Will ‘Big Hero 6’ Be Bigger Than ‘Frozen’? Uh, Well…
After taking over the world last year with “Frozen,’’ Disney hopes to cash in big with “Big Hero 6,’’ its first animated feature to use characters from a Marvel property.
The film, which hits theaters this weekend, follows a group of young heroes led by robotics expert Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter). Along with his robot pal Baymax (voiced by Scott Adsit), Hiro must protect the fictional city of San Fransokyo from a criminal mastermind.
Can Disney’s new flick “Big Hero 6’’ (right) surpass the success of “Frozen’’ at the box office?
Disney bought Marvel in 2009, and 2014 may have been superhero movies’ biggest year yet. Films like “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’’ “X-Men: Days of Futures Past,’’ and “Guardians of the Galaxy’’—all Marvel flicks, by the way—dominated at the box office. “Big Hero 6,’’ which combines the comic company’s characters with the Mouse House’s marketing muscle, should result in a nice payday.
But will it become a bigger pop-culture phenomenon than “Frozen?’’ Probably not.
The icy cartoon is the highest-grossing animated film of all time and the fifth-highest grossing film of all time, and it continues to be ridiculously popular among kids. Having a princess as the protagonist brought in young women. And boys got hooked on “Frozen’’ as well, likely due to all the action-packed trouble Elsa and Anna get into.
Even though “Frozen’’ was released almost a year ago, over 3 million costumes based on Elsa, Anna, and the gang were sold in the U.S. this Halloween season. So don’t expect young fans to jump to another big-screen franchise just yet.
The flick brought in older moviegoers, too, thanks to the way it reminded them of their love for Disney animated classics like “Cinderella’’ or “The Little Mermaid.’’
And we haven’t even mentioned ’’Let It Go,’’ the Idina Menzel-sung, Oscar-winning track that has sold more than 4 million copies in the U.S. You’d probably have to go to another planet to find a kid who doesn’t know the lyrics to it.
A scene from Disney’s “Big Hero 6.’’
“Big Hero 6’’ isn’t a Disney princess movie and doesn’t have any flashy musical numbers, so it probably won’t take off the way “Frozen’’ has.
But that doesn’t mean the quirky flick won’t bring in a nice haul. The latest animated feature from Disney is getting solid reviews and is on track to gross around $50 million this weekend, which isn’t too shabby. (“Frozen’’ took home more than $65 million in the weekend after its wide-release opening on Nov. 27, 2013.)
In terms of overall numbers, the goal for “Big Hero 6’’ should be to match the numbers of Disney’s last animated superhero romp, “The Incredibles.’’ The 2004 Pixar picture took home over $600 million at worldwide box offices, which shouldn’t be too ridiculous of a target for “Big Hero 6’’ to hit.
The new movie may even surpass “The Incredibles,’’ since it’s stamped with a Marvel logo. Marvel movies have done absurdly well at the theaters over the past few years, and “Big Hero 6’’ may be able to share in the spoils, even though it’s based on a group of D-list heroes. James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy’’ proved this year that, as long as the story is good, you don’t need the name recognition of an Iron Man or a Captain America in order to bring in fans, or get them singing along with the soundtrack.
As long as it can find a balance between the action-packed energy of superhero movies and the poignant emotions of a typical Disney flick, “Big Hero 6’’ should be a financial success.
But if anyone still thinks that it can rake in more cash than “Frozen’’ did, it’s time to let that notion go.
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