Universal Animation Dark Age

The Universal Animation Dark Age (also known as the Universal Animation CGI Age or Universal Animation's CGI Era) refers to the beginning of Universal Animation's Computeropolis franchise and computer-animated feature films as well as an era in the Universal Animated Features canon where it abandoned traditional animation in favor of CGI. This era is particularly notable for witnessing the decline of traditional 2D animation in the face of stiff competition from Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks and Blue Sky, the departure of Universal Animation president John Cohen, and the foundation of Illumination in 2007. However, there were still many critically or financially successful animated films during this era, and it allowed Universal's animated films to become powerhouse successes at the domestic and foreign box office; making much more profit than most of the other Universal Animation films of the past eras. While most films during this time period enjoyed critical and commercial success, such as the first two Computeropolis films and Woo La La, other some films released during this period garnered only lukewarm reception, such as BJ and Wally, Swapped and Computeropolis 3.

The animated features released during this period include Computeropolis (2004), M.I.S.S.I.O.N. (2005), BJ and Wally (2006), Computeropolis 2 (2007), Swapped (2008), Woo La La (2009) and Computeropolis 3 (2010).

History

 * Further information: Universal Animation Studios § History

In 2004, Universal released its first fully in-house computer-animated feature film Computeropolis to critical and commercial success. It grossed $687 million worldwide, becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2004. Computeropolis established Universal as the fourth studio after Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, and Blue Sky Studios to have launched a successful CGI franchise. In 2005, the studio released its second computer-animated film M.I.S.S.I.O.N., which had been in active development since 1997, to generally positive reviews and had grossed over $293 million worldwide at the box office.

In 2006, UFA's ninth film and third computer-animated film BJ and Wally, in co-production with Gingo, was released to mixed reviews from critics. However, it was a box office success, earning $486 million worldwide. The studio's next feature and first sequel Computeropolis 2 opened in 2007. It earned over $953 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of the year and breaking a record as the most profitable film from Universal Animation.

In January 2008, Universal Feature Animation renamed itself to Universal Animation Studios. In the same year, Universal Animation released its eleventh feature Swapped, a CGI animated comedy that follows a young girl and a teenage goth boy who swap bodies. The film opened to a much bigger than expected $43 million opening, and ended up with $376 million worldwide. Woo La La, the studio's twelfth feature film, was released in 2009 and became a significant critical and commercial success, earning $532 million worldwide.

The following year, Computeropolis 3, the third installment in the Computeropolis franchise, was released. The film was a box office success, earning over $783 million worldwide. However, unlike the first two Computeropolis films, Computeropolis 3 was not well-received critically.