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

[Tha Realest]

The budget for Joker 2 has ballooned to over $200 million and Gladiator 2 is over $310 million.

In case we’re still pretending grossly inflated budgets are a uniquely Disney problem.

Joker 2 makes sense. Purportedly Phillips, Phoenix, and Gaga got their money up front. That’s about half the budget there. The first film made over a billion, and this should be fine. Not sure what’s up with Gladiator 2.

The real head-scratcher? Twisters is over $200Bn. With Glen Powell. Of course, this could be a “so dumb it does good” film. But man.

Incidentally, we just rewatched Twister. Great time capsule for the mid/late 90’s, but oh man - what a cast.

 

[brideck]

The MCU current problem is that even the core stuff right now is becoming too meandering and lost to the overarching plot, so people are discarding it, especially if it's not great.

One could argue that the concept of an "overarching plot" in the MCU has always been a myth that they're now having difficulty selling to the public since there are no longer shiny MacGuffins (read infinity stones) obviously "connecting" all of the movies together.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

The MCU current problem is that even the core stuff right now is becoming too meandering and lost to the overarching plot, so people are discarding it, especially if it's not great.

I think they can bounce back if they hit on just a couple of good movies.

A lot of the standalone movies surrounding the first Avengers weren't beloved (Thor 2, Iron Man 2-3, Avengers 2, Ant-Man).

Things started to come together with Captain America 2 and that director team would go on to do Civil War and Avengers 3 and 4, and we know how those were received.

Endgame was largely successful by building on the first Avengers and using well developed characters played by great actors. Connections to the majority of standalone moves, story wise, wasn't super important IMO.

 

[BrianLo]

One could argue that the concept of an "overarching plot" in the MCU has always been a myth that they're now having difficulty selling to the public since there are no longer shiny MacGuffins (read infinity stones) obviously "connecting" all of the movies together.

It was a bit, but it was a myth that significantly propped up Captain Marvel as a necessity to consume.

Rather than having so many pots on the same stove, they need to diversify a bit. The MCU was largely working in parallel with the Daredevil Netflix group. That came off the rails because Iron Fist was just… sooo… bad. But it worked otherwise.

They have the playbook and I think they are heading back there. But it’s been a bit too long in the tooth to reach young Avengers and then in parallel an avengers film. They needed to prune a couple of their originals and we really should have been getting more second seasons for a couple of their concepts by now.

They just went super broad too quickly.

 

[DKampy]

It was a bit, but it was a myth that significantly propped up Captain Marvel as a necessity to consume.

Rather than having so many pots on the same stove, they need to diversify a bit. The MCU was largely working in parallel with the Daredevil Netflix group. That came off the rails because Iron Fist was just… sooo… bad. But it worked otherwise.

They have the playbook and I think they are heading back there. But it’s been a bit too long in the tooth to reach young Avengers and then in parallel an avengers film. They needed to prune a couple of their originals and we really should have been getting more second seasons for a couple of their concepts by now.

They just went super broad too quickly.

I think they should of had a Shang-chi 2 at least in production by now…that seemed well received even if the box office did not show it at the time… as people were still a bit wary of Covid at the time

 

[Tha Realest]

I think they should of had a Shang-chi 2 at least in production by now…that seemed well received even if the box office did not show it at the time… as people were still a bit wary of Covid at the time

Director/writer Destin Cretton, who directed/wrote Shang-Chi (and more recently, had been announced to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) was just announced to be doing writing/directing on a live action Naruto film, so either SC2 needs to find someone else or this will be awhile before we see a sequel.

 

[DKampy]

Poor Things has now grossed more than the directors last film The Favourite… It is about to cross a hundred million worldwide with 2 weeks until the Oscars which I believe is what the haters said it needed to break even… I wonder if they will admit it’s a hit now

 

[Casper Gutman]

Director/writer Destin Cretton, who directed/wrote Shang-Chi (and more recently, had been announced to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) was just announced to be doing writing/directing on a live action Naruto film, so either SC2 needs to find someone else or this will be awhile before we see a sequel.

Destin Cretton is currently working on a project for Marvel, the D+ series Wonder Man, which is shooting now. Stories on Naruto note he is attached to Shang-Chi 2. It will come out when Disney wants it. It's entirely possible it could shoot before Naruto, but its unlikely since the MCU dance card is pretty full until 2026. So yeah, it'll be a couple years, but not because of the director's commitments. Also, I'm fairly certain Destin Cretton is no longer attached to Avengers, so he has an opening in his schedule (both Avengers films will be shot by the same director, PROBABLY but not certainly Raimi).

 

[Bullseye1967]

Poor Things has now grossed more than the directors last film The Favourite… It is about to cross a hundred million worldwide with 2 weeks until the Oscars which I believe is what the haters said it needed to break even… I wonder if they will admit it’s a hit now

So if it $5 over what it cost to make and market, it becomes a "hit" ? It is a strange world. A "hit" used to be when a picture made a bunch of cash for the studio. Apparently if you break even or better, it is a "hit".

 

[celluloid]

Poor Things has now grossed more than the directors last film The Favourite… It is about to cross a hundred million worldwide with 2 weeks until the Oscars which I believe is what the haters said it needed to break even… I wonder if they will admit it’s a hit now

I don't think anyone ever said it could not be a "hit?" although doubling its box office production by having to use international numbers have never been a thing before when discussing box office here.

And I think the focus was, this was not a movie that was going to be saving the billion plus loss in the box office for Disney last year.

Not sure what Oscar season will do. March has a lot of theaters to take up screens compared to the writer's strike months.


Migration is also playing at number 5 ranking in theaters at 120 Million domestically and international total over 268 million. The movie people scoffed at performing like Wish or Haunted Mansion has surpassed both at a level that is double the attendance at about half the production cost. No Despicable Me or Puss'n Boots. But a hit in the sense of the actual budget and expectations.

 

[celluloid]

So if it $5 over what it cost to make and market, it becomes a "hit" ? It is a strange world. A "hit" used to be when a picture made a bunch of cash for the studio. Apparently if you break even or better, it is a "hit".

Be careful, you will be labeled a hater.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Be careful, you will be labeled a hater.

I prefer to be called a realist. I liked Turning Red. I call them like I see them.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

So if it $5 over what it cost to make and market, it becomes a "hit" ? It is a strange world. A "hit" used to be when a picture made a bunch of cash for the studio. Apparently if you break even or better, it is a "hit".

It looks like a smaller "art house" movie. Those might typically make a moderate amount theatrically and reach a larger audience at home.

$100 million worldwide so far against a $35 million budget is likely considered good for this scale of movie.

 

[DKampy]

Be careful, you will be labeled a hater.

Why do you think I was referring to you? I don’t ever recall you saying anything about Poor Things one way or another… I probably should of moved on…but I was thinking of one specific poster who refused to acknowledge Poor Things was a hit and even called it a flop last weekend… I just did not want to call them out by name

I never thought of you as a hater… just a universal fanboy

 

[Miss Rori]

Migration is also playing at number 5 ranking in theaters at 120 Million domestically and international total over 268 million. The movie people scoffed at performing like Wish or Haunted Mansion has surpassed both at a level that is double the attendance at about half the production cost. No Despicable Me or Puss'n Boots. But a hit in the sense of the actual budget and expectations.

Yeah, it wasn't as big as it might have been pre-Covid, but it hung around a lot longer than Wish. And keep in mind that like Wonka it's been available for digital purchase/rental for weeks now, but families still made trips to the theater. I don't know offhand when the physical media release arrives (Wonka's arrives on Tuesday) but it will probably sell well when it does. I remain really curious to see how the Wish physical release sells next month and whether that will lead to an Encanto-style second wind for the film, especially as we know that the Disney+ release won't be until April at the earliest.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

Just to defend her a little bit, but she doesn't see any of her own movies commonly. But I can see why she wouldn't want to see this one.

I read that as well. I was poking a little fun.

 

[celluloid]

Why do you think I was referring to you? I don’t ever recall you saying anything about Poor Things one way or another… I probably should of moved on…but I was thinking of one specific poster who refused to acknowledge Poor Things was a hit and even called it a flop last weekend… I just did not want to call them out by name

I never thought of you as a hater… just a universal fanboy

Why do you think that I was referring just to you? You are not the only one calling someone a hater. (I don't know who you are even speaking of)

I was piggy backing more on the fact that the poster after you could be labeled a company hater because he is right, the goalpost of doubling profit with overseas theatrical take has not ever been anyone here's label of a hit in discussion until now.

 

[Chi84]

So if it $5 over what it cost to make and market, it becomes a "hit" ? It is a strange world. A "hit" used to be when a picture made a bunch of cash for the studio. Apparently if you break even or better, it is a "hit".

But what about a movie that is critically acclaimed and wins tons of awards; a movie that wasn't made with the expectation of reaching a wide audience that also included kids and families. If a movie like that could never be called a "hit" we would be doomed to seeing the kind of crap that resonates with the masses these days. I've seen enough superheroes and car chases to last me a lifetime.

 

[celluloid]

But what about a movie that is critically acclaimed and wins tons of awards; a movie that wasn't made with the expectation of reaching a wide audience that also included kids and families. If a movie like that could never be called a "hit" we would be doomed to seeing the kind of crap that resonates with the masses these days. I've seen enough superheroes and car chases to last me a lifetime.

I get not wanting oversaturation however, this is hilarious considering there are two raunchy Frankenstein themed movies playing in some theaters right now.

 

[DKampy]

Why do you think that I was referring just to you? You are not the only one calling someone a hater. (I don't know who you are even speaking of)

I was piggy backing more on the fact that the poster after you could be labeled a company hater because he is right, the goalpost of doubling profit with overseas theatrical take has not ever been anyone here's label of a hit in discussion until now.

Well someone said the magical number was a 100 million between flop and hit… not my number… I already thought Poor Things was a hit.., especially for an art film like that… I am sure Disney has been pleased with the results