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…)
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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI'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
ReplyDeleteLiked 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.