Wallace and Gromit creators Aardman Animations and US studio Dreamworks have ended a five-film deal early after two movies reportedly underperformed.
Losses were reported for their last two films, Flushed Away and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
The companies have released three films together, also including Chicken Run. Dreamworks said the firms now had "different business goals", while Bristol-based Aardman Animations said their "ambitions have moved apart".
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Aardman spokesman Arthur Sheriff said the separation was a result of Dreamworks' move to focus on computer animation.
The UK animators wanted to continue making their distinctive "claymations", he said.
"We always knew that America would be a hard task for us - we're a very English company," he added. "We embrace the international market but we think part of our strength is our English sense of humour and we want to continue with that."
I thought the Were-Rabbit one was a bit uncompromisingly English, which was presumably the problem. But Nick Park and co just aren’t Hollywood types.
(As Brian Appleyard also notes, and as explained in the Fast Show…)
3 comments:
Tricia and I almost never go to films any more, but for reasons I cannot recall we went to 'Were-Rabbit' and 'Corpse Bride' on back-to-back days last year.
I like 'Bride' better, but then I'm a fan of 'The Nightmare before Christmas.'
I expect you're right about the insular humor of 'Were-Rabbit,' although I think I got most of the jokes. I just didn't find them quite that funny.
Did you hear that Bill Forsythe has a new movie coming? Don't know the title, but I believe it's his first feature in about 15 years. Supposedly, after 'Being Human' he turned to documentaries, but I've not been able to find what he did.
I liked 'Being Human,' but it's hard to understand how it got funded. The one with Christine Lahti (title forgotten) was weird, too. But I love his Glaswegian stuff.
I love 'Nightmare before Christmas'. Now there's a musical Peter didn't mention. Presumably not camp enough.
I've not seen Being Human but I liked Local Hero and Gregory's Girl.
I saw both 'Flushed Away' and 'Were Rabbit'. My kids loved them
Liked them both, but they didn't come quite up to the bar set by 'A Close Shave'.
That is a pretty high bar, though, and just because they didn't quite clear it doesn't stop them from being two very entertaining movies.
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