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

[Disney Analyst]

Right…but not a summer movie

Right, sorry thinking 2023 as a whole. With the summer being mostly a bust.

 

[Tha Realest]

Box office is the not only measure of success, and that is what a bunch of us have been trying to say. Sure its "a" measure, but not the only measure.

Again taking PatF as an example you brought up, yes that wasn't successful at the box office. But it has found success long after its theatrical run, so much so that I think it pretty much erases that box office "stink".

TLM will most likely enjoy that same post-theatrical success, well because its the TLM and Disney will continue to "schlep product" as you said.

Now other films I agree are less likely to have that same post-theatrical success. And those are the films that Disney will need to surely look inward and correct.



And that is why, as I've mentioned in threads previously, I wouldn't be opposed with Disney going private. But that is a different conversation.

I’m sorry, where’s the evidence these “live” action remakes experience an ongoing level of enduring popularity as compared to the animated films? They all seem very ethereal and disposable - make a bit of splash at the box office and then just are kind of forgotten.

A few months after the films leave the theaters you never see that merchandise again. It goes back to the animated versions.

 

[LittleBuford]

An update on the Barbie map “controversy” (spoiler: it’s not the Nine-Dash Line):

‘Barbie’ Map Controversy: Warner Bros. Explains the Drawing That Got the Film Banned in Vietnam (EXCLUSIVE)

The map featured in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" that got the film banned in Vietnam is not a geopolitical statement. It's a child's doodle, sources say.

variety.com

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I’m sorry, where’s the evidence these “live” action remakes experience an ongoing level of enduring popularity as compared to the animated films? They all seem very ethereal and disposable - make a bit of splash at the box office and then just are kind of forgotten.

A few months after the films leave the theaters you never see that merchandise again. It goes back to the animated versions.

Yeah…the only real measure we have of “enduring popularity” is replay - on broadcast which is flawed - and product.

The live action remakes haven’t gotten that…like much at all.

 

[Jedijax719]

I understand the appeal for MI7. But Barbie? What is it? Comedy? Satire? Family film? Adult women reliving their childhood? What is it supposed to even be?

 

[LittleBuford]

I understand the appeal for MI7. But Barbie? What is it? Comedy? Satire? Family film? Adult women reliving their childhood? What is it supposed to even be?

It looks like great fun to me, with elements of all the things you listed.

 

[wtyy21]

The next big film is the Marvels right ?

At least they get a little bit of a break before the next flop.

Right, however that same month (November) is likely more focusing of the most-anticipated Disney-branded film this year (Wish), perhaps because it is 100th anniversary film, accompained by Once upon a Studio short.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I understand the appeal for MI7. But Barbie? What is it? Comedy? Satire? Family film? Adult women reliving their childhood? What is it supposed to even be?

I think it’s all the above and then some.

Kinda like Free Guy, but Barbie, is the vibes I get from it.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think Barbie will do great…but I’m only 1 for 3 on my last couple of predictions

Actually 2 of 4 if you count Mario

 

[Casper Gutman]

An update on the Barbie map “controversy” (spoiler: it’s not the Nine-Dash Line):

‘Barbie’ Map Controversy: Warner Bros. Explains the Drawing That Got the Film Banned in Vietnam (EXCLUSIVE)

The map featured in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" that got the film banned in Vietnam is not a geopolitical statement. It's a child's doodle, sources say.

variety.com

I’m skeptical. This feels very much like the kind of bet hedging that Hollywood has tried to do in the past in an attempt to placate China without alienating other audiences. A lot of thought and design work goes into even minor, “silly” elements like this, and it would be a heck of a coincidence.

 

[Disney Irish]

I’m sorry, where’s the evidence these “live” action remakes experience an ongoing level of enduring popularity as compared to the animated films? They all seem very ethereal and disposable - make a bit of splash at the box office and then just are kind of forgotten.

A few months after the films leave the theaters you never see that merchandise again. It goes back to the animated versions.

We obviously don't have any hard numbers to discuss here, only Disney has those. I also was speaking just about TLM in this context not all the live action remakes. I even stated the other films are less likely to find post-theatrical success.

 

[Disney Irish]

You’re taking a huge leap here…but we shall see.
If it does well after the write down - and yes I’m gonna say it until we all get on board 101% that it is one - then it’s a “ah hah!” Moment

If not…it just gets forgotten.

But we shall see.

101% agree. Though not for more completely silly and insulting live action remakes…

I’ve said they can only be Disney private for many years…back to my previous engagement on the DIS

You can say "write down" all you want, and I agree if it does indeed not make its budget back it'll be written down, however only Disney can officially say its a write down, not posters on some fan site. And if they never do, then you must accept it made its budget back and maybe turned a profit during its theatrical run.

 

[LittleBuford]

I’m skeptical. This feels very much like the kind of bet hedging that Hollywood has tried to do in the past in an attempt to placate China without alienating other audiences. A lot of thought and design work goes into even minor, “silly” elements like this, and it would be a heck of a coincidence.

What about the similar line near the landmass that resembles Greenland?

 

[Casper Gutman]

What about the similar line near the landmass that resembles Greenland?

Yes, there’s a dotted line there as well. That doesn’t negate the fact that the dotted line next to China has repeatedly caused controversy for major studios over the last several years, and it’s unintentional inclusion would not only require belief that a lot of creative personnel were ignorant of an issue that had directly impacted their industry several times recently but also acceptance of an incredible coincidence. Hollywood has lots of precedence for this kind of wishy-washiness - to take one example, remember the disappearing/ reappearing Taiwanese flag on Maverick’s jacket in the latest Top Gun.

 

[LittleBuford]

Yes, there’s a dotted line there as well. That doesn’t negate the fact that the dotted line next to China has repeatedly caused controversy for major studios over the last several years, and it’s unintentional inclusion would not only require belief that a lot of creative personnel were ignorant of an issue that had directly impacted their industry several times recently but also acceptance of an incredible coincidence. Hollywood has lots of precedence for this kind of wishy-washiness - to take one example, remember the disappearing/ reappearing Taiwanese flag on Maverick’s jacket in the latest Top Gun.

Two things make me doubtful:

First, I don’t see any resemblance to China or indeed to the shape of the Nine-Dash Line. The Barbie map shows eight dashes forming a wavy line protruding into what, if anything, corresponds to the Pacific Ocean rather than the South China Sea.

Second, and more compellingly for me, why would the filmmakers or designers so needlessly wade into the controversy in the first place? If it were a realistic map, I could understand why geopolitical concerns may have come into play, but the map in question is so absurdly cartoonish that it can remain blissfully aloof of real-world issues. There is, in other words, nothing to gain by turning such a map into a political statement, which is why I have a hard time believing that those who created it had any intention of doing so.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You can say "write down" all you want, and I agree if it does indeed not make its budget back it'll be written down, however only Disney can officially say its a write down, not posters on some fan site. And if they never do, then you must accept it made its budget back and maybe turned a profit during its theatrical run.

It’s actually Just math.

Two viable options:
1. Accept math
2. Move on

 

[Disstevefan1]

I actually find it to be exactly the opposite, because this thread is dominated by a huge swath of people who are rooting for a movie that they have not seen and will not see to fail. I keep having to remind myself that this is a Disney fan board and not a Disney hate board.

I find it very entertaining, and I see the comments as constructive criticism (well some of them anyway).

Mostly all on these boards are die-hard Disney fans and get passionate about things Disney.

I am mostly a theme park fan. I will state again that I dislike the double standard where TWDC will spends hundreds of millions of dollars on movies (some that will lose money) AND CONTINUE TO DO IT, yet in their theme park business they are very budget conscious, with constant cost cutting, cancelling projects and contently raising prices.

 

[Disney Irish]

It’s actually Just math.

Two viable options:
1. Accept math
2. Move on

And only Disney has the real numbers for that math, we have approximations which are discussion points to give us an idea of box office performance but still not the real numbers.

So I can accept a write down on a particular movie, its the nature of the business after all and it happens a lot for all studios, but its not up to us to say a movie will require a write down only Disney can do that. Especially for movies that appears to be close to breaking even based on those approximations such as TLM.

Also this is a discussion forum, this topic is obviously going to continue beyond just TLM, Elemental, and Indy5. So you can move on from discussing it if you'd like.

 

[Jedijax719]

The box office dilemma is this. Aim for a modest box office number but keep budgets down. By keeping budgets down, you could either sacrifice quality (CGI, SFX,cast, set designs or all of the above), or sacrifice marketing. By sacrificing any of those, you could/would likely sacrifice box office returns. And the cycle continues.

So what's the answer? People keep saying to keep budgets down. I want to hear what those people think should be cut to do so.

 

[TP2000]

What about the similar line near the landmass that resembles Greenland?

Territory controlled by the Danish Mafia.