In a year of U.S. animation box office disappointments (The Lego Movie 2, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Missing Link), STX Entertainment aims to avoid that fate with its upcoming Playmobil: The Movie. Hoping to better its chances at box office success, the studio has shifted the release date of the pricy $75-million Lino DiSalvo-directed film from August 30 to December 6.
According to a report in Deadline, STX moved Playmobil so it could devote its promotional and advertising resources to next month’s release of Hustlers, a film that it believes has the potential to be a breakout hit.
Earlier this year, STX released its first animated feature, Uglydolls, which earned just $20 million in the U.S. on a $45 million budget. STX produced Uglydolls start to finish, while Playmobil is a distribution pick-up from Europe’s Studiocanal and On Animation. Playmobil will still be released in many international markets beginning this week.
