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

[Tha Realest]

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 -

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He works “for” the Daily Planet. Maybe journalism is in such disrepute in the 2025 Gunniverse that it’s a job Americans won’t do?

 

[Agent H]

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.

It’s great that it’s leaving behind all the anger people are projecting on to it.

 

[Disney Irish]

He works “for” the Daily Planet. Maybe journalism is in such disrepute in the 2025 Gunniverse that it’s a job Americans won’t do?

No, Clark Kent works for the Daily Planet.

Superman doesn't "work" for anyone, he is independent (movie even goes into this), outside of maybe the Justice League but even then he isn't "employed" by them.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Maybe some consider them of good quality. But when push comes to shove, they haven't connect with me masses for the most part. I'm at work right now and I just asked, just for this discussion, one of my employees who goes to the movies a few times a month. I asked him "did you see Elio yet?" It's one person I know. His answer, and I quote. Pixar just isn't what it used to be.

I know some like to point to reviews and say, see lightyear was really good, the reviews say so. As the opposite happens as well. The movies trash because the reviews are bad! I take all reviews with grain of salt. The last ten year pixar has been a mixed bag. I know that hurts a lot of hardcore Disney fans like we have on this site. The output just isn't the quality or hasn't resonated like it once did.

Movies like Luca or Soul or onward... aren't bad films. But they didn't create that IT factor of previous works. Can they get to original films doing well? Of course they can. But it won't be because of one film. They need to earn that benefit of the doubt back. That means multiple films back to back that resonate. Just because something like inside out 2 really hit, it's most definitely an outlier.

Pixar used to push boundaries and continue to evolve as a business. But Luca, Turning Red, Lightyear, and Elio just feel very…safe. Nothing visually that interesting and no real risk in story telling. I hope they can recapture some of their lost magic. Even movies like Wild Robot, Puss and Boots: Last Wish, or Spiderman into the Spiderverse seem to be pushing boundaries and demonstrating innovation much more than Pixar.

 

[Tha Realest]

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.

Ohh this is a fun game! “(Insert movie) is successful because of concepts I’m grafting onto it, so suck it Republicans!”

Is he an “immigrant?” Maybe. He’s also a “refugee” and fully assimilated into the culture he grew up into.

But! Using some favored words of the other side, given how many Kryptonians he’s housing and welcoming to earth, and his designs on Lois, he’s also a “colonizer.” He’s also inserting himself into conflicts not his own, and bringing into it asymmetrical warfare. Those’ll surely be popular buzzwords at the same faculty lounges where sociology grad students grouse their career at Pixar ended because the company refused to put $150M behind their personal story.

 

[Disney Irish]

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.

You haven't seen Pixar's first baby have you?

 

[Tha Realest]

No, Clark Kent works for the Daily Planet.

Superman doesn't "work" for anyone, he is independent (movie even goes into this), outside of maybe the Justice League but even then he isn't "employed" by them.

You know Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same?

So ALF and Superman/Kal-El and Elon Musk are “aliens” and “immigrants,” but “Clark Kent” is not?

I’m trying to see where you’re drawing lines.

 

[Disney Irish]

You know Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same?

So ALF and Superman/Kal-El and Elon Musk are “aliens” and “immigrants,” but “Clark Kent” is not?

I’m trying to see where you’re drawing lines.

Yes, but you do know that Clark Kent is a "secret identity" right? Sorry to spoil it for anyone that doesn't know. But Clark Kent is a human born in Smallville Kansas to everyone that doesn't know its his secret identity, with a birth certificate and everything (as established in many parts of canon).

So in this context no they wouldn't be the same, not to the US Government. Superman would be a separate person in the eyes of the government.

 

[FrontierSpirit]

Deadline: With the major studios crying over fewer moviegoers watching their trailers, here’s some great news: EntTelligence reports that the in-theater run of the Superman trailer reached 95.7M moviegoers, aided by prominent placement on Warner Bros/Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie.Kudos to Warners for running a great in-theater marketing campaign.

‘Superman’ Leaps To $55M Friday, Now Flying To $115M Opening – Midday Box Office Update​

 

[erasure fan1]

Luke had plenty of flaws. Then he overcame them in his hero's journey and became arguably THE HERO of the 1980s.

Ding ding ding!!! And it could be realistic for Luke to end up the way they portrayed him. But guess what? That's not what most fans wanted and it wasn't necessary.

 

[Disney Irish]

Ding ding ding!!! And it could be realistic for Luke to end up they way they portrayed him. But guess what? That's not what most fans wanted and it wasn't necessary.

I do agree with you that its not what most fans wanted. However I countered that as portrayed it made for a more rich and interesting character in my opinion. The ravage of time and torment can lead to an interesting backstory. And the way Hamill tells it, that is what he did, built a backstory built on time and torment.

 

[DKampy]

Okay ... name the film in the last decade that made money because it touched a hot button issue.

DIFFICULTY: Don't say Barbie because that film spent its entire run-up doing everything it could to hide that it had a feminist message.

See @CoastalElite64 list… I had Get Out and Avatar in mind with my response

I would still count Barbie…. I don’t agree the feminist message was hidden at least in my mind…. Still for arguments sake will say it was… everybody knew it was there after opening weekend…. And that film had legs

Also I never said such messaging exists in Superman…. I do not know… I have not seen it yet..,will find out later this weekend.. I was referring to Gunn’s comments prior to release and for better or worse it got everyone Talking about Superman…. And IMO engagement can only help a film’s box office

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Hmm, someone just brought up the "Force is Female" meme, so I'll go with ST.

Umm…that made money because it was Star Wars and the public assumed they wouldn’t cack it up…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Ding ding ding!!! And it could be realistic for Luke to end up they way they portrayed him. But guess what? That's not what most fans wanted and it wasn't necessary.

You know…i had never considered that they maybe sunk half the franchise with totally messing with the character at its core…
Someday let Burbank know!!!

 

[Disney Irish]

Umm…that made money because it was Star Wars and the public assumed they wouldn’t cack it up…

I’m not getting into this debate again, the poster asked for a movie that made money, and I answered. Sorry that it hits a nerve.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Oh, I forgot about the cat sub-plot. He was always trying to catch and eat the family's cat, yet somehow was allowed to stay and still came off as loveable/funny. I actually watched ALF a bit in the 80's, at least that first season or two.

I'm just thrilled we could get some folks on record here defending ALF as an "immigrant" in the same mold as James Gunn's cheaper-than-hiring-an-American maid and Sean Gunn's cheaper-than-hiring-an-American gardener.

ALF, for gosh sakes! The mind boggles at the mental gymnastics required for that to make sense.

Yep…that was one of the gags on the show

They’d catch him trying to make a recipe with the cat every show. lucky…was his name

Perfection. That's exactly why this ridiculous "Superman is an immigrant" thing got news traction. Because it's just so cringey and fake, and requires the human mind to block out huge amounts of context and well known backstory to get there.

Still one of the most aloof moves in Hollywood. Under what circumstances did they think shunning half your audience for liking something when they were much, much younger was an intelligent idea?

Some people liked milli vanilli…just saying. Should we round them up and flog them in the streets before exhiling them to St Helena?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I’m not getting into this debate again, the poster asked for a movie that made money, and I answered. Sorry that it hits a nerve.

Your example doesn’t apply. They in no way marketed it as being a “message” movie at all. Your memory is on the fritz (which seems to be standard)..
That “message” stuff was them scrambling to try to diffuse the backlash they got for certain elements afterward. And a lot of that backlash was stupid and excessive…but the response was so ham fisted they all should have been tossed out immediately. And that idiot kiri hart should have been first to break the fall of the rest of them when they landed.

 

[Disney Irish]

Your example doesn’t apply. They in no way marketed it as being a “message” movie at all. Your memory is on the fritz (which seems to be standard)..
That “message” stuff was them scrambling to try to diffuse the backlash they got for certain elements afterward. And a lot of that backlash was stupid and excessive…but the response was so ham fisted they all should have been tossed out immediately. And that idiot kiri hart should have been first to break the fall of the rest of them when they landed.

Alright professor, what ever you say. Its a valid example, even if you don't agree.

We can end this here. Thank you.

 

[easyrowrdw]

Your example doesn’t apply. They in no way marketed it as being a “message” movie at all. Your memory is on the fritz (which seems to be standard)..
That “message” stuff was them scrambling to try to diffuse the backlash they got for certain elements afterward. And a lot of that backlash was stupid and excessive…but the response was so ham fisted they all should have been tossed out immediately. And that idiot kiri hart should have been first to break the fall of the rest of them when they landed.

Yeah, I feel like a number of the comments misread the original question…

Okay ... name the film in the last decade that made money because it touched a hot button issue.

[Emphasis added]

 

[Disney Irish]

Yeah, I feel like a number of the comments misread the original question…

[Emphasis added]

Ok, let’s say ST isn’t valid, other posters have provided other examples that are still valid. The question has been answered.