Yahoo Finance 'Frozen' fever: Why Disney can't 'Let it go'
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) crushed Wall Street expectations, reporting quarterly earnings after the bell Tuesday. Shares of Disney are up more than 30 per cent over the past year and its motion picture division has helped fuel that. And yes, "Frozen" is a big driver there. Still. More than a year after its release. So how could one movie be so important to such a big company’s bottom line? The folks at Rentrak (RENT) ran the numbers for us.
Here is a look at Disney’s top ranking animated films of all time:
1. 'Frozen'
When it premiered in November of 2013, "Frozen" had the biggest opening weekend of any Disney film since 1994 when adjusted for inflation.
That was just the start of "Frozen" fever. The film went on to become the highest grossing animated film of all time. North American sales topped $400.7 million and audiences worldwide “let it go” to the tune of nearly $1.3 billion.
Frozen continues to give Disney a lift through licensing. The "My First Disney Princess Frozen Snow Glow Elsa" doll, made by Jakks Pacific, was the second most-sold toy in 2014 according to The NPD Group.
2. 'Toy Story 3'
Released in 2010, "Toy Story 3" outperformed its prequels. The third film sees Andy leave for college, and his toys forced to realize life beyond his bedroom.
It struck a cord with viewers of different ages, lifting global sales to $1 billion. North American sales totaled $415 million. It also acheived critical aclaim. "Toy Story 3" was nominated for five Academy Awards and won in two categories: Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song.
3. 'The Lion King'
Since its release twenty years ago, "The Lion King" has spawned two sequels, a video game, countless toys and more related products than we can tally.
The film's signature song, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" by Elton John and Tim Rice, won the Academy Award for Best Song in 1995.
The audience for this Disney classic has only grown since its release. It was adapted into an acclaimed Broadway show in 1997 and the show has been running continuously in New York for more than seventeen years.
The show now has ten productions worldwide and has grossed more than $1 billion in ticket sales. The film itself raked in $312.8 million in 1994, but in today’s dollars, that figure is more like $626.5 million.
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4. 'Finding Nemo'
"Finding Nemo" is the story of an overly-cautious widowed clown fish who sets out to find his son Nemo after he was captured on the Great Barrier Reef.
The plot may not sound like an instant hit but Nemo, released 2003, raked in almost $765 million worldwide. North American sales reached $339.7 million.
A long-awaited sequel pegged to Nemo's quirky best friend, "Finding Dory", is said to be in the works for 2016 with Ellen DeGeneres reprising the titular role.
5. 'Monsters University'
"Monsters University" released in 2013 is the sequel to Disney Pixar’s 2002 hit, "Monsters, Inc."
The movie raked in more than $745 million globally. But while it didn’t disappoint at the box office, critics weren’t heaping the praise and nominations that Pixar had grown accustomed to.
Monsters University did not get a nomination for Best Animated film, a rare miss for Pixar.
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