Despite a 2019 movie with a cast including big stars likeJeremy Rennerfailing badly at the box office, the project still acted as the starting point for a franchise that’s still active today. Although its overall financial loss doesn’t place the movie among thebiggest box office bombs of all time, it still fell very short of breaking even. The production flopped spectacularly and wasn’t particularly well-received, but it still went on to become a sprawling saga.
Spinoffs should be just as good or better than the original. Otherwise, they can be incredibly risky endeavors that hurt the original property’s legacy. The Jeremy Renner movie that acted as the foundation for the ongoing franchise in question had already received very low reviews, so there was nowhere to go but up. That being said, the objective quality of the spinoffs perhaps wasn’t a priority in the first place.
2019’s Arctic Dogs Spawned A Surprising Number Of Spinoffs
Arctic Dogs has a rating of 19% on Rotten Tomatoes
According toBox Office Mojo,Arctic Dogsmade just short of $10.5 million. With a budget of around $50 million, the movie’s financial loss was substantial. As well as Jeremy Renner, theArctic Dogscastfeatured stars such as James Franco, John Cleese, and Alec Baldwin. Despite the animated movie’s failure, several spinoff movies and TV shows have since been greenlit, and one is still going. A collaboration between production studios in the US, Canada, UK, and India,Arctic Dogshad no involvement from any major organizations.
Beginning in September 2022, the spinoff showArctic Friendshas since produced 17 seasons and has yet to be canceled.
Spinoffs are most common when the original movie or TV show enjoyed commercial success. Setting more stories within the same world can be a great way to reward the audience and improve profitability.Arctic Dogs' lukewarm reception makes the franchise it kickstarted especially confusing. However, it grew at an impressive rate in the wake of its 2019 debut. Furthermore,Johnny Depp himself has voiced Johnny Puff almost 100 times in theArctic Dogsspinoffs, so they must be doing something right.
Why The Arctic Dogs Franchise Has Enjoyed Such Longevity (Despite The Movie’s Failure)
The Arctic Dogs spinoffs are aimed at a much more specific audience
Arctic Dogswas marketed as a family-friendly movie, but the spinoffs don’t cater to older audiences at all anymore. Instead, keeping the attention of young children is the goal. The focus has shifted toward colorful characters and fun noises, and the plots are incredibly thin. TheArctic Dogsspinoffs' approach isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it’s clearly proven to be a success, but it’s an interesting journey for a franchise that started by recruiting big stars likeJeremy Rennerto tell slightly more nuanced stories.
