Dreamworks Ends Partnership with Aardman Studios
Despite grossing approximately $41 million so far, and dropping only 12% from its opening weekend, it seems that Flushed Away has been performing way below expectations at the box office thus far. I guess when you consider that the film actually cost $145 million to produce, that kinds of puts things in perspective (why the hell did it cost so much??). It’s the first CGI movie in a while that hasn’t completely dominated the box office (look for the upcoming Happy Feet to destroy it this weekend), which is a little surprising considering that critical reviews have been good (it’s currently holding at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Flushed Away was the first entirely computer-animated project by Aardman Studios (Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), and it looks like this is bad news for them as Dreamworks decided to end their partnership this week. It’s unfortunate, but I guess you can’t argue with the numbers. Apparently creative differences during the production of Flushed Away were also an issue. This leaves Aardman in search of a new distributor for their next project, a prehistoric comedy called Crood Awakening.
» Related Link: Joblo.com
Comments (4)
I don’t mind people spending lots of money on stuff, and I’m pretty materialistic myself, but that number is fucking ridiculous. 145 million dollars for an animated movie? Thats the biggest fucking waste I have ever heard of in my life. Imagine if they took 145 million dollars and used it to make a Star Trek movie with real actors.
Are you sure you read that number right…? I’m not questioning your integrity but I’m pretty dumbfounded…
Posted by Henrik on November 16th, 2006I don’t know, I was just going by what it said in the Joblo post. I did compare it with a few other animated movies on IMDB… Barnyard cost $51 million, and Cars was $120 million. So it’s definitely expensive but believable I suppose.
Posted by Sean on November 16th, 2006speaking of CGI, you should look into some of the controversy about “happy feet” – i’m not kidding. it looked like just another CGI film, and an especially light hearted one.
however it turns out its written and directed by George Miller, who did the Babe movies. apparently its frequently dark and of all things is being accused of being anti-religion (!)
last thing i would have expected based on that movies trailer.
Posted by Goon on November 16th, 2006I haven’t seen this yet but from the clips I’ve seen, this is also my first question:
“why the hell did it cost so much??”
Posted by Marina on November 16th, 2006Leave a Reply