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

[BrianLo]

Regardless of the box office performance of Snow White, is there any doubt that Disney will be, by far, the most profitable studio of 2025?

Most profitable? Maybe, but not certain. There are a few things that could go wrong and a few breakouts from other distributors that could surprise.

Highest grossing distributor? Maybe, good chance.

Highest grossing distributor with 20th century included? Definitely, Fire and Ash is this year. Spilling well into 2026 for good measure.

Just Walt Disney (not 20th) 2024 just had a 2017-like market share for the company. So I’m not sure why the internet feels the distributor is currently coming off a low. Maybe 2024 is a one-off? Or Maybe 2023 was.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I think Disney will top the total BO list again

Yes, as long as they are going by gross, not by net

 

[BrianLo]

If the company has two blockbuster movies it’s an acceptable year. It used to be great a decade ago, but they are generally a bigger company today and Iger has built more and more of a tentpole strategy. If the company has three blockbusters movies, it’s a very good year. If the company has four it’s a great to exceptional year. Likely there is no other distributor that is beating that.


Of course, they are chasing the unrealistic high when they did 7 (one of which was a total blowout). But I’m really not sure we’ll ever see that again, nor do I think any studio can ever kiss the highs of Disney 2019.

As far as I see it there are 4 good candidates this year and if one slips it still has the potential to be “a very good year”.

 

[Stripes]

One of the podcasts I watch.

 

[Ghost93]

One of the podcasts I watch.

Again, these are "early reactions" not reviews, and they are from a limited pool of people that Disney allowed to see the film. Think more along the lines of influencers than film critics. Disney allowed people to attend the premiere that it felt would be more inclined to give the movie a positive social media reaction.

Now the movie may very well turn out to be good, and the reviews might end up surprisingly positive. But I've been burned too many times in the past by bad movies with "rotten" Rotten Tomatoes scores that initially had a wave of positive "early reactions" that I will always take those early reactions with a grain of salt.

 

[Disney Irish]

Most profitable? Maybe, but not certain. There are a few things that could go wrong and a few breakouts from other distributors that could surprise.

Highest grossing distributor? Maybe, good chance.

Highest grossing distributor with 20th century included? Definitely, Fire and Ash is this year. Spilling well into 2026 for good measure.

Just Walt Disney (not 20th) 2024 just had a 2017-like market share for the company. So I’m not sure why the internet feels the distributor is currently coming off a low. Maybe 2024 is a one-off? Or Maybe 2023 was.

At this point we have to stop breaking out 20th Century (not that many are still doing that anymore) as if it doesn't count, its all one under Disney even if using different studio "labels". It would be like breaking out Pixar, Marvel, Lucas, etc., or back in the day Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures, just doesn't make sense.

Its all Disney under one umbrella and should be counted as such in the yearly totals.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

It’s wild how divisive Zegler is even on Disneys own social media accounts, Disney posted photos today of Zegler at the Burbank studio and it has 781 laugh reactions, 488 likes and 268 love reactions (49% positive), they posted photos of Gadot at DL at the same time and that has 738 likes, 410 loves, and 21 laughs (98% positive).

 

[BrianLo]

At this point we have to stop breaking out 20th Century (not that many are still doing that anymore) as if it doesn't count, its all one under Disney even if using different studio "labels". It would be like breaking out Pixar, Marvel, Lucas, etc., or back in the day Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures, just doesn't make sense.

Its all Disney under one umbrella and should be counted as such in the yearly totals.

They are still (for now) separate distributors. 20th century as a distribution label has not folded. I think it’s fair to say 20th century obviously contributes and is “Disney” these days. The BS that Way of Water didn’t spill into Disney’s no good very bad year was one of convenience. Though I also think it’s fair that the company didn’t want to just acquire another studio and essentially gobble up its market share into no ultimate gain.

Fortunately for them, both remain strong when counted separately and massive when together.

 

[Disney Irish]

They are still (for now) separate distributors. 20th century as a distribution label has not folded. I think it’s fair to say 20th century obviously contributes and is “Disney” these days. The BS that Way of Water didn’t spill into Disney’s no good very bad year was one of convenience. Though I also think it’s fair that the company didn’t want to just acquire another studio and essentially gobble up its market share into no ultimate gain.

Fortunately for them, both remain strong when counted separately and massive when together.

As a wholly owned subsidiary though even under a separate label it still counts in my opinion. Its like now Hulu content is all counted toward D+, its all under the same umbrella.

 

[Ghost93]

It’s wild how divisive Zegler is even on Disneys own social media accounts, Disney posted photos today of Zegler at the Burbank studio and it has 781 laugh reactions, 488 likes and 268 love reactions (49% positive), they posted photos of Gadot at DL at the same time and that has 738 likes, 410 loves, and 21 laughs (98% positive).

What frustrates me about the whole ordeal is the fans mocking Zegler over her acting ability and claiming Gadot is better. I think criticizing Zegler's statements and personality is fair game, but I'm sorry, I'm not going to play along with this alternate reality where we pretend she's a bad actress and that Gadot is the next Meryl Streep. Clearly, not enough people saw Spielberg's version of West Side Story.

 

[Stripes]

Again, these are "early reactions" not reviews, and they are from a limited pool of people that Disney allowed to see the film. Think more along the lines of influencers than film critics. Disney allowed people to attend the premiere that it felt would be more inclined to give the movie a positive social media reaction.

Now the movie may very well turn out to be good, and the reviews might end up surprisingly positive. But I've been burned too many times in the past by bad movies with "rotten" Rotten Tomatoes scores that initially had a wave of positive "early reactions" that I will always take those early reactions with a grain of salt.

Notably, in the video, the host mentions that he texted someone that was invited to the premiere but has been hating on this movie and strongly dislikes Rachel Zegler.

The person begrudgingly responded: “The film’s good, so what.”

 

[easyrowrdw]

What frustrates me about the whole ordeal is the fans mocking Zegler over her acting ability and claiming Gadot is better. I think criticizing Zegler's statements and personality is fair game, but I'm sorry, I'm not going to play along with this alternate reality where we pretend she's a bad actress and that Gadot is the next Meryl Streep. Clearly, not enough people saw Spielberg's version of West Side Story.

West Side Story made $76 million worldwide (on a $100 million budget). So, I’d say you’re right.

I never saw it either so I guess I’m part of the problem lol

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Avatar alone will help Disny fly past the competition

Likely true, Avatar is a crazy outlier though, with a $400 million budget the first billion will go to breaking even, then since it’s a joint venture with Cameron Disney (Fox) only gets about half the remaining profits, which insanely enough could still lead to as much as a billion in profits for Disney alone.

Love him or hate him Cameron is a money printing machine.

 

[DKampy]

People: No one cares about what celebrities say

Same people: can you believe the awful comments from Rachel Zegler

Personally I find the whole thing ridiculous..

 

[Disney Irish]

Likely true, Avatar is a crazy outlier though, with a $400 million budget the first billion will go to breaking even, then since it’s a joint venture with Cameron Disney (Fox) only gets about half the remaining profits, which insanely enough could still lead to as much as a billion in profits for Disney alone.

Love him or hate him Cameron is a money printing machine.

The budgets are actually shared across multiple films as they've been shot back-to-back.

Both 3 and 4 are reported right now at a budget of $250M a piece, with 2 doing the heavy lifting at $350M.

 

[erasure fan1]

Again, these are "early reactions" not reviews, and they are from a limited pool of people that Disney allowed to see the film. Think more along the lines of influencers than film critics. Disney allowed people to attend the premiere that it felt would be more inclined to give the movie a positive social media reaction.

Agreed. I would expect this first round of reviews for it to be extremely positive. Campea is very rarely against Disney. As I'd guess most of the first look reviewers are. So I would take it with a big fat grain of salt. Hey, it might be good. But like you, I've been bamboozled before. That's why I just wait for streaming.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Again, these are "early reactions" not reviews, and they are from a limited pool of people that Disney allowed to see the film. Think more along the lines of influencers than film critics. Disney allowed people to attend the premiere that it felt would be more inclined to give the movie a positive social media reaction.

Now the movie may very well turn out to be good, and the reviews might end up surprisingly positive. But I've been burned too many times in the past by bad movies with "rotten" Rotten Tomatoes scores that initially had a wave of positive "early reactions" that I will always take those early reactions with a grain of salt.

This is why I typically wait for the audience score over early previews and critics, unfortunately I think the audience score is going to be worthless on this one due to trolling.

I’m sure some of my friends will see it so they’ll ultimately be my guide on this one.

 

[Ghost93]

West Side Story made $76 million worldwide (on a $100 million budget). So, I’d say you’re right.

I never saw it either so I guess I’m part of the problem lol

It's fine if few saw the movie, people like what they like. What's not fine is people making definitive statements on her acting ability when they've never even seen her breakout performance.

There is nothing that annoys me more as a film fan than when people take a strong stand on a movie or actor they've never actually watched or are not familiar with. After the recent Oscars there were a lot of people angry at Mikey Madison winning Best Actress for her work in Anora over Demi Moore in the Substance, even though the vast majority of the people complaining never actually watched Anora and were in no position to be making an objective claim over which performance was better.

 

[brideck]

It's fine if few the movie, people like what they like. What's not fine is people making definitive statements on her acting ability when they've never even seen her breakout performance.

And it's not even just that one -- although yes, more people should see Spielberg's West Side Story -- she was also really good in 2023's Hunger Games installment in a very different role (sure it involved some singing, too, but the acting required was very different).

 

[Farerb]

What frustrates me about the whole ordeal is the fans mocking Zegler over her acting ability and claiming Gadot is better. I think criticizing Zegler's statements and personality is fair game, but I'm sorry, I'm not going to play along with this alternate reality where we pretend she's a bad actress and that Gadot is the next Meryl Streep. Clearly, not enough people saw Spielberg's version of West Side Story.

Zegler has a good voice but she's no Meryl Streep either. She was only okay in Spielberg's mediocre West Side Story. The lack of chemistry between Tony and Maria is also on her, not just Ansel Elgort.