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

[Disney Irish]

I think I can promise that California and Texas aren’t going to team up in the near future.

Yeah that part shows this was obviously written by someone not from the US. But the rest is pretty scary how it doesn’t seem that far fetched.

 

[brideck]

So I saw Civil War last night. And let me just say its.... Intense....

I just hope this isn't a prediction of the near future.

It's setting up to easily be A24's biggest opening ever (passing Hereditary), even accounting for inflation. I'm not sure what it says that IFC, Neon, and A24 will have all had their largest opening weekends ever over the last handful of weeks, but I'm here for it.

 

[DKampy]

Yeah that part shows this was obviously written by someone not from the US. But the rest is pretty scary how it doesn’t seem that far fetched.

I have not seen the film yet… but I believe it has been said the writer/director Alex Garland wrote it that way on purpose… he did not want people choosing sides… his purpose was to show how scary it could be for everyone…which is why he also focused on the journalists… as they were a neutral party

 

[donaldtoo]

That is apparently the case. I know he had a falling out with Harold Ramis which may have been a factor.

When the original cast all cameoed in GB 2016 I did think at the time, why not do an in universe sequel if the OG cast was willing to participate?

However, it's still possible Murray didn't want to reprise the role at the time. He said he did the cameo because he didn't want people to think he was opposed to the new incarnation in some way.

I also understand why they wanted to start fresh in order to do an origin story.

I remember hearing that. I never really looked into how true or why. I find that most of the time when an actor isn't on board, it's because they just haven't hit the price tag. He obviously was willing to do it because he was in the new ones. So either it was money or a creative issue. The other two made cameos in the 2016 film. So I don't think it would have to unrealistic to have them team up and "pass the torch" to a new crew.

What am I missing here…?
Harold Ramis died in 2014.
Unless…..AI………..

 

[BrianLo]

Kung Fu Panda 4 had way less legs than I would have thought. Its International take is younger in its run and good though.

I’m still sticking to animated family fare is the most broken of all the genres in the box office. Particularly domestically. I don’t know if this spells good things for Inside Out 2, which surely has big expectations.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

What am I missing here…?
Harold Ramis died in 2014.
Unless…..AI………..

Their falling out may be a reason we never got Ghostbusters 3 with the original cast prior to 2014.

That would not have been a factor in 2016 so the reasons for a standalone movie with a different cast would be for other reasons.

They may have wanted to do an origin story rather than any sort of continuation. The OG cast, i.e. Murray, didn't want to do it again for other reasons, and it wasn't until Afterlife was proposed that he felt it was justified to return.

 

[donaldtoo]

That is apparently the case. I know he had a falling out with Harold Ramis which may have been a factor.

When the original cast all cameoed in GB 2016 I did think at the time, why not do an in universe sequel if the OG cast was willing to participate?

However, it's still possible Murray didn't want to reprise the role at the time. He said he did the cameo because he didn't want people to think he was opposed to the new incarnation in some way.

I also understand why they wanted to start fresh in order to do an origin story.

I remember hearing that. I never really looked into how true or why. I find that most of the time when an actor isn't on board, it's because they just haven't hit the price tag. He obviously was willing to do it because he was in the new ones. So either it was money or a creative issue. The other two made cameos in the 2016 film. So I don't think it would have to unrealistic to have them team up and "pass the torch" to a new crew.

The parts in red are what confused me…

ALL the original cast couldn’t have cameoed in the 2016 film because Ramis was/is dead.

Again, Ramis was/is dead, so unless the other two being referred to are Aykroyd and Hudson, it wouldn’t have happened.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

The parts in red are what confused me…

ALL the original cast couldn’t have cameoed in the 2016 film because Ramis was/is dead.

Again, Ramis was/is dead, so unless the other two being referred to are Aykroyd and Hudson, it wouldn’t have happened.

It just means that since the three surviving cast members were willing to cameo in 2016, the question many had was why not do an in universe sequel with them included in some capacity.

 

[celluloid]

At First Omen falls from other rated R films being picked. Abigail will hurt that more next weekend.

I don't see how anyone can think that family films are the most broken.

Kung Fu Panda 4 outperformed its predecessor sequels of the same at much less the budget.

Shrek 2 by the way is going to outperform any of the Pixar re-releases in the first weekend.

It is once again clear, that Universal is the current leader of the modern family animated movie box office.

 

[erasure fan1]

It just means that since the three surviving cast members were willing to cameo in 2016, the question many had was why not do an in universe sequel with them included in some capacity.

Exactly. Just because Ramis wasn't around, they still could have done a proper Ghostbusters 3. That's what everyone wanted anyway. They could have modified the script they supposedly had, and the 3 originals usher in a new generation. Just like how star wars should have done it.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The re-release of Shrek 2 this weekend has outgrossed the re-releases of Soul and Luca, and will soon surpass Turning Red, the most successful of this year's Pixar releases at $1.4 million.

Civil War is A24's biggest opening weekend ever, but it's also their most expensive movie with a combined production and marketing budget of over $70 million.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Kung Fu Panda 4 outperformed its predecessor sequels of the same at much less the budget.

It's at $173 million domestically right now, and still in the top 5.

I think it's doing fine by Kung Fu Panda standards.

 

[TP2000]

Hi, gang. The first estimates for this weekend's Box Office are now out, with a further revision tomorrow.

The First Omen fell to 7th place this weekend, but still retains the third highest theater count at 3,375 nationwide. Overseas box office estimate is also in for The First Omen, now that it has opened in its last 5 remaining foreign countries; giving it about a $35 Million global box office take through its second weekend. That's just over one third of the way toward its break even box office point of $90 Million (60/40 split off of a $30 Million production and $15 Million marketing budget).

The Numbers - Weekend Box Office Chart for August 2, 2024

Weekend Domestic Box Office Chart for the weekend of August 2, 2024

www.the-numbers.com

 

[celluloid]

It's at $173 million domestically right now, and still in the top 5.

I think it's doing fine by Kung Fu Panda standards.

That was my pont. It is actually doing superior to its previous sequel installments.
Good timing for Universal to ha e it be a substantial part of the Dreamworks area next season and my point was family films have certainly faired well lately.

 

[Disney Irish]

That was my pont. It is actually doing superior to its previous sequel installments.
Good timing for Universal to ha e it be a substantial part of the Dreamworks area next season and my point was family films have certainly faired well lately.

When looking at an inflation adjusted comparison, even with the lower budget, 4 looks like its really maybe only going to beat 3 overall.

 

[celluloid]

View attachment 779492

When looking at an inflation adjusted comparison, even with the lower budget, 4 looks like its really maybe only going to beat 3 overall.

Yes, with inflation.

More to the point...

Astounding that in the current theatrical climate, a 4th Kung Fu Panda film is going to top the third. With less than half the production budget. Not a thing that happens often.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I have not seen the film yet… but I believe it has been said the writer/director Alex Garland wrote it that way on purpose… he did not want people choosing sides… his purpose was to show how scary it could be for everyone…which is why he also focused on the journalists… as they were a neutral party

I saw it yesterday and thought it was excellent.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes, with inflation.

More to the point...

Astounding that in the current theatrical climate, a 4th Kung Fu Panda film is going to top the third. With less than half the production budget. Not a thing that happens often.

What I think it also shows is that the franchise is actually long in the tooth and not as popular as it once was. That is not to take anything away from it, it’s just showing signs of fatigue just like all franchises do.

Also we have to use inflation numbers, because anytime someone tries to do that with a Disney movie it gets called out. So got to play fair here, use inflation numbers across the board, things don’t look as rosy for anyone.

 

[celluloid]

What I think it also shows is that the franchise is actually long in the tooth and not as popular as it once was. That is not to take anything away from it, it’s just showing signs of fatigue just like all franchises do.

Also we have to use inflation numbers, because anytime someone tries to do that with a Disney movie it gets called out. So got to play fair here, use inflation numbers across the board, things don’t look as rosy for anyone.

That is interesting you see it that way. It is a revival in the right direction for Dreamworks if anything.

There is a reason Universal was conservative with its budget and placed new creative leadership. They carefully crafted revivals.

Besides the other Illumination and Dreamworks films(which it will be close to PussnBoots by the time it is done in theaters) it is the highest grossing animation film in years.

People said thing the same about Shrek related Intellectual Property, and PussnBoots just had a come back as a spin off character to prove it can be done well.

For sure there is some natural Fatigue. But it is not the same sudden fatigue that other major properties saw last year where their sequels could not reach half of the box office of their prior installment.

This film cost 85 million and has made over 452 million worldwide.

It also disproves that family films are suffering more. Wonka and Kung Fu Panda both did well considering they are long in the tooth sequel and a spin off prequel.
You can use inflation numbers if you like. That does not change the fact that something made more than 4 times its production budget in theaters alone.

I don't think that changes things not looking rosy for Disney. I think the fact that we can't think of a single movie from Disney, animated or not, that has done that in recent play.(Avatar 2 may be the exception)


Not many animated fourth installments surpass their third one's profit ratio.

And that is coming from myself, who was never a Kung Fu Panda fan.

 

[Disney Irish]

That is interesting you see it that way. It is a revival in the right direction for Dreamworks if anything.

There is a reason Universal was conservative with its budget and placed new creative leadership. They carefully crafted revivals.

Besides the other Illumination and Dreamworks films(which it will be close to PussnBoots by the time it is done in theaters) it is the highest grossing animation film in years.

People said thing the same about Shrek related Intellectual Property, and PussnBoots just had a come back as a spin off character to prove it can be done well.

For sure there is some natural Fatigue. But it is not the same sudden fatigue that other major properties saw last year where their sequels could not reach half of the box office of their prior installment.

This thing cost 85 million and has made over 452 million worldwide.

You can use inflation numbers if you like. That does not change the fact that something made more than 4 times its production budget in theaters alone.

I don't think that changes things not looking rosy for Disney. I think the fact that we can't think of a single movie from Disney, animated or not, that has done that in recent play.(Avatar 2 may be the exception)


Not many animated fourth installments surpass their third one's profit ratio.

And that is coming from myself, who was never a Kung Fu Panda fan.

The reason why I say its showing signs of fatigue, just like other franchises have, is because its evident that it has not sold as many tickets as previous films in the franchise, even 3. So the lower budget helps keep it profitable, but its losing its luster when comparing to the other films. So if we're really calling things fairly then you have to be honest that the franchise is not as popular as it once was and selling less tickets. Again this is not to take anything away from the franchise or this one installment, it has done great overall for a franchise. But its now long in the tooth and its showing signs of fatigue, it happens just accept it.

Dreamworks for all your "rah rah" is not infallible, same can be said for Illumination.