Disney (and others) at the Box Office - Current State of Affairs

[Casper Gutman]

I usually agree with you and I can’t tell if your post is sarcasm or not, but Olivia Wilde has proved that she is a good director, and if Margot Robbie is in, I’m there. I must admit that I don’t know the source material.

I’d have to go into detail about 90s comic, but suffice it to say that Liefeld is a punchline among comic aficionados for embodying all the worst excesses of the era and Avangelyne is the worst of Liefeld. It has no modern following and is now best known for this cover

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cYoAAOSwetBi6yse/s-l1200.webp

Which is a common punchline, shorthand for “abysmal comic art.”

This is a Hollywood that doesn’t understand comics desperately grabbing any property with no insight.

 

[Disney Irish]

I’d have to go into detail about 90s comic, but suffice it to say that Liefeld is a punchline among comic aficionados for embodying all the worst excesses of the era and Avangelyne is the worst of Liefeld. It has no modern following and is now best known for this cover

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cYoAAOSwetBi6yse/s-l1200.webp

Which is a common punchline, shorthand for “abysmal comic art.”

This is a Hollywood that doesn’t understand comics desperately grabbing any property with no insight.

Well he did create Deadpool, so if nothing else I'll thank him for that. As for the rest I say, eh. I'll probably avoid it.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Well he did create Deadpool, so if nothing else I'll thank him for that. As for the rest I say, eh. I'll probably avoid it.

He created a ripoff of DCs Deathstroke named Deadpool who bore almost no resemblance to the modern character. The humor, meta-commentary, everything that made Deadpool work, came from other, later creators.

(I know you almost certainly know this. Just emphasizing for the less comic literate.)

 

[Disney Irish]

He created a ripoff of DCs Deathstroke named Deadpool who bore almost no resemblance to the modern character. The humor, meta-commentary, everything that made Deadpool work, came from other, later creators.

(I know you almost certainly know this. Just emphasizing for the less comic literate.)

Yep I'm aware. And honestly I always preferred Deadpool to Deathstroke.

 

[DKampy]

Has anyone stumbled upon the Imagineering Movie Discussion Thread? It is like the Bizzaro World version of what goes on in here, in case anyone saw the Bizzaro World Seinfeld episode.

As someone who has seen every episode of Seinfeld too many times(my fav comedy series)… I had to check it out… and you weren’t kidding… I got a good chuckle out of that

 

[BuddyThomas]

As someone who has seen every episode of Seinfeld too many times(my fav comedy series)… I had to check it out… and you weren’t kidding… I got a good chuckle out of that

I'm trying to figure out which "characters" over there are "us", LOL.

 

[BuddyThomas]

This is a fun discussion. EDIT - I just notice it has a couple of curse words in it. Proceed with your own caution. It's rated PG-13, and it is still hysterical.

 

[TalkingHead]

Saw it was posted in other individual threads but for those keeping track generally:

SW Mandalorian movie in May 2026
Toy Story 5 in June 2026
Live-action Moana in July 2026

The stacking of those three summer releases in 2026 seems curious. Is that to increase the odds that one or two hit big?

Oh, and saw they’re releasing four(!!) Marvel titles next year. (Four?!) Seems like a huge gamble. Zootopia 2 and Avatar 3 too, so not a quiet year.

 

[TP2000]

Hi gang, box office is out for Thursday previewing this upcoming weekend. The First Omen previewed in 6th place.

Luca looks like it has now ended it box office run (I can't find tickets anywhere in the desert Southwest today), and made a total box office take of $1,324,302 for its re-release.

The Numbers - Daily Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025

Daily Domestic Box Office Chart for Thursday October 9, 2025

www.the-numbers.com

 

[TP2000]

Just saw Wish on D+

Why did they hate this one again?

Because it is on trend by a certain group in this country to hate on Disney… most of the hate you see come from people who did not watch the film

You can't just blame those deplorable Americans.

While it is factually true (and blatantly so) that Wish bombed at the US box office, the bomb-status of Wish was not exclusively a US phenomenon. Compared to its recent competition, Wish also bombed badly in many overseas markets. A few notable overseas examples of the failure of Wish at the box office that can't be explained away "Because it is on trend by a certain group in this country to hate on Disney"...

Overseas Box Office Data as of 4/4/24 Cherry Picked Like a Bushel of Fresh Rainier Cherries in June

Mexico & Central America: Wish = $5.3 Million, Migration = $11.4 Million
United Kingdom: Wish = $16.5 Million, Migration = $25.3 Million
Germany: Wish = $18.5 Million, Migration = $22.1 Million
Switzerland: Wish = $2.5 Million , Migration = $4.5 Million
BeNeLux: Wish = $6.3 Million, Migration = $8.8 Million

And Kung Fu Panda, which has only been in most overseas theaters a few weeks and hasn't even opened yet in a few key countries, is doing overseas box office far higher than that of Wish.

Kung Fu Panda has only been out for 3 weeks in Mexico & the 6 Central American countries, but already has done this...

Mexico & Central America: Wish = $5.3 Million, Kung Fu Panda = $33.1 Million (and still counting)

You can't just blame Americans for the global box office data. You have to blame the entire planet if you're being honest.

Movie Comparison: Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) vs. Migration (2023) vs. Wish (2023)

Domestic box office comparison between Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) and Migration (2023) and Wish (2023)

www.the-numbers.com

 

[DKampy]

I’d have to go into detail about 90s comic, but suffice it to say that Liefeld is a punchline among comic aficionados for embodying all the worst excesses of the era and Avangelyne is the worst of Liefeld. It has no modern following and is now best known for this cover

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cYoAAOSwetBi6yse/s-l1200.webp

Which is a common punchline, shorthand for “abysmal comic art.”

This is a Hollywood that doesn’t understand comics desperately grabbing any property with no insight.

As a non comic book guy who is not familiar with the source material, but believes any film can be great if you have the right people… this has me interested just with Olivia Wilde directing and Margot Robbie producing… her Lucky Chap production company has a good track record

 

[Joel]

I eagerly await the Liefeld Cinematic Universe.

 

[TP2000]

Some early numbers from Deadline today on The First Omen. [Source: https://deadline.com/2024/04/godzil...the-first-omen-box-office-preview-1235874366/]

Projected Opening: $12m-$15m
Screens: 3300
Budget: $30m-$35m

I think it will come to how well the film is received…I have not seen any reviews yet

Variety has now stated The First Omen had a production budget of $30 Million, so we can use that lower figure now confidently. If we assume it had a shoestring global marketing budget of $15 Million, The First Omen will need roughly $90 Million at the global box office to break even.

It's opening weekend is trending well below forecasts, even though it's reviews are good. It will be interesting to see where The First Omen lands for the weekend; will it break $10 Million in its domestic opening weekend?

Box Office: ‘Godzilla x Kong’ Staying on Top, ‘Monkey Man’ Swings Into Second and ‘The First Omen’ Gets Crossed Up

"Godzilla x Kong" is facing a sharp drop in its second weekend at the box office, but will stay ahead of the openings of "Monkey Man" and "The First Omen."

variety.com

"Landing a less auspicious debut is “The First Omen,” which earned $3.2 million across Friday and preview screenings. Projections heading into the weekend had pegged an opening north of $14 million; now, it seems the release from 20th Century Studios (owned by Disney) will be lucky to even hit $10 million."

.

 

[celluloid]

Variety has now stated The First Omen had a production budget of $30 Million, so we can use that lower figure now confidently. If we assume it had a shoestring global marketing budget of $15 Million, The First Omen will need roughly $90 Million at the global box office to break even.

It's opening weekend is trending well below forecasts, even though it's reviews are good. It will be interesting to see where The First Omen lands for the weekend; will it break $10 Million in its domestic opening weekend?

Box Office: ‘Godzilla x Kong’ Staying on Top, ‘Monkey Man’ Swings Into Second and ‘The First Omen’ Gets Crossed Up

"Godzilla x Kong" is facing a sharp drop in its second weekend at the box office, but will stay ahead of the openings of "Monkey Man" and "The First Omen."

variety.com

"Landing a less auspicious debut is “The First Omen,” which earned $3.2 million across Friday and preview screenings. Projections heading into the weekend had pegged an opening north of $14 million; now, it seems the release from 20th Century Studios (owned by Disney) will be lucky to even hit $10 million."

.

Comparing other recent Horror releases, the genre that has been a low gamble for some studios and a hit for Universal's legacy in it with most Blumhouse releases...

Uni Blum-Exorcist: Believer opened to 26 million against 30 million budget.
Uni Blum-Night Swim opened to 11 million witha 15 million budget.
Lionsgate Blum- Imaginary opened with 9 million on a 13 million budget.

The first Omen may open just a bit above Night Swim with a 30 million budget.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Comparing other recent Horror releases, the genre that has been a low gamble for some studios and a hit for Universal's legacy in it with most Blumhouse releases...

Uni Blum-Exorcist: Believer opened to 26 million against 30 million budget.
Uni Blum-Night Swim opened to 11 million witha 15 million budget.
Lionsgate Blum- Imaginary opened with 9 million on a 13 million budget.

The first Omen may open just a bit above Night Swim with a 30 million budget.

You seem to have left out the part where Universal spent $400 million to buy the Exorcist IP to make Believer. Sorta feels like that’s relevant.

But yes, First Omen is underperforming. Considering it’s very well reviewed, why do you think that is? It’s worth noting that Night Swim and Imaginary also underperformed - has box office chaos finally taken its toll on cheap horror? Monkey Man, which also has great reviews and lots of nerd hype, is falling short of expectations. Meanwhile, Kong x Godzilla, which has miserable reviews and follows a film with disappointing box office returns, is doing gangbusters. If anyone can make sense of the box office, I’d love to hear it.

 

[celluloid]

You seem to have left out the part where Universal spent $400 million to buy the Exorcist IP to make Believer. Sorta feels like that’s relevant.

But yes, First Omen is underperforming. Considering it’s very well reviewed, why do you think that is? It’s worth noting that Night Swim and Imaginary also underperformed - has box office chaos finally taken its toll on cheap horror? Monkey Man, which also has great reviews and lots of nerd hype, is falling short of expectations. Meanwhile, Kong x Godzilla, which has miserable reviews and follows a film with disappointing box office returns, is doing gangbusters. If anyone can make sense of the box office, I’d love to hear it.

Well that is an aquistition of an entire property...Not specific to budget and audience attendance of theatrical horror.

Should I have mentioned the Fox Purchase with The First Omen and every time a Fox Studios film does not do well?

Night Swim was very low marketed and a low budget. I don't think it really underperformed. Why would you say that?
Imaginary was meh because the movie was meh. It was Lionsgate ready to want something like Five Nights and M3GAN was for Uni.

Many people understand the box office situation right now.

Many have tried explaining it to you, but you don't like to hear it.

Don't forget Kung Fu Panda 4 still racking it in further solidifying Universal as the modern animation house of choice.

Monkey Man, other than high marketing had a low budget and will likely do pretty well.

Its RATED R and an odd title and concept for many to understand from marketing. It will perform likely fine.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Well that is an aquistition of an entire property...Not specific to budget and audience attendance of theatrical horror.

Should I have mentioned the Fox Purchase with The First Omen and every time a Fox Studios film does not do well?

Night Swim was very low marketed and a low budget. I don't think it really underperformed. Why would you say that?
Imaginary was meh because the movie was meh. It was Lionsgate ready to want something like Five Nights and M3GAN was for Uni.

Many people understand the box office situation right now.

Many have tried explaining it to you, but you don't like to hear it.

Don't forget Kung Fu Panda 4 still racking it in further solidifying Universal as the modern animation house of choice.

Monkey Man, other than high marketing had a low budget and will likely do pretty well.

Its RATED R and an odd title and concept for many to understand from marketing. It will perform likely fine.

If Fox had been acquired entirely to make three specific films like Exorcist was... yes.

I'm sorry I made an effort to engage you. You don't even address Omen. And yes, Monkey Man, Night Swim, and Imaginary are all considered underperformers by the industry. Do you ever read any articles and analysis, or do you just look at raw box office?

 

[celluloid]

If Fox had been acquired entirely to make three specific films like Exorcist was... yes.

I'm sorry I made an effort to engage you. You don't even address Omen. And yes, Monkey Man, Night Swim, and Imaginary are all considered underperformers by the industry. Do you ever read any articles and analysis, or do you just look at raw box office?

Firstly. The purchase was not soley for three films. Universal now OWNS the rights to utilize The Exorcist company wide. Including Streaming shows for Peacock, future films and a lot of other synergy in theme parks. The 400 million was arguably a steal.

The same way Fox has some hits and many flops. It was comparable.

The movies you mentioned were profitable in theaters enough to make their money and let some "gravy"(as others have said) flow in from later broadcasts and home video.

The point was to compare. The First Omen is yet again, another far underperformer for the budget. And unless some great word of mouth, will struggle around the rest of the better received horror and Rated R options that cost less to produce.

Monkey Man is an odd action film that is RATED R that just came out. Its a weekend against a large theatrical release that is not rated R and scattered more family friendly properties.

You read analysis and you, Newton Crosby, PHD do not know this?

MSN

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Because it is on trend by a certain group in this country to hate on Disney… most of the hate you see come from people who did not watch the film

Because no one watched it…

Try to keep up here. People
Go to see good movies. They don’t spend the time and money to see crap.

Except fast and the furious…those defy common sense

 

[Animaniac93-98]

But yes, First Omen is underperforming. Considering it’s very well reviewed, why do you think that is?

The movie may have been liked by most critics, but got a C Cinemascore. It's sitting at 64% audience score on RT

Not unusual for a horror movie, but in this case there was a clear lack of interest/appreciation from the general public.

Deadline estimating $8.4 million for the weekend.