Not Quite...

I happened to catch this little animated film that came out at the end of the spring. It came and went, and it seemed like it would either be great or mediocre from the trailers. Yes... Epic...

First things first, the animation, the art direction and the visuals in the film are very pretty. At times it's even stunning, with some very lovely shots (that sadly don't really last too long, given the pacing of this film) and great character design. This is a William Joyce-based story after all, and the animators came up with neat designs for the Leaf Men and all the various creatures. The scale? Yes, it's pretty big, even if the story doesn't match it. It's just pretty to look at, and the way the little creatures see the humans is pulled off well, one of the film's more unique elements.

But the story is pretty rote, with the typical good-vs.-evil plot with a romance between the teen leads shoehorned in. I didn't really connect with the characters that much, even though the writers try hard enough to get some emotional content in there, mostly with M.K.'s relationship with her father or Nod not living up to Ronin's expectations. I felt that the characters were just forgettable and they just lacked depth. I felt that a lot of the elements in this film were basically pulled from other films - especially animated films - and thrown into a blender. I'm okay with ideas reheated from other films, but only when it's done with finesse. For instance, there were many elements in Wreck-It Ralph that were reminiscent of other animated films, even a lot of the classic Disney films... But the characters are well-defined, the writing immerses you into the various video game worlds and it tries other things alongside the tried-and-true things.

It was just bland and kind of hollow. Oddly enough, the comic relief characters didn't annoy me as much as I thought they would. In fact, they can be funny from time to time though Aziz Ansari's slug's voice does tend to get annoying, and it does clash with the fantasy setting. It didn't bother me though, since everything else around them isn't colorful or compelling. But in all, they are in the wrong film and the overall picture has tonal issues. They don't really explore M.K.'s relationship with her father, even though there is stuff in there that's ripe for some good drama, and it ultimately feels out of place in this film.

I'm also surprised that Christoph Waltz delivered the flamboyant evil villain performance in such a by-the-books way. Seriously, he was just another power hungry villain that's all bark and no bite. I liked his design enough, and all the Boggans looked pretty menacing... But again, despite the great design work, the characters themselves didn't seem to have real personalities beyond their looks. It's a shame, because it's a Chris Wedge film and the design is where the effort really went. This could've been a world that you could immerse yourself into, but it's too bad that the story didn't really support it nor did it flesh out much.

Now that's not to say it's bad, it's just on the mediocre side. It's good for a rental, but a film of this scale and the source material they used should've made for something more than a quick watch. It's interesting to note that Fox initially allowed Wedge to shop the adaptation to someone else, and Wedge went to none other than Pixar to make it. Now imagine if Pixar made it: You'd have the lovely look and the character designs, but a compelling story and some good humor, tearjerker moments and everything you'd come to expect from a Pixar film. It also would've been their first adaptation, something they could look into one day.

As a whole, epic this is not. Leaf Men should've been the title for obvious reasons, but the film just smacks of the typical style-over-substance problems. With a sharper script and more-defined characters, this could've been a magical yet compelling animated fantasy for the whole family. Alas, it's just a quick watch...

For Future Reference...

Well, the summer animation battle has pretty much come to a close. Yes, Planes might have been out for ten days, but it's pretty much over... So, what are the results and what can they teach distributors in the far future?

The Hollywood Reporter's click-bait title of an otherwise okay box office article would lead you to believe that there was an animation "curse". The Los Angeles Times also gets it dead wrong with their headline, suggesting that the recent string of duds is the result of the amount of animated features out there rather than the quality. Hollywood cranking out too many? Think again.

When will people realize that animated films that bomb do so for a good reason? Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is more than going to make these people eat their words (pun shamelessly intended), as its inevitably going to be a big hit. Why's that? It's a sequel to a film that critics loved, audiences of all ages loved and one that's just well-known. The sequel is being marketed right, and many are excited for it. It's clearing $120 million this autumn, guaranteed.

So with that, let's look at the last 5 animated releases...

Monsters University kicked things off to a good start after Epic quietly walked out of the gate (a film that was saddled with its own problems, its performance doesn't really have too much to do with its scheduling), with a big $82 million, certainly a good-sized debut for a Pixar film. So this film was on its way to $300 million domestically, right? Well, along came the minions. Despicable Me 2 opened with $83 million and got an even bigger boost from its Wednesday opening, and in no time in passed $300 million at the domestic box office - the first animated film to do so since Toy Story 3! It will end up with a sub-$400 million gross, which is great for this sequel. Universal calls it their most profitable release ever...

But did Monsters University and Despicable Me 2 perform well together? Well... Sort of... Monsters University, by the time its out of theaters, will have scored below a 3.3x multiplier. That's one above the lowest for a Pixar film: Cars 2. I think Minionmania really sucked the audiences away from Pixar's prequel, plus it's possible that families gravitated towards the Illumination film because Monsters University certainly was one of Pixar's quieter films, one that didn't have a lot of action or spectacle. Despicable Me 2 on the other hand had the laughs, but also the minions, lots of fun action and everything else. Perhaps Monsters University was released a little too close to Despicable Me 2, which was undeniably going to be a titan.

However, both films did very good and that's all that matters. Both were highly anticipated, both delivered, and both certainly appealed to audiences enough. The next three films... Well, that's a different story.

I will give props to Fox marketing for this...

Turbo was shackled by its concept and the marketing didn't differentiate it from everything else, plus it was opening inside the Despicable Me 2 tidal wave. The Smurfs 2 had little to no adult appeal, plus families already saw three other films before it. Had it opened in August, maybe it would've done a little better. Planes? Obviously that wasn't going to be big to begin with.

You need to give adults and teenagers a reason to go see your animated film, and that also includes parents who might not want to subject themselves to something like The Smurfs 2 in the theater. You not only have to have one that's good for them, but you need to make it look good to them. Monsters University is a prequel to a beloved animated classic that adults and children adore. Despicable Me 2 is a sequel to a recent animated hit that both adults and children loved. No surprise those two did very well, and they are the first animated films to cross the $250 million mark since the original Despicable Me... Three summers ago!

It all boils down to the content of the films, the marketing and timing. Perhaps if these studios spaced their films out a bit more, I think all of them would've done okay business. Why wasn't something like Epic or Turbo an autumn release? Or a Christmas release? What about... Mid-August?

Now, what does this mean for the future?

2015 is crammed. Monster Trucks kicks off a similarly large animation battle that'll end in late July with the Smurfs three-quel. I think this isn't going to be pretty, and many other planned 2015 animation releases haven't even been scheduled yet, such as Aardman's Shaun the Sheep, Rainmaker's Ratchet & Clank and if one is coming, a Planes three-quel. (Going by what Blue Sky Disney's Honor Hunter said recently, there will be definitely be a third one.) That year's holiday season is going to get a bit hairy as well.

Which makes me wonder, how come studios aren't spacing their work out a little more? Shouldn't someone opt for an August release? Or an April one? I don't know, it just seems like a couple of them may underperform because they're being released so close to each other. We also don't know what the quality be like on films like Monster Trucks and B.O.O.. Also, 20th Century Fox's plans to open their own animated releases on the same days/months as some Disney or Pixar films (i.e. Blue Sky's Peanuts vs. Finding Dory in 2015, How To Train Your Dragon 3 vs. Dia De Los Muertos in summer 2016) could possibly backfire, or their plans to release them very close to whatever Disney or Pixar is releasing. People will go see the films that will appeal to them the most.

But aside from the timing, we need better quality films from all the studios and a much more diverse selection of films. I know that's a lot to ask for, but you can't just throw a cute family-friendly animated film out there expecting it to do well just because it's cute and it'll appeal to family audiences. You need to get the adults in the theater too! To do so, you got to make a film that will appeal to them or market it so that it will appeal to them!

Next year might just prove my point, look at what we're getting: The Lego Movie, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, The Good Dinosaur, How To Train Your Dragon 2, Big Hero 6. To me, those movies are guaranteed hits because they'll appeal to adults and some of them are sequels to beloved films (How To Train Your Dragon 2 might just pull a Despicable Me 2 next summer), and there's potential money to be made in films like Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Rio 2. The Boxtrolls and Book of Life are the risky types, but I've rambled about this before - we need to make these films successful. Things people should get excited about after seeing a trailer or commercial. It's time we really make more kinds of animated films successful with mainstream audiences, in theaters! More adults-only animation! A diverse selection of animated films from the big studios! Family films, adult films, independent films! Animation is more than just family films and silly comedies. That's another story, though...

So yeah, maybe some studios might want to look into the quality of their films and the timing. Some studios might want to try something new and not follow a formula. Not to sound like a broken record here, but look! Rango did it!

In the mean time... Shut up, press. And to the LA Times writer, animation is not genre. How many times does it have to be said?

Animation Box Office Update (July 2013)

Well July is almost over, and the big summer animation showdown is halfway done! The results so far?

Despicable Me 2 became the first animated film since Toy Story 3 - which came out three summers ago, let that sink in - to cross $300 million at the domestic box office. Man, what a wait! With $354 million in the tank overseas, the sequel has now crossed $660 million at the worldwide box office. It should end up with an even bigger total by the end of the summer. Minionmania is a force to be reckoned with!

The only downside is that this film really take quite a bite out of Monsters University. That film is looking to finish up with less than $265 million. Now that's a great total for any animated film, especially a Pixar film, but... This is a prequel to a beloved film whose adjusted domestic gross is nearly $370 million! This had the potential to make around $300 million with that great opening weekend behind it, but those Minions really wooed audiences left and right.

With that, Monsters University will have the second-to-lowest multiplier for a Pixar, even worse than Brave's. Again, competition did a lot of damage. Had it opened a month in advance (with Epic being an autumn release or something), do you think it would've made it to $300 million? Or somewhere close to that?

On the bright side, it has made $321 million overseas and now the film sits at $576 million. Considering how the big the first one was, this could've grossed even more. But it's still good, considering that it came nearly 12 years after its predecessor. The film should end up with around $650 million by the end of its run, making it Pixar's biggest since Toy Story 3.

Turbo seems to be picking up some steam, as it's actually quite a few millions ahead of Rise of the Guardians, which ended up taking in a little over $100 million domestically. Still, The Smurfs 2 and Planes are in the way, though it could still do okay enough through the next few weeks in order to pass $100 million. Or maybe not. I just don't want to know what DreamWorks will do in response. Wall Street is already pounding them, which is no surprise. Hopefully a solid overseas gross saves this film.

Epic has now grossed $106 million domestically as it should end up getting below $110 million by the end of its rather weak run, which is just a little bit more than what Guardians took in. Poor William Joyce... His recent film adaptations just can't do that well, can they? Oh well, at least he got an Oscar for one of his short films. Worldwide, it's made a decent $243 million. With Spain being the only market left to open in, it should settle for under $270 million for a final worldwide total. For a film that cost $93 million to make, that's not too, too bad. It's not great, either.

What's your on take on this? Will Turbo at least break even? Or will it be another money-loser for DreamWorks? How much more do you think Despicable Me 2 will make? Sound off below!

Animation Box Office Update (May 2013)

Blue Sky's Epic was no dud over the holiday weekend, as expected...

Early on, I had predicted Rio numbers for its entire box office run. It looks like this film will perform just like that colorful comedy did two years ago. Over the weekend, the film took in a solid $33 million. While that isn't terribly great for a big animated release, it's not necessarily bad either. Puss in Boots opened around the same region back in October 2011. Luckily, Fox opted to release this film on Memorial Day weekend, which helped it climb to $42 million. Right now the film is on par with Rio, but it probably won't make as much in the end since big competition is less than a month away...

DreamWorks' The Croods has taken in $563 million to date. It's currently DreamWorks' second highest grossing non-sequel film, behind the original Kung Fu Panda ($631 million) which wasn't a 3D film. I bet 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks (especially!) are happy... A real rebound after Rise of the Guardians, a film that (in my opinion) deserved to be the bigger hit. From the beginning it looked like The Croods would essentially be the DreamWorks equivalent Ice Age franchise, a safe bet that'll explode at the international box office. I'm surprised DreamWorks hasn't already announced a third film, but the sequel is already in the works and a TV show is on its way...

The other animated release that came out this year happened to be a clunker... Escape from Planet Earth did solid business domestically given the lack of family-friendly fare after the relatively unsuccessful re-release of Monsters, Inc. back in December. I didn't expect it to be a hit to begin with, since it looked like strictly kids stuff... But it couldn't double that $40 million budget. For some odd reason, the other films Weinstein planned to release this year have been off the schedule for months: Leo the Lion, The Trick or Treaters and Santapprentice.

Will the animation box office get a real boost in the coming months? Monsters University is undoubtedly going to be big, but how big? I keep thinking $300 million domestically since this is a follow up to a beloved Pixar film that came out nearly 12 years ago. I think that it'll get a Toy Story 3-sized boost since nostalgic teenagers and college students will flock to see this, not to mention it's a college film! But Box Office Mojo and BoxOffice.com's predictions say otherwise... I think it'll clear $300 million. Despicable Me 2 on the other hand might as well, but I really can't see it hitting $300 million... I think it'll come very very close though. But whatever they make, they'll be BIG. Of course it'll be exciting to track both...

Turbo ought to do well enough since it looks like fun, despite being crammed between Despicable Me 2 and The Smurfs 2, which of course will do good business. Planes will cap off the summer with a good-sized gross... $100 million might even be in play for this one.

What are your predictions? Will Epic gross as much as Rio? Or not? What are you predicting for Monsters University, Despicable Me 2 and Turbo? Sound off below!

"Epic" Box Office Predictions

The next big animated film will be out of the gate soon, following the super-successful The Croods, which grossed north of $500 million worldwide so far with a sturdy domestic take. In a few weeks, Blue Sky Studios' Epic hits cinemas nationwide. Will it be another big animated film? Or will it do poorly and not attract audiences on opening weekend?

From what the marketing has shown and what's been revealed, there are a few problems that may affect this film at the box office. Let's get those out of the way...

#1. Don't Be So Vague... And Self-Important!

Epic... I never liked that title, never did. Leaf Men, the original title, was far superior. This is once again another vague re-titling that'll probably hurt the film more than anything. Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole should've taught the film industry a lesson... But when a film does badly due to mistakes made by the studio, nobody seems to learn. Rise of the Guardians also proved that vague titles aren't the way to go, and that one only caused confusion... But this title has other problems.

The title of this film is even worse because the word "Epic" can really be about anything... People have poked fun at this film as far back as the release of the first teaser in June 2012. When someone says to you, "There's a movie coming out that's called Epic", what would you think of? A big, big movie? Action and lots of things going on? Battles and stuff? Gladiators? Lords of the Rings-style thrills? An adventure about tiny leaf men and bugs in a hidden world in the woods? Leaf Men was the better title. Why they changed it, I don't know. The title they ended up using almost makes the film seem... Well... Pretentious. Imagine if another animation studio titled their film Mindblowing or Amazing or something. It would just seem self-congratulatory and cocky. Epic is not a good title, not at all.

#2. Action, Epic Scope and... Hip-Talking Slugs?

The film looks to be different from the past Blue Sky films which were definitely more goofy and comedy-based than anything. Well at least it seemed that way...

The trailers start out great with the moody tone and yes... Epic-looking action sequences. But then when the characters talk, we have a problem. Aziz Ansari's slug character talks in a "hip" tone ("Imma sluuuuug... No shell up in hurr!") and we also see that our cast includes the likes of Pitbull, Beyonce Knowles, Steven Tyler, Johnny Knoxville... An all-star cast alongside the likes of Amanda Seyfried, Colin Farrell and Christoph Waltz. Yeah... I can sense that some of these actors were doing it for the paycheck. Looks like big names were cast just for the sake of it... So I expect the performances here to be nothing special. When will studios get it? Cast people who know and realize the characters that they are voicing, don't cast an obvious big name that probably doesn't give a crap about voicing an animated character to begin with!

But I digress... While families will no doubt care about these annoyances, I think most adults will cringe. I know I did and several other animation fans are on the fence about the film because of the "hip" dialogue and all-star cast, and what looks like mere pandering. This looks more like one of the mid-2000s DreamWorks films, which isn't good because that tone clashes heavily with everything else that's on display here: The jaw-dropping visuals, the fantasy setting, the action and the apparent stakes. If you're going to make an animated film, don't turn the adults off with forced humor and dialogue that's already dated. The film will mostly likely appeal to families, but will it get any other demographic in the seats like the best and most successful animated films do? Pixar movies don't make more than $200 million because of kids and families. Adults are flocking to see these things too! When most adults aren't interested, you get a lower gross.

Despite the odds, I think this film will be a small hit and a profitable one at that. Why? What could work in this film's favor at the box office?

#1. The Somewhat Balanced Marketing

Like I said, the use of humor in the trailers will get the kids and families coming in. Also, the marketing doesn't make the film look cold, super-serious or anything of the sort. Plus, there's a lot of appealing bug characters. It'll certainly appeal to the family audiences and a few others. Even overly cutesy stuff has the power to bring in audiences of all ages, just look at The Lorax! It may not make for a big opening, but it'll still be good-sized.

#2. Barely Any Real Competition

This is the first family-friendly film since The Croods that's not carrying a PG-13 rating, it's from a big studio and the marketing campaign is big enough. This film opens the same weekend as Fast & Furious 6 and The Hangover Part III, two films that the family audiences will definitely not be seeing. Sure, both films will suck away all the teens and adults... But there will still be an audience there on opening weekend for this film, plus Memorial Day ought to give it a boost since kids are out of school. If Epic wasn't opening against those two films, it could have a better chance at getting a bigger opening.

So now that the pros and cons are out of the way, what do I think this film will end up making domestically?

What will it open with? Somewhere north of $30 million, for sure. It has appeal and families will eat it up since there's nothing else for them that's not PG-13 until Monsters University comes out. $40 million, to me, seems a bit out of reach for this. $40 million is becoming something of a new benchmark for animated films on opening weekend these days. DreamWorks' films usually open with less than $50 million nowadays, and Disney's Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph didn't make more than that amount on opening weekend either (Frozen could possibly break the mold), ditto Blue Sky's recent films.

So I think Epic should open with around $37 million. If it gets anything higher than $40 million, I'll be very impressed.

Multipliers for animated films are usually good, so Epic should score something below 3.5x but above 3.0x. I think it'll pull a 3.4x multiplier and finish up with around $126 million at the domestic box office. This isn't a big total for an animated film, though it's not much lower than what the likes of Rio, The Smurfs and Hotel Transylvania took in. It's also significantly higher than Rise of the Guardians' $103 million total.

Basically, I think it'll make this amount because it's the first big PG-or-G family film since The Croods, the marketing is balancing the action with cutesy/funny stuff and since it's a big animated film from a big studio, the success is kind of built in from the beginning. I think it'll be a smaller hit out of the animated pack this year, grossing a competent and respectable amount.

Worldwide? Who knows, because this is where things get a wee bit unpredictable. An original animated film that's not a sequel can make more than $200 million overseas. Even Rise of the Guardians could do it! I think a total that's higher than $200 million is guaranteed for this film, $300 million is also possible. Blue Sky's first non-Ice Age film to get that amount was Rio back in 2011. Recently, DreamWorks' The Croods - also distributed by Fox - topped that amount overseas with ease, but I don't quite know if Epic can reach that. I think it'll gross between $200 million and $300 million, though it's possible that it can top that amount. That would make for a final worldwide total of more than $320 million, which would put it below the Ice Age films and Rio.

Either way, it's a good-sized success for the studio depending on the budget. Blue Sky's films normally cost less than $100 million to make, and there's currently no budget info on this pic. I don't quite know what Fox or Blue Sky would consider a success if the film happened to cost up to $150 million to make. Would a minimum of $320-340 million be good enough? Or will the bean counters call it a disappointment/flop? DreamWorks' Rise of the Guardians made $303 million worldwide, more than doubling the $145 million production budget yet it was deemed a flop. I understand that marketing is also factored in, but still. If Epic costs the usual $90 million, then Blue Sky has a hit on their hands. If it's bigger budget, I'm not sure how they'll react to a $320-340 million total.

How do you think Epic will do at the box office? Will it be a hit? An unexpected animated blockbuster? A big flop? Or a disappointment? Sound off below!

2013's Animated Film Line-Up: What We Know So Far

Now that 2012 is almost over, let's take a look at next year's offerings. What do we know so far about the animated films opening in twenty thirteen? What do you think of the results so far?

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Escape from Planet Earth
Distributed by The Weinstein Company
Studio: Rainmaker Entertainment
Opening February 24, 2013

I’ll be completely honest here, the trailer didn’t make my eyes burn. That says a lot coming from an animated film from a distributor who is notoriously bad when it comes to animation. That doesn’t mean, however, that I liked it. Escape from Planet Earth looks so generic in every way, and the animation is nothing special. Also, is it just me, or does this film look like a giant commercial for 7-Eleven?

The Croods
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG
Opening March 22, 2013

With the two trailers we have gotten alongside numerous images, The Croods looks like it’ll be another beautifully-made animated film that goes the safe route. It’s got that written all over it from the seemingly phoned-in story to the hit-or-miss gags. That being said, the trailers for this might be totally misleading and the film will turn out to be a smart, heartfelt animated adventure for the whole family. It’s what I’m personally hoping for, especially since this was directed by Chris Sanders and the fact that DreamWorks’ recent films are impressive. Please prove me wrong again!

Epic
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Studio: Blue Sky Studios
Opening May 24, 2013

So both trailers have a generally moody tone, grand-scale visuals, lots of action and pretty animation. But... There’s still an annoying, wisecracking slug that’ll induce more frustration than laughs. Also, our lead seems rather cardboard and the motives of the villains are unclear. However, this film is not out until May, so maybe another trailer will clear things up. Or, the film itself will be better than what the trailers suggest. For now, it just seems like Fox is trying to tell audiences, “This is no Ice Age” though the irritating slug contradicts that.

Monsters University
Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
Studio: Pixar Animation Studios
Opening June 21, 2013

Only a teaser and a promo of sorts (haven't seen what they attached to the Monsters, Inc. 3D yet), but the viral marketing is good and the stills we have gotten shows that this will probably be a more comedic film from Pixar, but with the same doses of heart and sincerity that define their films. When will we get a good, full trailer? I'm guessing somewhere around the release of Oz: The Great and Powerful. Disney better start marketing this one if they want another Toy Story 3-sized success.

Despicable Me 2
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Studio: Illumination Entertainment
Opening July 3, 2013

The recent trailer shows that it’ll be about aliens. You can either say it’s cheap and desperate, or an attempt to do what the first film didn’t. Either way, it looks like cute fun much like its predecessor. I’m not expecting anything more out of it, I’m just hoping it isn’t as shallow as The Lorax. Fun brainless animated comedies aren't always a bad thing, but a lot of animation fans probably dislike them because there's too many of them and a lot of them are forgettable. Despicable Me wasn't to these eyes, so hopefully this one will deliver.

Turbo

Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Opening July 19, 2013

The teaser was cute, I'll admit that. How the story will play out is beyond me. Again, this could take its crazy premise and do good with it. I trust DreamWorks with it, so I'm hoping the next trailer delivers. Not much we can say about this at the moment, but a new trailer will probably be out in February or March. I'm thinking March more than anything, since DreamWorks' The Croods opens the 22nd.

The Smurfs 2

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Studio: Sony Pictures Animation / The Kerner Entertainment Company

Opening July 31, 2013

What do we know? It'll be just like the first one. Egh.

Planes
Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
Studio: DisneyToon Studios
Opening August 9, 2013

All we know is what the story will be, and that John Lasseter is involved with the project. (Lasseter, I admire you, but this is your weakness!) There's a teaser as well, that does have competent animation, but that's about it. That being said, I don't expect anything good out of this. Yes, I do have a thing against the direct-to-video Disney sequels. Planes can be okay fun for all I care, but like I said, is a theatrical release really necessary?

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Studio: Sony Pictures Animation

Opening September 27, 2013

Very little has been announced about this sequel to Sony Animation's 2009 hit, and now that it's on track for an earlier release (it was originally penciled in for February 7, 2014), we should be getting some details by now. The original directors aren't returning so I'm not getting my hopes up. The same applies to Hotel Transylvania 2.

Ignore the "Spring 2014" at
the bottom. This is an older
image.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Opening November 1, 2013

Just some story details and an image of the two leads themselves. A teaser should arrive by March, following DreamWorks' 2010 film pattern. Until then, we don't know much.

Frozen

Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures

Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios

Opening November 27, 2013

Aside from some lovely concept art and other cast and crew details, there's no teaser or anything. Here's hoping one comes soon. I don't want to have to wait until June to see a teaser.

Walking with Dinosaurs 3D

Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Studio: Animal Logic / BBC Earth / BBC Worldwide

Evergreen Films / Reliance Big Entertainment

No word on this one. Not for a while. Will it still be distributed by Fox? Is it still on track for a December 20th release? We haven't heard anything for a long time. Interestingly enough, this will be co-directed by Barry Cook (who directed Mulan, co-directed Arthur Christmas and worked at Disney as an effects animator).

Unscheduled 2013 Releases

Currently, the three Weinstein Company animated releases scheduled to be released this year are up in the air. Leo the Lion, The Trick or Treaters and Santapprentice originally had release dates set but have disappeared. It's possible that the Weinstein Company may jump ship on these films and give them to another distributor, if not, maybe these said films aren't even in production yet. We saw a teaser poster and got some information on Escape from Planet Earth many months in advance, but nothing for the planned August release of Leo the Lion. No cast details or anything else. Methinks these will go direct-to-video.

Another odd case is Dino Time, a 2010 South Korean animated feature that was supposed to be released here in the states earlier this month. The dreadful, vomit-inducing trailer showed up before every (exaggeration) family-friendly film. It was being distributed by Clarius Entertainment, a company that only has two film listings on IMDb (this one being the first of which). Commercials were released as well, but sites like Box Office Mojo had no mention of the movie. Apparently it's been quietly pushed back to 2013, but this one may end up going straight to video. It was going to be a very limited release anyway.

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What do you think of 2013's animated output so far? What films are looking forward to? Which ones will you skip? Sound off!

Epic? Sort Of...

The new trailer for Blue Sky Studios' Epic (based on William Joyce's The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs) is currently available on Apple, and I must say, it is an impressive trailer much like the first one, but it isn't without some problems.

Pros:
- Like the first trailer, the action and staging is very impressive. The world they've created here is nice to look at, and the insect-like creatures have creative designs. If the story falls flat with this film, it'll still wow in the visual department.
- There's more focus on the young girl we briefly see in the first trailer, and her father.
- The tone of this trailer is hardly comedic or silly, which I like so far. How the actual film will feel, may not be the same, but I like the mood they went for here. Again, I liked that about the first trailer.

Cons:
- The trailer is still a little vague, especially on the villainous creatures that we see. Again, we'll probably get more details on these characters in the next trailer since it'll be a while.
- The slug... Oh man... The slug. His brief lines at the end of the first trailer weren't bad enough, I can already tell that he's going to be the character that's going to make me cringe. He's not funny, he's like an awkward critter trying to be funny, like a lot of other animated films. Here's hoping he won't be in it that much.

Overall, a good trailer but there's still a lot more that should be covered next time around such as the villains. I'm just hoping that the story matches the scope of the film, but I've said this back when the first trailer came out, this looks like Blue Sky Studios' most ambitious project yet. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

What did you think of the trailer?