History FollowTheLeader / AnimatedFilms

** For a while Creator/DreamWorksAnimation was single-handedly playing FollowTheLeader against Pixar, as part of Jeffrey Katzenberg's TakeThat against Disney after the success of ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1''. ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'' begat ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' (which was rushed for release before ''Bugs''), ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' begat ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'', ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' begat ''WesternAnimation/SharkTale'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'' begat ''WesternAnimation/FlushedAway'' (produced by then-partner Aardman) and ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'' begat ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}''. The practice stopped when Pixar finally stopped publicly discussing their projects in advance, to Creator/JohnLasseter's dismay (he felt that [=DreamWorks'=] copycat tactics betrayed the studio-agnostic camaraderie that animators previously nurtured). [=DreamWorks=] must be the only animated film studio capable of copying off of ''its own movies''. The commercial success of ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar1'' begat their other animal movie, ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge''. With that success, Disney finally gave [=DreamWorks=] a taste of their own unoriginal medicine with ''WesternAnimation/TheWild''... which they only distributed from a small Canadian studio who created the film without ''Madagascar'' in mind.

* The success of ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'', which was the highest-grossing non-Disney traditionally animated movie until ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'', lead to a wave of theatrical Christian movies in the late '90s and early 2000s. Among them were two record-breakers of their own: ''Film/ThePassionOfTheChrist'', which became the then highest-grossing R-rated film of all time (the record is currently held by ''[[Film/Joker2019 Joker]]'') and ''WesternAnimation/JonahAVeggieTalesMovie'', which was the highest-grossing film based on a PreschoolShow for 17 years until ''Film/DoraAndTheLostCityOfGold'' surpassed it.

* While cartoons such as ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' and ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' have experimented with the comic-book/comic-strip style of animation, it was the release of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' that really popularized the style in large part due to an effective blend of 2D and CG animation styles, what is now dubbed as PaintedCGI. As a result, it was a critical and commercial success that ultimately earned it the mediaNotes/AcademyAwardForBestAnimatedFeature. Following its release, several different animated films (and even television series) have been inspired by ''Spider-Verse'', including:

* While cartoons such as ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' and ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' have experimented with the comic-book/comic-strip style of animation, it was the release of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' that really popularized the style in large part due to an effective blend of 2D and CG animation styles, what is now dubbed as PaintedCGI. As a result, it was a critical and commercial success that ultimately earned it the UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestAnimatedFeature. Following its release, several different animated films (and even television series) have been inspired by ''Spider-Verse'', including:

*** Disney gave 2D another chance with ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog''. While successful, it was not as big a hit as they had hoped, thus resulting in them changing the animation on ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' from 2D to 3D. Disney tried again with ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh2011'', but that got buried running alongside the juggernaut that is ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathyHallows Part 2''. ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'' was converted from 2D to 3D in was.
*** Actually, some tiny animation studios, such as Creator/Video Brinquedo, started ripping off some animated movies to create their own Mockbusters. Examples included Ratatoing for Ratatouille, The Little Panda Fighter for Kung Fu Panda and A Car’s Life for Cars, to name a few.

*** Disney gave 2D another chance with ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog''. While successful, it was not as big a hit as they had hoped, thus resulting in them changing the animation on ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' from 2D to 3D. Disney tried again with ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh'', but that got buried running alongside the juggernaut that is Film/HarryPotter. ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'' was converted from 2D to 3D in response.

*** That's arguably, in large part, due to certain box office bombs of the past that have been animated in 2D such as ''WesternAnimation/RockADoodle'' and ''WesternAnimation/HappilyEverAfter''. While most of these bombs were made by companies outside of Disney, Disney itself was not spared. After ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'', Disney movies would only experience huge success if they were CGI, which, conversely, helped fuel Pixar. One medium's failure is another medium's opportunity.

*** Disney gave 2D another chance with ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog''. While successful, it was not as big a hit as they had hoped, thus resulting in them changing the animation on ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' from 2D to 3D. Disney tried again with ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh'', but that got buried running alongside the juggernaut that is Film/HarryPotter. ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'' was converted from 2D to 3D in response.

* After the success of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', more and more CGI-animated movies started mirroring its method of animating human characters with caricature proportions so as to create smoother human animation and avoid freaking out the audience.

** In the case of ''Shrek'' in particular, the film sparked a craze for {{All CGI Cartoon}}s that relied on a combination of popular culture jokes, WorldOfSnark, and merciless iconoclasm of classic fairy-tales. Nearly all of these films were found lacking compared to their progenitor. In doing so ''Shrek'' also basically killed Disney's more traditional [=2D=] animated films from the era, films like ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove''.

** In the case of ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' in particular, the film sparked a craze for {{All CGI Cartoon}}s that relied on a combination of popular culture jokes, WorldOfSnark, and merciless iconoclasm of classic fairy-tales. Nearly all of these films were found lacking compared to their progenitor. In doing so ''Shrek'' also basically killed Disney's more traditional [=2D=] animated films from the era, films like ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove''.