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

[LittleBuford]

And Greta Gerwig is talented.

I think he’s making the point that another of her creations, Snow White, is already being written off as terrible by those who have an axe to grind with Disney.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I'm not doubting its ability to turn a profit, it most likely will. What I'm saying lets wait and see on is your claim that it'll beat Mario domestically. It would have to do more than $574M in the US to beat Mario. I'm not saying it won't, I'm just saying lets wait and see 2nd and 3rd weekend drops.

Barbie's legs are, as you point out, a huge question. It will be an extraordinary hit regardless, but a significant part of its success was the Barbenheimer opening weekend buzz. I wouldn't want to wager on the second weekend dropoff - could be huge, could be next to nothing.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I think he’s making the point that another of her creations, Snow White, is already being written off as terrible by those who have an axe to grind with Disney.

And to be fair, even as a Disney Defender, it looks questionable... Snow White and the 70s Folk Rock Band. But we haven't seen anything but some leaked photos from a hostile source, so its not time to judge. I really wish they'd moved ahead with the Wuxia version Snow White and the Seven Shaolin Monks they were developing at one time.

 

[TP2000]

I think he’s making the point that another of her creations, Snow White, is already being written off as terrible by those who have an axe to grind with Disney.

No one was talking about the director of Snow White, whoever that may be or not be.

But everyone was talking about these seven Portland hipsters who got fired from the traveling B cast of Godspell.

 

[Disney Irish]

The entire stated point of Barbie was to make Mattel the next Marvel. That won't work in the long term, but the massive success of this weekend guarantees they'll try for a while.

It won't work because they don't have a huge back catalog of characters to draw from, they have a few and it'll get boring pretty quick with finicky audiences that tire of franchises as we've seen.

 

[LittleBuford]

No one was talking about the director of Snow White, whoever that may be or not be.

But everyone was talking about these seven Portland hipsters who got fired from the traveling B cast of Godspell.

She’s the writer, not director.

And as you well know, the preemptive criticisms have gone well beyond the leaked photos.

 

[TP2000]

She’s the writer, not director.

Oh. So she's on strike for the next 4 to 6 months. So this will take a while...

And as you well know, the preemptive criticisms have gone well beyond the leaked photos.

I actually don't know what the criticisms are of this movie artistically. I only know about the criticism over rebranding the dwarves as "magical creatures" and directly compares them to hipsters from Portland who wear funny clothes.

Cause that criticism makes me giggle. Because its true.

 

[Casper Gutman]

It won't work because they don't have a huge back catalog of characters to draw from, they have a few and it'll get boring pretty quick with finicky audiences that tire of franchises as we've seen.

I'd say we're guaranteed to get Hot Wheels and He-Man. Barney is already in production. Fisher-Price, American Girl, Street Sharks, Dino Riders, Polly Pocket are all possibles. I'd also expect Mattel to try and acquire other film-ready IP. This is their whole corporate strategy - as I mentioned, they're already building the theme park.

 

[TP2000]

Who made those Weeble Wobble things? Because those fascinated me even as a younger adult. I'd go see that movie, just to see the existential crisis when they do actually fall down.

EDIT: Crap, those were made by Hasbro instead of Mattel.

 

[Disney Irish]

I'd say we're guaranteed to get Hot Wheels and He-Man. Barney is already in production. Fisher-Price, American Girl, Street Sharks, Dino Riders, Polly Pocket are all possibles. I'd also expect Mattel to try and acquire other film-ready IP. This is their whole corporate strategy - as I mentioned, they're already building the theme park.

Mattel and Hasbro should merge so we get the Barbie/Gi-Joe cross-over romcom that everyone has been asking for!

 

[Disney Irish]

Who made those Weeble Wobble things? Because those fascinated me even as a younger adult. I'd go see that movie, just to see the existential crisis when they do actually fall down.

EDIT: Crap, those were made by Hasbro instead of Mattel.

For all that is holy, we DO NOT need a live action version of that....

 

[TP2000]

For all that is holy, we DO NOT need a live action version of that....

If you had told me a year ago that we needed a Barbie movie, I would have laughed at you. But here we are.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Also, a friendly reminder that Barbie, while huge, looks earthshakingly unprecedented because of how odd and stingy the 2023 box office has been. In 2022, it's opening weekend would be way behind Doctor Strange and Wakanda Forever, two Marvel films this board considers only middling successes, and would have been comparable to, if a bit more then, Jurassic Park and Thor.

M:I is having a much steeper fall off then Indy did, which... I hate. I love both those franchises, and want Tom Cruise to run across rooftops forever.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Mattel and Hasbro should merge so we get the Barbie/Gi-Joe cross-over romcom that everyone has been asking for!

I hope this doesn't spoil things for anyone, but a GI-Joe relaunch was explicitly set up by the end of the most recent Transformers.

 

[Disney Irish]

If you had told me a year ago that we needed a Barbie movie, I would have laughed at you. But here we are.

Barbie live action at least makes sense, but an egg shaped human world not so much. So no, put that into whatever void very bad ideas go to die and let it.

 

[Disney Irish]

I hope this doesn't spoil things for anyone, but a GI-Joe relaunch was explicitly set up by the end of the most recent Transformers.

I know about it, but given its box office I don't think very many care....

 

[Casper Gutman]

I know about it, but given its box office I don't think very many care....

After this weekend, we're getting G.I, Joe for sure, just with lots of derisive self-mockery.

I'm over here cackling at "serious cinema" fans like the baddie in the last scene of the movie: "You think you've WON?!?! All you've won is PAIN!!!"

 

[Disney Irish]

After this weekend, we're getting G.I, Joe for sure, just with lots of derisive self-mockery.

Did you see the one with the Rock, I would say they already tried that once and it failed. But that's just my opinion.

They've had a third one in development for 10 years, called Ever Vigilant. Not sure if it'll end up turning into the Transformers/Gi-Joe cross-over or if that will be separate. Also not sure how the cross-over will do in live action, might seem too much like a rehash of the original Transformers, but I guess we'll see.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Did you see the one with the Rock, I would say they already tried that once and it failed. But that's just my opinion.

They've had a third one in development for 10 years, called Ever Vigilant. Not sure if it'll end up turning into the Transformers/Gi-Joe cross-over or if that will be separate. Also not sure how the cross-over will do in live action, might seem too much like a rehash of the original Transformers, but I guess we'll see.

The earlier ones were hesitant to go all in on the goofy costumes and characters - this one will not be.

 

[Ghost93]

Mattel has already announced they have plans for more of their products to get the film treatment including Hot Wheels…Barbie just opened a can of worms

The most bizarre project that's been announced is the "adult" A24-esque Barney film starring Daniel Kaluuya.