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

[Disney Irish]

The ability to not identify any hint of (attempted) humor, or be able to pick up on the not-entirely-serious context and nature of an otherwise well written post is astounding to me. Whether its Box Office, or Halloween costumes, or Lady Execs.

No one, not even me, actually thought it was a workplace sex scandal playing out on Main Street USA for Disneyland's 70th Anniversary event, by the way. As much fun as that would have been.

Post in thread 'Disneyland 70th Anniversary Thread - Wishlist, Rumors, Speculation, Announcements'

Jul 18, 2025

A few show notes here...

• I appreciate that TDA President Du Jour is wearing a proper business suit, and Bob and Sidekick Tightpants have transitioned from their cheesy Dad Jeans N' Sneaks to wool gabardine trousers and dress shoes.
• And not a carb in sight for either Bob or Sidekick Tightpants! That takes work, especially at their age.
• Who is the lady on the right? Some new TDA Exec we've never heard of? A Burbank type? Bob's side hustle? Does Willow know? Is this like that CEO just caught on the...

• TP2000

• 

I guess that says more about you than it does me, that you would find humor in even hinting at the potential serious sex scandal in an otherwise harmless no sense of impropriety 70th anniversary celebration. But to me that its just distasteful to even suggest it would be happening, even if you are trying to be humorous (I can joke about a lot, but some things you don't joke about). And since you brought up Walt in that thread on how he would like the bell ringing opening of the NYSE on Main St, I think he would also think it was distasteful for you to suggest such a thing during his Park's celebration.

We've run this into the ground, so maybe best to just move on as there is no path forward on this, it was just in bad taste on your part.

 

[TP2000]

I guess that says more about you than it does me, that you would find humor in even hinting at the potential serious sex scandal in an otherwise harmless no sense of impropriety 70th anniversary celebration. But to me that its just distasteful to even suggest it would be happening, even if you are trying to be humorous (I can joke about a lot, but some things you don't joke about). And since you brought up Walt in that thread on how he would like the bell ringing opening of the NYSE on Main St, I think he would also think it was distasteful for you to suggest such a thing during his Park's celebration.

You are too good for this world. And we don't deserve you.

In box office news, the opening weekend projection for The Fantastic Four has edged down a bit from a week or two ago. Variety is now reporting this afternoon that they expect a $110 Million opening weekend box office, domestically.

Variety also describes Captain America; Brave New World and Thunderbolts as "major money-losers" with their $180 Million production budgets. The Fantastic Four has a reported production budget of $200 Million.

Box Office: ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Aims for $110 Million Liftoff

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is aiming for $100 million to $110 million in its opening weekend.

variety.com

 

[Chi84]

I guess that says more about you than it does me, that you would find humor in even hinting at the potential serious sex scandal in an otherwise harmless no sense of impropriety 70th anniversary celebration. But to me that its just distasteful to even suggest it would be happening, even if you are trying to be humorous (I can joke about a lot, but some things you don't joke about). And since you brought up Walt in that thread on how he would like the bell ringing opening of the NYSE on Main St, I think he would also think it was distasteful for you to suggest such a thing during his Park's celebration.

We've run this into the ground, so maybe best to just move on as there is no path forward on this, it was just in bad taste on your part.

I can just imagine what this discussion has devolved into!

 

[Dranth]

Disney still has the longest lead time for putting new content up on their streaming platform to give every opportunity for it to make money at every possible revenue stream before its "free".

So yeah there is a reason, a business reason, they want you to pay to see it if you don't want to be spoiled before the next movie is released.

Which is largely the right move from a business standpoint.

Stinks sometimes from a customer standpoint as they lose potential theater goers like myself who won't see an MCU movie in the theater until I am caught up on D+. By the time Thunderbolts shows up there, FF will be far enough into its run I will likely just wait for it to also hit D+ late this year.

 

[CoastalElite64]

Which is largely the right move from a business standpoint.

Stinks sometimes from a customer standpoint as they lose potential theater goers like myself who won't see an MCU movie in the theater until I am caught up on D+. By the time Thunderbolts shows up there, FF will be far enough into its run I will likely just wait for it to also hit D+ late this year.

Fantastic Four doesn't require you to be caught up or to even have seen any previous movie.

The movie takes place in a different universe.

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

Honestly for me, one of the best things about seeing an MCU movie in the theaters is doing the homework beforehand

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Hard disagree on that one.

Really? I think you're selling things a bit short.

Call it what you will. That's what most would call pop culture impact, or at least a big part of it. Merch in stores, costumes, people with tshirts, books, game tie-ins... I'm not dismissing the movie. But you would think that the highest grossing film ever would have more of an impact on all those things.

The world of Avatar is fantastic to look at. And yes, a lot of people do ride flight of passage just because it's a fun ride. Do you think that people are only riding Tiana's bayou adventure because of princess and the frog? No, it's a fun water ride no matter the ip behind it.

Sure it had cultural impact. It was the highest grossing movie of all time. You do realize that saying it had little pop culture impact and no cultural impact are different things right? My question for use is this. Why is it such a bad thing to say it didn't leave much of a pop culture foot print?

The movie was a spectacle with revolutionary 3d, set in a cool looking world. There's nothing wrong with that. Shakespeare it isn't. In my limited plain of existence, I just don't see many, if any, who loved the films. And that's not because they just want to be all counter culture.

I think it’s the ultimate in “disposable fun”

And everyone is ok with it.

Really an outlier in so many ways.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I get it. But at this point I question how much money Thunderbolts is making on VOD and if it’s not more valuable on Dis+ in keeping or getting subscribers

About none…but that won’t stop Doctor strange there from trying to reinvent the math (one would assume)

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You are too good for this world. And we don't deserve you.

In box office news, the opening weekend projection for The Fantastic Four has edged down a bit from a week or two ago. Variety is now reporting this afternoon that they expect a $110 Million opening weekend box office, domestically.

Variety also describes Captain America; Brave New World and Thunderbolts as "major money-losers" with their $180 Million production budgets. The Fantastic Four has a reported production budget of $200 Million.

Box Office: ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Aims for $110 Million Liftoff

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is aiming for $100 million to $110 million in its opening weekend.

variety.com

The idea they “poofed”
The budgets down to somewhere in the half range…many of which already in development/production…all of a sudden two years ago after Bob said they were going too…has a kinda tuna smell to it…

I know…I’m nuts here in the basement…but the trades seem to be labeling a lot of things “major losses” based on budget figures that don’t lead down that path

And no…it’s not D+ subs

Might be some information being passed around in Hollywood that doesn’t quite align…

 

[Disney Irish]

You are too good for this world. And we don't deserve you.

I think this goes without saying....

In box office news, the opening weekend projection for The Fantastic Four has edged down a bit from a week or two ago. Variety is now reporting this afternoon that they expect a $110 Million opening weekend box office, domestically.

Variety also describes Captain America; Brave New World and Thunderbolts as "major money-losers" with their $180 Million production budgets. The Fantastic Four has a reported production budget of $200 Million.

Box Office: ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Aims for $110 Million Liftoff

"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is aiming for $100 million to $110 million in its opening weekend.

variety.com

I don't know if I'd call them "major money losers", as I guess it depends on what "major" means in this context. But I think we all agreed they lost money during theatrical.

As for F4, it remains to be seen what it'll do. But I remain cautiously optimistic on this one given the positive reviews.

 

[BrianLo]

But they completely panned Elio and Snow White in the parks. Nothing happened. How did they know they shouldn't bother with those two so far in advance? I'd love to know the process and long lead timeline it takes to make that type of marketing decision about a mega-budget movie, wouldn't you?

They are working with a lot more than we are. Test screenings, engagement metrics, awareness, pre-sales.

It’s now telling to me that the only time the corporate Disney website brags about trailer views has been our four recent 1B+ earners.

I guess my first question is, were you surprised Elio and Snow White did poorly? I don’t think so, nor was I. The company probably had some awareness.

Now there are times when despite those factors things over or under perform wildly beyond their expectations. The two examples I can think of on either end of that Spectrum are Wish and the original Frozen.

 

[TP2000]

They are working with a lot more than we are. Test screenings, engagement metrics, awareness, pre-sales.

It’s now telling to me that the only time the corporate Disney website brags about trailer views has been our four recent 1B+ earners.

I guess my first question is, were you surprised Elio and Snow White did poorly? I don’t think so, nor was I. The company probably had some awareness.

I can only imagine the reams of data they have at their disposal for decisions like this!

My question is, with the considerable lead time needed to design, budget, approve and cast an in-park Meet N' Greet (without a robot), how long before the movie's premiere do they know they have a turkey on their hands not worth marketing in the parks? What made them entirely abandon Elio by late 2024, for example?

There's gotta be a good story there. And there's likely some really funny conversations that were had in Burbank conference rooms about Rachel Zegler's Snow White a year before it premiered. Not to mention Elio, or Strange World. Or The Marvels. Or... well, just go back in this thread a few years for more examples.

Now there are times when despite those factors things over or under perform wildly beyond their expectations. The two examples I can think of on either end of that Spectrum are Wish and the original Frozen.

That's very true. Frozen is probably the best example, and then the worse example of them totally over-indexing over a year later with EVERYTHING Frozen in the parks, especially at Disneyland; Frozen Sing-A-Long in MuppetVision, Olaf's Snow Fest & Sledding Incident First Aid Station, Meet N' Greets, Arendelle Food Kiosks, etc., etc.

It's funny when they realize their mistake, and then overdo it just about the time the fad is dying. God love 'em for trying, though.

 

[TP2000]

I will say, perhaps my favorite relic of the park's Frozen fad was about a decade ago when I discovered DCA had a fabulous thing on a few weekends in a row called Celebrate Gospel!, featuring some truly talented and inspiring Black church choirs from around Southern California. And they put the event in the old Frozen pavilion at DCA but never bothered to change out the interior sets.

As an American of purely Scandinavian descent who has always enjoyed Gospel and Motown and Jazz since I was a boy, it made me giggle uncontrollably.

Because nothing says "Black Gospel Choir" to a TDA event manager like a snow capped Norwegian village...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They are working with a lot more than we are. Test screenings, engagement metrics, awareness, pre-sales.

It’s now telling to me that the only time the corporate Disney website brags about trailer views has been our four recent 1B+ earners.

I guess my first question is, were you surprised Elio and Snow White did poorly? I don’t think so, nor was I. The company probably had some awareness.

Now there are times when despite those factors things over or under perform wildly beyond their expectations. The two examples I can think of on either end of that Spectrum are Wish and the original Frozen.

I can only imagine the reams of data they have at their disposal for decisions like this!

My question is, with the considerable lead time needed to design, budget, approve and cast an in-park Meet N' Greet (without a robot), how long before the movie's premiere do they know they have a turkey on their hands not worth marketing in the parks? What made them entirely abandon Elio by late 2024, for example?

There's gotta be a good story there. And there's likely some really funny conversations that were had in Burbank conference rooms about Rachel Zegler's Snow White a year before it premiered. Not to mention Elio, or Strange World. Or The Marvels. Or... well, just go back in this thread a few years for more examples.



That's very true. Frozen is probably the best example, and then the worse example of them totally over-indexing over a year later with EVERYTHING Frozen in the parks, especially at Disneyland; Frozen Sing-A-Long in MuppetVision, Olaf's Snow Fest & Sledding Incident First Aid Station, Meet N' Greets, Arendelle Food Kiosks, etc., etc.

It's funny when they realize their mistake, and then overdo it just about the time the fad is dying. God love 'em for trying, though.

Wish had bomb written all over it…

Frozen way exceeded expectations…but it was built on the shoulders of tangled…which was one of the most important Disney animateds ever made for its longer impact…in there with some white, little mermaid, Mary Poppins…so hindsight really lays that one out

 

[Disney Irish]

Wish had bomb written all over it…

Frozen way exceeded expectations…but it was built on the shoulders of tangled…which was one of the most important Disney animateds ever made for its longer impact…in there with some white, little mermaid, Mary Poppins…so hindsight really lays that one out

Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[TP2000]

Wish had bomb written all over it…

I suppose so. But you have to ask why that could even happen? Their 100th Anniversary animated feature!

Who the heck was in charge of that massive money-losing mistake? And where are they now?

 

[erasure fan1]

I suppose so. But you have to ask why that could even happen? Their 100th Anniversary animated feature!

Who the heck was in charge of that massive money-losing mistake? And where are they now?

Most likely promoted. Lol

 

[Disney Irish]

I suppose so. But you have to ask why that could even happen? Their 100th Anniversary animated feature!

Who the heck was in charge of that massive money-losing mistake? And where are they now?

The same person who was in-charge of Frozen.

 

[TP2000]

The same person who was in-charge of Frozen.

You're kidding?! What happened then??? There's gotta be a story there.

I mean, the 100th Anniversary mega-budget animated feature, and all that.

 

[Disney Irish]

You're kidding?! What happened then??? There's gotta be a story there.

I mean, the 100th Anniversary mega-budget animated feature, and all that.

Tale as old as time..... Too many changes during the creative process.

If you go back to the Wish thread I'm sure there are about a thousand posts on it.