I get that, but you're carefully stepping around my point that their films are good. "Son's directorial debut," Kubo and the Two Strings, has 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 84 ("Universal Acclaim") on Metacritic. Yeah, Travis Knight totally got his job through nepotism, but against all odds, the man is a good animator and director.
Maybe he's a lousy CEO. Maybe somebody else needs to come in and say, "Look, you people keep thinking of these films as art but the market wants Minions, so you'd better dumb this stuff down, pronto." Maybe that'd work. But I honestly think it's a shame that Laika isn't doing better.
Son's rap career - which daddy finances, including putting him up for an extended period in a Manhattan penthouse - flops.
Daddy convinces animation company that he's an investor in to hire son as an intern.
Company continues to struggle, daddy invests more and becomes controlling shareholder.
Son promoted to board of directors, despite having no management experience at all.
Son promoted to vice president.
Layoffs.
First major film release, middling at best financial results. Maybe broken even with home video sales.
Second major film release, makes less money, almost certainly lost money overall.
Third film, ditto.
Son promoted to president and CEO, also given board seat at Nike
Releases 4th film, son's directorial debut. Bombs. Likely loses ~$60-70 million dollars
Releases 5th film, massive bomb, likely loses at least $150m, possibly $200m.
Son still president and CEO. Other executives fired.