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

[TP2000]

Revised and Final Box Office is out for this past weekend!

For those following that classic tale of American immigration, Superman, its final domestic number edged just over $125 Million. It's overseas number though, where it opened everywhere this past weekend, is notably weak and less than its domestic haul at $93 Million.

Elio and Lilo & Stitch are following their vastly different pathways. What will the team at Ridgeback Ranch get handed next from Burbank after their hugely successful work on Lilo & Stitch?

And perhaps a better question; what prevents the employees on the Burbank studio lot from creating a wildly successful family movie with a production budget of $100 Million?

The Numbers - Weekend Box Office Chart for July 11, 2025

Weekend Domestic Box Office Chart for the weekend of July 11, 2025

thenumbers.com

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Revised and Final Box Office is out for this past weekend!

For those following that classic tale of American immigration, Superman, its final domestic number edged just over $125 Million. It's overseas number though, where it opened everywhere this past weekend, is notably weak and less than its domestic haul at $93 Million.

Elio and Lilo & Stitch are following their vastly different pathways. What will the team at Ridgeback Ranch get handed next from Burbank after their hugely successful work on Lilo & Stitch?

And perhaps a better question; what prevents the employees on the Burbank studio lot from creating a wildly successful family movie with a production budget of $100 Million?

View attachment 870952

The Numbers - Weekend Box Office Chart for July 11, 2025

Weekend Domestic Box Office Chart for the weekend of July 11, 2025

thenumbers.com

I think any other $100 animated or live action remake movie will bomb…hard (if the myth that movies still can bomb are…indeed…true?)

What stitch had going for it was a 25 year build up of product saturation recognition that covers about anyone up to their 30s at a minimum. Which is why it was a sure fire slam dunk.

It wasn’t the quality - which is fine but not superior - it was the character pull. So when it crosses a billion…we know why. Autopsy not necessary.

We have seen this cycle now play. The “middle” MCU was on street cred built up. Three awful, embarrassing Star Wars movies made $4.5 billion at the box office based on the mystique…which they wasted because it will never happen again for crap.

These things don’t seem hard to track…with any bit of thought

 

[BrianLo]

What will the team at Ridgeback Ranch get handed next from Burbank after their hugely successful work on Lilo & Stitch?

D

Thread 'Live-Action Lilo & Stitch 2'

Jun 26, 2025

Walt Disney Studios has announced Lilo & Stitch 2 is now officially in development:

'Lilo & Stitch 2’ Now in Development | The Walt Disney Company

Walt Disney Studios announced that 'Lilo & Stitch 2' is now officially in development. Since its debut, 'Lilo & Stitch' has grossed roughly $923 million worldwide.

thewaltdisneycompany.com

• DCBaker
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Disney Movies, Animation, TV and Disney+

• 
• 

And Stitch 3-9.

 

[Disney Irish]

And I don’t disagree with that at all. The math is far from certain…but the premise is correct.

But that’s not why I even bother commenting. My beef is and always has been that failures at the box office still are failures. They fail to meet the objectives of a single frame of film ever shot. The whole point is to find/strengthen an audience. Trying to twist/splain away failures is just a pointless endeavor and moving the goalposts

And if the theaters go and it’s all at home (which would really suck on so many levels) the goal will still be the same.

The part that I think you still fail to acknowledge is that money is money. It doesn't matter if its at the box office or at home, the transaction is still the same. Its still a consumer paying for a product, the delivery mechanism used doesn't matter. One just requires you to go to a theater, the other doesn't, but the end result is the same, ie that the studio gets paid for the product they produce and delivers to the consumer. So yes the goal is still the same, to make more money than they spend for said product. But the transaction and where it occurs is irrelevant, only that it happens. So in the end who really cares that that transaction can and will be done at home, only that it occurs.

I think the issue why you can't accept it really comes down to tangibility. Because the box office numbers are more tangible it feels more real and you can call balls and strikes, or in this case successes and failures. Compared to at-home where its less tangible because its hidden behind a paywall, so you can't gripe about the latest potential flop.

This is honestly the same debate that was had almost 2 decades ago in my industry when software started to be digitally sold and purchased. It didn't feel tangible to people because you couldn't see the sales being made because there was no physical transaction, it was all digital. In the end everyone just accepted it and almost no software is sold with physical copies now, and very few care as the sales are still the sales and still count at the end of the day.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

D

Thread 'Live-Action Lilo & Stitch 2'

Jun 26, 2025

Walt Disney Studios has announced Lilo & Stitch 2 is now officially in development:

'Lilo & Stitch 2’ Now in Development | The Walt Disney Company

Walt Disney Studios announced that 'Lilo & Stitch 2' is now officially in development. Since its debut, 'Lilo & Stitch' has grossed roughly $923 million worldwide.

thewaltdisneycompany.com

• DCBaker
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Disney Movies, Animation, TV and Disney+

• 
• 

And Stitch 3-9.

Well that was inevitable of course…we probably have a release date for stitch 4 set too

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Been watching Swoozie for years, he typically just makes funny shorts, and his new video absolutely nails Hollywood and why it’s struggling.

Hopefully someone forwards this to the studio executives who have their next decade of movies announced with no scripts written yet, maybe once they realize the issue they can correct course and start putting the script first rather than the schedule first.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Been watching Swoozie for years, he typically just makes funny shorts, and his new video absolutely nails Hollywood and why it’s struggling.

Hopefully someone forwards this to the studio executives who have their next decade of movies announced with no scripts written yet, maybe once they realize the issue they can correct course and start putting the script first rather than the schedule first.

Very insightful

And very much points to a certain corp and blocks of ip I can think of…specifically announcing directors with no scripts

I wonder what the Bomb/franchise reboot he was was talking about with that producer was?

(If bombs exist)

 

[Tha Realest]

Very insightful

And very much points to a certain corp and blocks of ip I can think of…specifically announcing directors with no scripts

I wonder what the Bomb/franchise reboot he was was talking about with that producer was?

(If bombs exist)

It’s quite telling that Gunn (at least publicly) hasn’t adopted the practice of staking out years of “Untitled DCU Ensemble Film May 2027” and the like. He also pretty explicitly said they shut down the Sgt. Rock production (which had a director attached and at least Craig/Farrell as the lead at various points) because the script was either unfinished or not good.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It’s quite telling that Gunn (at least publicly) hasn’t adopted the practice of staking out years of “Untitled DCU Ensemble Film May 2027” and the like. He also pretty explicitly said they shut down the Sgt. Rock production (which had a director attached and at least Craig/Farrell as the lead at various points) because the script was either unfinished or not good.

I applaud anyone publicly saying that they won’t make a bad script

…but it won’t hold

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

It’s quite telling that Gunn (at least publicly) hasn’t adopted the practice of staking out years of “Untitled DCU Ensemble Film May 2027” and the like. He also pretty explicitly said they shut down the Sgt. Rock production (which had a director attached and at least Craig/Farrell as the lead at various points) because the script was either unfinished or not good.

James Cameron is famous for taking years, even decades, to create a film also, probably why he has some of the highest box office films, and some of the most well known films, ever made.

 

[brideck]

It’s quite telling that Gunn (at least publicly) hasn’t adopted the practice of staking out years of “Untitled DCU Ensemble Film May 2027” and the like. He also pretty explicitly said they shut down the Sgt. Rock production (which had a director attached and at least Craig/Farrell as the lead at various points) because the script was either unfinished or not good.

Gunn's been pretty explicit from the jump with DC about requiring approved, completed scripts prior to starting production, which is why they currently only have two confirmed movies (one of which wasn't even in their original plan) lined up post-Superman. This has definitely been the MCU's greatest sin and leads to a lot of the third act problems that leave me cold about those movies -- and it's been baked into the process since the first Iron Man.

The situation with stuff like Elio seems a little different in that they seem to have an approved, completed script, do a bunch of work, have a test screening, and then blow the whole project apart and rework it after that -- a luxury that's (relatively) easier to do with animation.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

James Cameron is famous for taking years, even decades, to create a film also, probably why he has some of the highest box office films, and some of the most well known films, ever made.

Yeah…he kinda has it right

It’s ironic that George was used in that video you posted about how backwards Hollywood is.

He’s right…but he’s not the messenger

Still seems to be mad to this day about empire going over budget…and you can make the case that was the most important movie for Hollywood maybe ever…

Didn’t concern himself with the scripts for that or Jedi…didn’t listen to any of his people that phantom menace was crap…
So not the greatest warrior for smart decisions

 

[DisneyWarrior27]

FINALLY.

It’s finally here.

Ladies and gentlemen, the very 1st teaser trailer and poster for Disney and Pixar’s 30th all-new full-length animated film #Hoppers, only in theaters next spring on March 6th, 2026 (the year of Pixar’s 40th Anniversary).



Hoping it gets an IMAX release too.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Gunn's been pretty explicit from the jump with DC about requiring approved, completed scripts prior to starting production, which is why they currently only have two confirmed movies (one of which wasn't even in their original plan) lined up post-Superman. This has definitely been the MCU's greatest sin and leads to a lot of the third act problems that leave me cold about those movies -- and it's been baked into the process since the first Iron Man.

The situation with stuff like Elio seems a little different in that they seem to have an approved, completed script, do a bunch of work, have a test screening, and then blow the whole project apart and rework it after that -- a luxury that's (relatively) easier to do with animation.

Doing reshoots/recuts is a fascinating study

Usually…it means you have crap and then you get too many chefs in the kitchen …

Sometimes…you knock one out. Thinking of Toy Story and tangled

 

[BrianLo]

FINALLY.

It’s finally here.

Ladies and gentlemen, the very 1st teaser trailer and poster for Disney and Pixar’s 30th all-new full-length animated film #Hoppers, only in theaters next spring on March 6th, 2026 (the year of Pixar’s 40th Anniversary).



Hoping it gets an IMAX release too.

I’m not sure if the D23 trailer ever leaked, but my fickle memory is that the first half of this trailer was almost exactly what we were shown, only.

Queue the Canada pavilion overlay calls.

 

[BrianLo]

I think Hoppers will be a more successful Pixar launch for them. It has a lot more marketability to kids.

I’m not trying to be insulting, but it seems almost in the Illumination wheelhouse.

Then the all important thing: it has a plush.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Variety reports Superman has a combined $350 million production and marketing budget

That's likely where the $700 million threshold belief comes from, even if the director says it doesn't need to hit that target

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I think Hoppers will be a more successful Pixar launch for them.

The new floor for Pixar movies to clear is a $20 million opening weekend

Think it's safe to say just about anything will top that

Then the all important thing: it has a plush.

Elio had plush too, but I guess a beaver is easier to sell than unknown space slug

 

[DKampy]

Having a couple movies a year cover the flops is not the goal…never was the goal.

That may be the industry “reality”…but it doesn’t “unflop” a tent pole…and neither does Disney plus.

And were we are back at go and around the board again. It’s been played out. Good day

Wow….I had no idea you worked for Disney and know what each film is making via VOD, Ads on that tier of streaming, listening etc…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wow….I had no idea you worked for Disney and know what each film is making via VOD, Ads on that tier of streaming, listening etc…

You totally missed the point…

And that point was that there have been all those other things in one form or another since about 1980…home video…licensing…ad revenues…etc etc

The tech has changed…but not the formula that much.

So you’re saying there hasn’t been a flop since they started selling cassettes for $24.95 in the 80’s? Or that the flops didn’t sell and therefore they were still “flops” by revenue standards? They still didn’t end up on broadcast?

But somehow now all flops go to heaven because it’s digital?

Want to take a Birds Eye view of this?

And just to kinda isolate it (and my head hurts)…but it appears via their fiscal reports that the “segment” - and they throw all kinds of stuff together to hide the weak spots - for their digital direct, broadcast, content sales and ad revenues were about $14 billion for the FY 2024…

That’s gotta be a lot more than…say…2010…when it was basically no DTV and more traditional programming and home media sales? Right?

Gotta be…

Or it was $17 then…which makes it a much larger slice of the pot then as compared to now. But we (and this really don’t apply to eveyone with lots of opinions) who use their P&R products can attest…that brings in alot more out of our pockets. There are receipts available.

So they’re fine…bankruptcy not imminent…

But back to the flops and all this digital cash cow…
Just do the math for me on how they now have eliminated flops through their unlimited digital cash? Which shell is that money under?

I mean…Prince of Persia and the sorcerers apprentice came out that year and were emphatically declared flops…should we go back in time and correct that?

Cause Snow White lost more lb for lb and was dumped into a “tv” medium that makes much less (far less when you consider cost inflation and money depreciation).

Learning a lot today…it seems?