Animated Films Are Hardly Child's Play

ByABC News
March 10, 2005, 7:06 PM

March 11, 2004 — -- While it would be nice to find Hollywood's next "Million Dollar Baby," the real money is in green-skinned ogres and comically out-of-shape superheroes. In the age of animation, "A Fish Called Wanda" is far less valuable than one named "Nemo."

Consider this: Each of the three films nominated in this year's Oscar race for best animated films grossed far more than the five nominated for best picture. "Shrek 2," "The Incredibles" and "Shark Tale" finished 2004 ranked Nos. 1, 4 and 9, respectively, at the North American box office, and took in a combined $855 million.

Clint Eastwood may have beaten out Martin Scorsese as best director, but as the voice of an animated blowfish in "Shark Tale," Scorsese could take some consolation in knowing that the fish story has grossed more than $160 million domestically, more than twice as much as Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby."

Unsurprisingly, a parade of animated features is coming your way. Next up is "Robots," opening today, the tale of kid robot Rodney Copperbottom, voiced by Ewan McGregor.

A laundry list of headliners providing the voices is now the norm if you want to make an animated feature, and "Robots" does not disappoint. Robin Williams plays Rodney's dilapidated sidekick, a broken-down bucket of bolts named Fender. Halle Berry, Stanley Tucci, Mel Brooks, Amanda Bynes and Greg Kinnear are also voices in the robo-cast.

But if Rodney doesn't bust his little Copperbottom at the box office quickly, he's in for a lot of competition this year. At least 10 big-budget animated features are in the works, each hoping to attract family audiences.

For the past few years, Disney and Dreamworks have been the principle players in the digital cartoon business, but that's all changing. Twentieth Century Fox jumped into the fray in 2002 with "Ice Age," and "Robots" -- made by the same production team -- is a statement that they're not just dabbling.