Search form

Do Batman animated features make money?

10 posts / 0 new
Last post
Do Batman animated features make money?

I'm a Batman fan, and I just checked out the Wikipaedia entry for Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The budget was $6 million and the gross revenue is just over $5.6 million. That's not so good.

The Wiki entry for the other Batman cartoons don't say anything about cost, but the sales are in the millions.

Any comments on this? I'd presume Warner Brothers would never continue a series unless it made money.

Its probably a mistake to put ANY stock into Wikipedia articles to begin with, but the amount you cite is only for the box office take--the film made considerably more in VHS and DVD sales.
That is why the subsequent various animated Batman films have followed, and why they have predominantly been direct-to-DVD releases.

So, yes, they obviously do make money.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

Any ideas on their rates of return? I take it's very hard to make money in animation, and, like all showbiz, it's hit or miss.

I did some checking into the box office and the Wiki number look good but they are for domestic sales. I could not find total box office sales and there is no tell what the DVD sales were.

In my opinion there are two ways to make money in animation. First is sales of the animation, whether one large sale or a whole lot of little ones. The second is sponsorship, as in a tv series with its advertisements.

Is it hard for an animation studio to survive?

Is it hard for an animation studio to survive?

Why do you think so? I think if you maker sure the aim, and try your best to come true it, it will be possible!

Why do you think so? I think if you maker sure the aim, and try your best to come true it, it will be possible!

Oh, I dunno........pick any major centre of animation, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Manilla........and make note of how many studios are currently operating, and then go back and see how many have operated over the past, oh.......say 50 years.
Trust me, most of the studios established in ALL of those areas have closed. Comparatively few have survived.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

One of the things to understand about a Batman Animated Feature is that they are primarily for Home Video Markets, the theatrical release is limited and part of the marketing strategy.

These DVD's are pre-sold quite often, for example an LA based producer i was in discussions with to bring their limited release animated feature produced outside the US to India for a theatrical release had told me that they had sold home video rights for $3 million post a 500 screen release.

there is also significant revenue that would come in from television syndication which will happen on a global scale, especially for a well known and well loved character like Batman where demand should be high and can command a premium. It would also in its life cycle sell 2-4 times depending on syndication market.

IF the film cost $6million to make, and took in $5million (which comes to about $3.5milion after costs) they only have to recoup less than half of their investment. There is no way they lost money on it.

Is it hard for an animation studio to survive?

Far more studios have closed than have stayed in business over the years--a sobering fact of life in the biz.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

Far more studios have closed than have stayed in business over the years--a sobering fact of life in the biz.

i think its the same for anything in the creative biz though Ken. Film Studios, Broadcasters forever being sold or merged into bigger entities being spun off and what not.

Animation is just that much harder i guess, more expensive, forever running away to cheaper shores...a pity that there are not that many old legacy studios around.. we are the poorer for it.