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

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It made more than Ragnarok in every market in which it was allowed to play. The fall off was due entirely to the fact that it didn’t open in China or Russia.

But was pretty awful..I recently watched it.

I can’t keep up…what matters?
Money?
Art?
Quality?
Perceived cultural impact that can never be proven at all as a blanket escape plan?

I’m having a hard time telling my kicker which direction to face…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You and I will just never see eye-to-eye on the MCU. But I'll never be done "playing in the sandbox" on this topic.

We absolutely would agree eye to eye if the benchmarks are consistent.

100%

Not rooting for success or failure…just attempting to judge with some consistency

 

[Jedijax719]

Not sure what you're talking about regarding "claiming victory", this is a discussion not a tournament. I was just pointing out what you've said in the past about the MCU, sorry if you don't remember your own posts on the topic. Old age will do that to you, it happens to me sometimes too, more often as I get older.

Anyways, your quality assessment aside, again only 2 MCU films have done poorly. Yes Quantumania was one of those, even though I actually enjoyed it.

If you mean they need Guardians 4, nah, move on from that. If you mean they need a movie that does well like Guardians 3, yes I agree. My opinion is Deadpool 3 with be that movie.

Seems as though DP will tie into X-Men and X-Men/Fantastic Four will be the direction MCU will and probably should go after (or during) finishing those pesky Avengers movies in the works.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Not sure what you're talking about regarding "claiming victory", this is a discussion not a tournament. I was just pointing out what you've said in the past about the MCU, sorry if you don't remember your own posts on the topic. Old age will do that to you, it happens to me sometimes too, more often as I get older.

Anyways, your quality assessment aside, again only 2 MCU films have done poorly. Yes Quantumania was one of those, even though I actually enjoyed it.

If you mean they need Guardians 4, nah, move on from that. If you mean they need a movie that does well like Guardians 3, yes I agree. My opinion is Deadpool 3 with be that movie.

“This is a discussion not a tournament” is maybe my favorite line from this board, ever.

 

[Disney Irish]

Seems as though DP will tie into X-Men and X-Men/Fantastic Four will be the direction MCU will and probably should go after (or during) finishing those pesky Avengers movies in the works.

Well the idea I think is post-Multiverse Saga (current Phases 4,5,6) will be the Mutant Saga (Phases 7,8,9?) which will explore the whole X-Men and that side of Marvel.

 

[Disney Irish]

We absolutely would agree eye to eye of the benchmarks are consistent.

100%

Not rooting for success or failure…just attempting to judge with some consistency

There might be common ground, but we'll never see completely eye-to-eye. This is because despite the box office of individual films, which seems to be your only benchmark, the overall MCU will be fine, and you don't seem to agree on that.

What needs to be realized by you and others is that the individual standalone films are hardly ever going to be huge $1B movies, just won't. They will be middle of the road box office performers. It'll be the big ensemble films that will be the huge $1B+ movie, but those are only going to happen once or twice ever 3-4 years. So if you can accept that, then we have common ground.

 

[Jedijax719]

The biggest OW will be from a movie about..........Barbie.

Wow, just wow!!! So here we are.

 

[Disney Irish]

The biggest OW will be from a movie about..........Barbie.

Wow, just wow!!! So here we are.

We'll see how opening is, but I'm more curious how it'll perform after that, ie does it have legs beyond just opening weekend.

 

[Jedijax719]

We'll see how opening is, but I'm more curious how it'll perform after that, ie does it have legs beyond just opening weekend.

Doesn't strike me as a, umm, 4-quadrant movie.

 

[Disney Irish]

Doesn't strike me as a, umm, 4-quadrant movie.

Completely agree. I think it'll be a fun movie overall, but doesn't seem to have broad appeal.

 

[doctornick]

The post was about its quality, hence the ratings matter here.

As for box office, it made money. Maybe not truck loads, but it wasn't a write down for the Mouse.

‘Thor: Love And Thunder’, Despite Not Swinging As Big A Hammer As ‘Ragnarok’, Still Profits As No. 9 In Deadline’s 2022 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament

Thor: Love and Thunder still profited after all ancillaries with $103 million, despite not being a franchise favorite among fans or critics.

deadline.com

Interesting point that some people like to label Love & Thunder as a disappointment and yet it basically performed exactly the same at the box office as The Batman which has been lauded as a big success for WB.

 

[doctornick]

It will be interesting to see how Deadpool 3 does since it is rated R. It feels like adults aren't coming to the theater in general. Oppenheimer should be a tea leaf for the future.

I've seen people trying to hype up Oppenheimer, but I don't really see it. The audience to me is likely pretty limited and Barbie will be sucking up all the attention. People like Nolan, but I don't think he's that much of a draw on his own - remember when Tenet was going to be "the movie that brought everyone back to theaters" and kinda didn't do much? I'm sure it will do fine and not lose money due to a modest budget but anyone who expects Oppenheimer to be a big blockbuster will probably end up disappointed.

 

[Disney Irish]

Interesting point that some people like to label Love & Thunder as a disappointment and yet it basically performed exactly the same at the box office as The Batman which has been lauded as a big success for WB.

I like to call it the "End Game" effect, that expectations have been so skewed out of whack for the MCU that anything under $1B is a disappointment and an indictment on quality.

 

[Jedijax719]

Completely agree. I think it'll be a fun movie overall, but doesn't seem to have broad appeal.

We I better see a Pac-Man/Ms. Pac-Man movie made REAL soon! With Mario and Barbie being 2 of the biggest movies of the year, the time is right for some romantic ghost gobbling!

 

[celluloid]

Interesting point that some people like to label Love & Thunder as a disappointment and yet it basically performed exactly the same at the box office as The Batman which has been lauded as a big success for WB.

Dissapointment is not mutually exclusive term to flop.

It was a dissapointment compared to what they spent and hoped for.

Also, double check your The Batman comparison.

Love and Thunder cost 250 Million in production cost.
DOMESTIC (45.1%)
$343,256,830
INTERNATIONAL (54.9%)
$417,671,251
WORLDWIDE
$760,928,081

The Batman cost 50 million less at 200 MillionDOMESTIC (47.9%)
$369,345,583
INTERNATIONAL (52.1%)
$401,617,000
WORLDWIDE
$770,962,583


The Batman took in more money for the studio stateside(which is a bit more for studio to keep with others to share with internationally distributing) and made about 25 million more domestically, and the total was 770 instead of 760. About ten million more.

That does not seem like much, but add that to the 50 million price difference and The Batman made more than 60 million more.


Not really comparable.

​

 

[DKampy]

Guys, never take a girl to a comic book movie. It only gives her two and half hours to wonder why she is with you in the first place.

2 of my wife’s favorite franchises is Guardians and Deadpool

 

[Disney Irish]

Just like those gamer chicks.

If you watch Twitch or Youtube gaming channels, female gamers are gaining in numbers.

Don't discount the female side of the nerd culture. Girls can be nerds too you know.

 

[Tha Realest]

Dissapointment is not mutually exclusive term to flop.

It was a dissapointment compared to what they spent and hoped for.

Also, double check your The Batman comparison.

Love and Thunder cost 250 Million in production cost.
DOMESTIC (45.1%)
$343,256,830
INTERNATIONAL (54.9%)
$417,671,251
WORLDWIDE
$760,928,081

The Batman cost 50 million less at 200 MillionDOMESTIC (47.9%)
$369,345,583
INTERNATIONAL (52.1%)
$401,617,000
WORLDWIDE
$770,962,583


The Batman took in more money for the studio stateside(which is a bit more for studio to keep with others to share with internationally distributing) and made about 25 million more domestically, and the total was 770 instead of 760. About ten million more.

That does not seem like much, but add that to the 50 million price difference and The Batman made more than 60 million more.


Not really comparable.

​

The Batman was also the launch of a new franchise, whereas Thor: L&T is the fourth Thor movie after a well-received third film and coming hit off the heels of the Avengers films.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Interesting point that some people like to label Love & Thunder as a disappointment and yet it basically performed exactly the same at the box office as The Batman which has been lauded as a big success for WB.

I think the Batman was terrible. Yet another brilliant Dalliance into “more authentic” comic bookism that will flop to the general public quickly and quietly. But that’s just me.

 

[celluloid]

I think the Batman was terrible. Yet another brilliant Dalliance into “more authentic” comic bookism that will flop to the general public quickly and quietly. But that’s just me.

I get what you mean. It is overall pretty forgettable. I think Dano really tried to do a creepy riddler and in another world in a Nolan film, that aspect of a terroism riddler would have worked.