The nightmare for DreamWorks Animation may be over.
The beleaguered studio can thank Rihanna and Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory” for the turnaround.
Shares of DreamWorks Animation (DWA) surged as much as 10% Monday thanks to the surprise box office success of “Home” — which features the voices of Jim Parsons as an alien and “Umbrella” singer Rihanna as the little girl who befriends him.
“Home” grossed $54 million in the United States during its opening weekend and another $47.5 million overseas according to movie industry site Box Office Mojo.
DreamWorks needed “Home” to be a hit. The studio, run by legendary Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, has had huge hits but also some notable duds in the past few years.
Its inconsistency is in stark contrast to Disney’s Pixar unit, which has churned out one success after another, and Disney (DIS) Animation Studios, which has its mojo back with “Frozen” and “Big Hero 6.”
The goal for DreamWorks now is to turn “Home” into a true franchise, joining Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon.
Don’t bet against RiRi and J. Lo. Although the movie didn’t get fantastic reviews, it seems like critics underestimated the appeal of cute aliens. (I saw “Home” with my son. It’s not “Toy Story.” But it was amusing and well-done.)
It’s also worth noting that so many animated movies have white protagonists. So having a black heroine was refreshing.
That — plus music from Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez (who was the voice of Rihanna’s mom) — also probably helped bring in a lot more young girls and their parents. (Steve Martin and the guy who played Badger in “Breaking Bad” are also in the movie. I kid you not.)
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