hated the grind of cranking out storyboards. He would often while away an afternoon doing gag drawings of co-workers and trading gossip, then blast out a sequence board* in two days at the end of the week. His drawings were minimalist; his story instincts, right on.

And consider Walter Elias Disney. He stopped hunching over an animation desk early on. Ub Iwerks did the animation. Walt looked at the BIG picture.

Then there's Seth MacFarlane. Love him or hate him, he's been stupendously successful, leaving a big imprint on comedy and animation. He gets to meeting when he gets to them, and always keeps moving. Details don't seem to slow him down.

Now think of a successful animation leader you know. Do they get tangled up in minutia? Do they waste time? Do they cut to the chase? It's not a matter of being right all the time. It's a matter of being right mostly. (Across the biz, there are a number of these folks. They're creative. They know a good idea when they encounter one. They avoid drudge work and lead.)

What industry people do you know that fit the above parameters?

* Sequence boards had fewer drawings in those simpler times. Nobody was ensnared by the mentality of animatics, and having a new drawing/pose up on screen every 1.3 seconds.

h/t, supervising animator Kevin Koch. Click here to read entire post

Once More Into the Prime TIme

... dear friends.

Ali Waller, of “American Dad” fame, also strengthens network ties as writer/exec producer

Zooey Deschanel’s ties with Fox just got a half-hour deeper.

The “New Girl” star will executive produce the half-hour animated workplace comedy “Queen of Everything” for the network.

The show is a modern fairytale about an evil queen who realizes that running a Queendom isn’t easy when you have no people skills and everyone hates you. But with a little help from her staff, she will try to change her ways.


Ali Waller (“American Dad,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) will write and executive produce the Twentieth Century Fox Television project. Sophia Rossi will also exec produce. ...

Why Fox Broadcasting is the only on-air network that distributes (and profits from) prime-time animated half-hours is a question best answered by people fifty i.q. points smarter than I am.

Because I've been confused and befuddled over it for years. Click here to read entire post

Diz Co. Stock

Robert Iger will visit all the good little stock analysts soon.

... On Wednesday, February 5, Walt Disney Co. (DIS) is scheduled to report results for its fiscal first-quarter, or the holiday quarter of 2013. The average Wall Street analyst's expectation for the world's largest entertainment company's earnings per share is $0.91, with predictions ranging between $0.84 and $0.97. This means even the most pessimistic analyst that covers Disney is anticipating about 6.2% year-over-year earnings growth for the quarter. ...

Disney's film studio often has capricious results from quarter to quarter and year-to-year, but last quarter was likely a decent one. For example, it was the distributor of Iron Man 3, which had the fifth highest grossing box-office on record and which was made available for digital download and DVD purchase just before the start of the prior quarter. It released Frozen in November, and the movie has already had a worldwide box office take of over $860 million. Disney also released Thor: The Dark World in November, which earned over $630 million. Beyond movie sales, it is likely that Frozen and Thor merchandise also did well last quarter, as the movies opened into the holiday gift-buying season. ...

But some analysts (not all) think that Uncle Walt's stock is overpriced because of the high-grossing movies in the fourth quarter, and the momentum won't last. Therefore ...

... [Disney stock] was downgraded by research analysts at Thomson Reuters/Verus from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday, Analyst Ratings Network reports.

A number of other firms have also recently commented on the stock. Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Walt Disney from $76.00 to $85.00 in a research note to investors on Friday, January 24th. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. Separately, analysts at Topeka Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Walt Disney in a research note to investors on Friday, January 24th. They set a “hold” rating and a $78.00 price target on the stock. ...

Whether you like Mr. Iger's strategy of turning Disney into the Berkshire-Hathaway of entertainment companies or not, it's certainly paid off, cash-flow wise. The stock price has marched steadily upward. And the acquired companies -- Pixar, Marvel, and most recently Lucasfilm -- have added significantly to Diz Co.'s bottom line.

The place isn't really the company Walt built, but Tim-Warner isn't the company Jack Warner built, either.
Click here to read entire post

Lego II?

Per a fine trade paper.

“The Lego Movie” is expected to be a big hit when it opens this weekend

Warner Bros. has already begun work on a sequel to “The Lego Movie,” the upcoming animated film based on the popular kids’ toys, according to two individuals with knowledge of the studio’s plans. Jared Stern, who wrote “The Internship” and “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” is working on the script with Michelle Morgan (“Girl Most Likely”).

Advanced market research indicates “The Lego Movie” will be a huge hit, grossing upwards of $40 millon this weekend. It should breeze to a win at the box office over fellow new releases “the Monuments Men” and “Vampire Academy.”
...

Warners is already counting the unhatched chickens. (But why not? What with market research and sterling reviews.)

If it does well and its two list-mates (Frozen, The Nut Job) have any kind of hold, we'll see three animated features in the Box Office Mega Ten. Click here to read entire post

Layoffs

Now with Add On.

Not in our immediate baliwick, but in the neighborhead:

Disney's Interactive Media unit to lay off several hundred, according to sources ...

.

If true, this wouldn't be the first time that Disney Interactive has suffered through a major bloodletting. Every couple of years, it seems, their ambitions overreach reality and some exec decides that all the hiring over the previous twenty-seven months was "too much, too soon."

And the layoffs happen.

It's crappy, and every once in a while we get involved when staffers reach out to us for help, but this is an old pattern for this division at Diz Co. Sad.

Add On: A litte more info about the layoffs.

Walt Disney Co.'s interactive-media unit is preparing to lay off several hundred people despite a strong launch for its videogame "Infinity," according to people close to the company.

The cuts at Disney Interactive, which has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years as it struggled to reach profitability, are expected to begin after the media giant releases its quarterly financial results Wednesday, these people said. Disney Interactive has about 3,000 employees.

The planned layoffs follow a recent internal announcement by Disney Interactive President Jimmy Pitaro that he would reorganize the group and shuffle several members of his senior executive team.

Mr. Pitaro took sole control of Disney Interactive in November after his former co-president, John Pleasants, was pushed out.

Among the operations expected to be hit by the layoffs is the struggling Playdom social-gaming business, which Mr. Pleasants led before Disney acquired the company in 2010 for $563 million.

Click here to read entire post

Shy and Retiring

Once more into the "saving for retirement" type post.

... To be assured of having enough money to fund a comfortable retirement, you should save a total of 22 times the annual income you want to earn when you retire. That is higher than many previous estimates, but it offers near-certainty of hitting your target.

For instance, if you want $100,000 in annual income (not counting Social Security), then your magic number is $2.2 million in total retirement savings. You can hit that magic number if you are prudent and willing to save money like mad.

Think of yourself as the sponsor of a traditional “defined benefit” corporate pension plan that sets enough money aside to guarantee a steady monthly income to retired workers for the rest of their lives. Then recognize that the only beneficiary of that pension plan is you.

That is the framework proposed in a recent article in the Financial Analysts Journal by Stephen Sexauer, chief investment officer for U.S. multiasset management at AllianzALV.XE -0.92% Global Investors in New York, and Laurence Siegel, who heads the CFA Institute Research Foundation, a financial think tank in Charlottesville, Va. They call it “the personal pension plan.” ...

I think this is a tad on the optimistic side, but I've known folks who got started late and managed to put together a sizable portfolio and a monthly benefit from the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan, so it can be done. And how exactly?

1) MPI Defined Benefit Plan

2) MPI Individual Account Plan

3) TAG 401(k) Plan

4) Roth IRA

5) Investment Accounts

I spent years doing things wrong. I pissed money away on the frivolities of youth; I got boned by "financial advisors"; I worked in low-paying, dead-end jobs. It wasn't until I was past forty that I was able to tuck consistent money away, and I finally got serious about it.

So here's my advice to anyone reading this:

1) Stash 10% of what you earn into a 401(k) or investment account. 2) Put the money into low-cost mutual funds that cover all or a large part of the equities markets. (Use an automatic deposit that comes out of your checking account, if that's convenient.) 3) Look at the investments' totals once every 36 months.

The more you can put cash in on a regular basis, and the less you actually think about the money and the funds those dollars are going into, the better off you'll be. After twenty years, you'll have a sizable stash, and you'll have done most or all of the whole thing on autopilot.

And yes, I'm holding more 401(k) enrollment meetings next week.

401(k) Enrollment Meetings

TUESDAY Feb 4th -- Cartoon Network - Main Conference Room - 2 p.m.

WEDNESDAY Feb 5th -- Warner Bros. Animation - Main Conf. Rm 107 - Bldg 34R - 2 p.m.

THURSDAY Feb 6th -- Sony Pictures Anim. - North - Rm 2050 -- 2 p.m.

Click here to read entire post

Your Worldwide Box Office

Animation and Chinese movies, they are doing well.

Foreign Weekend Box Office -- (Worldwide Totals)

The Monkey King -- $46,000,000 -- ($54,000,000)

Frozen -- $24,000,000 -- ($864,413,000)

Despicable Me 2 -- $4,500,000 -- ($$970,061,265)

The Nut Job -- $1,750,000 -- ($52,246,150)

The Nut Job hasn't unspooled in many foreign markets, even as it continues in the Top Five inside the U.S. and Canada. The other question: Does Despicable Me 2 tick past one billion dollars?

Add On: Deadline reviews overseas movies, including DM2:

... Universal’s Despicable Me 2 brought its international cume to $602M this weekend with an extra 450K at 60 dates in two territories (China included). Universal says it’s only the 4th animated picture in history to cross such a milestone. ...

And who knows? Might soon rumble across the billion dollar marker.

Click here to read entire post

The Other Awards

Then, of course, there was another shiny gold trophy ceremony happening.

“Stories We Tell” wins documentary award; “Breaking Bad,” “Veep” and “House of Cards” win major TV honors

Spike Jonze’s “Her” won a significant victory at the Writers Guild of America Awards on Saturday night, taking home the award for the best original screenplay of 2013 in a head-to-head battle against the same four films it will compete with for the Oscar. ...

Other awards include “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” winning for long-form television adaptation, “The Simpsons” episode “A Test Before Trying” winning for TV animation and “Days of Our Lives” winning for daytime drama. ...

I'm so old I remember when the Oscars happened at the end of March, beginning of April. And they happened (for some weird reason) at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. And there wasn't really anything else in the gold statue department. (In those ancient days, the Golden Globes were tiny, and a total joke.)

My, but how things have changed. But the quest for publicity ... and accompanying profits .. is unremitting in our corporatist age. Click here to read entire post

The Annies!

The creative team for Moonbot Studios (TAG President-emeritus Kevin Koch and studio topkick William Joyce in center) with their Annie for "Chipotle Scarecrow."

From a fine trade paper:

Disney Animation's Frozen topped the feature competition at the 41st Annie Awards, collecting five trophies, including best animated feature, direction for helmers Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, music, production design and voice acting.

Also Saturday at UCLA’s Royce Hall, the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA-Hollywood) awarded DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods three trophies, in the categories for animated effects, character animation and character design. Pixar Animation Studio’s Monsters University was honored for storyboarding and editing; and Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki won the award for best writing for his final film, The Wind Rises
.

And here's a list of the happy winners:

Best Animated Feature
Frozen (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Best Animated Special Production
Chipotle Scarecrow
 (Chipotle Creative Department, Moonbot Studios)

Best Animated Short Subject
Get A Horse!
 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial
Despicable Me 2 (Cinemark
- Universal Pictures)

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
Disney Sofia the First
 (Disney Television Animation)

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children’s Audience
Adventure Time (Cartoon Network Studios)

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Futurama
 (20th Century Fox Television)

Best Animated Video Game
The Last of Us (
Naughty Dog)

Best Student Film
Wedding Cake (Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg - Viola Baier, Iris Frisch)

Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Jeff Budsberg, Andre Le Blanc, Louis Flores, Jason Mayer The Croods (DreamWorks Animation)

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Michael Balog, Ryan Hopkins, Patrick Conran, Florian Witzel Pacific Rim
 (Industrial Light & Magic)

Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Kureha Yokoo Toy Story of Terror! (Pixar Animation Studios)

Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Jakob Jensen The Croods

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Jeff Capogreco, Jedrzej Wojtowicz, Kevin Estey, Alessandro Bonora, Gino Acevedo - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Gollum
 (Weta Digital)

Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Paul Rudish Disney Mickey Mouse
 (Disney Television Animation)

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Carter Goodrich, Takao Noguchi, Shane Prigmore The Croods

Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Angus MacLane Toy Story of Terror!


Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Chris Buck, Jennifer LeeFrozen
 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Christopher Willis - Disney Mickey Mouse
 (Disney Television Animation)

Music in an Animated Feature Production
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Christophe Beck Frozen

Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Angela Sung, William Niu, Christine Bian, Emily Tetri, Frederic Stewart The Legend of Korra
 (Nickelodeon Animation Studio)

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Michael Giaimo, Lisa Keene, David Womersley Frozen


Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Daniel Chong Toy Story of Terror!

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Dean Kelly Monsters University


Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Tom Kenny as the voice of Ice King - Adventure Time (Cartoon Network Studios)

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Josh Gad as the voice of Olaf - Frozen


Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Lewis Morton Futurama (20th Century Fox Television)

Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Hayao Miyazaki The Wind Rises
 (Studio Ghibli/Touchstone Pictures/The Walt Disney Studios)

Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Illya Owens Disney Mickey Mouse (Disney Television Animation)

Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
Greg Snyder, Gregory Amundson, Steve Bloom Monsters University


Winsor McCay Award
Katsuhiro Otomo, Steven Spielberg & Phil Tippett

June Foray Award
Alice Davis

Ub Iwerks Award
Dragonframe

Special Achievement
Creative Talent Network (CTN) Animation eXpo

Certificate of Merit
I Know That Voice

Anybody care to guess the odds-on favorite to win the "Best Animated Feature" Oscar? Do I see any hands?

Click here to read entire post

Weekend Box Office

The moolah for animated product continues to roll in.

Sing-along “Frozen” is third as Kevin Hart-Ice Cube comedy heads for 3rd-straight win; “Labor Day” is DOA

Kevin Hart and Ice Cube’s “Ride Along” is heading for a box-office three-peat, after holding off a challenge from the R-rated bro-mantic comedy “That Awkward Moment” on Friday. ...

Disney opened a sing-along version of “Frozen” in 2,057 of its 2,754 theaters and the 3D animated hit blockbuster brought in $2.2 million to finish third Friday, putting it on pace for an $8.5 million in its 11th week. It’s up to $353 million domestically, and more than $815 million worldwide. ...

The weekend's early numbers:

1) Ride Along (UNI), 2867 theaters (+108) / $4M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $11.8M to $12M (-44%) / Wk 3

2). That Awkward Moment (FOCUS), 2,809 theaters / $3.95M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $9.9M to $10.2M / Wk 1

3). Frozen, (DIS) 2,754 theaters (-3) / $2.2M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $9M to $9.5M (-4%) / Wk 11

4). The Nut Job (OPRD) 3,472 theaters (0) / $1.76M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $7.6M to $7.9M (-36%) / Wk 3

5). Lone Survivor, (UNI) 3,285 theaters (+123) / $2.3M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $7M to $7.3M (-45%) / Wk 6

6). Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (PAR) 2,907 theaters (-480) / $1.7M to $1.8M Fri. (-38) / 3-day Cume: $5.4M to $5.7M / Wk 3

7). Labor Day (PAR), 2,589 theaters / $1.9M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $5.2M to $5.5M / Wk 1

8). American Hustle, (SONY) 2,216 theaters (-88) / $1.3M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $4.3M (-40%) / Wk 8

9). The Wolf Of Wall Street, (PAR) 1,607 theaters (-197) / $1M Fri. / 3-day Cume: $3.4M (-38%) / Wk 6

10). I, Frankenstein (LGF), 2,753 theaters (0) / $1.1M Fri. / Estimated 3-day Cume: $3M to $3.3M (-64%) / Wk 2

It's good to see two animated features in the Top Five.

But be aware that this isn't supposed to happen. Animated features "cannibalize" each other, don't you know.

Sunday Semi Finals

1. Ride Along - Universal - $12.3M
2. Frozen - Disney - $9.3M
3. That Awkward Moment - Focus Features - $9.0M
4. Nut Job, The - Open Road - $7.6M
5. Lone Survivor - Universal - $7.2M
6. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - Paramount - $5.4M
7. Labor Day - Paramount - $5.3M
8. American Hustle - Sony - $4.3M
9. Wolf Of Wall Street, The - Paramount - $3.5M
10. I, Frankenstein - Lionsgate - $3.5M

Add On: The weekend wraps with Frozen in the #2 position.

... The sing-along re-release is just the latest triumph for “Frozen,” which has snowballed into a global blockbuster, with more than $360 million domestically and $864 million worldwide. The album features the Oscar-nominated single “Let It Go,” and has spent three weeks atop the Billboard top 200 chart — the first soundtrack to do that since “High School Musical 2” in 2007.

Another animated movie, Open Road’s “The Nut Job” finished fourth with $7.6 million. The squirrel tale featuring the voice of Will Arnett has taken in $50 million since opening three weeks ago. ...

And let's not forget that The Lego Movie is just over the horizon.

Click here to read entire post