Netflix Turned Down Buying Zachary Levi’s Harold and the Purple Crayon

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As a seasoned gamer and movie enthusiast with over three decades of watching animated films under my belt, I must admit that Netflix’s decision to pass on purchasing Harold and the Purple Crayon left me somewhat puzzled. Having grown up with the original book by Crockett Johnson, I was eagerly anticipating this adaptation, especially given Carlos Saldanha’s stellar track record in directing animated films like Ice Age and Rio.

Netflix turned down an offer to buy 2024’s Harold and the Purple Crayon.

In August 2024, the movie “Harold and the Purple Crayon” made its U.S. theater debut. This film is an adaptation of the 1955 children’s book with the same title by Crockett Johnson. Sony Pictures handled distribution for this production, which was directed by Carlos Saldanha and features Zachary Levi in the cast.

Months before its release, Sony Pictures’ studio executives reached out to Netflix with a proposal to buy the distribution rights for the upcoming movie directly from them.

According to sources close to the situation, Sony’s top brass found the movie acceptable, but they had concerns it might struggle amidst fierce competition from two highly anticipated animated blockbusters – Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4.

Why didn’t Netflix want to purchase Harold and the Purple Crayon?

Netflix, it seems, didn’t show interest in acquiring the movie, likely because of their recent shift in business approach.

According to the article, the remaining projects from other studios don’t align with the fresh strategy that Dan Lin, recently appointed as Netflix’s film chairman, is working on.

Over the summer, Harold and the Purple Crayon didn’t become a blockbuster hit, earning approximately $29.2 million at the global box office against an estimated production budget of $40 million. It ended up in sixth place at the box office, falling behind Deadpool & Wolverine, Twisters, Trap, Despicable Me 4, and Inside Out 2 – all of which had already been screening in U.S. cinemas for weeks before Harold made its debut.

Besides Levi, Harold is joined by actors like Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel, Jemaine Clement, Tanya Reynolds, Alfred Molina, and Ravi Patel. The screenplay was penned by David Guion and Michael Handelman.

At the moment, you can either rent or own “Harold and the Purple Crayon” on video streaming services like Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and several others.

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2024-10-22 00:10