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

[Wendy Pleakley]

I'm not worried about "losing" digital media.

The actual number of cases where a purchased product has been pulled are rare, but the practice is exaggerated due to publicity over isolated incidents.

If I lose something, the odds are I can find a copy to download somewhere, especially if it's something well known.

It also helps to purchase from reliable retailers. Apple doesn't remove purchases from your digital library, even if that show or movie stops being available for new purchases.

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

most people who buy physical media are just collectors who like having the box art, they might watch it once and then it just sits on shelf for display
5 years from now, films on disc will be like vinyl in their rarity

 

[Phroobar]

Yep…that’s why I keep my collection of the 31 different editions of return of the Jedi in Betamax/vhs/laserdisc in mint condition

You too?

 

[Casper Gutman]

most people who buy physical media are just collectors who like having the box art, they might watch it once and then it just sits on shelf for display
5 years from now, films on disc will be like vinyl in their rarity

Then our access to our cinematic heritage will be astronomically reduced. The number of films available on streaming is tiny.

 

[Phroobar]

I'm not worried about "losing" digital media.

The actual number of cases where a purchased product has been pulled are rare, but the practice is exaggerated due to publicity over isolated incidents.

If I lose something, the odds are I can find a copy to download somewhere, especially if it's something well known.

It also helps to purchase from reliable retailers. Apple doesn't remove purchases from your digital library, even if that show or movie stops being available for new purchases.

So you are saying if your digital copy is pulled, you should steal it from somewhere? A digital copy is not forever. It is just a use license. I can still play any movie or video game I want because I have the physical disc and back upped for my use only.

 

[Disney Irish]

It’s not. Disney and it’s blind fans tend to say they are on a different Level/standard…however.
Which means you can’t say “everyone is doing it…” when the narrative needs to shift.

But it’s industry wide. Which is probably a big reason why the studios nominated Bob Iger to be their hatchetman against the guilds

Except as pointed out, @Casper Gutman provided the numbers for everyone to see, Disney is basically middle of the pack when it comes to ROI from the box office in 2023. So it seems that this "Disney is worse" narrative is actually what needs to shift to the reality of its industry wide.

And yet…that’s over like 50 years…and I bet there was a little bit more to each and every story.
Smart actors - not Harrison ford - will decline when the sequels are crap concepts and it will hurt their own “brand”.

Neither RDJ or Chris Evans would ever pass on a decent story and a fat check to “explore other things…”

I got some magic beans to sell you.

Better example: Zoe Saldana said she’s done with guardians because “two huge franchise is too much” (she was in 3…but whatever)

Now If they were to write a good script and add enough zeros? She’ll be green again. I can write her “change of heart” comments right now.

By nature…actors like fame, incluence and recognition.

You know what gets you all that?

You were saying?

You ask to provide names of actors that gave up on huge paychecks, as if they didn't exist. And when presented with that evidence you balked at it and says its over too long of a period and that there must be more to the story. Typical.

But ok, I'll give you one more, a more recent one, since you seem to think that actors when presented with a "fat check" won't turn it down.

Christian Bale turned down $50M to return as Batman in the DCEU. The only way he'd return was with Nolan if Nolan had a story to tell, and Nolan ain't coming back. So Bale said no.

As for Saldana returning, maybe maybe not, if enough time passes and she is available she may consider it. Or maybe she'll stick to her guns and say no. Only time will tell. But as I keep showing it just having a "fat" paycheck and good story isn't enough to bring some actors back.

So you're wrong here.

I believe nobody gives a crap about avengers farm team vs the Easter egg

I’ll be on this hill if you need me

Well that is your opinion. Again we'll see how things go over the next several films.

 

[MisterPenguin]

So you are saying if your digital copy is pulled, you should steal it from somewhere? A digital copy is not forever. It is just a use license. I can still play any movie or video game I want because I have the physical disc and back upped for my use only.

Some digital purchases are indeed forever. The problem is if it exists on some server in the cloud and that server gets shut down.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

So you are saying if your digital copy is pulled, you should steal it from somewhere? A digital copy is not forever. It is just a use license. I can still play any movie or video game I want because I have the physical disc and back upped for my use only.

Technically, it would be illegal, for sure.

But if the extremely rare case should happen where my digital movie is taken away, I wouldn't have any moral qualms finding another way to watch it.

 

[Phroobar]

Technically, it would be illegal, for sure.

But if the extremely rare case should happen where my digital movie is taken away, I wouldn't have any moral qualms finding another way to watch it.

Do you even read what you write?

 

[Phroobar]

Some digital purchases are indeed forever. The problem is if it exists on some server in the cloud and that server gets shut down.

If it forever, than you have a right to it even if the server is down. The company must give you access to it.
However, most digital purchases are not forever and are use licenses only. They decide when you get to use it and for how long. You don't have the right to steal it afterwards. You are not the copyright owner.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Do you even read what you write?

Yes. Are you confused?

 

[Communicora]

I'm not worried about "losing" digital media.

The actual number of cases where a purchased product has been pulled are rare, but the practice is exaggerated due to publicity over isolated incidents.

If I lose something, the odds are I can find a copy to download somewhere, especially if it's something well known.

It also helps to purchase from reliable retailers. Apple doesn't remove purchases from your digital library, even if that show or movie stops being available for new purchases.

But if you don't have it backed up or that backup fails, you don't get to redownload it if they no longer sell it. I now avoid digital purchases for this reason.

 

[Communicora]

most people who buy physical media are just collectors who like having the box art, they might watch it once and then it just sits on shelf for display
5 years from now, films on disc will be like vinyl in their rarity

Vinyl is selling well and is no longer a rarity. It's just that kids these days call them vinyls instead of albums.

Vinyl Records Outsell CDs for the First Time Since 1987 [archive link]​

People are getting burned out on subscribing to multiple streaming services to keep up with the shows/movies they like. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Blu-Rays and box sets came back in vogue. Especially if they get creative with them like some artists have with their vinyl releases.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Except as pointed out, @Casper Gutman provided the numbers for everyone to see, Disney is basically middle of the pack when it comes to ROI from the box office in 2023. So it seems that this "Disney is worse" narrative is actually what needs to shift to the reality of its industry wide.


You ask to provide names of actors that gave up on huge paychecks, as if they didn't exist. And when presented with that evidence you balked at it and says its over too long of a period and that there must be more to the story. Typical.

But ok, I'll give you one more, a more recent one, since you seem to think that actors when presented with a "fat check" won't turn it down.

Christian Bale turned down $50M to return as Batman in the DCEU. The only way he'd return was with Nolan if Nolan had a story to tell, and Nolan ain't coming back. So Bale said no.

As for Saldana returning, maybe maybe not, if enough time passes and she is available she may consider it. Or maybe she'll stick to her guns and say no. Only time will tell. But as I keep showing it just having a "fat" paycheck and good story isn't enough to bring some actors back.

So you're wrong here.


Well that is your opinion. Again we'll see how things go over the next several films.

Enjoy your day

 

[Disney Irish]

Enjoy your day

I always do.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Vinyl is selling well and is no longer a rarity. It's just that kids these days call them vinyls instead of albums.

Vinyl Records Outsell CDs for the First Time Since 1987 [archive link]​

People are getting burned out on subscribing to multiple streaming services to keep up with the shows/movies they like. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Blu-Rays and box sets came back in vogue. Especially if they get creative with them like some artists have with their vinyl releases.

But vinyl has a quality and an attractiveness to it. And nostalgia/retro

Video media never really did. Vhs sucked…and there is little tangible improvement form dvd up to 785,000 K

it’s just a different thing

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What innovative thinking! Talk about bringing something new and exciting to this thread!!

But no, I’m content to note one of the most interesting box office stories of the Summer, something Pixar and Disney needed to have happen to counter the disastrous Pixar streaming decisions.

You’d get a difference response if the quest to make Disney a “winner” in 2023 with parlor tricks would stop.

And before anyone says: “it’s industry wide!!!”…save it. That doesn’t polish their turd.

 

[Communicora]

But vinyl has a quality and an attractiveness to it. And nostalgia/retro

Video media never really did. Vhs sucked…and there is little tangible improvement form dvd up to 785,000 K

it’s just a different thing

Wrong. People are already nostalgic for VHS. Disney even sold purses based on the old cases.

Disney already tiptoed into this market with that weird licensed release of a WandaVision physical case for a project that doesn't even exist in physical form.

 

[Disney Irish]

TLDR - A shrinking segment that is only accellerating and is less and less significant.

As I said I wasn't disputing that its a shrinking segment, just one that studios will continue to exploit as long as they can. Because in the end its still a revenue stream albeit a shrinking one.

The question is will it ever shrink to a point where they completely stop all physical media.

The real delta here will be if they make a push to make PPV overtake theatres...

Possible, we'll see.

and I think that will likely just result in a piracy surge with integrated torrenting maybe getting more and more mainstream.

That didn't stop the music industry, and as far as I can tell there isn't this huge surge in piracy. Sure it still happens, but not to the heights it was back when Napster was a thing.

So while I don't have any doubts that some piracy will happen, just as it does today in many international areas, I don't think it'll become that wide spread of an issue.

Theory - but unlikely to happen... because people aren't going to invest in 'backup' like this across the board and at scale enough to make it worth it. People don't even backup their baby's first steps reliably... and have no physical copies anymore... That haven't forced people to bring back paper photos at scale, a desire to hold a copy of TLM in case of dropped from D+ isn't going to happen at scale.

Maybe, maybe not. As I mentioned there were and still are optic media replacements for Blu-Ray and 4K/UHD being developed. If those come to market, it might cause a resurgence in physical media, only time will tell.

My suspicion is that an all-digital future is always going to be 5-10 years away, but never really get here. And again I say that as a huge proponent of an all-digital future.

 

[MisterPenguin]

If it forever, than you have a right to it even if the server is down. The company must give you access to it.
However, most digital purchases are not forever and are use licenses only. They decide when you get to use it and for how long. You don't have the right to steal it afterwards. You are not the copyright owner.

In that case, they shouldn't say 'purchase.'

Do you have an example of a service which allows a *purchase* of a digital download, but then says, "Psych!! It's really a licensed rental!!"?