Funimation's still involved:
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/japan-animated-in-this-corner-of-the-world-1202431532/
If it has one thing going for it, it doesn't look exactly like some other anime.
I think another thing we haven't fully appeciated is how many of these movies there are. Minions/Despicable me has 4 movies in 7 years, whereas it took Shrek 9 years for that. Kind of reaching saturation. A fifth movie would be chasing diminishing returns.
Although Illumination will be on the same track for 20 years, based on their business model. I don't think anythings going to knock them down.
There's nothing that Fox can release that could hurt Frozen 2. Deadpool isn't direct competition, and the other X-Men aren't big enough to affect the Disney movie.
I wonder if we'll have some years without a big Disney win. Coco is their only real contender this year, and that might disappoint. Maybe a smaller indie movie can win this year.
Maybe even in 2018 as well. The Incedibles 2 isn't a guarantee, and neither is the second Wreck-It Ralph.
Not to mention 2019 with Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2.
I could stand for some variety in the winners' category.
It's just what happens when there's a fourth entry in a series. We all should have seen this coming. I'm pleased with the result, mainly because I like it when something unexpected happens at the box office.
Even if Cars movies sell merchandise, I'm guessing that even that revenue stream is dwindling in light of what the current movie's doing at the box office. We all act like we know what the bean counters at Disney think, but we don't.