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

[celluloid]

I've said the same over and over in many threads now, so don't know why you think this is some new revelation for me.

But you still cannot seem to admit there is an industry wide issue going on.

There is for sure. I have acknowledged it with WB having an insane year of DC movies no one really asked for oversaturating.
I also pointed it out with the mistake of Universal giving so much inflated budget to the finally waning franchise of Fast and The Furious.

You must have not read all my posts here.

The difference is risks and mid hits from those other companies diversifying to where this bad time is not the worst time.

It's worse for Disney because they put themselves in this.

Disney had no Mario, Barbie or Oppenheimer this summer.
All of Disney's releases were tired sequels or remake with large. Hdgets Chased the tent poles and caught them all with lackluster results.

They did not even have an Evil Dead or Cocaine Bear mids to break even or make coin.

Remember when Disney would produce three men and a baby type films under a touchstone frequently?

Their original risks don't come until the slow season fall and 200 million animated original story among other animated releases not until Christmas.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Read what I wrote again. I was commenting on Chapek's move to direct to streaming, not which movies he approved. The short window (or non-existent window) undermined consumers willingness to see movies in theatre. This really impacted "Disney/WDAS/Pixar" that were all heavily pushed direct to stream or had tight 45-day windows under his reign. This was distinctly a Chapek maneuver, pumping D+ exclusively, not really an Iger one.

Regarding Mermaid, again, I was not talking about popularity. I was responding to a quote about whether it was liked by audiences who saw it. Which the audience scores, post-exits and Cinemascores all support. Domestic audiences liked TLM. International didn't. They liked Elemental and they liked Guardians 3.

But please continue grinding your axe against even the slightest hint of complimentary commentary, like that will somehow get Iger fired.

It’s cute that you think really any of that changes the reality on the ground

They’re not good movies being rejected by the audiences…for a number of reasons.

Guardians was a really good movie and overperformed a sliding/saturated MCU with a less popular comic book franchise…historically

Elementals had a Rough start at first but it’s a pretty decent movie…so it’s recovering

The rest are bland and/or hot garbage

Occam’s Razor time

 

[Disney Irish]

There is for sure. I have acknowledged it with WB having an insane year of DC.mkvies no one really asked for oversaturating.
I also pointed it out with the mistake of Universal giving so much inflated budget to the finally wanting franchise of Fast and The Furious.

You must have not read all myposts here.

The difference is risks and mid hits from those other companies diversifying to where this bad time is not the worst time.

It's worse for Disney because they put themselves in this.

If you're really looking at it, the difference is box office release schedule.

In 2023 Disney pushed their more risk and mid-budget films to later in the year rather than in the middle of summer like Uni and WBD. So the end of the year might end up being better for Disney, we'll see.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I disagree with this sentiment, as I've said before.

If this is the case, then -

WBD has a WBD problem.
Uni has a Uni problem.
Sony has a Sony problem.
Paramount has a Paramount problem.
Lionsgate has a Lionsgate problem.

And so on.

As if pointing to a couple films being successful somehow negates there being a whole industry issue. I'm sorry that is, just as another poster just put it, "grinding your axe against even the slightest hint of complimentary commentary".

Put down the axe and realize that while Disney is having a worse time this year that there is a whole industry wide shift happening and causing ALL sorts of issues across the entire Hollywood ecosystem. So no this isn't Disney just having a Disney problem.

…of course you disagree

Because you’ve spent months throwing out every conceivable excuse for bad performance with a piece of straw attached to it.

But personal truth is important.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

For those keeping score... Mermaid only did 48% of Lion King's domestic box office, did 50% of Beauty and the Beast's domestic box office, and did 73% of Aladdin's domestic box office. And the USA has 10 Million more people in 2023 than it did in 2017.

View attachment 735859

But then after only doing up to half of the domestic box office, Mermaid performed horribly at the overseas box office. The result is that after its $250 Million production budget and its $140 Million marketing budget (per Variety and other reputable sources), Little Mermaid has lost just over $100 Million for Disney this year.

That level of financial loss can in no way be considered a success, or even a vaguer description like "popular".

Which by the numbers was NOT anywhere close to where they wanted it.

So when that became apparent…about 6/5…we blamed Alabama, China…and then pivoted to the 100% impossible to even begin to claim “cultural zeitgeist” was the goal

If anyone wants these Magic beans I’m selling…lemme know?

 

[Disney Irish]

…of course you disagree

Because you’ve spent months throwing out every conceivable excuse for bad performance with a piece of straw attached to it.

But personal truth is important.

You've agreed with me previously that its a whole industry wide issue going on even if Disney is having a worse go at it.

So not sure the meaning of this post, other than to take a jab at me.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You've agreed with me previously that its a whole industry wide issue going on even if Disney is having a worse go at it.

So not sure the meaning of this post, other than to take a jab at me.

Because the entire industry is struggling…it does NOT splain away massive Disney loses.

They keep making remakes and rehashes…it’s not like they’re trying to innovate or develop anything remotely new…

So these things are 100% mutually exclusive. In reality.

 

[celluloid]

If you're really looking at it, the difference is box office release schedule.

Wow, now we are changing and reaching it. That is it. Disneys release schedule is why their films always underperform.
so the key will be for Disney never to have competition and maybe then people will go see jt.

So Summer is not a good time for Disney to release movies, or can we admit that they were bud budget oversaturated not great movies?

Not sure if hurting the brand all year and then releasing all your originals at once is a good strategy either haha.

So you are aware, Uni and other studios do have original films coming out this Christmas time.

 

[MisterPenguin]

All of Disney's releases were tired sequels or remake

Elemental was an original screenplay.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wow, now we are changing and reaching it. That is it. Disneys release schedule is why their films always underperform.
so the key will be for Disney never to have competition and maybe then people will go see jt.

So Summer is not a good time for Disney to release movies, or can we admit that they were bud budget oversaturated not great movies?

Not sure if hurting the brand all year and then releasing all your originals at once is a good strategy either haha.

So you are aware, Uni and other studios do have original films coming out this Christmas time.

That reminds me of when big shot Bobby let lucasfilm run wild and collapse it self…

Releasing a ridiculously obtuse middle chapter of 3 that suffered a staggering -37% box office drop - and a prequel that bombed.
A Star Wars bomb.

They have never accounted for that. Not one bit

What did slick bob say? He blamed the audience. “Not enough Brain power”. And skated on that nonsense.

It was crap then…and rehashing that in anyway now is crap x 10

That studio has been shutdown for features for now 5+ years.


Stop making excuses. It’s really not helping Disney. Or it’s fans

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Elemental was an original screenplay.

1 outta the last 10 ain’t bad

- Meatloaf

 

[Disney Irish]

Wow, now we are changing and reaching it. That is it. Disneys release schedule is why their films always underperform.
so the key will be for Disney never to have competition and maybe then people will go see jt.

So Summer is not a good time for Disney to release movies, or can we admit that they were bud budget oversaturated not great movies?

Not sure if hurting the brand all year and then releasing all your originals at once is a good strategy either haha.

So you are aware, Uni and other studios do have original films coming out this Christmas time.

Release schedule does have a lot to do with box office performance.

Many here have been claiming that Haunted Mansion should have been released during Sept/Oct to take advantage of the Halloween themes of the film, and would have been more well received.

The same can be said about any one of any studios releases. Had they been released at different times would they have been more well received or worse received. Maybe maybe not. So Disney releases more of their originals later in the year, if they moved them to summer would they do better than in the fall, no one can tell. But for example Barbie ended up taking the release date for another WB film Coyote vs Acme, had that film released instead of Barbie would it have done at the same box office, probably not. So release schedule is an important part of box office performance. Its why Disney tries to release a new animated film every Thanksgiving, because its a known release date that brings in the audience.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Release schedule does have a lot to do with box office performance.

Many here have been claiming that Haunted Mansion should have been released during Sept/Oct to take advantage of the Halloween themes of the film, and would have been more well received.

The same can be said about any one of any studios releases. Had they been released at different times would they have been more well received or worse received. Maybe maybe not. So Disney releases more of their originals later in the year, if they moved them to summer would they do better than in the fall, no one can tell. But for example Barbie ended up taking the release date for another WB film Coyote vs Acme, had that film released instead of Barbie would it have done at the same box office, probably not. So release schedule is an important part of box office performance. Its why Disney tries to release a new animated film every Thanksgiving, because its a known release date that brings in the audience.

…check “calendar” off the list of excuses

So if they released half of what they did this year…and didn’t have to deal with the “inferior…non Disney quality” Mario and the “not Disney ideals” Barbie…

…the movies would have been less junk and made double?

 

[Disney Irish]

1 outta the last 10 ain’t bad

- Meatloaf

Checking the release schedule, 6 out of 11 films releasing this year by all Disney studios have been originals.

 

[Disney Irish]

…check “calendar” off the list of excuses

So if they released half of what they did this year…and didn’t have to deal with the “inferior…non Disney quality” Mario and the “not Disney ideals” Barbie…

…the movies would have been less junk and made double?

Quality is subjective....

The question is would say something like Elemental have done better earlier or later in the year. Obviously its a question with no answer. But its an important part of the box office. Its why studios fight for specific release dates and why they move a movie from one release date to another.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Elemental was an original screenplay.

And, as has been pointed out to him repeatedly, Cocaine Bear underperformed and lost money. And Disney did have a low-budget horror flick, The Boogeyman. And he’s ignoring Searchlight.

But he’s not actually here for a conversation, he’s here to push an agenda.

I don’t know that anyone has told me what internationally known but largely unfilmed multigenerational IPs Disney should film to follow the success of Barbie and Mario.

 

[Casper Gutman]

…check “calendar” off the list of excuses

So if they released half of what they did this year…and didn’t have to deal with the “inferior…non Disney quality” Mario and the “not Disney ideals” Barbie…

…the movies would have been less junk and made double?

You are literally just making up garbage now. Who said anything like z”not Disney ideals” Barbie?

 

[erasure fan1]

That reminds me of when big shot Bobby let lucasfilm run wild and collapse it self…

The sequels all made over a billion!!! Solo would have done a billion if Iger hadn't screwed up the release date!!! Star wars has never been more popular!!! They're only just ironing out their next slate of theatrical releases!!! Everything is just fine you hater!!!

Did I just about cover it all

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You are literally just making up garbage now. Who said anything like z”not Disney ideals” Barbie?

Oh please…you know anything without the “label” is defaulted to inferior

Mostly by those that dream of being behind a nametag with a zeal not based in reality…
…not buy those actually behind them
That are cogs in a misdirection PR game to keep “revenue stability”

Look around the social media echo chambers anything without the D is always torn down by the crusaders.

You’re also killing the messenger on this.

Another pathetic excuse was hatched. It doesn’t get chopped like hibachi if it wasn’t so “direct”

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The sequels all made over a billion!!! Solo would have done a billion if Iger hadn't screwed up the release date!!! Star wars has never been more popular!!! They're only just ironing out their next slate of theatrical releases!!! Everything is just fine you hater!!!

Did I just about cover it all

Well you covered it before those that want to believe it had time to recite in the mirror 50+ times…