Will Ratatouille Ruin Pixar?
Filed under: Animation, Comedy, Disney, Family Films, Newsstand, Dreamworks, Movie Marketing
Just the fact that I had to check the spelling of the film seven times before creating the title of this post isn't a good sign of things to come for Disney and Pixar. Say what you want about this summer's crop of films (they're all sequels to sequels to sequels!), it's sure to go down as one of the most competitive in recent history. According to Jim Hill Media, it's that competition which is scaring the mouse poop out of Disney's marketing department, who are currently sweating bullets over how exactly to go about marketing the next Pixar film, Ratatouille, due out June 29.
Now, you're probably sitting there, saying to yourself: "But Erik, Cars was the second highest grossing film of 2006 with over $244 million at the domestic box office -- why should Disney be worried about how Ratatouille will perform?" Well, while that number is most certainly ginormous, it failed to meet the studio's internal financial projections and could not live up to the bigger figures produced by flicks like The Incredibles ($261 million) and Finding Nemo ($339 million). Add to that the fact that Cars had no real competition for at least six weeks, and you're looking at a combination of luck and positioning which helped it reach $244 million.
On the other hand, Ratatouille will have to fend off Transformers (July 4) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (July 13) with a plot that revolves around a rat (not the cleanest of animals) who dreams about being a chef (great, a filthy animal who cooks food -- there's a pleasant image). Nemo had no real competition on the animated front, The Incredibles caught us at the peak of the superhero trend and Cars had the massive Nascar audience to feed off of. So, who does Ratatouille turn to? Rat lovers? Heck, Dreamworks' rat flick saw its box office figures flushed right down the toilet -- what's not to say the same thing won't happen to Ratatouille? And then who gets blamed for the Pixar acquisition? And what does that do to Pixar's rep?
And don't even get me started on which toy the kids would rather own -- a sweeet looking Transformer or a stuffed rat with a piece of cheese on its head??
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-02-2007 @ 9:22PM
Corey Atad said...
Here's why I think it'll do well. Just from the teaser this movie looks amazing and hilarious. It'll only get better from there. And even if it doesn't do as well at the box office I won't care because at least Pixar will have given me another fine work of art. I think the only reason that this movie might not do too well is simply cgi fatigue.
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1-02-2007 @ 11:34PM
jordan said...
why would you write an article wondering about the possible successfulness of a movie that is not coming out for 6 months, and no one has even seen yet?
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1-02-2007 @ 11:51PM
rlp said...
I'm not worried at all. Plus how could it 'ruin' pixar anyway, aren't they allowed to have one unsuccessful film? Who knows what'll happen.
In my opinion they have the Midas touch. They're stories and animation skills are better than pretty much everyone around.
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1-03-2007 @ 1:16AM
David said...
Yeah, seriously. A rat, WTF? I mean, who in their right minds would like an animated mouse -- I mean rat.
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1-03-2007 @ 1:27AM
BUBBA said...
DISNEY USED TO HAVE A RAT NAMED MORTIMER (IF I SPELLED IT CORRECTLY). PLUS IT JUST A KIDS MOVIE ANYWAY. THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW IS MCDONALD'S GONNA MARKET THIS MOVIE?
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1-03-2007 @ 2:29AM
Brian said...
Two words: Brad Bird. Look at his work with the Simpsons, then look at his freshman Pixar effort. Then try to convince me that this one doesn't have a chance. If it's even half as good as the Incredibles, it will still rock.
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1-03-2007 @ 8:05AM
Victor Agreda, Jr. said...
While it's true the Mouse/Rat Show (easier to spell) will have stiff competition, I don't know that Transformers and Potter will be that tough. Even semi-responsible parents shouldn't take very young children to either of those... And let's face it, despite the mild peril and action, Pixar movies are always a safe bet for the pre-K crowd, which draws the parents, which draws the elders (word-of-mouth), etc.
That being said, Rat will indeed be one of the lowest performing Pixar movies ever.
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1-03-2007 @ 9:57AM
crazy3dman said...
Everytime a new Pixar movie is on the horizon, there's always a band wagon full of people explaining why this one is going to be the one that flops.
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1-03-2007 @ 12:36PM
Aaron M said...
You name your article "Will Ratatouille Ruin Pixar?" yet not once do you mention anything about how it would ruin the company. This article is more about how to market an upcoming movie than anything to do with the financial fallout of the company. Sure you mention the amount of money the company made on its past movies, but if you really want to talk about ruining a company you might want to make a better arguement, with facts. A better arguement might include "Ratatouille is costing Pixar amount to make, and if the trend for the rat movies (Flushed Away) continues with Pixar only grossing $80 million, then they lose $-80." But I somehow doubt that one movie is going to ruin a company. One movie that flops by a big movie studio surely does not destroy the company. And especially with Pixar being backed by Disney, they will NOT be ruined. Sure the movie *might* be a flop but that doesn't mean they will not bounce back with another string of great movies. Next time you go to write an article, think about it (and the title) before you get a bunch of people spazzing out over nothing. I'd love to see Ratatouille do very well in the box office, just to rub it in your face.
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1-04-2007 @ 1:28PM
Michelle Rahn said...
It seems to me the essence of creativity is doing something unexpected. Ratatouille is just that: who would expect a movie about a rat to be successful? But then the Disney line is "it all started with a mouse". Who would have thought?
Like the previous poster, it seems that Pixar can do no wrong. They are tops in animation, they must know what they are doing.
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1-03-2007 @ 2:37PM
Erik Davis said...
For the record, I do not want the film to fail. I never said I wanted it to fail, I actually really like the Pixar films and enjoy each and every single one of them. I have nothing against Pixar or Disney, I'm just presenting an argument and opening it up for debate.
Of course it will do well, but I do think the film will have problems marketing itself, moreso than other Pixar flicks. As far as the title of my post goes, I think it's awesome! And it got your attention. And I DID talk about what the possible fallout would be if the film did not do well at the box office.
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1-03-2007 @ 2:50PM
Davide Dellacasa said...
Hi, here in Italy Buena Vista showed us a clip from the movie and it was absolutely amazing. It was some footage with alla the animation done and only the backgrounds in draft in which we saw a scene with Ratatouille and the young chef from the restaurant he lives in and there was magic between the two, absolutely! The kind og magic that only grat animation can do, no matter of the movies coming aout the week after!
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1-03-2007 @ 4:22PM
Alex Billington said...
Erik, my response has been posted:
"In Response to Cinematical: Pixar's Ratatouille In Trouble?"
http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/01/03/in-response-to-cinematical-pixars-ratatouille-in-trouble/
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1-05-2007 @ 9:00PM
GhaleonQ said...
Brad Bird is easily the most skilled director there, so it will need to coast on stellar reviews. The only reason that the lacking-to-mediocre "Cars" made money was, as stated, its merchandising.
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1-16-2007 @ 2:25AM
Cory Ag said...
No matter what anyone done - or says Pixar and everything Pixar has ever done will be frozen forever in time -and there is nothing any article or opinion can do to change it. Will this new masterpeice *ruin* Pixar? I dout it, what could ruin Pixar anyways...A flop? What is a flop anyways? A movie that doesnt do well in theater? does that make it any less of a movie?? HECK NO! Does it take away from ALL the hard work that gets put into these films? NO! It's time to give some support
The time for resting and taking it easy is over! The time for being easy on yourself is long gone! We no longer have that luxury! We no longer deserve that luxury! For far too long we have done too little with too much! We have taken everything and given nothing! It's not about us and it never has been! It's about everything else! It's not about you! It's about everything! It's not about YOUR world! It's about THE world! We keep on building up and defending this illusion that somehow we have the right to be selfish! We should not indulge in anything that keeps us from realizing that we are all in this together! We should be happy! We are alive - and nothing should get in the way of us being happy about that simple fact. Knowing that fact, and realizing it as truth, and I mean, REALLY realizing it, not just looking at it as some sort of cheesy philosophy that you hear all the time, but living and dying by it - that should keep you happy no matter what - NO MATTER WHAT!
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1-22-2007 @ 4:37PM
Glen said...
Does anyone else remember what people were saying after the Finding Nemo trailers hit theatres? Obviously they proved to be wrong.
Pixar movies make money because they are quality movies. You can't use the lack of success of Flushed Away to predict how movie goers will feel about a movie staring a rat. Do you not remember Antz? That was released before A Bugs Life and did not top it from making many multiples more, and it was only Pixar's second attempt at a full length motion picture so didn't have the brand recognition yet. Flushed Away failed because it was simply not a good movie, case closed.
Sharktale was released in the wake of Finding Nemo and had a famous cast and a similar setting, and thought it made money (mainly because it didn't have the same glut of CG movies that Flushed Away had to compete with) it didn't come close to the gross or quality of Finding Nemo.
I have no doubt that Ratatouille will not make Finding Nemo numbers, but it can still succeed by being a quality movie. Competition in the movie industry is not always a bad thing, but I do agree that its going to be a tough fight.
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3-17-2007 @ 10:27PM
spresso said...
Okay then. Alot said.
Look.
Here it is.
No studio pumping out cg will ever come close or hold a candle to pixar films. Pixar is run by artists not ignorant production people. Marketing worried? WHO CARES!!...as long as they had no say in the teasers or the film everything will be ROCK!!.
Man i'll go see it even if there's 5 good movies out at the same time. They are all good. That's all that matters. "for the record" i did'nt care for cars.
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