DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Croods’ pulled from theaters in China
Even as DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg was in China this week crowing about the box office success of “The Croods”, Chinese theater owners were ordered by regulators to end the movie’s theatrical run two weeks earlier than anticipated.
The move was widely interpreted as a way to make room for local animation films, underscoring how even the Hollywood studios that are most successful in China can be subject to the unpredictable decisions of government authorities eager to expand their own film industry.
“The Croods” has generated nearly $65 million in ticket sales since its release on April 20 -- making it the top grossing original animated movie in China and even surpassing “Kung Fu Panda,” which was also a hit in China, the world’s second-largest film market.
-- Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times
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