The most expensive Latin American animated feature ever made
In short: In 2013, an Argentine-Spanish production shattered box-office records by tackling a high-stakes narrative of sports and magic. While it faced a tumultuous journey through international distribution and critical reception, its production scale marked a historic milestone for Latin American cinema.
The film, titled Metegol (or Underdogs in the US), represents a massive financial undertaking for the region. With a production budget of $21 million, it stands as the most expensive Argentine film ever produced and the most expensive Latin American animated feature to date. It premiered in Argentina on July 18, 2013, where it achieved a record-breaking opening, outperforming major Hollywood blockbusters like Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University by earning 16,622,178 pesos in its first weekend.
The production involved a complex international pipeline. While Mundoloco CGI in Buenos Aires handled the core animation, Prana Studios in Mumbai, India, was responsible for lighting, compositing, visual effects, and rendering. The project also benefited from high-level creative input; Sergio Pablos, the creator of Despicable Me, served as the animation director for 20 minutes of the film and provided directorial advice to Juan J. Campanella.
The film's journey to North American audiences was marked by significant instability. After The Weinstein Company acquired the rights in March 2014, the project suffered multiple delays. A planned theatrical release in August 2015 was scrapped at the last minute, leading to a direct-to-video release in July 2016. This transition, along with various edits for different markets, contributed to a polarized critical reception, with the US version receiving a 'generally unfavorable' rating of 38 out of 100 on Metacritic, while the original Spanish version fared better with a score of 71 out of 100 on Todas las Críticas.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Metegol
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