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

[Sirwalterraleigh]

No, but you should have an understanding of how the film industry works. Most of the inexhaustibly negative posters don’t, and when things are explained to them, they reject it or don’t even acknowledge it, because good faith debate isn’t the goal. They’re just attacking a political opponent, and at least one of these posters is very open and proud about their conviction that those who don’t share their precise political views are unworthy of empathy or understanding. It’s a tactic employed elsewhere on a National scale, to wear down and demoralize resistance through repetition, bad faith, and trolling.

I think there might be ALOT of misunderstanding of how “the industry” works these days.

Like they only reap cheap merchandising, home video, vod money at high profit off a movie if people are interested enough to see it…

And 4 out of the last 5 not even close to enough were. Not close.

They sold $1.5 billion of tickets to see stupid cgi talking animals a few years ago…
That’s how Disney’s “industry” has worked for quite some time…with heavy doses of swag on top. Not clearance at target.

I get it’s not a “Disney problem”…it’s all of Hollywood as Paramount is experiencing this week.

But Disneys “slice” of that problem is now disproportionate.

 

[celluloid]

All the talk shows have all been shut down since early May when the writer's went on strike, so all summer movies have had that issue.

Is that perhaps the new excuse for why Summer '23 box office is so middling? That without exposure on a 3rd rated nighttime talk show like Jimmy Kimmel the movie just couldn't get traction at the box office? There's a few successful summer movies that would disprove that, but it would at least explain why Disney's movies from all of its studios have been mostly box office flops.

This is true. I was just pointing out that the Haunted Mansion needs all the media it can get was my point. They need the third rate talk shows telling people to consume it just because. So it probably plays a factor of mediocrity or less not doing better.

Oppenheimer and Barbi don't need the talkshow blitz. The audiences are more aware and will be seeing those.

And conventions. It's rocking the convention world because only producers and directors should to show up per the policy of the picket line.

 

[Willmark]

They’re just attacking a political opponent, and at least one of these posters is very open and proud about their conviction that those who don’t share their precise political views are unworthy of empathy or understanding. It’s a tactic employed elsewhere on a National scale, to wear down and demoralize resistance through repetition, bad faith, and trolling.

As delicately as I can and staying within the sites rules, neither side is immune to what you are describing, especially outside the environs here.

 

[Jedijax719]

For the record, MI7 is not going to reach a billion WW. It will come closer than both TLM and Indy5, I will say that. But it will at VERY most make $700 million WW.

And Haunted Mansion always had the Halloween release written all over it. But since Disney had zero releases from June to November, they may as well put it in the theaters in July and then get views around Halloween time for D+.

As for all the other "biz" talk of the industry and getting into the nitty gritty details of finances, all I can say is YAWN! Even at boxofficetheory, they don't get in THAT deep into the weeds.

But I will say this. To minimize the problem with cinema overall by continually saying "but, but, DISNEY is failing and the fact that all other studios are struggling is no excuse for DISNEY failures" is extremely disingenuous. Let's not put Disney on a pedestal above other studios saying that they shouldn't have a movie that misses its target. Especially when NOBODY here is saying that every Disney movie has been a massive success lately. Heck, that wasn't even the case in 2019 when they had like 25% of all box office worldwide gross.

 

[Disney Irish]

Not good…which means the convo pivots to Hollywood “franchise fatigue”

Which is going to end up being Tommy Boy's first flop. So if that doesn't tell you the state of the industry, then I don't know what will.

Not “Disney great!”

I don't think anyone here is actually saying that Disney is doing great, again not even me.

…you know who’s in really big trouble with this? …the “gold standard”?

Which means, just like the rest of the industry, Disney has to make changes to their overall studio strategy. This is going to take sometime to do, just like it will at all studios.

 

[Disney Irish]

And in another hit to the industry, Ruby Gillman is being moved from theatrical to digital today (just 18 days after release) after not bringing in even half its budget at the box office. If this was 2019 this movie would have at least brought in double its budget, if not more, even if bad.

People need to wake up, this isn't a Disney thing, this isn't franchise fatigue, this isn't "we need more originals", this is an industry wide shift that is effecting everyone.

 

[TalkingHead]

Which is going to end up being Tommy Boy's first flop.

What are you even talking about? Cruise’s first flop?

 

[Phroobar]

And in another hit to the industry, Ruby Gillman is being moved from theatrical to digital today (just 18 days after release) after not bringing in even half its budget at the box office. If this was 2019 this movie would have at least brought in double its budget, if not more, even if bad.

People need to wake up, this isn't a Disney thing, this isn't franchise fatigue, this isn't "we need more originals", this is an industry wide shift that is effecting everyone.

Ruby Gillman was suppose to have a 45 day theatrical release. I guess that has changed. It will be on Peacock for 4 months then Netflix for 10 months followed by Peacock again for 4 months.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Which is going to end up being Tommy Boy's first flop. So if that doesn't tell you the state of the industry, then I don't know what will.

Yeah…not good and it IS industry wide

I don't think anyone here is actually saying that Disney is doing great, again not even me.

Don’t notice that everything is used to cast Disney in a good light? New here? It is a fan forum…but honest talk shouldn’t be secondary to the fandom.

It’s the history of “dust”

That’s why the term exists and is bandied about and laughed at

Disney does good things. Disney does bad things. They are attached. Judge accordingly

Which means, just like the rest of the industry, Disney has to make changes to their overall studio strategy. This is going to take sometime to do, just like it will at all studios.

I don’t think there’s much question of that now. But that’s not a small obstacle.

 

[Phroobar]

What are you even talking about? Cruise’s first flop?

Wasn't Cruise's first flop Legend?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wasn't Cruise's first flop Legend?

Cruise hasn’t had a lot of flops…to be fair…but not all his movies are exactly smashes.

 

[Phroobar]

Cruise hasn’t had a lot of flops…to be fair…but not all his movies are exactly smashes.

Who does? I can think of plenty of Harrison Ford flops outside of recent Star Wars and Indy.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Who does? I can think of plenty of Harrison Ford flops outside of recent Star Wars and Indy.

Well they all get greedy and they all start chasing the bucks against common sense

Cruise has been less likely to do it cause he’s such a nut for the business and from the planet Zoltar…

Kinda like the James Cameron of actors…he doesn’t make movies - he obsesses about them and is very particular.

 

[doctornick]

Wasn't Cruise's first flop Legend?

Didn't The Mummy do so poorly as to sink the entire planned interconnected Dark Universe franchise?

 

[erasure fan1]

Well they all get greedy and they all start chasing the bucks against common sense

Exactly. Didn't Sean Connery retire because the league of extraordinary gentlemen tanked so bad and he turned down Gandolf? I remember him saying he obviously couldn't pick the right projects anymore. Lol

 

[Disney Irish]

What are you even talking about? Cruise’s first flop?

Are you saying MI7 is somehow going to end up making well over $800M (its breakeven point)?

 

[TsWade2]

And in another hit to the industry, Ruby Gillman is being moved from theatrical to digital today (just 18 days after release) after not bringing in even half its budget at the box office. If this was 2019 this movie would have at least brought in double its budget, if not more, even if bad.

People need to wake up, this isn't a Disney thing, this isn't franchise fatigue, this isn't "we need more originals", this is an industry wide shift that is effecting everyone.

Honestly, I blame the pandemic for it!

 

[Disney Irish]

Don’t notice that everything is used to cast Disney in a good light? New here? It is a fan forum…but honest talk shouldn’t be secondary to the fandom.

It’s the history of “dust”

That’s why the term exists and is bandied about and laughed at

Disney does good things. Disney does bad things. They are attached. Judge accordingly

We are on a fan forum after all, and so there is going to be the inevitable dusting. But even those high on the supply will admit that Disney isn't doing well in terms of box office, so I don't think any one is saying otherwise.

I don’t think there’s much question of that now. But that’s not a small obstacle.

And just like in other times of transition in Hollywood, Disney and the other studios will make the changes needed. What ultimate forms those changes take, I have no idea, but changes will be made. But its just going take a few years before its felt across the industry. So I think we need to prepare ourselves for a couple years of box office turmoil for the entire industry.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

It's so hard to know or predict what movies will connect with audiences.

Mission Impossible is one of the most consistently good franchises going. If everything were based on my tastes it would probably be the biggest movie of the year.

Maverick was fun but a rehash. Is that what audiences want? The success of things like The Force Awakens suggest yes. It also benefitted from being one of the first big post COVID releases as well as years of pent up demand, compared to the regular releases of M:I.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Exactly. Didn't Sean Connery retire because the league of extraordinary gentlemen tanked so bad and he turned down Gandolf? I remember him saying he obviously couldn't pick the right projects anymore. Lol

He did. Very publicly said: “enough…I’m not doing this anymore”

And if a notoriously frugal Scotsman can say no…anyone can