Box Office Report

‘Muppets’ Stumble in the US, ‘Rio 2’ Is #1 in Russia

No new animated movies debuted in the United States this weekend, although Disney's family-oriented "Muppets Most Wanted" opened. The film opened in second place with a disappointing $16.5 million (estimated), far below the $29.2M opening of the franchise reboot "The Muppets" in 2011. That earlier film plummeted at the box office, too, after its opening, suggesting that the Muppets franchise isn't as relevant to kids today as it was with earlier generations.

Animators

“When the Wind Blows” Director Jimmy Murakami, RIP

Japanese-American animation legend Jimmy Murakami, who played an important role in the development of Ireland's animation industry, has died at the age of 80, reported the organization Animation Ireland. The cause of death is unknown.

Feature Film

2014 Animated Feature Preview

From mainstream releases to independent foreign productions, we've got a guide to the animated feature releases that you can look forward to in 2014.

Talkback

“Planes” Reader Reviews

This weekend is the opening of DisneyToon Studios’ Planes directed by TV animation veteran Klay Hall (King of the Hill, Father of the …

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