Animation News: Jurassic World's Success, Elio's Struggles, and 'The Mouse Factory' History

Box Office Wins and Woes

• 🎬 Jurassic World Rebirth exceeded expectations, grossing $91 million domestically over three days and $147 million over the Fourth of July weekend, with a global total of $318 million.
• 🐉 How to Train Your Dragon has surpassed $500 million worldwide.
• 🌟 Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch is nearing $1 billion globally and is projected to reach this milestone by July 25th, coinciding with the release of Fantastic Four: First Steps.
• 📉 Pixar's Elio is underperforming, with only $55 million domestically and $96 million worldwide after three weekends, against a reported $150 million production budget.

Broadway and Streaming Updates

• 💔 Boop the Musical is closing on Broadway after a limited run, with only three Tony nominations and no wins.
• 🎶 The West End production of Disney's Frozen the Musical has been filmed and is now available on Disney+.
• 📺 Camp Cretaceous: Chaos Theory has been renewed for a fourth season on Netflix, with a new Jurassic World-themed land set to open at Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, in May 2026.

Animation Industry Reflections

• 🌟 Tom Sito, a veteran animator with 50 years in the industry, is retiring. A celebration of his career will be held at CTN Expo.
• 📰 Amid Amidi has sold Cartoon Brew to Jamie Lang, who will become the sole owner, publisher, and editor.
• 🐭 'The Mouse Factory', a syndicated show created by Ward Kimball in the early 1970s, is revisited as a potential precursor to 'The Muppet Show', though it was canceled to protect Disney's Sunday night ratings.
• 📚 Ward Kimball's upcoming book, "If It Ain't Fun to Hell With It," is set to be published in late 2026, covering his adventures in Disney animation and beyond.
• 🚀 The animated series X-Men '97 is facing delays for its second season, with the third season's future uncertain due to budget reallocations.