The end of theatrical 2D animation movies?

[Mr. Sin]

I'm putting this mainly in sci-fi and fantasy since most Disney films are pretty much fantasy films.

"Princess and The Frog" did well critically, but box office wise was a dissapointment, making pretty much only it's budget in box office gross in over two months.

Compare to mostly CG movies like Alvin II, Up! and Avatar, which all made a ton, and I'm wondering if this is the death knell for "ink and paint" so to speak. Plus 3D is all the rage now, and I'm not sure that's easy to do with 'flat' 2D animation.

Sure, there's still a lot of 2D animation on TV and Japan still produces anime which is mostly 2D (Including theatrical features such as Miyazaki's, which do well in Japan but unfortunately are more niche here). However these are mostly low-budget productions which don't have the fluidity of Disney's efforts (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but seriously, even Miyazaki's most expensive movies have 1/5 Disney's budget).

Disney's next big animation project-apart from the Pixar Toy Story III-is "Tangled", another CG film which was recently known as "Rapunzel". I wonder if they changed the title to make it sound less like a "princess" movie?

 

[RoJoHen]

I dunno. As excited as I was to see a return to 2-D animation, I just wasn't interested in seeing "Princess and the Frog." If they're gonna do a princess fairytale movie, I'd rather it be set in a fairytale setting...not New Orleans.

I really want them to do a more traditional fairytale story like they used to do.

 

[Gojira]

If the ever do a Simpsons sequel I am sure that will be in 2-D animation but other than that I do think 2-D animation is pretty much dead or on life support.

I actually do like the computer animation that is out there and feel that it is the way of the future and as more and more people grow up with this relatively new style of animation 2-D will appear old fashioned and out of date.

It is possible that 2-D may make a little comeback someday but I really think its day in the sun is over.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

theatrical 2D animation movies?

there's still a lot of 2D animation on TV and Japan still produces anime which is mostly 2D (Including theatrical features such as Miyazaki's, which do well in Japan but unfortunately are more niche here). However these are mostly low-budget productions

Check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animated_feature-length_films#Upcoming_films

and
http://www.museumstuff.com/learn/topics/List_of_animated_feature-length_films::sub::Upcoming_Films

"Big Bug Man" (2010)
The film is hand-drawn. The production of the film cost approximately US$20 million. American animated movie

The movie is Marlon Brando's last known film work. The recording took place in Marlon Brando's home, on June 10, 2004. Brando was on oxygen six hours a day.[5] He died the next month, on July 1, 2004.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bug_Man
no imdb listing for it.

Dorothy of OZ (2011)

The grandson of “Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum hired her to write a sequel to the “Wizard of Oz” a year and a half ago. Barnes describes “Dorothy of Oz” as a “traditional animated film.” The picture, picked up by Alpine Pictures, is now in production, due to be released in 2011. This piece focuses on “more grown-up stuff,” she said.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/marblehe...ids-show-TV-pilot-earn-accolades-for-MHS-grad

My Dog Tulip (2010)

The film has been picked up by Apparition, a fairly new theatrical distributor out of NYC specializing in independent films for the U.S. market.

a 2 min. trailer of the traditionally animated film:
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/my-dog-tulip-gets-a-us-distributor.html



strange frame: Love & Sax
Release Date: 26 July 2010 (USA)

Its the 29th century. We're on Ganymede, one of Jupiters moons. The human race has long since left a decimated Earth. To survive the harsh climates of other planets and moons, humans have genetically modified themselves making skin color and sexual organs a common matter of fashion.

Two beautiful musicians, Parker, a soulful saxophonist, and Naia, an impish guitarist, play center stage. They move almost as one, a seamless harmony developed over the years from the bonding and sharing in their struggle to get just this far in their careers.

Unfortunately, fame is about to tear them apart

unique cutout style animation

the first film of a planned animated sci-fi quadrilogy from a collaboration between independent film maker G.B. Hajim and musician Shelley Doty.

LucasFilm’s Skywalker Sound who have agreed to help the production team do the final sound mix. Gary Rizzo, who worked on the sound of The Dark Knight and The Incredibles, is the sound engineer attached to the project. He apparently intends to provide Love and Sax with the best sound yet seen in an animated feature.

http://www.scifiscoop.com/news/the-uniquely-animated-strange-frame-love-sax/

 

[Argus Skyhawk]

Hand-drawn animation is currently out-of-style, but the only constant in the film industry is Change. In the late 70's and early 80's Disney's animated films were in a definite slump as dull stuff like The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron failed to attain either the quality or the audience of their older classics. Hand-drawn animation in the US is in another temporary slump, that's all.

As wonderful as Pixar's films have been, CGI just isn't appropriate for all types of movies. Can you picture The Lion King in 3-D CGI? Yuck. Styles change, and hand-drawn animated films will be made again because certain types of movies will require it.

Edit: Jefferiestubes8, thanks for the post. I look forward to seeing those movies.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Give it ten years. Someone will come up with something that'll cash-in on people's nostalgia.

 

[hamudm]

I thought the Princess & the Frog was pretty good

 

[Mistral]

Animation as a TV show seems alive and well. Movies flow in cycles-give it time.

 

[DonnyBaker]

Everything is better in 3-d. Heck I wish I could see all the Star Trek movies in 3-d...
I gotta go...

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Trek & 3-D

Heck I wish I could see all the Star Trek movies in 3-d...

It's quite possible you will see the 2011 Star Trek film in 3-D.

http://www.trekbbs.com/showpost.php?p=3828113&postcount=13

 

[Kelso]

I thought the Princess & the Frog was pretty good

As did I. It was also my daughter's first time seeing a movie at the theater... she loved it and had a great time.

 

[melancholymecha]

yeah sadly I think its dead... or more likely it will become a niche stylistic choice that is utilized now and then.. the way certain directors like to use stop motion or black and white techniques for artsier style personal pet projects these days. (think Wes Anderson=Fantastic Mr. Fox & Tim Burton=Corspe Bride)

What Im really am curious about is what John Lasseter thinks of the situation(regarding PATF.) Is he ready to throw in the towel or is he gonna press on with 2d like he promised he would? There's been no word from him, which is frustrating.

Meanwhile there are rumors that Rapunzel's title was changed to Tangled to distance itself as another "princess" movie like the underperforming PATF and that the marketing will try to focus more on the male lead than Rapunzel herself. In addition there are also rumors that they recently scrapped the 2d adaption of Snow Queen(which was to be the next 2d film from Disney).

 

[AvBaur]

What Im really am curious about is what John Lasseter thinks of the situation(regarding PATF.) Is he ready to throw in the towel or is he gonna press on with 2d like he promised he would? There's been no word from him, which is frustrating.

I think the cancellation of Snow Queen is a clear enough sign. Lasseter may not be solely responsible for that decision but one hears that no one at Disney sees a bright future for hand-drawn animation at this point.

I'm very sad about this as well, since I'm a big fan of 2d animation and quite liked Princess & the Frog. I'm sure the art form will live on in some way, but big-budget Disney-style 2d animation may be dead for now.

 

[23skidoo]

"Princess and The Frog" did well critically, but box office wise was a dissapointment, making pretty much only it's budget in box office gross in over two months.

Compare to mostly CG movies like Alvin II, Up! and Avatar, which all made a ton, and I'm wondering if this is the death knell for "ink and paint" so to speak. Plus 3D is all the rage now, and I'm not sure that's easy to do with 'flat' 2D animation.

Others have said it already, but the problem with Princess and the Frog is no one was interested in seeing yet another rehash of the "Disney Princess" theme - and I bet "Snow Princess" would have been more of the same.

I don't think it has anything to do with the format. I believe it would have underperformed if it had been a 3-D CG movie with all the bells and whistles. Right now the films with the good stories that people want to see, like Up, are getting the crowds (and yeah I know I'm contradicting my main point regarding the current 3-D movie fad, but in that case I'm talking about live-action 3-D being all gimmick and no substance, whereas the good 3-D animated films got over that hurdle awhile ago, for the most part).

The continued popularity of anime proves beyond a doubt that the market is still there for 2-D animated films, if they have a story that people want to go see. From what I've heard (I've yet to see it myself), Up would have been a triumph even if the guys from South Park had animated it.

Alex

 

[Kelso]

The continued popularity of anime proves beyond a doubt that the market is still there for 2-D animated films, if they have a story that people want to go see.

Alex

Is anime popular?

 

[CorporalClegg]

^
Surprisingly, it's the largest section in most DVD stores ... whatever that's worth.

 

[Leroy]

Is anime popular?

It's niche at best.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

I think a number of the DTDVD animated superhero films (Ultimate Avengers and Superman/Batman:Public Enemies especially) would have been amazing expanded out to 120 min plus and done for the big screen. Animation is the natural home of superhero films.

 

[zakkrusz]

Yeah, it can be a little more versatile than live action, although the line is quickly blurring on that issue.

^
Surprisingly, it's the largest section in most DVD stores ... whatever that's worth.

I don't know there's only one store around here that actually sells anything, a Best Buy, and they cut the section in half sometime last year to 1 row instead of 2 in places across the country. The places where it sold well were left alone, they got rid of the whole section in places where it did badly, and the mid-range sales places like the one here were down-scaled to nothing but the top 50 or so best selling titles. Nice if I want to find something from our friendly anime overlord, Funimation, and bad if you're looking for a Sentai Filmworks, or Media Blasters title.

We're also down 3 companies, Geneon, Central Park Media, and Kadokawa USA. ADV also died and then came back and restructured itself as Section 23/Sentai Filmworks. Personally, I think it's not as popular as it used to be but it's still doing fairly well and still getting on TV even if it's not as often.

 

[melancholymecha]

well now that Disney owns Marvel maybe they can make a 2d adventure based on one of their lesser known properties? Unfortunately they cant use anything that falls under any of the properties currently licensed(sp?) by the other studios...Id love a Generation X 2d film but being tied to the X-Men franchise means that Fox has sole right to use those characters(which of course they would never bother with.)