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

[Vegas Disney Fan]

This can’t be great news for Hollywood. Apple has some great shows.

It kind of feels like streaming is in the early “Amazon” stage, Amazon lost unbelievable amounts of money, for nearly a decade, before it finally became profitable, I remember thinking Bezos was crazy because it made no sense to me at the time but in hindsight it sure does now.

It’ll be curious to see how streaming is doing a decade from now.

 

[Chi84]

I was banned to the corn field because I believed (and still do) that one casting was gimmicky and I was called a racist.
It was unbelievable.

That’s not right. I disagree that Disney’s motive for that casting was a gimmick but I can see why others would think differently.

 

[easyrowrdw]

The initial attacks on Zegler were based on her race. Obscure comments she had made to the foreign press were dug up and amplified because of her race.

I don’t think you’re naive.

Most of Zegler’s comments that I’ve seen were made at D23 to the companies like Extra or in interviews with traditional English-language publications. Are you confusing her with Mackie by chance?

 

[MagicMouseFan]

That’s not right. I disagree that Disney’s motive for that casting was a gimmick but I can see why others would think differently.

yeah… I also view most of these live action remakes as gimmicky.
I was super excited a live action LILO and Stich was coming out. Love the posters, Super Bowl commercial was great and then I saw the trailer.
It’s the exact same story as the cartoon I saw a 100 times with my kids.
I get it.. business gotta make a buck.

 

[Chi84]

yeah… I also view most of these live action remakes as gimmicky.
I was super excited a live action LILO and Stich was coming out. Love the posters, Super Bowl commercial was great and then I saw the trailer.
It’s the exact same story as the cartoon I saw a 100 times with my kids.
I get it.. business gotta make a buck.

I liked the live-action remakes that I saw, especially The Little Mermaid, because they add to the story and flesh out the characters. Others dislike them for the same reason. What I have a hard time wrapping my head around is how passionate people get about any movie.

 

[MagicMouseFan]

I liked the live-action remakes that I saw, especially The Little Mermaid, because they add to the story and flesh out the characters. Others dislike them for the same reason. What I have a hard time wrapping my head around is how passionate people get about any movie.

We are passionate because we are all movie geeks.
We wouldn’t be on this board if we weren’t.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Most of Zegler’s comments that I’ve seen were made at D23 to the companies like Extra or in interviews with traditional English-language publications. Are you confusing her with Mackie by chance?

You are correct about where she made the comments. However, the key point is that she made the comments in SEPTEMBER 2022. The controversy about them erupted in late JULY and AUGUST 2023 when a group of highly motivated individuals unearthed and amplified them. For almost a year the comments went almost entirely unnoticed. The hate against her has been the product of a very intentionally manufactured campaign.

 

[Casper Gutman]

We are passionate because we are all movie geeks.
We wouldn’t be on this board if we weren’t.

Most “movie geeks” would simply dismiss these live-action remakes out of hand. There’s very little of interest here outside of the controversy.

 

[coffeefan]

If someone has a problem with a casting choice based on merit (talent, acting, singing) that's fair, but if it's based on skin color, then yes, that's racism. I'm not going to sugarcoat it just because we're Disney fans.

 

[Trauma]

The latest tracking has 42m to 46m.

It might open worse than Dumbo.

 

[MagicMouseFan]

Most “movie geeks” would simply dismiss these live-action remakes out of hand. There’s very little of interest here outside of the controversy.

Casper… as much I respect your passion and your push for gay representation in film. You sometimes come across as eeyore.

Who is a solid character

 

[DKampy]

I've often been accused of trying to silence people here, as if I have such power to begin with. And as you say, the people complaining about it are often quite vocal!

Yes…,what a strange accusation… I don’t know how any of us has that ability except for The Mom or Steve… unless it is through our own eyes with the block feature

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes…,what a strange accusation… I don’t know how any of us has that ability except for The Mom or Steve… unless it is through our own eyes with the block feature

Unfortunately its an accusation thrown toward several posters, myself included, when we challenge another poster about something that is clearly nonsense and usually untrue.

 

[erasure fan1]

There are so many posts in this thread. Were you unhappy with the casting when Rachel Zegler was first announced? Did you see her in something else and think she wasn’t right for the part?

For myself, I honestly don't care that she was cast as snow white as there was very little chance I would see it in the theater anyway. The only thing I have seen her in was Shazam. And she was fine. It was a mediocre film but she wasn't in anyway the reason it wasn't great.

What I can say, is I understand why people who thought she should look close to the original character didn't like the casting. and I don't think everyone who thinks that is flat out racist. The problem in my eyes was so many people were never going to give her a chance because of the things she said. So she could have had a, WOW she was really good in the roll, moment. But that ship most likely sailed with her comments.

 

[brideck]

What I can say, is I understand why people who thought she should look close to the original character didn't like the casting. and I don't think everyone who thinks that is flat out racist.

Considering fandoms lose their sanity when someone has the "wrong" hair color for a role from a book, I would agree with this, although it certainly can give the appearance that someone is racist in cases like this. [Note: This sort of behavior is also nonsense to me. Assuming there was ever an actual character there to begin with, hair color is more or less never a defining attribute, and is easily written around.]

If they're out there putting Snow Brown into every comment thread they can find? They've taken any doubt away.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

It kind of feels like streaming is in the early “Amazon” stage, Amazon lost unbelievable amounts of money, for nearly a decade, before it finally became profitable, I remember thinking Bezos was crazy because it made no sense to me at the time but in hindsight it sure does now.

It’ll be curious to see how streaming is doing a decade from now.

I think it's actually in the mid-Amazon stage - meaning that Amazon (Netflix) already won and all the other competitors haven't realized it yet and continue to toss away money chasing a dream that won't happen.

 

[Phroobar]

I've created a spoilers thread for Snow White.

Thread 'SPOILERS: Snow White live action (March 21, 2025 release)'

Mar 20, 2025

Have fun discussing this movie.

• Phroobar
• Replies: 144
• Forum: Disney Movies, Animation, TV and Disney+

• 
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[Casper Gutman]

For myself, I honestly don't care that she was cast as snow white as there was very little chance I would see it in the theater anyway. The only thing I have seen her in was Shazam. And she was fine. It was a mediocre film but she wasn't in anyway the reason it wasn't great.

What I can say, is I understand why people who thought she should look close to the original character didn't like the casting. and I don't think everyone who thinks that is flat out racist. The problem in my eyes was so many people were never going to give her a chance because of the things she said. So she could have had a, WOW she was really good in the roll, moment. But that ship most likely sailed with her comments.

You were the third poster to respond in the Snow White thread after Zegler was cast and your post is critical of her choice based on her race.

To reiterate - I am not accusing you of being a racist. I am pointing out that the initial reaction to her casting was almost entirely centered on race. That was the spark that ignited everything that followed.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

This can’t be great news for Hollywood. Apple has some great shows.

This does speak to the proliferation of streaming and market saturation. It's an important revenue source for studios but it might be hard for some to build a profitable service when going up against established juggernauts like Netflix and Disney.

Streaming has to be lucrative for Disney because they're collecting all revenue instead of licensing shows out.

Apple however, I don't think necessarily is concerned about these numbers. As a company they have almost $100 billion in cash assets on hand. They don't need their streaming service to be profitable any time soon. They can do what they are doing, and that is slowly building a service that is really quality over quantity. The opposite of what Netflix seems to be doing.

They're also heavy on sci-fi shows which will help them build a different audience than other streamers.

It may contribute to brand loyalty.

 

[LittleBuford]

What I can say, is I understand why people who thought she should look close to the original character didn't like the casting.

Zegler is the same complexion as Gadot, and no-one to my knowledge has said the latter is physically miscast as the Evil Queen. Zegler herself identifies as a white Latina.