 The Incredibles was released globally at the weekend |
Animated cinema is enjoying an all-time high thanks to box office smashes like The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. The production of animated films now involves all the major Hollywood studios, and has been enjoying a revival since the 1980s.
Media researchers Screen Digest say European animators are fighting back - but the US dominates the market.
Hand-drawn animation has waned in favour of 3D work on films such as global hit Shrek.
Disney said its last 2D animation is On The Farm, which was released this year.
European animated films have struggled in the US market, with Japanese productions faring more successfully.
'Make or break'
Between 1997-2003, only three European animations had general releases in the US.
One of them, Chicken Run, was largely financed by US studio SKG Dreamworks.
But three big budget European productions are currently being made - Wallace and Gromit, Asterix and the Vikings, and Arthur.
Author of the report, Tim Westcott, says the next two years could be a "make or break" period for European animated films.
"The success of CGI comedies like Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and the Shrek movies have made Hollywood even more powerful," he added.
One-Minute World News 
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