Tag: Animation

The Wild Robot Box Office Prediction

DreamWorks Animation hopes families turn up in droves for The Wild Robot when it debuts September 27th. The sci-fi pic is based on a book series by Peter Brown and directed by How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods maker Chris Sanders. Voiceover work comes courtesy of Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames.

Robot was unveiled days ago at the Toronto Film Festival to satisfying results. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 100% and it could be a frontrunner for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. DreamWorks is putting this out while Transformers One is only in its sophomore outing. That could slightly limit the opening weekend crowd, but Robot will likely leg out impressively over the next several frames.

I still wouldn’t be surprised if this slightly exceeds tracking and that should mean low to mid 30s.

The Wild Robot opening weekend prediction: $33.8 million

For my Megalopolis prediction, click here:

Megalopolis Box Office Prediction

Transformers One Box Office Prediction

The last time the Transformers franchise went fully animated on the big screen, it was in 1986 in The Transformers: The Movie. It was a flop but has since developed a cult following and it awesomely featured the voices of everyone from Eric Idle to Judd Nelson to Leonard Nimoy to Casey Kasem to Orson Welles. Since then, Paramount and Hasbro have earned billions from their live-action robot mayhem movies. The franchise goes back to animation in Transformers One on September 20th. From Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley, this might not have Casey Kasem or Charles Foster Kane. There are voiceover contributions from Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.

Early word-of-mouth is encouraging for the sci-fi action tale and that could help post Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. It came out last summer and ended up as the lowest grosser of the series with $157 million domestically. Expectations are not lofty for One and it could end up making less than Beasts. I’m pegging this for a mid 30s beginning.

Transformers One opening weekend prediction: $35.4 million

For my Never Let Go prediction, click here:

Never Let Go Box Office Prediction

Oscar Predictions: The Wild Robot

The 74th Academy Awards was the first year where Best Animated Feature was presented and DreamWorks Animation took that initial prize with Shrek. The studio has yet to win the race again as Disney has mostly dominated it. They are hoping for their second statue at the 97th ceremony courtesy of The Wild Robot.

Having premiered at the Toronto Film Festival prior to its September 27th domestic debut, Chris Sanders (co-director of How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods) made the sci-fi fantasy based on Peter Brown’s series of novels. Voiceover work comes from Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, and Ving Rhames.

Early word-of-mouth from our neighbor to the north is welcoming. With an 83% Metacritic score and no tomatoes at press time, The Wild Robot is a serious contender not only for a nomination (which appears to be a foregone conclusion), but a victory.

In order to do that, it will still need to surpass Inside Out 2 from you know who. In my view, that is not a foregone conclusion. Yet DreamWorks probably has its best shot since that green ogre. Beyond Animated Feature, Robot‘s Original Score from Kris Bowers is being heralded. There’s also a song from Maren Morris titled “Kiss the Sky” that looks to make that quintet. Either are possible as those competitions are just starting to take shape. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Piece by Piece

Morgan Neville’s Piece by Piece looks to build awards momentum at the Telluride and Toronto festivals before its October 11th domestic bow. The unique documentary is a biopic of musician Pharrell Williams told via Lego animation. It includes interviews (Lego style) with artists its subject has collaborated with including Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Busta Rhymes.

2013’s 20 Feet from Stardom from Neville (focused on background singers) took home the Oscar for Documentary Feature. Five years later, his Mister Rogers doc Won’t You Be My Neighbor? was widely expected to be nominated and ended up snubbed.

Piece by Piece is a head scratcher. Focus Features will surely campaign for it in Animated Feature and Documentary Feature. Early reviews are mostly complimentary though not gushing. I think it stands a stronger chance in Animated Feature. However, competition is real with titles such as Inside Out 2, The Wild Robot, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Flow, Moana 2, and Memoir of a Snail. The mishmash’s best chance at recognition could be one of its original songs where Pharrell has competed before with “Happy” from Despicable Me 2.

Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure Box Office Prediction

Based on a popular children’s YouTube channel, Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure streams only in theaters starting August 16th. Albie Hecht, once a high ranking Nickelodeon exec, makes his directorial debut. The mix of live-action and Japanese animation stars the real-life Kaji family led by Ryan, his parents, and twin sisters.

Premiering on approximately 2100 screens, I will make a confession with this particular prediction. I was totally unaware of the YouTube show’s existence until shortly before writing this entry. Its numbers are impressive. The channel boasts around 37 million subscribers, putting it in the top 10 most subscribed in the country. There are nearly 60 billion total views on the platform.

That all could signal a healthy opening for this Adventure. I do wonder whether kids and their parents will flock to something for an hour and a half that they’re accustomed to digesting in short bursts for free. Fair warning: this projection could shift over the next few days. The theater count is about half of what Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2 rolled out with and that should limit the potential.

I’ll forecast mid to high single digits with an admission that I’m flying a bit blind here.

Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure opening weekend prediction: $7.1 million

For my Alien: Romulus prediction, click here:

Alien: Romulus Box Office Prediction

Oscar Predictions: Despicable Me 4

The Despicable Me/Minions has been a financial force over the past decade and a half, but not so much with awards voters. Despicable Me 4 is out this Wednesday from director Chris Renaud. Vocal work is provided by Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Stephen Colbert, Steve Coogan, Sofia Vergara, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell.

The three direct predecessors and the two spinoff Minions titles have eaxg grossed $250 million or higher domestically since 2010. Only Despicable Me 2 generated any Oscar nods. Those were in Animated Feature and Original Song (the Pharrell smash “Happy”) and Frozen beat it out in both races (the latter with its signature tune “Let It Go”).

Part 4 of the franchise has a 63% RT rating. That’s lower than part 1 (80%) and 2 (75%) and Minions: The Rise of Gru (70%) while slightly above part 3 (58%) and Minions (56%). In short, this does appear primed to enter the series back in the Oscar mix. Lucky for it, the dollars should continue to flow. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Despicable Me 4 Box Office Prediction

Universal and Illumination Entertainment have posted great results through five pictures in the Despicable Me franchise and they look to extend their luck with part 4 on July 3rd. The animated comedy is directed by Chris Renaud with Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Stephen Colbert, Steve Coogan, Sofia Vergara, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell providing voiceover work.

This has been a highly durable series in its nearly decade and a half of existence. Despicable Me debuted with $56 million in July of 2010 with an eventual $251 million domestic gross. Part 2 arrived on Wednesday, July 3, 2013 and therefore had the same release pattern as this entry. It took in $84 million for the traditional Friday to Sunday three-day with $143 million when factoring in Wednesday and Thursday (the 4th). The final tally was $368 million. Despicable Me 3 came in with $72 million in July 2017 and $264 million overall.

I didn’t forget the Minions. The spin-off tale tallied $115 million out of the gate in July 2015 with $336 million domestically. Two summers ago, sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru banked $107 million en route to $370 million total.

Animation brought summer 2024 out of the doldrums via Inside Out 2 which vastly exceeded expectations. It’ll still be making money over the holiday frame, but Despicable should fall in range with some of its predecessors. I don’t foresee a premiere as high as part 2 (though no one thought Inside Out 2 would amass over $150 million in weekend 1).

A mid to high 70s Friday to Sunday should mean a five-day in the $125 million plus space for another Despicable victory.

Despicable Me 4 opening weekend prediction: $79.4 million (Friday to Sunday); $126.3 million (Wednesday to Sunday)

For my MaXXXine prediction, click here:

MaXXXine Box Office Prediction

Oscar Predictions: Memoir of a Snail

Just over 20 years ago at the 76th Academy Awards, Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot took home the Animated Short Feature prize for Harvey Krumpet. Now he’ll attempt to break into the Animated Feature race with Memoir of a Snail. Voiceover work comes from Sarah Snook of Succession fame, Kodi Smith-McPhee, Eric Bana, Magda Szubanski, Dominique Pinion, and Jacki Weaver.

The grownup drama is slated for a premiere down under this fall. Stateside distribution is still to be worked out release date wise, but let’s assume it’ll contend for this spring’s 97th Oscars. While some critics say this is an acquired taste, the RT score is 100%.

This may come down to IFC Films (the domestic distributor) and whether their campaign is active. If so, I wouldn’t rule Snail‘s ability to make a run for the quintet of features nominated. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The Imaginary

2024 has been quite a year for imaginary friends onscreen with horror pic Imaginary and John Krasinski’s family feature IF already out. We can soon add The Imaginary to the stateside mix when it releases on Netflix starting July 5th. Japan’s animated fantasy comes from Yoshiaki Nishimura. He is no stranger to Academy attention. 2014’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was nominated for Best Animated Feature. Same goes for When Marnie Was There which was up the following year. They lost to Big Hero 6 and Inside Out, respectively.

It was out in its home country last December, but the summer streaming bow would put this in contention for the upcoming Oscars. Reviews are fresh enough at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. With a push from Netflix, it could make a play for the quintet of hopefuls. A win seems out of reach (there’s that Inside Out sequel for one). Yet a nomination seems realistic. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Savages

No, this is not a family friendly version of Oliver Stone’s 2012 drugs drama with John Travolta and Salma Hayek. Instead Swiss animator looks to make it two Best Animated Feature Oscar noms in a row with Savages (or Sauvages in French). The environmentally conscious stop-motion tale premiered at Cannes with stateside distribution still being worked out. The voice cast includes Babette De Coster, Martin Verset, Laetitia Dosch, and Benoit Poelvoorde.

The filmmaker’s previous full-length work was 2016’s My Life as a Zucchini, which made the contending quintet at the 89th Academy Awards (ultimately falling short to Zootopia). Reviews for Savages stand at 100% on RT based on a handful of write-ups. I would expect to see it in the mix for the 97th ceremony a few months down the road so be conscious of it. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…