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

[TP2000]

I just saw Migration and Wonka on Amazon Prime, for a cost of course! I was surprised to see them on Amazon while they are still in theatres??? There was another one or two that are still playing theatres but I can't remember which ones.

It looks like both those movies are available on Amazon Prime to rent for $20 bucks apiece. Or $25 each to own.

That has to earn those studios more profit on those films than Disney's strategy of putting their mega-budget box office flops on Disney+ for $14 per month.

I’ve been meaning to mention here, it seems like more films are trending as “slow burns” as opposed to hitting big the first week and dropping off quickly…maybe because there have been fewer new releases? Or at least fewer huge ones? I think Wonka benefited from a little breathing room.

Wonka seems to have also benefitted from just being a very good family movie with great word of mouth and positive buzz. Disney hasn't had a movie like that in quite a while now.

Yep. Yet another reason it's silly to look at the first two weeks of box office performance as the primary (or only) indicator of a film's quality, value, or public reception.

This thread is the opposite of that though. We track all these movies from Disney for weeks and months. Wish has been out for over two months and we're still tracking it. And after all that tracking, Wish is still a box office bomb.

Wish: Production $200, Marketing $100, Domestic B.O. Take $38, Overseas B.O. Take $70 = $192 Million Loss
Wonka: Production $125, Marketing $65, Domestic B.O. Take $119, Overseas B.O. Take $143 = $72 Million Profit
Trolls 3: Production $95, Marketing $50, Domestic B.O. Take $61, Overseas B.O. Take $43 = $41 Million Loss
Migration: Production $72, Marketing $35, Domestic B.O. Take $62, Overseas B.O. Take $42 = $3 Million Loss

 

[LittleBuford]

Wonka seems to have also benefitted from just being a very good family movie with great word of mouth and positive buzz. Disney hasn't had a movie like that in quite a while now.

Elemental was certainly such a film.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I just saw Migration and Wonka on Amazon Prime, for a cost of course! I was surprised to see them on Amazon while they are still in theatres??? There was another one or two that are still playing theatres but I can't remember which ones.

I think a big factor is people are more willing to pay a premium amount to rent or own a movie if it's new. iTunes highlights movies with "bring the theater home" which is seen as a positive.

It's becoming more and more common. I have to assume the studios releasing their movies have had good results from this practice. They'd adjust if they weren't.

Yes, I noticed Wonka on PPV as well. I have no knowledge of how these things work, but I’m guessing that release date was set a long time ago - thinking it wouldn’t be doing well in theaters this late(?)

I’ve been meaning to mention here, it seems like more films are trending as “slow burns” as opposed to hitting big the first week and dropping off quickly…maybe because there have been fewer new releases? Or at least fewer huge ones? I think Wonka benefited from a little breathing room.

I think the release dates for movies on physical disc are set in stone. They sell them to various retailers and have to commit to whatever contracted delivery date has been set.

Digital movies are more flexible. We've seen some drop surprisingly quick. Current standard seems to be a about a month before the disc release so while they perhaps could have adjusted the digital release, it was tied to the disc release.

I imagine studios prefer digital because they don't have to deal with the cost, hassle, risk, etc. of physical media. I'd be surprised if this release pattern changes anytime soon.

The only recent movie to debut on disc and digital same day was Oppenheimer because only Christopher Nolan has the clout and desire to have made that happen in support of physical media.

 

[TP2000]

Elemental was certainly such a film.

Elemental certainly did moderately well overseas, with the biggest numbers in South Korea owing to the film's Korean director bringing out the crowds. But historically against previous Pixar films of the past decade, Elemental didn't do very well at all.

Elemental lost $75 Million for Disney, where Wonka has already made $72 Million in profit and counting.

Elemental: Production $200, Marketing $100, Domestic B.O. Take $92, Overseas B.O. Take $133 = $75 Million Loss
Wonka: Production $125, Marketing $65, Domestic B.O. Take $119, Overseas B.O. Take $143 = $72 Million Profit

 

[TP2000]

Here's how Elemental stacks up against the Pre-Covid Pixar movies of the late 2010's, adjusted for inflation.

Elemental at least beats Cars 3, but with that exception the comparison is bleak for Pixar's current outlook if you hold up Elemental as a sign of hope for the future. But hey, at least Elemental beat Lightyear and Cars 3.

Elemental: Production $200, Marketing $100, Domestic B.O. Take $92, Overseas B.O. Take $133 = $75 Million Loss
Toy Story 4: Production $230, Marketing $100, Domestic B.O. Take $299, Overseas B.O. Take $294 = $263 Million Profit
Incredibles 2: Production $230, Marketing $100, Domestic B.O. Take $422, Overseas B.O. Take $293 = $385 Million Profit
Cars 3: Production $205, Marketing $100, Domestic B.O. Take $108, Overseas B.O. Take $107 = $90 Million Loss
Finding Dory: Production $243, Marketing $100, Domestic B.O. Take $355, Overseas B.O. Take $262 = $274 Million Profit
Inside Out: Production $219, Marketing $100, Domestic B.O. Take $267, Overseas B.O. Take $247 = $195 Million Profit

 

[LittleBuford]

I stand by my characterisation of Elemental “being a very good family movie with great word of mouth and positive buzz”. I made no claims about its performance relative to other Pixar releases.

 

[DKampy]

It looks like both those movies are available on Amazon Prime to rent for $20 bucks apiece. Or $25 each to own.

That has to earn those studios more profit on those films than Disney's strategy of putting their mega-budget box office flops on Disney+ for $14 per month.

Disney does this as well… there were people on these very forums that watched The Little Mermaid for the 19.99 rental price

Wonka(HBO Max) and Migration(Peacock) will also show up on their respective services just like The Little Mermaid did on Disney +

 

[TP2000]

Box Office estimate is out for this weekend, Friday thru Sunday. Poor Things is in 9th place. I'll spare us the cut and paste job for All Of Us Strangers and Wish way down the list, but suffice it to say they still exist in a few hundred theaters. Wish made $81,000 this weekend in 130 theaters, and All Of Us Strangers made $253,000 in 150 theaters.

Here's the Top 10. A movie called Argylle, and another one of those religious films, opened this weekend in #1 and #2.

 

[TalkingHead]

Can someone direct me to the Apple box office forum so I can get started on ripping into them for making three $200m bombs?

Or maybe it’s like some of us have been saying: this isn’t just a Disney problem. It’s an industry issue that extends from filmmakers and producers down to the exhibitors.

There is no quick fix because the damage is intrinsic to this era of the movie business.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Can someone direct me to the Apple box office forum so I can get started on ripping into them for making three $200m bombs?

I think everyone has at this point.

The question is how many more of these are so far along its too late to pull the plug?

 

[LittleBuford]

Can someone direct me to the Apple box office forum so I can get started on ripping into them for making three $200m bombs?

Or maybe it’s like some of us have been saying: this isn’t just a Disney problem. It’s an industry issue that extends from filmmakers and producers down to the exhibitors.

There is no quick fix because the damage is intrinsic to this era of the movie business.

Someone will respond to tell you that this is a Disney box-office thread. (They’ll omit to mention that other studios are OK to bring up so long as it makes Disney look bad.)

 

[TalkingHead]

I think everyone has at this point.

The question is how many more of these are so far along it’s too late to pull the plug?

I’m not sure Apple having a streaming service makes any more sense than Disney. One thing’s for sure: from a producer/studio standpoint, they’re no better at making movies than Disney or Netflix.

 

[DKampy]

I’m not sure Apple having a streaming service makes any more sense than Disney. One thing’s for sure: from a producer/studio standpoint, they’re no better at making movies than Disney or Netflix.

Except people will point out that it’s ok… Apple is not making movies to succeed because their in the business of selling computers… I guess by that token it is fine with Disney since they are in the business of theme parks, cruises etc. ..

 

[TP2000]

Can someone direct me to the Apple box office forum so I can get started on ripping into them for making three $200m bombs?

Or maybe it’s like some of us have been saying: this isn’t just a Disney problem. It’s an industry issue that extends from filmmakers and producers down to the exhibitors.

There is no quick fix because the damage is intrinsic to this era of the movie business.

I don't get it either. I've said this dozens of times probably by now, but my pea-sized brain can't figure out how streaming pencils out. For anyone. Most notably Disney and their money-sucking Disney+ service, because we're talking mostly about Disney here. But the other streaming services who are now producing their own shows (I meant to say "content", I swear) don't make much financial sense to me either.

For only 15 bucks a month, and being able to instantly cancel and resubscribe a few months later, only to cancel again, just doesn't make sense to me financially. How did this business plan get approved again? And who is responsible?

 

[Tha Realest]

Well there is still some question on whether the deal with Uni for the Hulk is still in place or not. But other than that once Disney bought 21st Century the only remaining deal is with Sony, everything else is under Disney.

I think Universal has some control over Namor too- they could use him as they did in BPW, but a solo film is likely not doable under the existing rights issues with Universal

 

[Disney Irish]

I think Universal has some control over Namor too- they could use him as they did in BPW, but a solo film is likely not doable under the existing rights issues with Universal

Just like Hulk, Namor rights are still in question, and if Uni really still have rights over both of them. However with that said, as I understand it, the only rights Uni really has are first refusal rights over distribution not anything to do with production itself.

Last summer there were rumblings that both rights have been reverted back to Marvel. The only way to know for sure is if Marvel ever does a standalone movie for either in the future.

 

[BuddyThomas]

 

[BuddyThomas]

February 22 on Hulu. Get your tissues ready.

'All Of Us Strangers' Sets February Release Date On Digital & Hulu | Screen-Connections

'All Of Us Strangers' Digital and Hulu Release Date and Details, Searchlight Pictures

screen-connections.com

 

[Tha Realest]

Just like Hulk, Namor rights are still in question, and if Uni really still have rights over both of them. However with that said, as I understand it, the only rights Uni really has are first refusal rights over distribution not anything to do with production itself.

Last summer there were rumblings that both rights have been reverted back to Marvel. The only way to know for sure is if Marvel ever does a standalone movie for either in the future.

Yeah, there was some discussions of that when BPW was released. I don’t think Marvel knows what they want to do with the future of that corner of the universe. Ironheart - which completed its filming at the end of 2022 - has been pushed to 2025. I don‘t know that there’s a lot of audience demand for the character, and the actor’s lost at least one role due to some personal stuff probably not wise to bring up here.

 

[Communicora]

Can someone direct me to the Apple box office forum so I can get started on ripping into them for making three $200m bombs?

You could make one in this forum

TV Shows, Movies, and Music

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