PLANET 51: The results

Planet 51 has made over 12 million dollars, according to the Box Office Mojo, during its opening weekend in the United States despite the fierce reviews that had received from most American critics. A month after of its release the total gross of the Box Office mounts to nearly 40 million dollars in the US.

Although these quantities are much smaller than the ones big America’s Studios titles achieve; it is, by far, the biggest Box Office result that any Spanish animation film has ever accomplished.

Previous articles on this website have explained how Ilion Animation Studios was created by Ignacio Perez Dolset in the believe that Directors: Jorge Blanco, Marcos Martínez and Javier Abad would be able to deliver a high quality film that would change world’s perception of the quality of animation done in Spain.

When Ignacio was asked about the reasons why he thinks the reviews have been so negative at Capital magazine he answered: “at the same time that Planet 51 was receiving bad reviews, American Studios were trying to recruit our people. When you are good, they want you to be a part of their system, and if you do not, they want you to keep being European. Keep doing your arty movies where there is not much dialogue, explore weird subjects or themes and release in twenty screens. This way the critics will be positive, because you are not a danger for their system. If you do not take any of those paths and decide to make cinema at their style and screening on thousand of screens, you are attacking the Impery´s heart. Imagine the consequences of attacking the animation industry only controlled by two companies: Pixar and DreamWorks.”

The production that has taken more than seven years to make and which development has cost 55 million Euros will be shown in 170 countries from many of which data has not been yet available and, in some territories, it has not been released yet. However, ticket sales it is not the only manner to gain revenue for Planet 51.

Businessmen, and brothers, Ignacio and Javier Perez Dolset (CEO of ZED group) have created with Planet 51 a franchise that has allowed them “develop other ways to create revenue, such as videogames and Internet and mobile games and applications. We believe that 60% of the takings will come from other digital channels and not for the tickets sales.” Javier told to Capital.

The two brothers assure that the movie has started making money since its release with the International rights and the licences it has covered the cost of the film and the cost for the marketing of the film has been absorbed by the distributors.

Ilion Animation Studios is developing its second project, which it is still undisclosed and plans to be a major factory for Spanish Animation.