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

[Disney Irish]

I was looking at my local theater what was playing this weekend… as we were planning to go to the theater this Sunday… and there were a total of 4 movies on 14 Screens…Red One, Wicked, Gladiator, and Moana 2….. by then I would of seen everything except Red One…. Which I am not really interested in…come on give some people a little variety besides tentpole blockbusters… I was hoping for something else like Anora or A Real Pain which were both playing there for just one week the week before Glicked….It makes me miss our other close less busy theater that closed last year… we use to get smaller movies all the time…. As the 2 theaters could split the movies between them…being of the same chain

Unfortunately I see a further consolidation of theaters here in the near future. So you're gonna have more of just playing blockbusters with premium screens rather than the smaller screens.

Around me we have either the theaters playing blockbusters or Hindi movies as that market has grown tremendously over the last couple years.

 

[LittleBuford]

Yup. Very off topic, but another big one for me is anti-hero TV. Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Penguin, etc. I've watched quite a bit and I can absolutely admire the craft and skill but on a profound level it just doesn't appeal to and sometimes even troubles me. I guess I don't want to root for the bad guy!

Back to Wicked, I certainly hope this launches a string of big musical films, although I'm not entirely sure what the logical follow-up to Wicked would be. The huge lesson Hollywood should draw from this is that, as Barbie indicated, there's a vast, untapped market for blockbusters aimed primarily (though certainly not solely) at a female audience. On a more specific note, between Wicked and the success of Agatha All Along, if I'm a Hollywood exec I'm looking for some more witch-based properties.

Breaking Bad is one of my favourite shows of all time, and I never once rooted for Walt. I was quite surprised to learn that others did!

I too am curious to see what lessons Hollywood draws from Wicked’s success. A new breed of strong musicals would be no bad thing!

 

[DKampy]

Unfortunately I see a further consolidation of theaters here in the near future. So you're gonna have more of just playing blockbusters with premium screens rather than the smaller screens.

Around me we have either the theaters playing blockbusters or Hindi movies as that market has grown tremendously over the last couple years.

I just think they may be leaving some money on the table as every screen to every theater can’t be that full… I watch all genres and types of movies but not everybody even is interested in blockbusters… they could not even spare one showtime…

 

[Ghost93]

It kind of reminds me of when they released Return to Neverland. Yes, it made money and didn't hurt the brand but it didn't help either. I just worry Disney will start releasing these originally made for tv shows as stand alone movies further cheapening the brand. It is history repeating from the early 2000s.

Half of the direct-to-video sequels were just rehashes of the first film where the child learned the same lesson as the parent. At least the new Disney sequels are avoiding that (so far).

I recall the voiceover for the Little Mermaid II

"Ten years ago, the Little Mermaid dreamed of life on land....NOW, her daughter DREAMS OF THE SEA!!!"

 

[Phroobar]

Half of the direct-to-video sequels were just rehashes of the first film where the child learned the same lesson as the parent. At least the new Disney sequels are avoiding that (so far).

I recall the voiceover for the Little Mermaid II

"Ten years ago, the Little Mermaid dreamed of life on land....NOW, her daughter DREAMS OF THE SEA!!!"

Very true. However inn this case, it sounds like Moana finds her evil sister. I could be completely wrong.

 

[brideck]

I was looking at my local theater what was playing this weekend… as we were planning to go to the theater this Sunday… and there were a total of 4 movies on 14 Screens…Red One, Wicked, Gladiator, and Moana 2….. by then I would of seen everything except Red One…. Which I am not really interested in…come on give some people a little variety besides tentpole blockbusters… I was hoping for something else like Anora or A Real Pain which were both playing there for just one week the week before Glicked….It makes me miss our other close less busy theater that closed last year… we use to get smaller movies all the time…. As the 2 theaters could split the movies between them…being of the same chain

Yeah, we were just caught off guard by this yesterday. We'd been thinking that Anora would be safe since it's a legitimate Best Picture contender and is still doing good money per screen, but the whole landscape was obliterated this week by those blockbusters, so we had to run out to the art theater last night to catch it before it disappears.

A Real Pain, Conclave, and Heretic are sticking around near us in much more limited showings (and really weird times) compared to a week ago. For Disney/Searchlight, it'll be interesting to see if A Real Pain and/or Nightbench are able to make an impression at awards season. Things feel pretty wide open this year.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Moana 2 seems to be fluctuating between 68 and 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. I suspect a strong opening weekend, but think its legs might be hurt by the middling reviews. I think it will still be a juggernaut at the box office, but it might not reach the heights it could have had Disney started this as a theatrical project from the start and ensured it was a top-tier film.

Hopefully the sequel doesn't damage the Moana brand. I don't think it will, as the direct to video sequels were unable to kill the classics or the Renaissance films.

It kind of reminds me of when they released Return to Neverland. Yes, it made money and didn't hurt the brand but it didn't help either. I just worry Disney will start releasing these originally made for tv shows as stand alone movies further cheapening the brand. It is history repeating from the early 2000s.

I don’t get this line of thinking. It’s pretty insulting to the people working on these films to think they can’t take a plot line from a TV series that is excellent and adapt it into a movie that is excellent. It’s kind of what they do.

The critically acclaimed TV series of today are not anything like the straight to DVD movies, IMO.

 

[DKampy]

Yeah, we were just caught off guard by this yesterday. We'd been thinking that Anora would be safe since it's a legitimate Best Picture contender and is still doing good money per screen, but the whole landscape was obliterated this week by those blockbusters, so we had to run out to the art theater last night to catch it before it disappears.

A Real Pain, Conclave, and Heretic are sticking around near us in much more limited showings (and really weird times) compared to a week ago. For Disney/Searchlight, it'll be interesting to see if A Real Pain and/or Nightbench are able to make an impression at awards season. Things feel pretty wide open this year.

Yes… just a week ago… I mentioned to my wife…look at alll the variety of films… there seems to be something for everyone…. And the theater seemed busier than normal…then what a difference a week makes…. Nothing but tentpoles…. It perplexes me…. Because why wouldn't you want to attract the largest selection of people

It was my understanding that Nightdog was an awards contender…. But I looked it up on Rotten tomatoes recently and it only had a 65 % with many of the critics saying it was too conventional especially when compared to the book.. I am still curious to check it out for myself

 

[TalkingHead]

Is it too late for a Wicked land to be added to Epic Universe for opening day?

 

[TsWade2]

You know what? I don't care if Moana 2 reached the $1 billion or not, if Moana 2 just past the $500 million or something at the box office, then WDAS will be officially saved. I hope.

 

[Disney Irish]

Is it too late for a Wicked land to be added to Epic Universe for opening day?

Maybe Disney and Uni can have competing Oz based lands as Disney I believe still owns some rights to their version of the Oz stories.

 

[Disney Irish]

You know what? I don't care if Moana 2 reached the $1 billion or not, if Moana 2 just past the $500 million or something at the box office, then WDAS will be officially saved. I hope.

Relax it'll be whatever it'll be, this is not make or break for WDAS, the studio will go on no matter what happens to Moana 2. However I'm sure it'll do fine, more than $500M.

 

[Tha Realest]

Maybe Disney and Uni can have competing Oz based lands as Disney I believe still owns some rights to their version of the Oz stories.

The original film was produced by MGM, and I believe its rights were acquired by WB. MGM’s license to permit Disney to use certain imagery was famously limited by MGM as the Imagineers learned the hard way while developing the Great Movie Ride. That agreement has likely lapsed by now, and WB has a much better theme park relationship with Universal.

Disney can use certain public domain stuff, and can use its Oz The Great and Powerful iconography. But stuff like the Ruby Slippers are likely hands off.

 

[celluloid]

Is it too late for a Wicked land to be added to Epic Universe for opening day?

Yes, but not too late for it to go somewhere else in three years when Disney is trying to figure out why people are not coming to the parks when they promised a new attraction in four. ;-D

 

[brideck]

It was my understanding that Nightdog was an awards contender…. But I looked it up on Rotten tomatoes recently and it only had a 65 % with many of the critics saying it was too conventional especially when compared to the book.. I am still curious to check it out for myself

Totally forgot (until catching the trailer again last night) that A Complete Unknown is also a Searchlight release. With Chalamet's popularity and the recent success of musician biopics that could end up doing pretty well for Disney, though it's carrying an R rating.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney can use certain public domain stuff

Indeed. cf. Agatha All Along

 

[Farerb]

Box Office: ‘Moana 2’ Shatters Records With $13.8M in Previews, Biggest Ever for Walt Disney Animation

The animated family film opens everywhere on Wednesday, joining 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' on the holiday marquee.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Tha Realest]

Is a Snow White trailer playing before Moana 2?

 

[Disney Analyst]

Box Office: ‘Moana 2’ Shatters Records With $13.8M in Previews, Biggest Ever for Walt Disney Animation

The animated family film opens everywhere on Wednesday, joining 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' on the holiday marquee.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

“
Moanapocalypse has arrived.

Moana 2 amassed a record-shattering $13.8 million in Tuesday previews, the biggest preview number ever for a Walt Disney Animation title and the second-biggest for any animated film behind sister Pixar’s Incredibles 2 ($18.5 million). That’s quite a feat, considering that the Incredibles sequel opened in the summer. On Tuesday, only 48 percent of schools were out and 20 percent of colleges, per Disney”

 

[Disney Irish]

The original film was produced by MGM, and I believe its rights were acquired by WB. MGM’s license to permit Disney to use certain imagery was famously limited by MGM as the Imagineers learned the hard way while developing the Great Movie Ride. That agreement has likely lapsed by now, and WB has a much better theme park relationship with Universal.

Disney can use certain public domain stuff, and can use its Oz The Great and Powerful iconography. But stuff like the Ruby Slippers are likely hands off.

I never mentioned the original movie for a reason. As any land Disney would build in this scenario would be based off their Oz movies.

When Disney was doing their Oz movie they didn't need to license anything beyond the original iconography of the original film from WB, (such as they licensed the Ruby slippers from WB, as the original movie rights already had moved to WB by that point, ie it was only 11 year ago time flies I know), as they already have the film rights to all the other Baum books. This is why Disney was able to do Return to Oz on the 80s. So any land they build would be based off their own movies and the rest of the Baum books, not the original film or the new Wicked film.

Just an FYI, there were rumors at the time the movie came out in 2013 of Disney looking to build an Oz land in Disneyland. So it was something they were already considering just a decade ago.