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

[TP2000]

Disney's final two releases this year, presuming not shifted due to strike, are The Marvel's and Wish presuming they happen. They are both large budget movies. Hopefully wish is subjectively good for us all and it reignites Disney to true new things.
If The Marvel's and Wish neither do well. Disney's trouble gap grows even larger.

2023 has ranged from middling (Guardians 3) to miserable (Indy 5) for Disney so far.

I don't think we give enough blame to the truly horrific box office results for Indy 5. They're going to lose over $200 Million on just that single film, and Harrison Ford won't be refunding any of his $65 Million paycheck from that movie either.

This current box office tally is awful for Disney. The Marvels and Wish need to be clear box office wins.

 

[celluloid]

And I disagree that Disney are worse…I actually think WB is worse… they are now being saved by Barbie… However I think it is an industry wide issue

Yes, now we are back to if we ignore a company's hits, they are the worse performer.


Makes no sense.

Releases of 2023 all happened. Barbie and Oppenheimer happened as did Mario this year.
Disney would have been happy with any one of those films. So let's quit picking them either separately or altogether to ignore.

 

[TP2000]

“Crybullies”, actually.

While "crybullies" is technically accurate, I prefer "Silver Lake Brunch Crowd" myself.

Only because I've been there myself in their native habitat amongst the most famous of their species, and it's hilariously accurate.

 

[celluloid]

2023 has ranged from middling to miserable for Disney so far.

I don't think we give enough blame to the truly horrific box office results for Indy 5. They're going to lose over $200 Million on just that single film, and Harrison Ford won't be refunding any of his $65 Million paycheck from that movie either.

This current box office tally is awful for Disney. The Marvels and Wish need to be clear box office wins.

View attachment 734566

And I would like for it to if it is a quality film that gets the company to take more risks rather than Wish 2 and 3 in the future.

I just don't see it good with their brand trust in this current state and it is sandwiched between DreamWorks and Illumination, who, while some feel they are soulless have been most of the time commercially slamming Disney in the box office in recent years.

I know they want Christmas but Disney may want to move Wish to January.

And The Marvel's. I don't count on it slamming well with Marvel having the issues. Somewhere between this years ant man and guardians volume 3, but I don't see it doing as well as the first captain Marvel film and I think Barbie covered the feminism notes better this year.

 

[DKampy]

L


Disney is worse by the current numbers going. Mission impossible's loss is not as big as some like to think. Certainly not a glowing first part of finale due to fatigue. But not the bomb stinker of Indy, Haunted Mansion or Ant Man.
Global saved it and is going great. Domestically still trickling in to put it close.to the typical MI film US number.
Second film is nearly done when the strike is over and will probably do about the same.
Indy
Ant man
HM
Elemental.
All of them were the start of or a continuing tent pole budget franchise of now what

Elemental is also not doing as bad as people think either…it keeps chugging along…at least it is not doing any worse then Mission Impossible… especially since MI7 is said to have an Indy size budget

Speaking of Elemental what franchise is that apart of again?

 

[BuddyThomas]

I loved that character arc for the teenage girl Sasha.

When she sat there at her lunch table being so dour and mean, dressed in black, spitting out her pre-approved talking points about "patriarchy" and "capitalism" she was so typically depressing. That she came around to realize her mom is fabulous and that Barbie has good life lessons to take with her into adulthood was wonderful. Just as wonderful is when Sasha tried to be a little prettier and lighten up her color palette.

Cheer up Sasha, things ain't as bad as you've been taught.

I’m glad you finally saw a movie, and I’m also glad you enjoyed it, but based on your many, many, many posts about it, I’m not sure you understood the point. Also, you keep posting spoiler after spoiler, which is not cool at all.

 

[TP2000]

I'm dying here, gang. I just Googled the words "Silver Lake Brunch Crowd" and got this image immediately. It's perfection.

The Silver Lake Brunch Crowd: Entirely childless, affluent adults of child-rearing age. Not a child in sight on a weekend, or even any adult who might drive a Minivan and buy mayonnaise by the gallon at Costco. They are entirely of one mind, and no dissent is allowed. And these are the folks implementing the creative and business decisions into what goes into "family movies" from Disney, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, etc.

Another round of Mimosas for our betters in this media brain trust, please.

Next up this Thanksgiving from this group, Walt Disney Pictures Wish.

 

[celluloid]

Elemental is also not doing as bad as people think either…it keeps chugging along…at least it is not doing any worse then Mission Impossible… especially since MI7 is said to have an Indy size budget

Speaking of Elemental what franchise is that apart of again?

Yes. Elemental does not have a loss like those two. The big picture still leaves Disney with the bigger ouches. It is just particularly. Noteworthy as a other pixar.release.makes Disney Zero money. Elemental gained them nothing worth much in theaters. Its another loss.

No one said Elemental was a part of a franchise. What my post did state is that if a hit we could certainly find them latching into that next as anyone can imagine a hit would. It has the large budget for what it was.

Again, the MI loss is not as bad. Still a loss for sure. It's still new to the overseas thing where Indy is done. It won't make it the blockbuster or a hit But enough to slim the wretched loss Disney faces as a whole. Hurt less than Indy as it cost slightly less and made a chunk more.

For what it's worth though, my kids said they did not want to see Elemental when I was willing to take them to the theaters for it. They said it looked like Inside Out. So there is that.

 

[BuddyThomas]

But who can forget about Theater Camp? That little indie film from Disney's Searchlight Studio also exists.

So far, it has lost $8.1 Million at the box office. That's assuming they only spent $1 Million on marketing after it's reported $8 Million budget. With a global box office take of $900,000 for Disney.

Let's round that down to only an $8 Million loss so far, which would bring Disney's total summer box office loss to $353 Million.

View attachment 734312

Now you are going to start going off on freaking Theatre Camp???? I saw it last week and it’s very good.

Theater Camp is the funniest film you probably won't see this summer

Theater Camp is the funniest film you probably won't see this summer

www.avclub.com

 

[celluloid]

Now you are going to start going off on freaking Theatre Camp???? I saw it last week and it’s very good.

Theater Camp is the funniest film you probably won't see this summer

Theater Camp is the funniest film you probably won't see this summer

www.avclub.com

It probably is good. The issue is Disney's trust in it. It's not a tent pole so they will not market it, nor easily wide release it. They only brand and market big releases, all of which is e been even to flops. That poster you quoted.
That's back to the Disney problem.

 

[TP2000]

Now you are going to start going off on freaking Theatre Camp???? I saw it last week and it’s very good.

I doubt that I will be "going off" about Theater Camp, but it is a movie from a Disney owned studio.

So I will mention it's box office results in the thread about Disney box office results.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Disney could be in a situation where (except maybe MCU) the fact that a movie has the Disney label on it could hinder massive success. Moderate success? Sure. Profit? That's a whole different story that most people either don't understand or don't care about. But massive success? Disney has already pulled back off of the "progressive" movement. There have been subtle changes happening since last year. But Disney just may not generate the same excitement and anticipation it did before the pandemic. Is it the actual products? Unless someone can objectively define what that even means, that cannot be determined. Is it the brand? That may be more of it unfortunately. Is it burn out on the products that Disney has been putting out? That's probably the biggest issue.

The big step for all studios is to see what non-movie IP's are out there for the mining. And for Disney, what untapped non-movie IP's do they even have access to?

Not that I don’t agree with you…I totally do…

But I’m amazed Disney is here. How did it get to this so quickly and so apparent?

It’s the entire collapse of iger’s IP strategy unfolding…If we’re honest. They need damage control stat and there’s not even a hint of it.

 

[BuddyThomas]

The content on the screen has virtually nothing to do with it. It's the hundreds of hours and millions of dollars of focus groups, special-interest groups, DE&I consultants, etc. behind the scenes that take everyone's eyes off the ball and distract from actually making an entertaining film.

Hamilton and Schitt's Creek are super woke and they're both excellent and well-loved by mainstream audiences. Yet Willow and Bros crashed and burned.

Why? Because Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dan Levy are geniuses while Jonathan Kasdan and Billy Eichner are insufferable lunatics.

I know you have not seen it, but Bros happens to be absolutely fantastic.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I didn't say crybabies. I said crybullies and I chose the word for a reason.

Good lord.

 

[TP2000]

It’s the entire collapse of iger’s IP strategy unfolding…If we’re honest. They need damage control stat and there’s not even a hint of it.

That's the part that worries me too. This summer's box office is disastrous, but what's the course correction to that?

They need to slash their mega-budgets ASAP, but even if they did that they still will lose money on these types of films. Just less of it.

So what's the executive course correction plan to fix the product itself, not just the bloated and irresponsible budgets?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

As has been said many times in many threads, it comes down to losing the blind trust parents had with Disney that was developed over the past century.

The current management (including the DEI team) put their personal social philosophies and missions ahead of protecting that scared trust.

Growing up and with my own kids, if it said “Disney” we would buy it and show it to the kids without hesitation or previewing it.

Disney is free to pursue social causes. But every action has a reaction and to lose that scared trust is having a huge Impact throughout the company.

The good news is Universal sees this and is trying to quickly replace Disney in parents’ minds and is continuing to see success.

When Mario or Minions were announced was anybody concerned it wouldn’t be suitable for children?

Yet every new Disney release now goes through that conversation and scrutiny online, in the media, between parents, etc.

Disney 100% owns that and building back that trust is going to be infinitely harder than losing it (assuming they even want it or care).

This is creeping close to being offensive. I know you don't mean to be.

I am gay. I exist. I am an exceptionally moral person and upstanding citizen. Married one time, it will be 16 years in September, and counting. Small business owner. Christian. Served my town on a local community advisory board to the City Commission for 3 years. The idea that any tiny 2 second representation of me in a Disney film for kids is somehow "breaking a sacred trust" is very, very hard to take. There is nothing about me that should exempt me from being represented in a Disney film.

That's what I'm hearing when people say things like your post. I'm hearing there's something shameful about me that I shouldn't be represented in a movie for kids.

No one is ashamed of me when it comes to my nieces and nephews, friends' kids. They know better. They know there is no reason to hide anything. I am only a positive influence on their kids.

I don't know what to think about or say to folks who would be upset that there is a bit gay character in a Disney movie in this day and age. It's genuinely hurtful. I thought we were past this.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That's the part that worries me too. This summer's box office is disastrous, but what's the course correction to that?

They need to slash their mega-budgets ASAP, but even if they did that they still will lose money on these types of films. Just less of it.

So what's the executive course correction plan to fix the product itself, not just the bloated and irresponsible budgets?

It’s same trap they fell into with WDI during bobism

You cannot respond at all when everything costs so much and more importantly takes SO LONG.

Get things done. Then a $1 bil at the box office is REAL money. Fast and cleared.


It kinda is a snafu based on old handrawn or even Pixar animation. “These things take years”
Well time to change. A year “ story development”…that usually results in unoriginal crap…a year of photography and reshoots (cause the story is crap)…and two years of post production (special effects…to cover up for the crap)

Jesus…I think the secretaries are all paying cash for their Teslas and infinity pools.

Pigs at trough needs to stop.

 

[BuddyThomas]

This is creeping close to being offensive. I know you don't mean to be.

I am gay. I exist. I am an exceptionally moral person and upstanding citizen. Married one time, it will be 16 years in September, and counting. Small business owner. Christian. Served my town on a local community advisory board to the City Commission for 3 years. The idea that any tiny 2 second representation of me in a Disney film for kids is somehow "breaking a sacred trust" is very, very hard to take. There is nothing about me that should exempt me from being represented in a Disney film.

That's what I'm hearing when people say things like your post. I'm hearing there's something shameful about me that I shouldn't be represented in a movie for kids.

No one is ashamed of me when it comes to my nieces and nephews, friends' kids. They know better. They know there is no reason to hide anything. I am only a positive influence on their kids.

I don't know what to think about or say to folks who would be upset that there is a bit gay character in a Disney movie in this day and age. It's genuinely hurtful. I thought we were past this.

I cannot love this post enough, but I will try.

 

[celluloid]

That's the part that worries me too. This summer's box office is disastrous, but what's the course correction to that?

They need to slash their mega-budgets ASAP, but even if they did that they still will lose money on these types of films. Just less of it.

So what's the executive course correction plan to fix the product itself, not just the bloated and irresponsible budgets?

It sure puts Iger and company in a pinch where the writers and actors are probably going to be paid more than ever to go on with the franchises that don't do well anymore for their ROIs and new ideas are going to be risky fishing since they have not balanced that well in a long time.

 

[LittleBuford]

While I disagree with that wildly over-simplified take on the situation that seems to entirely discount the ability of American parents to think for themselves, what's your solution to that problem? If Disney's core customer base is now backing away from buying Disney's products because of media grievances, how should Disney respond?

Should Disney try to guilt American parents into returning to their family films? What's the solution to regain their customers trust?

If this really is happening—and I don’t believe it is—Disney shouldn’t respond at all. There’s no turning the clock back, and appeasing those who can’t handle change is a losing strategy in the long term.