Remember two years ago when “WALL-E” was on a destined crash course with awards glory throughout the season, then the Annie Awards (the animation community’s annual kudo fest) came along and shut the lovable robot out? The benefactor was “Kung Fu Panda,” largely considered infinitely inferior to Pixar’s (some would say) crowning achievement.
The immediate reaction was, “Something’s fishy here.” And sure enough, a lot of fingers were pointed to a DreamWorks-heavy membership. Disney, fed up with the unbalanced nature of the voting process, sought rule changes, which it received, but none of it was satisfying enough.
So you can expect the Annies to potentially be Disney-free from here on out, as the studio has respectfully bowed out of the organization, refusing to support it or submit their titles for competition. Annie chief Antran Manoogian says the studio’s titles can still compete, though it’s unclear how.
Disney-Pixar president Ed Catmull is quoted by Variety’s Pete DeBruge as follows:
“We believe there is an issue with the way the Annies are judged, and have been seeking a mutually agreeable solution with the board.
Although some initial steps have been taken, the board informed us that no further changes would be made to address our concerns.”
There’s more. As we’ve known, you can easily buy membership into the ASIFA. It doesn’t require being voted in by your peers. But what’s more, it appears DreamWorks Animation gives each new employee membership into the club — er, organization. It’s all very sad and pathetic and insular and clubby — not unlike, well, just about every awards-giving body out there.
It’s interesting to note that, half-way through 2010, there were already four animated features in the top 10 domestic box office grossers of the year. And we still have DreamWorks’s “Megamind” and Disney’s “Tangled” yet to come. Meanwhile, “Toy Story 3” has become the highest-grossing animated film ever and has entered the top 10 highest domestic grossers of all time.
3D can take a bow on that.
[Photo: None of the Above]
Comments
13 responses to “Disney tells the Annies where they can stick it”
It does seem profoundly unfair for non-Dreamworks entities. I can’t blame Disney for leaving and if a body can call Kung Fu Panda a better film than Wall-E they don’t deserve accreditation.
I don’t mind Disney bowing out. We all know that Pixar is the best every year anyway, so the Annies could be like a “best non-pixar animated film” competition and i’m okay with that. Dreamworks dominating the game, though, is disappointing. I guess HTTYD is gonna win this year.
Unbalanced votership or not, Disney has still managed to take the top prize in 13 out of 18 years. Why so huffy?
Still sore about Kung Fu Panda?
This “ballot box stuffing” math doesn’t make a lick of sense to me. If it’s just a numbers game than why wouldn’t DWA (presuming they have the most ASIFA members in their midst) win every darn year??? It just feels like Dis/Pix are a bit fearful that another company’s film (DWA, Sony Classics, whatever) could upset their Toy Story bid for best picture so they are bowing out. L-A-M-E.
The lowdown on this story hurts my head. My god, how childish. (pun intended)
I was hoping that Disney would have done this last year. But I’m glad that they’re out now. Everyone knows that Disney has the best in the animation business so awards are unnecessary. What I’d like to see is Disney have a small ceremony honoring the best that their animators have done.
I’m probably the only one but I thought Kung Fu Panda was better than Wall-E anyway.
I can’t say I thought KFP was better than Wall-E, but I was comfortable with it winning, and I’ve heard many people express sentiments that they were glad to see Wall-E get shut-out.
Disney will do just fine to pool their resources elsewhere, however, especially this year, when awards season rolls around.
Kung Fu Panda was good, but c’mon, it beat out Wall-E and even Waltz with Bashir in categories where the latter 2 were clearly superior. I don’t mind Panda winning it’s share, but that sweep was definitely fishy.
I’ll buy what some have said that Kung Fu Panda was the better “animated film” but Wall-E was the ” film.” Imho, the greater triumph is when an animated film is viewed more as a film than a cartoon.
Kung Fu Panda was good, but c’mon, it beat out Wall-E and even Waltz with Bashir in categories where the latter 2 were clearly superior. I don’t mind Panda winning it’s share, but that sweep was definitely fishy.
I’ll buy what some have said that Kung Fu Panda was the better “animated film” but Wall-E was the better “film.” Imho, the greater triumph is when an animated film is viewed more as a film than a cartoon.
oops..sorry for the double post
Pixar films are cinematic gold and modern day classics!! Dreamworks flicks, Ice Age sequels, The Incredibles knock-offs and Happy Feet as owls are pure pop trash!!!