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

[erasure fan1]

(Personally, if they want to take revive the franchise in the future, I'd start with a complete reboot and make it animated to separate it from the Bay films.

An animated series is always a safe bet. The problem with rise of the beasts is they had a good starting point for a re-boot with bumblebee. But then they decided to start again. If it were me I would just have started over. Stick to the G1 show and characters. Keep the vehicle forms as close to the original G1 designs as possible. The problem now, is rebooting again is pretty much a guaranteed underperformance.

 

[TP2000]

By not-so-happy coincidence, when you adjust for inflation, the production budget for 2003's Eddie Murphy version of The Haunted Mansion lines up at exactly the same $157 Million production budget for 2023's Haunted Mansion.

The similarities end there however, because the 2003 version far outperformed the 2023 version. And we used to make fun of that 2003 version for being a real turkey. But compared to the current Haunted Mansion movie at the box office, the Eddie Murphy attempt was a blockbuster.

When it's all said and done, Haunted Mansion will have only about 50% of the domestic box office and only a measly 20% of the overseas box office of its 2003 predecessor adjusted for inflation. Adding up to that $150 Million loss for Disney on this one, in a summer when they had plenty of other big box office losses.

 

[LittleBuford]

By not-so-happy coincidence, when you adjust for inflation, the production budget for 2003's Eddie Murphy version of The Haunted Mansion lines up at exactly the same $157 Million production budget for 2023's Haunted Mansion.

The similarities end there however, because the 2003 version far outperformed the 2023 version. And we used to make fun of that 2003 version for being a real turkey. But compared to the current Haunted Mansion movie at the box office, the Eddie Murphy attempt was a blockbuster.

When it's all said and done, Haunted Mansion will have only about 50% of the domestic box office and only a measly 35% of the overseas box office of its 2003 predecessor adjusted for inflation. Adding up to that $150 Million loss for Disney on this one, in a summer when they had plenty of other big box office losses.


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But it is, by all accounts, a better movie, and so a win for us fans who don't prioritise box-office performance.

I'm going to see it this weekend.

 

[Prince-1]

But it is, by all accounts, a better movie, and so a win for us fans who don't prioritise box-office performance.

I'm going to see it this weekend.

It was a very entertaining movie and in my opinion better than the Eddie Murphy version. Hopefully you enjoy it.

 

[TP2000]

It was a very entertaining movie and in my opinion better than the Eddie Murphy version. Hopefully you enjoy it.

What's your thought on why it did so badly at the box office this summer?

Bad marketing? Bad timing? The Disney+ Curse? All of that? Something else?

 

[BuddyThomas]

Eddie Murphy > Tiffany Haddish

This movie did not fail because Tiffany Haddish is in it. She has a limited supporting role and happens to have some of the best lines in the film.

 

[TP2000]

This movie did not fail because Tiffany Haddish is in it. She has a limited supporting role and happens to have some of the best lines in the film.

I don't really even know who Ms. Haddish is, and my allegiance to Eddie Murphy is really just from his early 80's stint on Saturday Night Live. His "I'm Gumby Dammit" and Mr. Rogers Neighborhood skits are classics I still remember.

But why do you think this Haunted Mansion did so much worse at the box office than it's already badly performing 2003 predecessor?

 

[erasure fan1]

What's your thought on why it did so badly at the box office this summer?

Bad marketing? Bad timing? The Disney+ Curse? All of that? Something else?

I'd say it starts with lack of interest. Obviously Haunted mansion is a beloved attraction. But was anyone really asking for another haunted mansion movie? That doesn't necessarily mean something won't do well. There's been plenty of films I loved but didn't think were really necessary. But then you have the odd release date and you compound the problem. I'd guess a lot of people figure, it's a Halloween movie, I'll watch it on D+ around Halloween. Even a late September release would have probably been better.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I don't really even know who Ms. Haddish is, and my allegiance to Eddie Murphy is really just from his early 80's stint on Saturday Night Live. His "I'm Gumby Dammit" and Mr. Rogers Neighborhood skits are classics I still remember.

But why do you think this Haunted Mansion did so much worse at the box office than it's already badly performing 2003 predecessor?

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I think the only one here who cares about this question is you.

 

[Prince-1]

What's your thought on why it did so badly at the box office this summer?

Bad marketing? Bad timing? The Disney+ Curse? All of that? Something else?

I truly could care less why. Too many people on here, like yourself, are way to invested on whether a movie fails or not. I pay my money and all I care about is if I enjoy it or not. Now with that being said I think it would have helped if it was released closer to Halloween but none of us are in the movie business as far as I know so we are just all guessing on why things succeed or fail.

 

[drizgirl]

What's your thought on why it did so badly at the box office this summer?

Bad marketing? Bad timing? The Disney+ Curse? All of that? Something else?

I think the people posting here really wanted it to do well. And had a greater appreciation for the ride nuggets than the majority of the population.

But the truth is, it really wasn't that good. The story set up isn't very good.

 

[mousekedoc]

My 15 yo daughter OBSESSED over Disney DESCENDANTS. Now, she is a Disney girl, but all of her friends, male as well, loved that series. This is a franchise that can be brought to the big screen in a few years. Gen Z will go to the theaters like mice following the pied piper. Disney has stuff, they just need to look at who is buying what “nastalgia” toys now.

 

[Disney Irish]

My 15 yo daughter OBSESSED over Disney DESCENDANTS. Now, she is a Disney girl, but all of her friends, male as well, loved that series. This is a franchise that can be brought to the big screen in a few years. Gen Z will go to the theaters like mice following the pied piper. Disney has stuff, they just need to look at who is buying what “nastalgia” toys now.

There was the Descendants 4 sequel supposedly coming out, it was a D+ exclusive so don't know if it will get a theatrical release. But the rumor was it was to be set in the same world but with different characters, specifically focusing on the Alice in Wonderland characters. I think they want to take whole franchise in a different direction as one of the previous leads passed away, so didn't want to have to recast.

 

[TP2000]

I'd say it starts with lack of interest. Obviously Haunted mansion is a beloved attraction. But was anyone really asking for another haunted mansion movie? That doesn't necessarily mean something won't do well. There's been plenty of films I loved but didn't think were really necessary. But then you have the odd release date and you compound the problem. I'd guess a lot of people figure, it's a Halloween movie, I'll watch it on D+ around Halloween. Even a late September release would have probably been better.

Agreed on the release date. That has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen Disney do in a long time.

And it's not like they have some huge slate of films lined up for September and October. They've got nothing until November.

I would have released it at Labor Day weekend. It makes me crazy, but all the Targets and big box stores are already doing Halloween by early September, so it would have been right as people were getting ready for fall and "Halloween".

I truly could care less why. Too many people on here, like yourself, are way to invested on whether a movie fails or not.

Many people on here, like myself, are concerned about whether a Disney movie fails or not because we are/were invested in Disney. I was a shareholder for a couple decades until 2021. I've enjoyed Disney movies my entire life. I've enjoyed Disney theme parks even more than the movies.

So, yeah, I'm invested. If no longer directly invested financially, I'm still invested culturally and psychologically in Disney's success. They haven't had much success this year at the box office. And that's not sustainable for them, especially with their mega-budgets.

But the truth is, it really wasn't that good. The story set up isn't very good.

Well, there's that option too. As Dr. Freud probably never said "Sometimes a bad movie is just a bad movie."

 

[erasure fan1]

And it's not like they have some huge slate of films lined up for September and October. They've got nothing until November.

Yea but it seems they were afraid of five nights at Freddy's. I would bet FnaF will do very well, but it isn't coming out until late October. The last week of September would have given HM a good month to perform.

Many people on here, like myself, are concerned about whether a Disney movie fails or not because we are/were invested in Disney.

I agree. I've been invested in Disney films for as long as I can remember. I know there are people here who think it's just out of some hate for Disney. Or wanting them to fail. But if that were the case, I sure wouldn't be here, or wasting my time with the company.

 

[DKampy]

Agreed on the release date. That has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen Disney do in a long time.

And it's not like they have some huge slate of films lined up for September and October. They've got nothing until November.

I would have released it at Labor Day weekend. It makes me crazy, but all the Targets and big box stores are already doing Halloween by early September, so it would have been right as people were getting ready for fall and "Halloween".



Many people on here, like myself, are concerned about whether a Disney movie fails or not because we are/were invested in Disney. I was a shareholder for a couple decades until 2021. I've enjoyed Disney movies my entire life. I've enjoyed Disney theme parks even more than the movies.

So, debyeah, I'm invested. If no longer directly invested financially, I'm still invested culturally and psychologically in Disney's success. They haven't had much success this year at the box office. And that's not sustainable for them, especially with their mega-budgets.



Well, there's that option too. As Dr. Freud probably never said "Sometimes a bad movie is just a bad movie."

They have Haunting in Venice on September 15 with the spookier setting perhaps that is the film Disney wanted to focus on for Halloween time

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

I'd say it starts with lack of interest. Obviously Haunted mansion is a beloved attraction. But was anyone really asking for another haunted mansion movie? That doesn't necessarily mean something won't do well. There's been plenty of films I loved but didn't think were really necessary. But then you have the odd release date and you compound the problem. I'd guess a lot of people figure, it's a Halloween movie, I'll watch it on D+ around Halloween. Even a late September release would have probably been better.

This is my thought as well.

 

[TP2000]

They have Haunting in Venice on September 15 with the spookier setting perhaps that is the film Disney wanted to focus on for Halloween time

Yes, and I thought of that.

But then I remembered how mad I am at them for the last Death On The Nile. I'm an old Poirot fan from when PBS aired it in the 1990's. I went to see Death On The Nile in a theater last year. It was mostly crap. And it even had Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders in it as not-so-secret Lesbians, which should guarantee movie magic. But instead it was just... crappy.

And also oddly trampy and slightly raunchy in a few spots, which is a thing Agatha Christie never was. Talk about not knowing your audience.

I won't be seeing Haunting In Venice, unless by some miracle the reviews and real humans start saying how fabulous it is.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

 

[drizgirl]

Agreed on the release date. That has to be one of the dumbest things I've seen Disney do in a long time.

And it's not like they have some huge slate of films lined up for September and October. They've got nothing until November.

I would have released it at Labor Day weekend. It makes me crazy, but all the Targets and big box stores are already doing Halloween by early September, so it would have been right as people were getting ready for fall and "Halloween".

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they chose the theatrical release date based on their desire to have it debut on D+ for Halloween. The tail might be wagging the dog here.

 

[pixargal]

But then I remembered how mad I am at them for the last Death On The Nile. I'm an old Poirot fan from when PBS aired it in the 1990's. I went to see Death On The Nile in a theater last year. It was mostly crap.

If you are a Poirot fan, then you should check out Britbox streaming service. They have all the old episodes, plus a ton of other great British mystery series. Death in Paradise and Vera are must sees!