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

[DisneyHead123]

Where do they go from here?

I stand by my idea that they make cheaper, individually priced content. Movie sales are declining. You know what has grown exponentially? Hallmark (and Lifetime, Great American Family, Netflix, etc.) Christmas movies. I think they're all shot in Ottawa in the same town in the same three month period, with a budget of like $500 for cocoa and festive sweaters. It's possible to create content that people want without a big budget. And if you price it reasonably, I think it's possible to get people to pay $5 - $10 for individual shows / movies.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Not according to some of the posters here. They think Disney is pandering to certain groups instead of making quality films.

This is true. This is exactly what I think.

 

[spacemt354]

I mean, you could just read the threads.

In the Disney Box Office thread, posters point to several reasons Disney films aren't performing well at the box office without offering examples or thoughtful/informed critique:

• They are pandering to a tiny vocal community that has no interest in their product

But I think Disney has knowingly made choices that would frustrate some in order to gain others. I think they're betting that despite all the bluster from people complaining about Disney's direction, legacy fans are still going to subscribe to Disney+ and take their kids to Disney World every year.

To me, these are two views that have more in common than they do differ.

I disagreed with your previous premise that most of the discussion is not thoughtful or informed critique. And this is an example of how both "sides" can think similarly. Both are fair points.

 

[TP2000]

You know what has grown exponentially? Hallmark (and Lifetime, Great American Family, Netflix, etc.) Christmas movies. I think they're all shot in Ottawa in the same town in the same three month period, with a budget of like $500 for cocoa and festive sweaters. It's possible to create content that people want without a big budget.

Thank you for the laugh!

And agreed, the mega-budgets and bloated cubicle farms that now clog Disney's Burbank campus must be reduced. Slimmed down. Rethought. Realigned for this new and far less reliable free market of consumers with plenty of other choices.

And finally, have you seen this SNL skit? It always has me rolling.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I stand by my idea that they make cheaper, individually priced content. Movie sales are declining. You know what has grown exponentially? Hallmark (and Lifetime, Great American Family, Netflix, etc.) Christmas movies. I think they're all shot in Ottawa in the same town in the same three month period, with a budget of like $500 for cocoa and festive sweaters. It's possible to create content that people want without a big budget. And if you price it reasonably, I think it's possible to get people to pay $5 - $10 for individual shows / movies.

Hallmark Christmas movies are the new goal?

Talk about a low bar.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll put one on when I want to put my brain on pause or take a nap or just be amazed by Luke MacFarlane’s arms for a little while - but those movies can barely be called movies. There’s nothing to them but that hot cocoa and those sweaters. (P.S. I can always tell those cocoa cups with the lids are empty. Such lame effects! )

There’s a reason they’re not in theaters. They don’t deserve it.

 

[Andrew C]

Hallmark Christmas movies are the new goal?

Talk about a low bar.

My mother will fight you.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Not according to some of the posters here. They think Disney is pandering to certain groups instead of making quality films.

…because saying someone has two moms uses up the entire $240 million budget!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

This is true. This is exactly what I think.

You can think it but you can’t explain it.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Can you explain how, referring to specific examples?

You go “all girl” Star Wars and you anger a huge, loyal fanbase…they didn’t “expand it” at all…

You go away from it to setting all your stream shows with constant return of the Jedi references to counter that…you get constant /grief for that for regression…





…go ahead and flame me…that’s EXACTLY what the bobs tried…to launch a “cost controlled” new franchise…

I’ll take it…Fire away.

They made old man Indy with the mandatory rey clone…and when that failed probably blamed the audience and said: “we can’t win…what do these geeks want?!?”

No old man Indy…you burned that up with han “cash the check” solo. An idiot coulda figured that one out too.

I give them a lot of credit on how they tried to frame haunted mansions story…but they made it completely stupid - we’ve seen that before - and defeated the whole attempt. They are the last people in Hollywood to realize that the audience does NOT want to be reminded they’re watching something silly every 30 seconds

Or Bland. Stop making cartoons into live action so you can make them cartoons in 10 years again (they’ll NEVER FIGURE IT OUT! )

Stop making slapstick adventures

Stop making slapstick scary movies

Stop making remakes of beloved movies
…did that TWICE and it all went sideways.
Couldn’t get Mary Poppins off the ground…how the hell can Disney not do THAT?!?

they ruin everything…it kills any interest in things that do go in a different direction…like Christopher Robin…recently Elemental…

Stop
Stop
Stop
Stopitty, stop stop stop


And for gods sakes…stop being smug when you fail, blame the audience in your press heathens when you fail…and then a week later say the failure was “imagined”

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The majority of the vocal minority who still think showing gay characters is immoral or casting a black TLM is replacement theory will continue to dwindle in numbers and become irrelevant to the entire equation.

This is 100% true…but you can’t force it based on your Stanford money theories with a cattle prod on your own timeline…

You’ll wreck your influence before the influence exists

And everyone loses…the dead people the least

 

[DKampy]

I stand by my idea that they make cheaper, individually priced content. Movie sales are declining. You know what has grown exponentially? Hallmark (and Lifetime, Great American Family, Netflix, etc.) Christmas movies. I think they're all shot in Ottawa in the same town in the same three month period, with a budget of like $500 for cocoa and festive sweaters. It's possible to create content that people want without a big budget. And if you price it reasonably, I think it's possible to get people to pay $5 - $10 for individual shows / movies.

I have my doubt that many people will pay for individual Hallmark Christmas movies…my wife and I watch them on occasion during the Christmas season ourselves… they are predictable and cheesy…If they were not available on a streaming service I already have…I would never pay to watch those

 

[erasure fan1]

And once again, you only offer complaints but no remedies or ideas on how things should be. You just say "they need to make better products" but you cannot define that.

To be fair, what exactly are you looking for? I like cheese cake. If I don't like a cheese cake, I don't think I could tell you how to make one better, I'm not a baker. But when one is good, I know it instantaneously. Disney obviously isn't connecting with the audience. No one has the secret sauce to write a universally loved script. But it is apparent to me that Disney doesn't have the talent to accomplish that anyway.

It really is a mess when you try to break it all down. Disney needs to hire better creatives. But would Iger and crew even know what that would look like? I'd have to say no. We've talked about budgets, we've talked about D+ release cadence. But it all comes back to the talent at Disney right now. If you don't have the best people, you aren't going to make the best movies. Now granted, I know that's easier said than done.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I have my doubt that many people will pay for individual Hallmark Christmas movies…my wife and I watch them on occasion during the Christmas season ourselves… they are predictable and cheesy…If they were not available on a streaming service I already have…I would never pay to watch those

I think they’ve kinda replaced soap operas for many…

They’re “you know what you get” mindless and that still holds tv appeal.

It’s like the Lucci Effect

 

[DisneyHead123]

Thank you for the laugh!

And agreed, the mega-budgets and bloated cubicle farms that now clog Disney's Burbank campus must be reduced. Slimmed down. Rethought. Realigned for this new and far less reliable free market of consumers with plenty of other choices.

And finally, have you seen this SNL skit? It always has me rolling.

I think I like the parody skits just as much as the actual movies!

 

[DisneyHead123]

Hallmark Christmas movies are the new goal?

Talk about a low bar.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll put one on when I want to put my brain on pause or take a nap or just be amazed by Luke MacFarlane’s arms for a little while - but those movies can barely be called movies. There’s nothing to them but that hot cocoa and those sweaters. (P.S. I can always tell those cocoa cups with the lids are empty. Such lame effects! )

There’s a reason they’re not in theaters. They don’t deserve it.

No. Nope. The last four years have broken my brain and now all I want is the TV Xanax that is vanilla programming. I want Disney Christmas movies in the style of (a more diverse) Hallmark. I want David Tutera creating layered cocktails and hidden Mickey's in bouquets for a season of Disney Fairytale Weddings, each themed after a different Disney movie. I want a Disney themed bake-off show. I want FANatic, the Disney version, where I tour the home of a grandma in the midwest who has no less than 3,000 stuffed Mickeys, 500 of which she knitted herself. Say Yes To The (Disney!) Dress. Mickey Mouse Saves Valentine's Day (and St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Arbor Day...) I could go on, and I am not even kidding anymore.

Ok, I'm kind of kidding, but there's a nugget of truth in there. Not everything has to be a trillion dollar budget, edgy, action packed Big Deal. Sometimes mind numbing comfort food tv has a place too.

 

[el_super]

Disney obviously isn't connecting with the audience. No one has the secret sauce to write a universally loved script. But it is apparent to me that Disney doesn't have the talent to accomplish that anyway.

Ehhh.. no.

Superhero movies aren't all that different. Star Wars movies arent all that different. Family movies aren't either. There isn't really anything different in the content being produced. The story structures are basically the same, the characters and acting are all pretty middle of the road, the directing is passable.

Disney movies weren't ever really known as being Oscar contenders. They would get decent reviews and perform well for the audience, but they weren't really out there to change cinema or get noticed. That really hasn't changed.

Today, they aren't connecting with an audience that is inclined to visit an in-person theater. That doesn't mean they still aren't satisfying the need. The audience just has the ability to pay less for entertainment that they can get through multiple channels. It's a problem facing the entire industry now, not just Disney.

Saying they need better stories is just empty criticism. Suggesting they need better acting or better directing ignores what they have historically been good at producing.

 

[_caleb]

To me, these are two views that have more in common than they do differ.

I disagreed with your previous premise that most of the discussion is not thoughtful or informed critique. And this is an example of how both "sides" can think similarly. Both are fair points.

Yeah, I agree these are similar (and related). I’ve said all along that the landscape of audiences has changed radically, and that some feel slighted by Disneys current offerings but falsely project themselves as representing Disney’s majority/future audience.

 

[Miru]

And yet all of those smaller films from Disney's smaller studios lost big money at the box office in 2023. And not a single one broke even, taking into account some of their miniscule marketing budgets. (Pretend they only spent $2 Million on marketing for Theater Camp, and it still lost $7 Million, etc., etc.) Each and every one of these movies lost money in 2023.

Combined, these six smaller films from Disney lost just over $140 Million at the box office.

View attachment 756432

Hmm… this, however, isn’t very explicable. Maybe people saw through the 20CS branding?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

According to what?

Hint: nothing. You have nothing to back that up. Hint#2: no, box office results do not support that baseless supposition.

I actually went to an actual theater (in a Disney compound) and actually watched the actual movie

I didn’t hate the story…but it wasn’t right for the IP

It was a prequel tried to he a combination of Toy Story, up and inside out

Just doesn’t work. And the flopping does nothing to contradict that take.

 

[LittleBuford]

It’s amazing how all that is noticeable but takes a back seat when you actually enjoy the story.

Had it not been an enjoyable story, however, people would have blamed all those “checked boxes” for the poor quality of the writing. It’s a grossly unfair framing. Diversity is considered irrelevant when something is deemed good yet highlighted as the main or sole problem when something is deemed bad.