Tag: Animated Movies

Oscar Predictions: Hoppers

We are less than two weeks away from KPop Demon Hunters likely giving Netflix a Best Animated Feature victory at the Oscars for the 98th Academy Awards. This Friday, Disney/Pixar is releasing a sci-fi comedy that could easily make the quintet at the 99th. Daniel Chong’s Hoppers features a voice cast including Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, and Dave Franco.

With 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 77 Metacritic, reviews are strong enough that it should become the 21st Pixar title to nab a spot among the contending five. It should have competition from its own studio in the form of this summer’s Toy Story 4. Parts 3 and 4 won the prize and the first two probably would’ve had the category existed when they were released.

Hoppers also features an original song titled “Save the Day” from SZA and the Mouse House will probably mount a campaign for it in Original Song. Besides the fifth edition of Woody and Buzz, there will be other animated fare vying for the votes of Academy members in the coming months. Pixar’s first 2026 offering has already staked its claim for attention. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Hoppers Box Office Prediction

On March 6th, Hoppers looks to jumpstart Disney/Pixar’s fortunes after the underwhelming Elio and before the anticipated summer juggernaut Toy Story 5. The animated sci-fi comedy marks the feature-length directorial debut from Daniel Chong. Voiceover contributors include Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, Dave Franco, Eduardo Franco, Aparna Nancherla, Sam Richardson, Melissa Villaseñor, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Ego Nwodim, Vanessa Bayer, and Meryl Streep.

Two of the last three Pixar big screen offerings failed to reach $30 million in their opening weekends. While 2024’s Inside Out 2 surpassed $150 million in its premiere, original material struggled. 2023’s Elemental kicked off with $29 million though it legged out impressively with $154 million domestically overall. That was not the case with last summer’s Elio. It only earned $20 million initially and $72 million when all was said and done stateside.

Projections for Hoopers are all over the place. Depending on who you read, it could fail to launch in the low 20s or get to $50 million. With decent word-of-mouth, I am forecasting it gets to mid 40s.

Hoppers opening weekend prediction: $43.6 million

For my The Bride! prediction, click here:

The Bride! Box Office Prediction

Oscar Predictions: Goat

Sony is looking for Goat to bring in herds of families to multiplexes this weekend. The animated sports comedy from director Tyree Dillihay features an all-star voice cast including Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, Jenifer Lewis, Patton Oswalt, Jelly Roll, Jennifer Hudson, Sherry Cola, Eduardo Franco, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, and actual all-star Stephen Curry.

While reviews aren’t great, they certainly aren’t baaaaaad (I’m sorry). Rotten Tomatoes is at 82% while Metacritic (as it often is) shows a more telling 59 number. In my estimation, Best Animated Feature could be a stretch. However, we don’t know at this early juncture how strong the race will be. Kris Bowers, an Original Score nominee for The Wild Robot, is behind the music here. Early critical reaction doesn’t indicate he’ll get a second nod. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Goat Box Office Prediction

Sony Pictures Animation hopes for Goat to be golden when it opens over President’s Day weekend. The sports comedy is directed by Tyree Dillihay with Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin voicing the title creature who dreams of playing pro ball. Other performers providing behind the mic contributions include Gabrielle Union, real life ball champ Stephen Curry, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Jenifer Lewis, Aaron Pierre, Andrew Santino, Jelly Roll, and Jennifer Hudson.

Goat takes place over the NBA All-Star weekend and it has been promoted heavily on ESPN during games. The studio is hoping parents take their kiddos before the nighttime activities. It could be a decent marketing move considering it’s the sole pic seeking families in a weekend with new material catering to grown-ups.

I’m thinking that means a Friday to Sunday gross in the mid 20s with around $30 million over the four-day.

Goat opening weekend prediction: $26.7 million (Friday to Sunday); $30.4 million (Friday to Monday)

For my Wuthering Heights prediction, click here:

Wuthering Heights Box Office Prediction

For my Crime 101 prediction, click here:

Crime 101 Box Office Prediction

For my Cold Storage prediction, click here:

Cold Storage Box Office Prediction

For my Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die prediction, click here:

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die Box Office Prediction

Oscar Predictions: Charlie the Wonderdog

As we await nominations for the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday, my Oscar Prediction write-ups on contenders for the 99th are beginning to trickle in. This will pick up with the start of the Sundance Film Festival later this week.

Over the weekend, the animated feature Charlie the Wonderdog debuted quietly with Owen Wilson voicing the superhero hound. Shea Wageman directs with a supporting behind the mic cast including Tabitha St. Germain, Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, Anthony Bolognese, and Lindsay Gibson.

Distributor Icon Creative Studio isn’t posting box office numbers at press time and the pic doesn’t even have a Wiki page. Rotten Tomatoes is at just 50%. In other words, if you’re starting to think of possibilities for Animated Feature a year from now, you would be barking up the wrong tree with Charlie. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Box Office Prediction

It has been a decade since a SpongeBob movie was properly located in theaters, but that changes December 19th with The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Derek Drymon, a veteran of the Nickelodeon show, handles directorial duties. Voiceover artists from the quarter century plus running series include Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, and Rodger Bumpass. Some familiar faces behind the mic are George Lopez, Ice Spice, Arturo Castro, Sherry Cola, Regina Hall, and Mark Hamill.

Back in 2004, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Movie opened to $32 million on its way to an $85 million domestic gross. In 2015, sequel Sponge Out of Water improved on those figures with $55 million out of the gate and $162 million overall stateside. In August of 2020, Sponge on the Run didn’t have a proper theatrical output due to the COVID pandemic.

Search is not expected to come close to what the first two franchise entries accomplished. There will be competition for families from the biblical animated tale David as well as Avatar: Fire and Ash. While some forecasts have this achieving mid 20s, I think mid to possibly late teens is a likelier scenario.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants opening weekend prediction: $17.1 million

For my Avatar: Fire and Ash prediction, click here:

Avatar: Fire and Ash Box Office Prediction

For my David prediction, click here:

David Box Office Prediction

For my The Housemaid prediction, click here:

The Housemaid Box Office Prediction

David Box Office Prediction

Angel Studios is primed for another animated hit after The King of Kings performed well earlier this year with David on December 19th. The biblical musical is co-directed by Brent Dawes and Phil Cunningham. Phil Wickham, Brandon Engman, Asim Chaudhry, Mick Wingert, Will de Renzy-Martin, and Lauren Daigle provide voiceover work.

Timed for Christmas, David could slay in second place behind Avatar: Fire and Ash. In April, Angel’s aforementioned Kings capitalized on the Easter holiday period with a nearly $20 million opening and $60 million eventual domestic gross. Tracking for this is higher with faith-based crowds snatching up tickets already.

Perhaps some viewers will until the long Christmas weekend, but I still think low 20s is where this chapter begins.

David opening weekend prediction: $20.8 million

For my Avatar: Fire and Ash prediction, click here:

Avatar: Fire and Ash Box Office Prediction
The Housemaid Box Office Prediction

For my The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants prediction, click here:

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Box Office Prediction

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution Box Office Prediction

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution hopes to continue a banner year for anime offerings when it hits domestic venues on December 5th. The fantasy effort from manga artist Gege Akutami is a prerelease for season 3 of the Kaisen TV series prior to its output in January.

Distributed via GKIDS stateside, Execution would love to approach the numbers achieved by Jujutsu Kaisen 0 back in March of 2022. Nearly four years ago, that Japanese action tale easily surpassed projections with an $18 million debut in the midst of the pandemic. That opening represented over half of its eventual $33 million take as this genre is typically front loaded.

Execution will be available for home viewing just a month after theatrical availability. That’s different than Kaisen 0 which was not directly part of the TV show. Therefore Execution is not expected to see the high teens haul that we witnessed in 2022 or a similar figure that Chainsaw Man -The Movie: Reze Arc accomplished in October. It could still manage about half of what the aforementioned kicked off with, but I’ll go with a little less.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution opening weekend prediction: $6.4 million

For my Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 prediction, click here:

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 Box Office Prediction

Oscar Predictions: Zootopia 2

As they frequently do over the Thanksgiving holiday, Disney should reign supreme with an animated effort. In 2025, they’ll do it via Zootopia 2 which follows up the 2016 original. Jared Bush and Byron Howard are back directing. Returning voice work comes from Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Bonnie Hunt, and Jenny Slate. Newcomers to the franchise include Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, and Danny Trejo.

At the 89th Academy Awards, Zootopia won Best Animated Feature against fellow studio competitor Moana and the acclaimed Kubo and the Two Strings. It opened early in the calendar (March) and maintained frontrunner status throughout the long awards season. Reviews were strong with 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 78 Metacritic.

The sequel is also generating solid critical reaction with 93% on RT and Metacritic at 73. Those numbers are sturdy enough that I’m confident Zootopia 2 has reserved a spot in the Animated Feature quintet. It also has a shot to be victorious like its predecessor. However, I’ve had it ranked in second position behind the cultural juggernaut that is Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. Overcoming that streaming phenomenon could be a tall order. It might be achievable but leaving it in second feels right unless precursors alter the narrative. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Zootopia 2 Box Office Prediction

Disney has owned the Thanksgiving holiday in recent years and that looks to continue when Zootopia 2 arrives November 26th. Jared Bush and Byron Howard are back directing the sequel to the 2016 blockbuster that took home Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. Returning voices include Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, and Shakira. New faces behind the mics are Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk.

Last year, the Mouse House smashed the Thanksgiving box office record with Moana 2. That follow-up took in $139 million from Friday to Sunday with $225 million when counting Wednesday and Turkey Day. The previous highest three-day opening was the original Moana (also from 2016) at $56 million.

Zootopia 2 should fall between the Moana‘s in the record books. In a best case scenario, it could threaten part 2. In March 2016, the original exceeded expectations with a $75 million start on its way to $341 million overall domestically. This is widely anticipated to build on that with room to spare.

I’ll project a Friday to Sunday gross between $110 to $115 million and a five-day topping $180 million.

Zootopia 2 opening weekend prediction: $112.4 million (Friday to Sunday); $184.3 million (Wednesday to Sunday)

For my Eternity prediction, click here:

Eternity Box Office Prediction