In a wide-ranging profile printed in Selection, Paramount Photos CEO Brian Robbins revealed new particulars about how he’s going to repair the corporate’s moribund Paramount Animation division.
The timing is opportune: Paramount is about to launch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which can nearly definitely change into probably the most profitable launch ever from Paramount Animation.
Not that “most profitable Paramount Animation movie” is a prestigious competitors. Since launching in 2011, the division has produced a handful of dreary tasks which are remarkably constant of their vapidness (Marvel Park, Sherlock Gnomes, Rumble, Monster Vehicles), a pair fairly profitable Spongebob options, and The Little Prince and Anomalisa. (If the latter two don’t make sense on the checklist, it’s as a result of Paramount Animation was extra concerned as distributor than producer on these movies.)
In any case, Robbins seems able to soak within the glory of TMNT. “It’s not about Disney and Pixar anymore,” he informed Selection, citing current stumbles like Disney-Pixar’s Elemental. Overlook the truth that Robbins would kill for an animated stumble like Elemental, which is on its approach to $400 million world, excess of any Paramount Animation-produced animated characteristic has ever grossed.
If it’s not about Disney and Pixar anymore, what’s it about then? In response to Robbins, he has found that “individuals are in search of animated films which are irreverent and have a comedic perspective.” It’s a fortunate break that he figured this out earlier than every other U.S. animation producer realizes that comedy and irreverence work effectively in animation.
Robbins’s second large perception is that unique animation isn’t definitely worth the funding. “We’re not going to launch an costly unique animated film and simply pray folks will come,” he mentioned. Forgoing the produce-and-pray method, Robbins has determined it will merely be simpler to eradicate all traces of originality from the studio’s characteristic pipeline. He reveals that Below the Boardwalk, a previously theatrical launch, is now being quietly shuffled over to Paramount+, whereas it had beforehand been introduced that Ron Howard’s The Shrinking of Treehorn had been bought to Netflix.
Instead of unique ideas, Robbins is popping Paramount Animation right into a clearinghouse for Nickelodeon IP. First up, the aforementioned Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The corporate introduced at the moment that it’s also creating a sequel to TMNT in addition to a Paramount+ spinoff collection, titled Tales of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The studio can be engaged on extra Spongebob universe options together with Saving Bikini Backside: The Sandy Cheeks Film (Netflix, 2024) and a collection of Avatar: The Final Airbender movies. A brand new Paw Patrol film may also launch this yr.
It’s value noting right here that none of Nick’s IP magically appeared out of skinny air, as Robbins appears to imagine. All of them have been unique ideas at one level of their historical past, they usually have been developed by artists over a interval of years. Earlier than they grew to become acquainted IP, some animation studio wanted to spend money on the unique concept. Better of luck to Robbins and his all-in-on-Nick technique. It’s going to seem like a superb resolution in early August after TMNT is launched. However I’m guessing just a few years from now, he’s going to come back to the belief that abandoning unique concepts is neither a viable nor sensible long-term technique for any characteristic animation division.
