2021 Theatrical Animated Films: Box Office Predictions

2021 is going to be an interesting year for animated films, to say the least. A good few were supposed to come out in 2020, and many are going straight to streaming. However, some are still theatrical, so I'll be predicting their box office numbers worldwide. These are only for films that have a confirmed release date, and words like "Christmas 2021" or "Halloween 2021" are accepted as well.

TOM AND JERRY PREDICTION: $80 MILLION

Okay, so this one won't do well in theaters, I'm calling it. First off, it's going to have a one month release on HBO MAX alongside its box office debut. Second factor is that the last theatrically released Tom & Jerry film was back in 1992 with a wide release, and that film flopped like a fish out of water. It only grossed $3.5 million on a budget of $3.5 million, making it a bonafide bomb. That second month in theaters exclusively won't help this film at all, and it definitely had a budget of nearly $100 million, so expect Warner Bros. to lose a bit of money on this one. They're probably crossing their fingers for nostalgia to kick in.

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON PREDICTION: $250 MILLION

This film is gonna stink at the domestic box office, but it has a diverse cast and overseas appeal, so expect big numbers overseas. However, the film most likely had a budget of $150-200 million, so it'll still be a box office bomb, but streaming numbers may give a sequel the green light. Expect about $50 million in the US and Canada, maybe a bit higher.

BOB'S BURGERS THE MOVIE PREDICTION: $100 MILLION

This film still has a question mark over it, and there's still been no trailer yet. It may be delayed to 2022, but for know, it's listed for April 9 of this year. Unlike the two previous films on this list, this film is going to have a theater-exclusive release. Films like this are either flops or hits. I'm citing two examples here: Team America: World Police, which utterly flopped, and The Simpsons Movie, which raked in large numbers. I'm expecting the budget for this film to be around $30-40 million, and around $100 million is the safest bet.

RON'S GONE WRONG PREDICTION: $30 MILLION

I don't think anybody cares about this film, and around $30 million is the closest estimate I can give to the actual gross. The budget will probably around $40-50 million to make something that doesn't look like crap, and the Disney push won't help, either. Locksmith Animation may not make it out.

RUMBLE PREDICTION: $80 MILLION

This film looks pretty cool and has a fresh concept, which also means it probably has a good budget, too. $50-60 million is my estimate for the budget, and I think $80 million is around where its gross will end up. So, it'll be a loss, but still have decent numbers.

SPIRIT UNTAMED PREDICTION: $70 MILLION

The first Spirit movie was a big flop, so I don't expect audiences to be flocking back to this one enough to turn a profit for the film, either, even though it has a lower budget and more of a younger fanbase. The budget will probably be around $35-40 million, due to Dreamworks supposedly wanting to make lower-budgeted films. Even with that said, the film could be a surprise hit if it grosses around $100 million, but the series that the film is based on, Spirit Riding Free, isn't exactly A-tier animation, which could turn off people.

VIVO PREDICTION: $250-300 MILLION

I'm going on the high end of things mainly because A) This film has songs from Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and B) Sing, another musical animated film, pulled in astronomical numbers at the box office. The budget will likely be more than $100 million, so it could break even easily or even turn a small profit.

LUCA PREDICTION: $400 MILLION

Under normal circumstances, which means COVID-19 is non-existent, I would've pegged this film at around $600 million, but since the coronavirus is still here, and likely will be for a long time, $400 million will be the mark where this film ends up.

MINIONS THE RISE OF GRU PREDICTION: $750 MILLION

This film is a sequel to 2015's Minions, which grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Due to COVID-19 most likely affecting the film's gross, the number will be lower, but still great. I mean, Illumination has not had one bomb ever since their first film.

SPACE JAM A NEW LEGACY PREDICTION: $150 MILLION

Hey, $150 million is pretty good for a film in general... if your budget isn't $180 million. Also, the film will be released simultaneously on HBO MAX along with its theatrical release, so the film's gross will be affected. Either way, it was destined to end up as a bomb. Nostalgia won't save this disaster.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 4 PREDICTION: $600 MILLION

Hotel Transylvania has been an extremely profitable franchise, with each film outgrossing one another, and I expect this one to be no different. By August, COVID-19 will have eased up a lot on theaters, and it's not simultaneously releasing on a streaming service. Also, Hotel Transylvania films usually cost under $100 million to produce, so two words: big cash!

PAW PATROL THE MOVIE PREDICTION: $250 MILLION

God, I hate this show, mostly because I've outgrown it. But there are a heck load of young kids who love it as well, and this is also an August release, so I expect a low budget and a lot of profit. In fact, this may spawn a whole film series, not that I'm happy about it.

THE BOSS BABY FAMILY BUSINESS PREDICTION: $300 MILLION

The first Boss Baby film wasn't too well received by critics or audiences, but it was successful enough to spawn a sequel. Yes, this is a September release, but I think a lot of people won't want to watch a sequel. The first one was okay, but we don't need a whole film series.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 PREDICTION: $150 MILLION

The first film, which is an animated remake of the classic 1991 film, grossed $204 million on a budget of $24 million and turned a profit of $70 million, so a sequel would be natural. I don't think many people were pleased by the first film, but the numbers will still get some nice moolah for United Artists and Universal.

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG PREDICTION: $50 MILLION

There is no way this film is becoming a booming success. Unless they have a low budget of around $10 million, this film is going to bomb no matter what. It's almost inevitable. They should've just kept this as a 2D-animated feature, because audiences will be turned off by the CGI.

SING 2 PREDICTION: $500 MILLION

This sequel sounds very much like the first, and the Angry Birds films are an example of that. 'The first one did $400 million? Well, we're going to market the second one like the first and act surprised when we only make $150 million!' So, yeah, something of that sort. However, it will still be a huge success, given its December release and the first film almost grossing $700 million worldwide.

Well, that's all for 2021 theatrical animated films that have a confirmed release date. We'll see if my predictions come true later on when these films release.