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

[brideck]

I think that was ultimately the orignal person's point. It either came out already and made money, or it won't make the studio money even if it gets the accolades of award season. The person was mistaken, and it was pointed out a lot. I think the ultimate point still stands, and you can gleefully within your rights yourself, but trying to steer you back to topic while you have fun with that dead horse.

I don't think that this quite makes the point you think it does. Or any point really, as it's a false/premature conclusion.

"Poor Things from Searchlight had a $35 Million budget?!? And it's bombed hugely. That will cost Disney another $30 Million or so for its Searchlight studio division."

And no one in this thread pointed out to them that the screen count and average per screen were in the graphic. As opposed to beating any sort of horse, I'm trying to educate through criticism, as opposed to just saying "It's only in ~20 cities, silly" without demonstrating how they were supposed to know that.

 

[Disney Irish]

A six month writer's and SAG strike result year is a little silly to think it could easily match ya know? In fact, ratio of what is out, shows people are willing to turn up to theaters more.

The fact is, some studios will still be happy to soak up on the market and profit off of films audience are happy to receive and pay for.
Tent Poles that were delayed...yeah, it will take a chunk out of the total, but it does not mean all studios fail.

What you are going to likely see is fewer movies that hang around longer. You can see this is in how Hunger Games has stayed hanging on making far more than anyone ever thought the spin off would. You can see it in foreign films doing very well and their runs extending.

You basically see a return to how it used to be more than how major streaming investors want it to be.
Ratio new theatrical release to patronage will likely show quite well.

No one said anything about studios failing. Though it makes me question how many will actually be profitable for the year by the end of 2024 based on what is actually releasing, but that is a different conversation.

The point is that 2024's box office is so far being predicted to be lower than 2023. So we're about to see if audiences really will keep going if there is less product thus making the less product more profitable, or if they just decide to skip things and wait for streaming due to the lack of product.

 

[celluloid]

So we're about to see if audiences really will keep going if there is less product thus making the less product more profitable, or if they just decide to skip things and wait for streaming due to the lack of product.

This is not at all mutually exclusive. You can have less product, but be films that still make a profit while having less as a whole show up for the year.

 

[Disney Irish]

This is not at all mutually exclusive. You can have less product, but be films that still make a profit while having less as a whole show up for the year.

You're making the assumption that consumers decide to just keep showing even up with less product making what is released more profitable, I'm not making that assumption and neither are the analysts that are predicting a down year for 2024.

 

[celluloid]

You're making the assumption that consumers decide to just keep showing even up with less product making what is released more profitable, I'm not making that assumption and neither are the analysts that are predicting a down year for 2024.

Having less product is not a thus, you used that word.

There can be less product and individually, movies can still be profitable without the total going to 9 billion instead of 8.

 

[Disney Irish]

Having less product is not a thus, you used that word.

My usage of the word in the context I was using it is correct.

There can be less product and individually, movies can still be profitable without the total going to 9 billion instead of 8.

No one claimed that individual movies couldn't be profitable.

 

[celluloid]

I've asked you now to stop multiple times. If you find my usage of the English language so grating please put me on ignore and don't interact with me further. But for you to continue to go on and on even after I've asked you to stop is now bordering on bullying, and I've reported the post as such.

I don't find it grating, what I am not going to let a logical fallacy masqueraded as truth due to some embarrassment or some offense. I explained it, Take it how you will. I don't want to ignore you, but you are more than welcome to use that same feature.

I don't think pointing out a logical fallacy is bullying. I even said use the word as you choose. I did not continue to correct any English grammar you asked me to stop.

Movies can still make money even if less films are released.

 

[Disney Irish]

Movies can still make money even if less films are released.

Also once again NO ONE said that movies can't make money even if less films are released. The point was that the movies being released aren't going to suddenly just make MORE money just because less films are released. There is a difference.

 

[Disney Irish]

I am not correcting anything? I explained myself and agreed with your point. If you really don't like anything I am posting in a discussion, that means you need to put me on ignore. I don't know what else to say to that.

I'm deleting my posts as this isn't productive anymore, I suggest you do the same. In the future please do not correct my posts, this isn't an English class, and you aren't my teacher.

 

[celluloid]

While ultimately less films, if Gladiator 2 happens, and Wicked and Beetlejuice 2 stay their course, They are going to be very heavy hitters. Then I think you will have the mid hits like Ghostbusters Frozen Empire and Kung Fu Panda 4. Depicable Me has run so much of its course but it will still do pretty darn well.

Unless some miracle fanbase trust it, I don't see Aliens or Kingdom of the planet of the Apes doing so well.

Next December, a year from this time is so ecliptic, I love it.

 

[Rambozo]

You can't make a Dream Team, if you don't go with the most qualified people. Disney obviously hasn't been hiring the most qualified. I guess for some crazy reason they don't want to make money anymore.

 

[DKampy]

saying the brand is not damaged is not an opposing view. It is a denial of fact.

Everything that comes out of a company either enhances or diminishes the brand. The entire year had a string of failures that has shown damaged brand and further hurt it. The company admits to a damaged brand and there are industry respected reports that show the brand trust is down.

Yes, if you deny this after that, you are not exactly reasonable, and if you call others who point this out and refer to them as trolls, you are delusional.

Well maybe some do not think the brand is damage…so yes that is an opposing view

Personally I do think the brand is damaged, but I am of the opinion that certain YouTubers have done more damage than I originally thought… I usually end up seeing most films as I go to the ptheater at least once(usually multiple times) a week …What I miss I catch on streaming or a rental and personally I don’t see how Disney is truly awful when compared to other studios…To use one studio as an example… Universal… I did not think Mario Brothers or Freddy were good… despite their success…I did like Oppenheimer and M3gan well enough though… With Disney I enjoyed The Marvels, Elemental, Guardians, the Little Mermaid… I did not enjoy The Haunted Mansion or Antman…All film is subjective.. but to me Disney itself did not damage the brand itself…I was hoping this would not be the case… but it seems more people are listening to those loud YouTuber… my proof is the amount of posters that repeat their talking points and complain about Disney films without watching

 

[DKampy]

They both are experimental film makers. Very different, but I stand by the term. Fringe at best. Yeah, they are in the same breathe, but searchlight is not making Disney enough at the box office to matter, award recognition for this film is not going to save their current major challenges in restructuring studio. That was the point.

I saw The Holdovers( it’s good)and I do not see how that is experimental especially when compared to the works of Yorgos Lanthimos… I have yet to see Poor Things… I look forward to once it opens in a theater near me… but I am going by his previous works

 

[TP2000]

I don't think that this quite makes the point you think it does. Or any point really, as it's a false/premature conclusion.

"Poor Things from Searchlight had a $35 Million budget?!? And it's bombed hugely. That will cost Disney another $30 Million or so for its Searchlight studio division."

And no one in this thread pointed out to them that the screen count and average per screen were in the graphic. As opposed to beating any sort of horse, I'm trying to educate through criticism, as opposed to just saying "It's only in ~20 cities, silly" without demonstrating how they were supposed to know that.

The screen counts are on the graphic. I saw it, it was obvious because it was so low. It's what made me Google the budget for Poor Things, because I'd never heard of that movie and had no idea what was going on with it. It just looked odd, with the low screen count and "Searchlight" next to it.

When does Poor Things show up in St. George, Utah? I can't find anything on Fandango for it.

 

[_caleb]

Well maybe some do not think the brand is damage…so yes that is an opposing view

Personally I do think the brand is damaged, but I am of the opinion that certain YouTubers have done more damage than I originally thought… I usually end up seeing most films as I go to the ptheater at least once(usually multiple times) a week …What I miss I catch on streaming or a rental and personally I don’t see how Disney is truly awful when compared to other studios…To use one studio as an example… Universal… I did not think Mario Brothers or Freddy were good… despite their success…I did like Oppenheimer and M3gan well enough though… With Disney I enjoyed The Marvels, Elemental, Guardians, the Little Mermaid… I did not enjoy The Haunted Mansion or Antman…All film is subjective.. but to me Disney itself did not damage the brand itself…I was hoping this would not be the case… but it seems more people are listening to those loud YouTuber… my proof is the amount of posters that repeat their talking points and complain about Disney films without watching

I agree with this. I'm convinced that ideologically-motivated negative content across media has affected public reception of Disney/Marvel/Star Wars films and series. Disney is surely aware of this, but in a tough spot; pleasing the disaffected fans would certainly have a negative effect on sentiment among other segments.

This is ANOTHER reason Disney has indicated it's changing to depend less on theatrical releases and focus more on Direct-to-Consumer: it allows Disney to be all things to all fans. When individual fans log in, they see the version of Disney they like best.

 

[brideck]

When does Poor Things show up in St. George, Utah? I can't find anything on Fandango for it.

Half past never, I guess? Or at least, not in the next couple weeks. Crazy to me that you're getting The Iron Claw, but not Poor Things. Guess you'll have to drive to Vegas.

 

[TP2000]

Half past never, I guess? Or at least, not in the next couple weeks. Crazy to me that you're getting The Iron Claw, but not Poor Things. Guess you'll have to drive to Vegas.

I only drive to Vegas for two things; an overseas flight, or the Bacchanal Buffet at Ceasars.

Is it just sort of assumed with movies like Poor Things that Disney will not make a box office profit on them? That it's more important to get Oscar nominations and potential statuettes rather than actual profit?

If so, I'm baffled by that. Especially with the utter collapse of Oscars TV viewership in the past decade. I think more people watch the American Kennel Club Dog Show than watch the Oscars now.

 

[brideck]

I only drive to Vegas for two things; an overseas flight, or the Bacchanal Buffet at Ceasars.

Is it just sort of assumed with movies like Poor Things that Disney will not make a box office profit on them? That it's more important to get Oscar nominations and potential statuettes rather than actual profit?

If so, I'm baffled by that. Especially with the utter collapse of Oscars TV viewership in the past decade. I think more people watch the American Kennel Club Dog Show than watch the Oscars now.

I think they'll do fine with Poor Things. The budget probably wouldn't be quite that big (for an indie), if they weren't hoping to largely make it back.

The comp would be the director's previous film, The Favourite, which made $34m/$96m, all while never earning more than $2.5m in a single weekend in the US. It had a lengthy run and bumped up to 1500 screens after Oscar noms came out. Poor Things isn't quite as buzzy as that yet, and is getting a later start, but it's gotten more notice than The Holdovers (mentioned previously in this thread).

Anecdotal, but I have multiple groups of friends who rarely go to the movies (<5 movies a year) and they have all expressed interest in Poor Things. Whether that translates into them actually going to see it remains to be seen.

 

[_caleb]

I only drive to Vegas for two things; an overseas flight, or the Bacchanal Buffet at Ceasars.

Is it just sort of assumed with movies like Poor Things that Disney will not make a box office profit on them? That it's more important to get Oscar nominations and potential statuettes rather than actual profit?

If so, I'm baffled by that. Especially with the utter collapse of Oscars TV viewership in the past decade. I think more people watch the American Kennel Club Dog Show than watch the Oscars now.

Winning awards is about being able to negotiate and justify prices based on the perceived status that comes with winning awards. It doesn't matter how few people watched the award ceremony.

Smaller budget, niche projects are part of larger strategies:

• They function as focus group testing of sorts for filmmaking concepts and trends. Successful ones will likely be incorporated into mainstream titles.
• They're allow studios to take risks without negative impact on core brands.
• They are treated like a farm league/development pipeline for talent.
• They help connect with and learn more about audiences beyond corse audiences.

This list also applies to Direct-to-Consumer strategies.

 

[ABQ]

I only drive to Vegas for two things; an overseas flight, or the Bacchanal Buffet at Ceasars.

Is it just sort of assumed with movies like Poor Things that Disney will not make a box office profit on them? That it's more important to get Oscar nominations and potential statuettes rather than actual profit?

If so, I'm baffled by that. Especially with the utter collapse of Oscars TV viewership in the past decade. I think more people watch the American Kennel Club Dog Show than watch the Oscars now.

w00t, I've been ahead of the times, as I don't think I've watched the Oscars since Nick Cage won for Leaving Las Vegas, but the AKC show is must see TV.

Oh, and Wynn Buffet > Bacchanal, but only just.