Animation Dominates the Top 20 Highest Grossing Features of 2012

Variety printed (sorry, it’s not online) it’s annual list of the Domestic Top 250 Films (of 2012) and animated features were very well represented. Of the top 20 films, six were completely animated pictures. Only three films (#17 Taken 2, #18 21 Jump Street (directed by animators Phil Lord and Chris Miller) and #19 Lincoln) had little or no animation.

The six purely animated features were #7 Brave, 10 Madagascar 3, 11. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, 13. Wreck-it Ralph, 14. Ice Age Condinental Drift and 16. Hotel Transylvania – all grossing over $145 million apiece. The remaining films all made ample use of special effects CGI. The list of the Top 20 with U.S. grosses is listed below.

1. The Avengers $623,357,910
2. The Dark Knight Rises $448,139,099
3. The Hunger Games $408,010,692
4. Skyfall $290,904,271
5. Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 $286,422,893
6. The Amazing Spider-Man $262,030,663
7. Brave $237,262,307
8. The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey $228,546,604
9. Ted $218,665,740
10. Madagasgar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted $216,391,482
11. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax $214,030,500
12. Men In Black 3 $179,020,854
13. Wreck-It Ralph $175, 990,019
14. Ice Age: Continental Drift $161,990,019
15. Snow White and the Huntsman $155,136,755
16. Hotel Transylvannia $145,321,690
17. Taken 2 $138,936,379
18. 21 Jump Street $138,447,667
19. Lincoln $134,189,097
20. Promethus $126,477,084

Just the animated films alone in the Top 20 contributed over $1 billion dollars gross – $1,150,135,597 – to the major studios involved. All told, it was an incredible year at the box office for animation. May it continue into the new year.

P.S. It may have been a financial disappointment, but Rise Of The Guardians will gross over $100 million at the US box office sometime next week. I wish more “failures” did this sort of business.