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

[DisneyHead123]

Yep. It's fun to play armchair quarterback but it feels very random sometimes as to why something is a hit.

Mario and Barbie hit a winning formula of taking a long popular IP and bringing it to a new medium. That has some people saying that audiences want something new.

However, audiences also embraced movies that were the opposite of original - Maverick, The Force Awakens, and Jurassic World were the definition of giving audiences a familiar experience. Were those so successful strictly because a lot of time passed between the original and the follow-up? Can we conclude semi-remakes are a good idea but only after a certain amount of time has passed?

I really think in the case of Barbie it was 80% the fact that they made it an “event” so successfully. The pop-ups got lots of social media love and there were small scale “pop up” events locally. I think they had pink popcorn at many concession stands. Women and girls got super into the themed dress-up aspect - I have to say, walking by a local theater and seeing everyone all decked out in such fun outfits was cool. Add to that a pent up demand for a female tent pole.

I really hope what studios take away from this isn’t that people want “retro toy movies”. I think what they want is “fun female “event”” movies.

 

[Phroobar]

My sister was a huge Barbie fan as a kid. This was her Star Wars. She brought her kids to see it.
My other sister when with them. All the girls were dressed in Barbie t-shirts. My nephew wore his Spiderman shirt and was board to tears half way though. He is only four. I guess it wasn't his thing. He loved the Spiderman movie though.

 

[Ghost93]

Did you ever see my Barney movie trailer? I made it back in early 90s for a multimedia computer science class so it is pretty low res. It was called Night of the Purple Dinosaur. It's pretty bloody. Search youtube for it.

Warning: Barbies were harmed in the making of this movie.

It won't be like Winnie the Pooh, Blood and Honey. It will be more of an indie-like drama with the main character dealing with depression and realizing life wasn't going to end up as Barney had promised.

 

[Disney Irish]

My nephew wore his Spiderman shirt and was board to tears half way though. He is only four. I guess it wasn't his thing. He loved the Spiderman movie though.

But, its PG-13 I thought this wasn't a kids movie that "sane" parents wouldn't bring their kids to see as some around here claim.....

 

[Casper Gutman]

If what 2023 audiences are longing for are critically acclaimed, lighthearted films based on preexisting IPs with little to no previous cinematic presence... why the heck did Dungeons and Dragons bomb?!?!?! It was fantastic and got glowing reviews!

 

[brb1006]

If what 2023 audiences are longing for are critically acclaimed, lighthearted films based on preexisting IPs with little to no previous cinematic presence... why the heck did Dungeons and Dragons bomb?!?!?! It was fantastic and got glowing reviews!

Because Dungeons and Dragons is considered to geeky and nerdy for a majority of mainstream audiences.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Because Dungeons and Dragons is considered to geeky and nerdy for a majority of mainstream audiences.

After Stranger Things? And Barbie ain't?

I really liked Dungeons and Dragons.

 

[BuddyThomas]

After Stranger Things? And Barbie ain't?

I really liked Dungeons and Dragons.

I saw it in RDX and it almost murdered me.

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

Oppenheimer is not a very fx heavy film, its really just talking with some very nice cinematography. These type of films tend to cost a lot less to make.

This is not to excuse excessive budgets for any studio, but just trying to put it into context. Compare that to Nolan's last film, Tenet, which was $205M.

Everyone in Oppenheimer agreed to take MUCH less than their typical going rate. It's passion project for them. They do the Disney movies for the big payday.

 

[Tha Realest]

That is thanks to great theme park and live entertainment design, not less than mediocre film work.

According to some, that doesn’t matter. It puts buts in seats, so it’s profitability should be adjusted by a pro-data amount of daily ticket sales at all the Universal parks since 1995.

In fact…

Look out James Cameron-we have a new BOX OFFICE CHAMPION!

 

[Phroobar]

But, its PG-13 I thought this wasn't a kids movie that "sane" parents wouldn't bring their kids to see as some around here claim.....

I never said my sister was "sane". I wouldn't have taken him to it.

 

[Disney Irish]

Everyone in Oppenheimer agreed to take MUCH less than their typical going rate. It's passion project for them. They do the Disney movies for the big payday.

Yeah I agree, which is why the whole "lower budgets" even though I agree with it is just not really feasible.

 

[DKampy]

After Stranger Things? And Barbie ain't?

I really liked Dungeons and Dragons.

i really liked Dungeons and Dragons as well…I thought WOM would of been stronger… I believe it had the same problems from Mario that Mission Impossible is having with Barbenheimer

 

[celluloid]

If what 2023 audiences are longing for are critically acclaimed, lighthearted films based on preexisting IPs with little to no previous cinematic presence... why the heck did Dungeons and Dragons bomb?!?!?! It was fantastic and got glowing reviews!

Dungeons and Dragons was terribly marketed as well had had a bad film before it. It will be comparable to Haunted Mansion.

I first saw a trailer for D and D this year weeks before it's release. And I was seeing two movies most weeks in theaters with Regal Unlimited. Even the trailer was rushed together with cheap narration.

Much better marketing, and critically maybe not as well received, but Haunted Mansion will likely have the same fate.

 

[celluloid]

Everyone in Oppenheimer agreed to take MUCH less than their typical going rate. It's passion project for them. They do the Disney movies for the big payday.

That is up to the actor and agent though. And they could take the Disney movies if they liked the experience. Look at what Scarlett Johensen has made clear. There is better treatment out there for less money.

So we are back to Disney having a bigger problem than other studios.

Robert Downey Jr(and others) ultimately knows he will not be able to get ten million(or more) for a role outside of of Iron man very often. That era is done and his other roles have rarely been a big draw and have fizzled. That will be the norm for most marvel stars going forward. Stars can't expect to get those roles forever. They will ask Disney for more because they either don't like the experience or know they are worth more than what Disney is offering, which is kind of the same.

Robert Downey Jr never even had the draw/casting success rate of Christ Pratt when you think about it. Subjectivity and longer career as of now aside.

 

[TP2000]

So we are back to Disney having a bigger problem than other studios.

Let's hope. This summer has been disastrous for Disney's various studios, as the box office data shows very clearly.

Robert Downey Jr(and others) ultimately knows he will not be able to get ten million(or more) for a role outside of of Iron man very often. That era is done and his other roles have rarely been a big draw and have fizzled. That will be the norm for most marvel stars going forward. Stars can't expect to get those roles forever.

The Hollywood strikes seem to be able to stretch into 2024, and it makes you wonder what the fallout will be from that.

It would be interesting for Hollywood elites who keep telling everyone else to "pay their fair share" and talk about the "wealth gap" to actually take a big cut in pay to only a Million or 2 Million per movie in order to give all the extras and background workers a bit more money.

Will the Hollywood elites do that at the end of this strike? Or will they still carve out $10 Million per film while pretending to care and criticizing anyone who dares to live in the Midwest by choice and/or makes over $150,000 per year?

 

[TP2000]

Several of us have mentioned here that we no longer watch network TV, or even cable TV, and instead get much of our evening entertainment from YouTube and similar sources done by surprisingly talented amateurs armed with only their iPhone and a $50 lighting rig they bought on Amazon. Things were already changing on that front in the late 2010's, but then Covid circa 2020-2021 accelerated those changes at light speed for many Americans. I'm one of those.

I found it funny that one of the old legacy networks, CBS, is trying to acknowledge that the Hollywood strikes may increase the influence of YouTube even more.

Someone must have poked the CBS execs today and reminded them that Ed Sullivan left their lineup over 50 years ago.

 

[TalkingHead]

Since Iger’s comment has been discussed here:

Unpacking Bob Iger’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good PR Week

Many in Hollywood hoped the re-upped Disney CEO, long considered the corporate leader most in tune with talent, would emerge as a levelheaded mediator who could end the labor impasse. And then he spoke his mind.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[danlb_2000]

Because Dungeons and Dragons is considered to geeky and nerdy for a majority of mainstream audiences.

I recently watching it on Paramount+ myself because I didn't think my wife would be interested, but once I got the end I realized that she would have enjoyed even though she knows nothing about D&D.

 

[TalkingHead]

Rumor mill says that Disney may delay opening several movies that were scheduled for fall. Searchlight’s Poor Things, which was dated early Sept, has been moved to Dec. Wish is one of the titles rumored to be pushed back. Interesting that holding back Marvels doesn’t seem to be a consideration.

Disney Delays Release Date Of Poor Things, Considering Delays For 3 More 2023 Releases

This includes Poor Things and Wish.

screenrant.com