TORONTO – Elton John has blasted Disney for not backing Gnomeo and Juliet to the hilt — and then not ringing with congratulations after the animated movie became a box office winner.
“We fought resistance from the (Disney) studio for so long, and to be honest with you, the film has taken $75 million in America, and we haven’t had a message of congratulations from anyone within the studio,” the British singer let rip on the CTV daytime talker The Marilyn Dennis Show Tuesday (on Sunday, John went out of his way to thank the Disney guests at his Oscar viewing party).
Gnomeo, a Disney holdover, this past weekend
grabbed the No. 2 box office spot in its third weekend in release, raking in $13.4 million for a total take of $74.3 million, according to Rentrak.
“Gnomeo and Juliet took us eleven years to make. We defied all the odds and all of the people at Disney who said, “this wouldn’t be a hit,” John said on air with one of his legendary outbursts. “And it’s the biggest hit, but it could have been a bigger hit if Disney got behind it more,” he added.
The animated
Gnomeo was produced by London-based Rocket Pictures, run by John,
Steve Hamilton Shaw and John’s partner,
David Furnish.
Miramax financed the picture, which was animated at the Starz Animation studio in Toronto. John said Disney is red-faced over Gnomeo overcoming the odds to succeed at the multiplex. “They’re so ashamed, and they should be ashamed of themselves –they’re so afraid to congratulate us because John Lasseter of Pixar did not want us to make this movie that we still haven’t had a message of congratulations or well done,” he added.
