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

[AdventureHasAName]

Now you're changing the terms of your question, which I answered. You just said a movie that made money, you didn't say how much money they had to make or whether any follow-up was perceived to make less money. All 3 made over $1B, ie they made profit. Doesn't matter how much profit each made.

You buy something for $5 and it is now worth $50 dollars. If you sell it for $25, you didn't make $20 ... you just lost $25. The second two films in the sequel trilogy were lost money. So were Rogue Nation and Solo and pretty much every Star Wars project that has been produced since (with the exception of the Mandalorian). The brand is shot. Kennedy and her politics killed it. Did these films make a profit? Sure. But the company owned a money printing machine and hit it repeatedly (and intentionally) with a sledge hammer for a decade.

EDIT: And now Marvel is doing the same thing with the same results. Which, in that instance, is really incredible because they are also doing exactly what tanked their comic book division with literally the same characters that tanked their comic book division.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes, because I have a good grasp of the English language and I know "immigrant" is a noun used to describe a human.



I would call the 1980's sitcom Perfect Strangers an immigrant tale, because it featured an actual immigrant.

I would call the 1980's sitcom ALF a sci-fi alien tale, because it featured a sci-fi alien who crash lands into the family garage.

Spoiler: ALF Spoiler

ALF didn't actually exist, by the way. He was a puppet. We have no proof yet that aliens exist, funny or otherwise.

Well again, go back to the next example I used which you ignored, Alien Nation (technically a Disney movie now via the 20th Century acquisition).

The movie and subsequent TV show of the 80s (same time frame as ALF) is literally about the same topic, an alien race who crash lands in the Mohave Desert and as immigrants are being integrated into US.

 

[Disney Irish]

You buy something for $5 and it is now worth $50 dollars. If you sell it for $25, you didn't make $20 ... you just lost $25. The second two films in the sequel trilogy were lost money. So were Rogue Nation and Solo and pretty much every Star Wars project that has been produced since (with the exception of the Mandalorian). The brand is shot. Kennedy and her politics killed it. Did these films make a profit? Sure. But the company owned a money printing machine and hit it repeatedly (and intentionally) with a sledge hammer for a decade.

EDIT: And now Marvel is doing the same thing with the same results. Which, in that instance, is really incredible because they are also doing exactly what tanked their comic book division with literally the same characters that tanked their comic book division.

Again you just asked to name a film in the last decade that made money that touched a hot button issue. I named 3, as did a few posters with a few other movies.

So now you're splitting hairs by talking about potential money lost. That is beside the point, and a separate debate that has gone on for the last decade and not needed here.

All 3 movies made money despite its controversies, that is the point and the answer to your question, end of story.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Well again, go back to the next example I used which you ignored, Alien Nation (technically a Disney movie now via the 20th Century acquisition).

The movie and subsequent TV show of the 80s (same time frame as ALF) is literally about the same topic, an alien race who crash lands in the Mohave Desert and as immigrants are being integrated into US.

“They’re eating the rats!”

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Again you just asked to name a film in the last decade that made money that touched a hot button issue. I named 3, as did a few posters with a few other movies.

So now you're splitting hairs by talking about potential money lost. That is beside the point, and a separate debate that has gone on for the last decade and not needed here.

All 3 movies made money despite its controversies, that is the point and the answer to your question, end of story.

Fine ... the last two films in the Star Wars sequel trilogy made $1.1 billion and should have made $3.5 billion (Avengers Infinity War + Endgame money). Kennedy is clearly a genius. Obviously she "got butts in the door" by hiring an office full of feminists who hated Luke Skywalker.

 

[DKampy]

Fine ... the last two films in the Star Wars sequel trilogy made $1.1 billion and should have made $3.5 billion (Avengers Infinity War + Endgame money). Kennedy is clearly a genius. Obviously she "got butts in the door" by hiring an office full of feminists who hated Luke Skywalker.

god forbid Luke has flaws

 

[AdventureHasAName]

god forbid Luke has flaws

Luke had plenty of flaws. Then he overcame them in his hero's journey and became arguably THE HERO of the 1980s. Then he became an a-hole offscreen and ruined everything the rebellion had achieved in the original trilogy because Kennedy hates men and didn't care about destroying the $5 billion company Lucas put her in charge of.

 

[Tha Realest]

Ok, so what do you call ALF? Outside of an Alien (or any variation of that word), what do you call his status being in a land not of his origin and living as a permanent resident (legal status notwithstanding)?

I’m unclear on the “gotcha” you’re trying to impose here. Are you really trying to assert A.L.F. and Kal-El are functionally the same as a modern human being of another country that entered here (lawfully or unlawfully) because they are all co-equally “aliens”? Much like the broad use of “immigrant,” this is really pedantic.

This is like saying Babe Ruth and Bruce Wayne are alike because they both used “bats” to their advantage.

 

[Disney Irish]

I’m unclear on the “gotcha” you’re trying to impose here. Are you really trying to assert A.L.F. and Kal-El are functionally the same as a modern human being of another country that entered here (lawfully or unlawfully) because they are all co-equally “aliens”? Much like the broad use of “immigrant,” this is really pedantic.

This is like saying Babe Ruth and Bruce Wayne are alike because they both used “bats” to their advantage.

What I'm saying is that the word immigrant is correct in both instances, and has been used in many other alien movies and tv shows including other Disney movies and shows, just like the example I used Alien Nation from the 80s which came out at the exact same time as ALF.

 

[Disney Irish]

Fine ... the last two films in the Star Wars sequel trilogy made $1.1 billion and should have made $3.5 billion (Avengers Infinity War + Endgame money). Kennedy is clearly a genius. Obviously she "got butts in the door" by hiring an office full of feminists who hated Luke Skywalker.

Again potential earnings discussion aside, a debate I wasn't trying to have, but getting over $1B on any movie is getting butts in seats despite any controversy.

So it remains to be seen what'll happen next year with Mando and Grogu, so we'll see if that also gets butts in seats.

 

[Tha Realest]

Well again, go back to the next example I used which you ignored, Alien Nation (technically a Disney movie now via the 20th Century acquisition).

The movie and subsequent TV show of the 80s (same time frame as ALF) is literally about the same topic, an alien race who crash lands in the Mohave Desert and as immigrants are being integrated into US.

Since Disney now owns 20th Century Fox, they should retitle all the Alien franchise films:

Alien -> Aliens (1978) (since every character is an alien under the invader/not of this planet defintiion)

Aliens -> Aliens (1986) (see above)

Alien vs. Predator -> Aliens vs. Aliens (The Three Predators) As Observed by Aliens (multiple aliens from the xenomorph line fight three predators, and some human beings observe this while exploring an uninhabited island they are not native to)

 

[Dranth]

Fine ... the last two films in the Star Wars sequel trilogy made $1.1 billion and should have made $3.5 billion (Avengers Infinity War + Endgame money). Kennedy is clearly a genius. Obviously she "got butts in the door" by hiring an office full of feminists who hated Luke Skywalker.

The second two movies grossed 1.3 (TLJ) and 1.1 (ROS) billion each. Incidentally, that big drop between TFA and TLJ is the same thing that happened in the prequals with AotC dropping significantly from TPM.

I don't think most of that was social issues, just bad to mediocre movies that caused people to disengage.

Now sure, we could say they should make better movies, and that they left money on the table by not doing so. I agree with you there, but apparently George couldn't do that either so it must not be as easy as we all think it should be.

 

[TP2000]

You buy something for $5 and it is now worth $50 dollars. If you sell it for $25, you didn't make $20 ... you just lost $25. The second two films in the sequel trilogy were lost money. So were Rogue Nation and Solo and pretty much every Star Wars project that has been produced since (with the exception of the Mandalorian). The brand is shot. Kennedy and her politics killed it. Did these films make a profit? Sure. But the company owned a money printing machine and hit it repeatedly (and intentionally) with a sledge hammer for a decade.

EDIT: And now Marvel is doing the same thing with the same results. Which, in that instance, is really incredible because they are also doing exactly what tanked their comic book division with literally the same characters that tanked their comic book division.

We could also add Pixar to that list.

It was a close call for Elio, where they had to remove the storyline that Elio was a young gay boy. But that obviously didn't help the story as it hacked the movie apart and shot up costs. It could be part of the reason why Elio performed so badly; too many cooks in the kitchen and all that.

But previous to Elio, the team at Pixar was already pumping out mediocre blather. If it weren't for Inside Out 2, they'd be dead by now.

 

[TP2000]

I think I've found a solution for Superman and his classic tale of immigration!

He apparently qualifies for an O-1 Visa and could live and work in the US legally, until his citizenship application is approved and he is sworn in as a US citizen. Anyone know a good immigration attorney in Metropolis?

 

[easyrowrdw]

The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy definitely had a political message, but I'd argue the second two films underperformed, in-part, because of it being so explicit. And I would further argue that the politics being so overt killed Rogue One and Solo. But that's what happens when you put a back-up dancer (with an agenda) in charge of a five billion dollar company.

Yeah. Your original post said, “name the film in the last decade that made money because it touched a hot button issue.” I would say the sequels made money because they were Episodes 7-9, not because they had a hot button message.

Of those mentioned elsewhere, I’d say Get Out is probably the best example. There’s really no way around the issue at the core of the movie, which is definitely hot button, and it was very successful. Maybe Parasite too, but I don’t think its message is as hot button.

 

[Disney Irish]

Since Disney now owns 20th Century Fox, they should retitle all the Alien franchise films:

Alien -> Aliens (1978) (since every character is an alien under the invader/not of this planet defintiion)

Aliens -> Aliens (1986) (see above)

Alien vs. Predator -> Aliens vs. Aliens (The Three Predators) As Observed by Aliens (multiple aliens from the xenomorph line fight three predators, and some human beings observe this while exploring an uninhabited island they are not native to)

Funny, but I'd still like to differentiate between species.

 

[Disney Irish]

I think I've found a solution for Superman and his classic tale of immigration!

He apparently qualifies for an O-1 Visa and could live and work in the US legally, until his citizenship application is approved and he is sworn in as a US citizen. Anyone know a good immigration attorney in Metropolis?

View attachment 870221

Given that he doesn't work FOR anyone, I doubt he would even need to qualify for a work visa only need to establish residency status which we already established he has, no matter the word you like to use.

And just for fun I put it into Google AI since you like to believe that more than any of us, here is what is says for residency -

 

[coffeefan]

James Gunn's Superman is an immigrant, like previous interpretations and comics. I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings, because your "news" influencers told you so.

 

[Fox&Hound]

I think you are on target on that one. Too bad too.

What I would like to see to an 4K remaster of the original Toy Story with new assets instead of a TS5.
The 1995 humans haven't stood the test of time. It could look amazing with better assets.

Yeah the people are scary, especially the baby sister, Molly. But I imagine that is why they chose the topic of toys they could animate well.

 

[Serpico Jones]

I’m still not sure how Kathleen Kennedy survived the Solo debacle. The stories I’ve heard coming out of that production were absolutely ridiculous.