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

[TP2000]

And people (me thinks a lot here)…wanted to March on burbank with pikes and torches for eisner’s head because of California adventure and treasure planet.

Perspective is a B

I've still got a pitchfork and two torches in my garage left over from the Save Disney campaign. If anyone wants to borrow the torches for the 2024 March on Burbank, I'm happy to oblige.

But I don't let anyone borrow the pitchfork any longer, as I got Al Lutz to autograph it for me. It's too precious to use now.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

At $10/sub, the current base will bring in $19B in revenue annually.

Then they must be getting $0.10 a head now…because they aren’t that close and there are NO extra costs now as opposed to next year…

Gonna get a big fat bill from Comcast to on that fire.

Those numbers aren’t working…subs haven’t even begun to be cancelled yet…but it’s coming

…And you know why?

 

[TP2000]

What I continue to find fascinating is why people think these conversations are only limited to within the borders of this country.

These exact same conversations are being held with Disney fans (or ex-Disney fans in some cases), parents, bloggers, boards, etc. in every market around the world.

If the “this is a US problem only” theory was true these domestic bombs would be massive hits in the rest of the world.

Disney losing its influence and power around the world is frankly much more concerning for them long-term than the domestic market.

Frozen 2 did $1.1 billion outside of the US and Canada - Wish will be lucky to get to 20% of that.

Yes, exactly.

I don't mean to pick on @LittleBuford, as he is not the only one to use that inaccurate line of attack against American moviegoing habits, but the comment he just posted was perfect for this topic.

This is not an American box office problem, it's a global box office problem. And for most of these flops from Disney, Americans are paying for movie tickets at a higher rate than foreigners are. Why is that? Why do foreign cultures dislike these movies more than Americans?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Now explain why both of those movies did even worse overseas? Why did more Americans go see Strange World and Lightyear than the 1 Billion other middle class moviegoers overseas?

Why do foreigners dislike these Disney movies so much? Foreigners often double the American box office for Disney's family animated movies they like.

But the foreigners disliked Strange World and Lightyear even more than Americans. Care to explain why?

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Cause they both sucked?

And the sense (correct or not) became that we’re paying to be preached to…not entertained?

And add horrible marketing to the list of chargers against Bob, Inc that they didn’t get in front of it.

There’s a place you can go where you have to pay to be preached to…and they’re awfully empty when the nfl is on…

Maybe THATS Disneys problem? Too much football?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It’s typically American-centric if the theory is because the NA box office tanks…it drags down the world. Like NATO and the far east are American lemmings running to the cliff as reported on by CNN and Access Hollywood?

That’s pretty awful

 

[DisneyHead123]

And why would a substantial portion of the population boycott Disney and all their movies?

That is a very, very interesting conversation that I would love to have. There’s a lot to be said about it that is - no matter your political persuasion - kinda fascinating from a sociocultural and zeitgeist standpoint. That said, I think we both know that gets into politics, which are not allowed on these boards. So I’ll just say, in broad strokes, “for political reasons”.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And why would a substantial portion of the population boycott Disney and all their movies?

Nobody ever “boycotts” Disney

Again…there is research data over generations to make it indisputable.

When the SBC “boycotted” wdw because they…ghast…didn’t shun gay people in WDW and made them feel welcome?!?
…attendance in the swamp soared. It was awesome. Good times.

What’s happening is they’re failing to produce the quality and…yes…FAN SERVICE…necessary to get the masses to spend their money on them.

 

[TP2000]

That is a very, very interesting conversation that I would love to have. There’s a lot to be said about it that is - no matter your political persuasion - kinda fascinating from a sociocultural and zeitgeist standpoint. That said, I think we both know that gets into politics, which are not allowed on these boards. So I’ll just say, in broad strokes, “for political reasons”.

Or in other words, parents with young children are much the same whether they live in Texas or Sweden or South Korea.

The box office results prove it. If anything, the box office results show that American parents were more willing to give Strange World and Lightyear a shot than the foreigners were.

 

[_caleb]

Then they must be getting $0.10 a head now…because they aren’t that close and there are NO extra costs now as opposed to next year…

Gonna get a big fat bill from Comcast to on that fire.

Those numbers aren’t working…subs haven’t even begun to be cancelled yet…but it’s coming

…And you know why?

Q4 20203 ARPU is $6.70.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That is a very, very interesting conversation that I would love to have. There’s a lot to be said about it that is - no matter your political persuasion - kinda fascinating from a sociocultural and zeitgeist standpoint. That said, I think we both know that gets into politics, which are not allowed on these boards. So I’ll just say, in broad strokes, “for political reasons”.

Product failure is a fascinating, deep conversation

But it requires civility and an open mind to consider all the factors.

It’s not a boycott

So obviously we can’t handle it

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Or in other words, parents with young children are much the same whether they live in Texas or Sweden or South Korea.

The box office results prove it. If anything, the box office results show that American parents were more willing to give Strange World and Lightyear a shot than the foreigners were. It's a shame that Europe and Asia aren't as advanced as the USA.

I give you some backing on this…

…but I can’t give license to the “angry guy in the basement” or “boomer who doesn’t wanna die” theories it comes out of…

A vocal minority doesn’t hold that kinda sway over billions who all want to have fun…in the end.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Q4 20203 ARPU is $6.70.

Great…I’ll remember that if I ask you for it in the future

 

[DisneyHead123]

Or in other words, parents with young children are much the same whether they live in Texas or Sweden or South Korea.

The box office results prove it. If anything, the box office results show that American parents were more willing to give Strange World and Lightyear a shot than the foreigners were.

The global reaction I don’t feel like I have the perspective to address. The US is an influential country, but how much attitudes here impact attitudes in the rest of the world, I don’t know.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Nobody ever “boycotts” Disney

What’s happening is they’re failing to produce the quality and…yes…FAN SERVICE…necessary to get the masses to spend their money on them.

Probably a bit of both, but the lack of quality is making it possible.

If Disney was still pumping out Endgame and Frozen caliber movies it would be a whole lot harder for the “boycotters” to boycott them, by releasing poor quality they’ve made it really easy to stay away.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They could get pretty much any director they wanted. Why, they could get Matthew Vaughn, who wants to remake the original trilogy. Which is, after all, what you and other fans want.

You got the wrong cat. I don’t want ANY remakes…no sir.
I want new stories…with old or new characters…that take themselves seriously within the story’s environment.

George screwed that up…Disney did it times 5…

No puns, jokes, speeches or canned dialogue.
Thats not how conversations go to humans.

And the original characters didn’t joke about themselves…they had to believe it so we could dream it. That’s relatable.

That was Star Wars. Disney trash was even worse than George’s toy grab.

One of my favorite things in this thread: "Disney needs to slash budgets enormously! Also, they should get one of the four most famous directors in the world and cast nothing but the very biggest movie stars!"

I don’t give a rats about budget…
If the movie is good…if it’s epic without being silly…the budget is not a problem. It’s huge ROI.

What they’re saying is don’t spend a ton on crap that assumes the audience is stupid.
Nobody should advocate for that.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Probably a bit of both, but the lack of quality is making it possible.

If Disney was still pumping out Endgame and Frozen caliber movies it would be a whole lot harder for the “boycotters” to boycott them, by releasing poor quality they’ve made it really easy to stay away.

That actually busts the picket line…it’s the truth…it’s actual

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I’m sure Bud Light would have said the same thing after 40 years in business.

First…that stuff is disgusting and the world is better…

Second…check with me next summer and see how the sales are?

Third…hit the clicker and flip to a new channel…they’re treating you like a fool and I’m offended at the disrespect

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The global reaction I don’t feel like I have the perspective to address. The US is an influential country, but how much attitudes here impact attitudes in the rest of the world, I don’t know.

If you swapped frozen with wish in this time period…frozen would still be packing them in and wish still would be “tepid” at best

Wish sucks…period.

Which is ironic because Tangled creates frozen…
A completely boondoggled production that somehow pieced itself together brilliantly and launched a whole new animation renaissance…

Content matters. Labels don’t.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wishing realities of the marketplace away doesn’t make it so, unfortunately.

Oh I agree it was horrible miscalculation and a lack of recognition of their audience


…I wish I could come up with another example?

 

[DisneyHead123]

If you swapped frozen with wish in this time period…frozen would still be packing them in and wish still would be “tepid” at best

Wish sucks…period.

Which is ironic because Tangled creates frozen…
A completely boondoggled production that somehow pieced itself together brilliantly and launched a whole new animation renaissance…

Content matters. Labels don’t.

I thought Wish was “good but not great”. My niece loved it. And honestly, Frozen didn’t blow my mind when I first saw it either. Totally anecdotal, I know, but I think Wish would have done at least ok 10 years ago (probably not a smash hit, but ok) and Frozen might bomb today. Disney is in the position of being an absolute sociocultural lightning rod, a symbol of… something… to people today in a way it wasn’t a decade ago.