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

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Everything feels more expensive these days…. With our local chains movie club we can go for 10.00 a piece no matter the time of the screening….it is about the cheapest form of entertainment for the 2 of us…. We went to our local zoo and it was just under 60.00 for the two of us just to get in the door… granted I have not been in years, but that was way more shocking to my wallet

Yeah…

The model that worked at theaters was “accessible and affordable”…then they overpriced and it doesn’t work. Charge more, make less.

Vegas is getting racked in the press daily for going way too far - other issues aside - and that’s a good example as well of this.

Who would have thought agressive price increases all over the place stacked up high with public excuses for at least 10 years would come back on them?

 

[FrontierSpirit]

From the 1950s—1990s, nothing on TV could compare to what the cinema gave you.

You can’t say that today.

An example in my household, Wednesday is coming out this week and my girls are super excited. Doesn’t happen that often but it is a family event much like stranger things. (Family event defined as my kids are dying to see it as a family)

Happens sometimes in the theater. Minecraft, wicked, inside out 2, Mario, Barbie, Stitch.

 

[Tha Realest]

I'm going to point to money again. We went this weekend to F4. Twice (kind of). Due to scheduling, my wife went with one kid Saturday, I took the other Sunday. Between the 4 of us, that's 4 tickets, 2 things of popcorn, 2 drinks, 2 slushies, and one box of candy total. Grand total for the weekend was $130. If someone spent that on Superman 2 weeks ago, they aren't spending that again this weekend. You have to LOVE something about a movie to afford to go at this point (and not just wait the 3 months to see it for "free" on streaming). It's just too expensive to go "Eh, lets give it a try." And certainly too expensive for "we really liked that, lets go back 3 more times."

This is a good point. Took one of my kids to opening night Superman IMAX and that was $56. Drink (singular) and popcorn another $20.

Youngest is a big Jurassic World fan. Had a night where just he and I were free. Took him to the movies and let him pick. Chose JWR over FF; $20 out of pocket for a film that’s a foot out of theaters and will be $25 tomorrow on iTunes which we will “own” forever.*

FF is the odd man out. It’s playing at a Liemax this weekend for $5/ticket so may see it there. But at this point it’s like 2-3x as much for me to take my 3 kids to see it once as it is to buy it digitally a few weeks later.

* I’ve converted to mostly digital due to convenience but I have no pretense I’ll still “own” these movies 15 years from now once I’m retired and have all the time in the world to watch them.

 

[Phroobar]

I noticed when I watched FF the ticket price was $14 but when I saw JW it was $11. Disney tax?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

From the 1950s—1990s, nothing on TV could compare to what the cinema gave you.

You can’t say that today.

An example in my household, Wednesday is coming out this week and my girls are super excited. Doesn’t happen that often but it is a family event much like stranger things. (Family event defined as my kids are dying to see it as a family)

Happens sometimes in the theater. Minecraft, wicked, inside out 2, Mario, Barbie, Stitch.

Great points

I think the studios made a pretty big blunder in their fervor for their own 100% controlled stream platforms…

They started this “small screen, big budget spectacle” tv movement…and it cheapens the movie releases while at the same time jacking up their tv costs that they can’t get back out of it with acceptable margins.

Progress isn’t always progress

 

[LSLS]

I noticed when I watched FF the ticket price was $14 but when I saw JW it was $11. Disney tax?

Does your theater have deals for different days of the week/times of day? I definitely didn't see that at all (aside from the 3D version being more) at my theater.

 

[FrontierSpirit]

Why do you go to the theater in the year 2025? What does the cinema offer that you can’t get at home?

Advertise and market that concept

 

[Phroobar]

Does your theater have deals for different days of the week/times of day? I definitely didn't see that at all (aside from the 3D version being more) at my theater.

Not really outside of the tuesday night classic movies where they show an old movie for $5 and matinees. It was strange that was the only movie.

 

[FrontierSpirit]

Great points

I think the studios made a pretty big blunder in their fervor for their own 100% controlled stream platforms…

They started this “small screen, big budget spectacle” tv movement…and it cheapens the movie releases while at the same time jacking up their tv costs that they can’t get back out of it with acceptable margins.

Progress isn’t always progress

Streaming is more costly than cable now.
Pay for the internet, need the high speed for work at home. Pay for Disney, Netflix, Apple, Amazon unless one of those comes as part of a phone package.

 

[Ghost93]

More people should get AMC A-list. For about $25 a month, I can see up to four movies a week in theaters, even in premium screens like IMAX and Dolby. Last year I saw about 60 movies in theaters.

 

[DCLcruiser]

Why do you go to the theater in the year 2025? What does the cinema offer that you can’t get at home?

Advertise and market that concept

Nicole Kidman has a few ideas.

 

[Willmark]

Yeah…

The model that worked at theaters was “accessible and affordable”…then they overpriced and it doesn’t work. Charge more, make less.

Vegas is getting racked in the press daily for going way too far - other issues aside - and that’s a good example as well of this.

Who would have thought agressive price increases all over the place stacked up high with public excuses for at least 10 years would come back on them?

…there was someone else they were talking about going overboard on price…where was it again?…ehhh…I’m sure it will come to me later…

Ties into your point from upthread.

Entertainment as exemplified by a trip to WDW?

100% non-essential.

Add in all the other factors let alone Hollywood and the stars themselves it should come as no surprise when people look at the ticket price and go “meh” and you know….dont go.

Separate thought - the real competition isn’t cinema vs streaming in my opinion it’s competition vs all other forms of entertainment that have exploded over the last few decades.

While streaming is the future and will eventually replace cinema I don’t think that solves the problems for Hollywood long term.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Nicole Kidman has a few ideas.

Heartbreak never feels good, and I'd rather feel it in my home than in a room of strangers.

 

[DCLcruiser]

If it’s not a “cinematic experience” requiring a massive screen and outstanding sound system, then it is a hard sell these days.

We finally watched Snow White (Live Action). Besides any polarizing topics, it was an ok movie, but certainly not worth the $50 or so to see it in Dolby Cinema for two people. For “free” on D+ it was easier to accept.

 

[FrontierSpirit]

Ties into your point from upthread.

Entertainment as exemplified by a trip to WDW?

100% non-essential.

Add in all the other factors let alone Hollywood and the stars themselves it should come as no surprise when people look at the ticket price and go “meh” and you know….dont go.

Separate thought - the real competition isn’t cinema vs streaming in my opinion it’s competition vs all other forms of entertainment that have exploded over the last few decades.

While streaming is the future and will eventually replace cinema I don’t think that solves the problems for Hollywood long term.

My girls watch YouTube, Crunchyroll for anime, play Roblox.

Don’t watch tv except event shows like Wednesday.
I watch a ton of Tv with my husband. The one moment that’s our time at the house after dinner.

 

[FrontierSpirit]

If it’s not a “cinematic experience” requiring a massive screen and outstanding sound system, then it is a hard sell these days.

We finally watched Snow White (Live Action). Besides any polarizing topics, it was an ok movie, but certainly not worth the $50 or so to see it in Dolby Cinema for two people. For “free” on D+ it was easier to accept.

when Harry Met Sally wouldn’t play in the theater these days. It would be a 6 part mini series on Netflix.

 

[LSLS]

Streaming is more costly than cable now.
Pay for the internet, need the high speed for work at home. Pay for Disney, Netflix, Apple, Amazon unless one of those comes as part of a phone package.

Definitely not for us. $30 for internet, then random packages are around $35-40. But also, eliminating streaming will not eliminate your need for internet, so that's not a truly fair comparison.

 

[DCLcruiser]

when Harry Met Sally wouldn’t play in the theater these days. It would be a 6 part mini series on Netflix.

Sometimes I think those limited series are better. Instead of cramming a movie into 2 hours, they can release six hour long episodes. That gives them more time to develop characters, etc. Of course, I like watching End Game as a movie, as well.

 

[Phroobar]

when Harry Met Sally wouldn’t play in the theater these days. It would be a 6 part mini series on Netflix.

Weird that you mentioned When Harry Met Sally. My theater is playing that in three weeks. They play old movies every tuesday. I believe Men in Black is tomorrow.

 

[Disney Irish]

I'm going to point to money again. We went this weekend to F4. Twice (kind of). Due to scheduling, my wife went with one kid Saturday, I took the other Sunday. Between the 4 of us, that's 4 tickets, 2 things of popcorn, 2 drinks, 2 slushies, and one box of candy total. Grand total for the weekend was $130. If someone spent that on Superman 2 weeks ago, they aren't spending that again this weekend. You have to LOVE something about a movie to afford to go at this point (and not just wait the 3 months to see it for "free" on streaming). It's just too expensive to go "Eh, lets give it a try." And certainly too expensive for "we really liked that, lets go back 3 more times."

Yep completely agree, don't know why some insist it being "one" thing specifically about the MCU. Its a whole bunch of things wrapped up into a package with price being the bow on top that ends up preventing many from opening that package. Its why we've seen a bunch of movies under perform this year. Sure there have been a couple successes, but not as many as in previous years, especially pre-pandemic. But glad to see so many finally acknowledging what some including myself have said, this is a long term trend of issues at the box office not isolated to any specific studio, with price being the primary issue.

And to paraphrase, as someone once said in the 90s and its true right now more than ever (not directed at anyone here), "Its the Economy, stupid".

So for all "its the quality" talk about the MCU, price is always going to be the first hurdle that any audience has to jump over before they even decide if its worth checking out. Once that hurdle is crossed then you can have all the talk about quality you want as then it becomes a factor, but not before.