I think it's obvious at this pint that Toy Story 3 and Shrek Forever After will be the biggest animated films of 2010, each likely grossing $300+ million.

However, almost every year we also get big original animated movies that sometimes start off new franchises. Pixar's movies are usually huge, but this year the Pixar movie is a sequel. However there have also been big non-Pixar original animated films like Madagascar, Happy Feet, Kung Fu Panda and Monsters Vs. Aliens over the recent few years. Each of them made $190+ million.


The contenders this year are:


How to Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks) - March 26th
Despicable Me (Universal) - July 9th
Guardians of Ga'Hoole 3D (WB) - September 24th
Megamind (Dreamworks) - November 5th
Rapunzel (Buena Vista) - November 24th (wide)


I think How to Train Your Dragon will just pull typical spring release CG animation numbers like Horton Hears a Who or Ice Age. Clash of the Titanis releasaed a week later in 3D won't help matters.

Despicable Me is a Universal release and I am not sure they can pull off a huge CG animated film yet. Hell, their biggest film last year was Fast & Furious.

Never heard of Guardians of Ga'Hoole before and a September release won#t do it.


So it's between the last two. MegaMind looks like it could channel The Incredibles, but it'll also have to compete with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I for 3D screens soon after its release. Rapunzel on the other hand is being released over the Thanksgiving weekend which is kind to family films and will be the last animated movie of the year and should thus enjoy great holiday season legs. However, its style seems to be close to traditional hand-drawn animation (albeit that'll only be the look, it'll still be CG animated) and it's apparently a musical too, like the classic Disney stuff. The Princess and the Frog hasn't done too well with that. On the other hand, it'll also be in 3D and, as I said, it won't really be hand-drawn.

So, yeah, I think it'll be close, but I'm giving the edge to Rapunzel.

That will probably be enough for biggest non-sequel.

i think megamind will be the biggest film. disney's non pixar ventures have not been that big for a loooong time. so i doubt see rapunzel challenging either dragon or megamind.

Agreed.

Though MegaMind is the big unknown, dont know enough about it just yet.

How to Train Your Dragon looks to be the winner, unless Megamind surprises. I see Rapunzel pulling in Princess and the Frog numbers.

Yogi Bear's main characters will be animated, though it is also live action. Otherwise, Yogi Bear is headed for $200 m +.

But out of these films, I'll say Rapunzel, as it will play in theaters for quite some time...

I'll give the Edge to HTTYD though personally I did not like the trailer. The next should be the surprise Megamind and then Rapunzel, others dont matter at all

Oh, yeah, Rapunzel is now officially title "Tangled", as per the official Disney Animation Studio Facebook.

Joy

I would take $50 m off of that film's total gross now with that name change. Very bad move...

Apparently they're attempting to make the movie more appealing to boys... *rolls eyes*

So, its title has gone from Rapunzel to Rapunzel Unbraided to Rapunzel to Tangled.

Geez.

Completely unnecessary with name change I think so no one is going to see it

That pretty much says their primary concern is how much profit they can gain. Bleh.

Hmm, looks like this question has been answered now. I don't see any of the other animated movies this year (except for the BIG TWO) being as big as Dragon. It should outdo the rest by at least $30 million...

I would love to see HTTYD win the best animated film of the year award. None of the other animated films look that good or oscar worthy except maybe TS3. But TS3 is a threequel, so I don't want it to win.

Go dragon!! Cant wait to see it.

Megamind is the wildcard, but I think Dragon has it. As for Animated film
of the year, until I see TS3, I'm rooting for Dragon. It was great. I might even
see it a second time. I won't go see Shrek in the theater. Not after the crappy third movie.

MegaMind doesn't look very good and it will have direct 3D competition from Harry Potter and later from Rapunzel/Tangled (also an animated film!).

Damn...and now we've got Despicable Me!

Surprise Surprise. We now have Despicable Me

I think Disney are going to be odd man out again.

LOTG if good could clear 150m and for a movie about owls that takes itself semi-seriously, that's fantastic.

MegaMind has had good audience reactions with most movies I've seen the trailer with.

Rapunzel has had terrible reactions. The jokes fall to a silent theatre and it's more pronounced by the fact there is no music during the 'punchline'.

It's a fucking terrible cut trailer though and Disney have got to be sweating buckets now after PATF disappointed.