As Mexico celebrates Cinco de Mayo today, Twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios are toasting the south-of-the-border success of their latest animated feature. Ice Age: The Meltdown has surpassed Shrek 2 as the nation’s biggest box office hit in history, according to Daily Variety.
Known simply as Meltdown in Mexico, the Ice Age sequel has raked in more than $28 million, compared to Shrek 2‘s record-breaking take of $27.8 million. A cume of around $30 million is predicted for Meltdown, which has been playing in Mexican theaters for five weeks now.
For the release, Fox Mexico reportedly sunk a lot of cash into promotional efforts, which included billboards, product tie-ins and CG-animated spots that aired during the most-watched soccer matches.
Moviegoers in Mexico have exhibited a strong appetite for CG animation from major Hollywood studios. Meanwhile, domestic efforts such as Anima Estudios’ Magos y Gigantes (Wizards and Giants), Mexico’s first animated feature in more than 30 years, have a long way to go to catch up. Anima is hoping it’s next toon feature, Imaginum, fares better with local auds.
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