Another batch of +$100 million budget movies is coming up. This week we’ll see ‘Wall-e,’ the highly anticipated new $120 million Pixar animation. ‘Wanted,’ the teen-oriented, action driven, testosterone powered, Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy featuring $65 million spy movie. And the week after, anti-hero, rehab going and $150 million ‘Hancock’ will storm theaters early July 1st.
Tracking for ‘Wall-e’ is good. Compared to ‘Ratatouille’ last year:
Awareness: 84% (compared to 82% for ‘Ratatouille’) Definite Interest: 41% (to 38% for ‘Ratatouille’)
First choice: 10% (to 8% for ‘Ratatouille’)
Very early box office estimates would put ‘Wall-e’ around a $70 million opening weekend.
How do you get the kids interested in science. Well, the same way Australia gets people interested in their country. By attaching themselves to a popular movie. NASA today announced it made a deal with Disney to use ‘Wall-e’ for educational and public outreach activities.
And although Pixar movies sometimes look shallow from the outside, the people at the animation studio go through a lot before a movie reaches the theater. Some movies are based on years of research and ideas. And it’s no surprise the (probably somewhat geeky in a positive way) people wanted to help out NASA with their new robot creation. “All of us at Disney are delighted to be working with NASA in their educational and public outreach efforts to teach schoolchildren about space exploration, robot technology, and the universe they live in,” Disney’s Motion Pictures Group president Mark Zoradi said.
It also shows how their new animated buddy will be used for much more than just a movie. “WALL-E is one of the most lovable and entertaining characters that Pixar ever has created, and he is the perfect spokes-robot for this program,” Zoradi added.
And all NASA wants is to get our children to please, please, PLEASE show some kind of interest in science. If they’ll have to use one of the most influential mediums keeping the kids from doing science to promote science, so be it. “Great ideas for future exploration of the universe start with the imagination,” NASA explained.
The last couple of photos of our beloved ‘Wall-e’ came in. I honestly think Disney has a new goldmine ready for release. Not only for in theaters, but also for in the shops.
The $120 million ‘Wall-e’ might not make the $864 million ‘Finding Nemo’ made worldwide in 2003, but I fully expect it to pass ‘Cars’ with $461 million in 2006.
The day is near, ‘WALL-E’ is coming. June 27, the day Disney’s most anticipated animation will hit the theaters. And although I expect everyone to be convinced by the charming $120 million robot at this point, I still have to post these new posters. Waaaahaalleee…
Not really a news item, but I just had to share this ‘WALL-E’ video, taken in LA. This little guy is going to steal the hearts of millions of people next month.
Here are a couple of cool new ‘Wall-e’ production pictures from Totalfilm. I have the feeling this $120 million Pixar animation is going to set some new records. The buzz is good, although the movie isn’t out until June 30. I’ve heard several people praise the trailers, while they weren’t fans of other Pixar projects. Too bad Disney isn’t going to do a simultaneous worldwide release. Releasing in the US first is so nineties.
