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

[DKampy]

No, not really. A $76 Million domestic opening weekend is rather weak for a Marvel film like this. Thunderbolts will need really strong legs to get to breakeven after a $76 Million domestic (and similarly modest overseas) opening weekend.

The "Hey, It Could Be Worse" scenario for Thunderbolts is a gift from The Marvels, with its staggering $270 Million production budget and massive box office bomb status globally, allowed the benchmark for Marvel bombs to be set really, really low.

The most recent collection of Marvel films, plus a random pre-Covid benchmark of Thor: Ragnarok because those who know me would understand, offers up this data comparison for inflation adjusted Domestic Opening Weekends...

Thunderbolts did 85% of Captain America '25
Thunderbolts did 68% of Quantumania
Thunderbolts did 162% of The Marvels (Yay?!?)
Thunderbolts did 36% of Deadpool & Wolverine
Thunderbolts did 49% of Thor: Ragnarok

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You missed the part were I said the first film in a franchise within the MCU….check out what the first Captain America, GoftG, Antman, and Thor did opening weekend…, and are you sure your number are right??? 85% of Brave New World….. cap only made 10 million more

Before you bring up inflation…. I believe all studios lost a portion of the Audience post Streaming era….enough to make up the difference…. Compare a movie like Sinners to a film like Us….the formers opening weekend would have been considered a disappointment pre-pandemic

 

[The Mom]

I understand that it is difficult, if not impossible, to discuss box office numbers without getting political - I appreciate and thank those who have managed to do it - but the no politics rule still applies.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Other then Captain Marvel( which was the movie leading into Infinity War)have we ever had a first in a character’s franchise open much higher

Black Panther also, technically Deadpool too but that was Fox at the time and not part of the MCU, but for the most part I agree that Thunderbolts is in the same ballpark as other debut stories.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I understand that it is difficult, if not impossible, to discuss box office numbers without getting political - I appreciate and thank those who have managed to do it - but the no politics rule still applies.

This confuses me. What the heck does politics have to do with making good movies?

Is politics the new excuse for when something, anything does not go someone’s way???

If a movie studio ( any movie studio) makes a movie that folks want to go to the theater to see then everyone wins; the theaters, the studios, and Hollywood.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

This confuses me. What the heck does politics have to do with making good movies?

Is politics the new excuse for when something, anything does not go someone’s way???

If a movie studio ( any movie studio) makes a movie that folks want to go to the theater to see then everyone wins; the theaters, the studios, and Hollywood.

Tariffs are now being applied to movies which could have major affects on production budgets and the box office, people were struggling to talk about the implications without getting into the politics behind it though.

Probably best just to leave it at that.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Before you bring up inflation…. I believe all studios lost a portion of the Audience post Streaming era….enough to make up the difference…. Compare a movie like Sinners to a film like Us….the formers opening weekend would have been considered a disappointment pre-pandemic

Would $48 million have been considered bad for an original R-rated horror movie?

Get Out had a $33 million opening. Us was an all-time high that benefited from Peele's established reputation after it.

First Conjuring movie had a $42 million opening in 2013.

I do not understand all the Thunderbolts is a flop talk after one weekend…I would think a 70-80 opening is the norm for a film like this….

It's almost exactly what Shang-Chi did back in 2021, and a little higher than Eternals.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Tariffs are now being applied to movies which could have major affects on production budgets and the box office, people were struggling to talk about the implications without getting into the politics behind it though.

Probably best just to leave it at that.

In the old days when a studio released a movie that didn't sell tickets it was just a bad movie that didn't sell tickets. Oh well.

 

[Casper Gutman]

In the old days when a studio released a movie that didn't sell tickets it was just a bad movie that didn't sell tickets. Oh well.

This has never ever ever been true.

 

[LittleBuford]

This has never ever ever been true.

It’s an especially odd statement from a Disney fan. Unless he considers Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, and Sleeping Beauty bad movies.

 

[Chi84]

Disney’s goal on big releases is never “break even”…never was…never will be.

That’s not how they make money…and I’m not talking about the box office figure. Follow the profits.

There has to be an end to this nonsense (I mean…I know there isn’t…but I just play along )

We already have some of your greatest hits in this thread for years…like all movies make money on D+…and the price of masks and sannitizer doubled budgets

Now you’re in the boardroom telling me what the corps want/expect?

If you need a drink to make it all feel “ok”…I’d be happy to buy it for you

You’re terribly uninformed if you think the COVID impact on productions was limited to masks and sanitizers. You do yourself a disservice by saying such things.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I do not understand all the Thunderbolts is a flop talk after one weekend…I would think a 70-80 opening is the norm for a film like this…. I always thought it would come to subsequent weekends with word of mouth… Which is quite high with both critics and audiences…. It is a bunch of C/D list characters who were only supporting players in other films/series…Other then Captain Marvel( which was the movie leading into Infinity War)have we ever had a first in a character’s franchise open much higher

It may not be a flop…but the pattern is a steep drop and short theater run…so if that holds…it will in fact be a flop

This has never ever ever been true.

How so?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You’re terribly uninformed if you think the COVID impact on productions was limited to masks and sanitizers. You do yourself a disservice by saying such things.

I didn’t say it had no impact…but as usual…it vastly been overstated as yet another blanket excuse in Bob’s quiver

 

[Dranth]

This has never ever ever been true.

Yes, it is. We all know that Citizen Cane, The Wizard of Oz, It's a Wonderful Life, The Thing, The Shawshank Redemption, The Big Lebowski, Office Space, Children of Men, etc. didn't make money at the box office because they were terrible movies.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I understand that it is difficult, if not impossible, to discuss box office numbers without getting political - I appreciate and thank those who have managed to do it - but the no politics rule still applies.

I knew she was gonna “spoon” us

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes, it is. We all know that Citizen Cane, The Wizard of Oz, It's a Wonderful Life, The Thing, The Shawshank Redemption, The Big Lebowski, Office Space, Children of Men, etc. didn't make money at the box office because they were terrible movies.

So we’re gonna do the word games/semantics with absolutes, eh?

 

[Chi84]

So we’re gonna do the word games/semantics with absolutes, eh?

If we’re going to characterize the COVID impact as “masks and sanitizers,” then yes, that’s what we’re doing

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If we’re going to characterize the COVID impact as “masks and sanitizers,” then yes, that’s what we’re doing

Oh hush…you know when we get to semantics…we got nothing

And you gotta shake the urge to defend Captain dipstick…it’s all over the place. Whatever is opposite at all times.

Like Indiana jones having a $400 budget because of masks. They just screwed it up…no need to splain it away.

People can post whatever they want…nobody has to agree. But no consistency is such a boring waste of time

 

[Disstevefan1]

This board really does insist on existing in its own little bubble separated from reality and knowledge.

 

[Chi84]

Oh hush…you know when we get to semantics…we got nothing

And you gotta shake the urge to defend Captain dipstick…it’s all over the place. Whatever is opposite at all times.

Like Indiana jones having a $400 budget because of masks. They just screwed it up…no need to splain it away.

People can post whatever they want…nobody has to agree. But no consistency is such a boring waste of time

You deal in almost nothing but semantics and absolutes so please don’t call out others for responding in the same way.

It’s possible you can’t see this in yourself.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You deal in almost nothing but semantics and absolutes so please don’t call out others for responding in the same way.

It’s possible you can’t see this in yourself.

I’ll take the hit on absolutes…though other than when I’m clowning it starts with an assessment of common sense (which I know flies in the face of “I think it’s worth it to ME” for every price Disney spins at us )

…but I draw the line at semantics. How dare you, Madame?!