The movies they’re making

“MINIONS.” All-time biggest opening weekend for an animated feature on local screens.

The big news in the movie biz this season is the huge success that animated feature films are enjoying. Given this renewed energy, acceptance and overwhelming popularity, it seems incredible that some decades ago, the animated feature-length movie became a dying or downright dead film format, after going great guns in the ’40s and ’50s.

The good news is that all that is definitely in the past, with scores of new animated marvels being produced and screened each season, sometimes to great acclaim—and grosses rivaling those chalked up by live-action productions topbilling the biggest film stars!

What’s made the big difference? State-of-the-art technical and creative innovations have made it possible for animators to do and visualize practically anything.

But, the biggest plus point is the fact that animated movies are now being made, not just with the little kiddies in mind, but even for the adults in the family! —Everybody happy, so on with the (animated) show!

For proof positive of animated features’ vigorous and ongoing second spring, we only need to turn to this month’s film grosses, which show that Universal Studios’ “Minions” now holds the record of the all-time biggest opening weekend for an animated feature in the country, after racking up a spectacular P189 million in five days (July 8-12) of showing.

The previous title-holder was 2013’s “Despicable Me 2,” with P127 million (also by Universal Studios). (Incidentally, “Minions” is a spinoff of the “Despicable Me” film franchise, which shows how prosperous and prolific it’s shaping up to be.)

What’s coming up next on the animation front? Watch out for “Snoopy and Charlie Brown—The Peanuts Movie.” The new film promises to be another top draw, because Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts” comic strip was read daily by millions of people in 75 countries.

Those readers have become parents (and grandparents) since they first fell in love with the Peanuts barkada, so hopes are high that the movie will motivate them to introduce their own young children and/or grandchildren to the wonders and delights of “Peanuts”—on the big screen!

Other formats

On other film formats: In “Ted 2,” Mark Wahlberg returns as John Bennett, who has a big teddy bear (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) for his best buddy. The ongoing story’s twist is that the big bear is living, talking and in fact quite foul-mouthed —which resulted in the first “Ted” flick becoming the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time!

Will its sequel do just as well? This time around, Ted, the bear, is fighting for equal rights in the eyes of the law when he wants to have children by his new bride—!

For his part, Jake Gyllenhaal buffed and bulked up a lot to play a boxer in his current starrer, “Southpaw.” Billed as a tale of redemption, the film also stars Rachel McAdams, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Forest Whitaker.

Another action film, “Die Fighting,” prides itself in pulling off its fight scenes without camera tricks, just with the action prowess of its young leads. They play four friends who are Shaolin-forged martial artists—who find themselves fighting for their lives when they are tricked into becoming part of a brutal reality film!