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

[Casper Gutman]

I initially mistook your post (which was perfectly clear) to be referring to the film adaptation rather than to the musical itself. I know what it's like not to "get" something that the rest of the world seems to love. For me, it's The Bear (very different genre, I know!).

Yup. Very off topic, but another big one for me is anti-hero TV. Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Penguin, etc. I've watched quite a bit and I can absolutely admire the craft and skill but on a profound level it just doesn't appeal to and sometimes even troubles me. I guess I don't want to root for the bad guy!

Back to Wicked, I certainly hope this launches a string of big musical films, although I'm not entirely sure what the logical follow-up to Wicked would be. The huge lesson Hollywood should draw from this is that, as Barbie indicated, there's a vast, untapped market for blockbusters aimed primarily (though certainly not solely) at a female audience. On a more specific note, between Wicked and the success of Agatha All Along, if I'm a Hollywood exec I'm looking for some more witch-based properties.

 

[Ghost93]

The huge lesson Hollywood should draw from this is that, as Barbie indicated, there's a vast, untapped market for blockbusters aimed primarily (though certainly not solely) at a female audience.

While I agree, I think the other lesson Hollywood should learn from Wicked's success is to hire professional singers when making musical adaptations. We should never have to endure another Russell Crowe in Les Miserables again!

 

[Casper Gutman]

While I agree, I think the other lesson Hollywood should learn from Wicked's success is to hire professional singers when making musical adaptations. We should never have to endure another Russell Crowe in Les Miserables again!

No argument about Crowe... although as much as I love Goldblum, he's no Pavarotti.

I don't think there really are many other Broadway shows that could capitalize on the success of Wicked. If I'm Disney, start getting some of my top talent working on a big, colorful, over-the-top, unashamed original live-action fantasy musical property.

 

[Farerb]

Yup. Very off topic, but another big one for me is anti-hero TV. Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Penguin, etc. I've watched quite a bit and I can absolutely admire the craft and skill but on a profound level it just doesn't appeal to and sometimes even troubles me. I guess I don't want to root for the bad guy!

Back to Wicked, I certainly hope this launches a string of big musical films, although I'm not entirely sure what the logical follow-up to Wicked would be. The huge lesson Hollywood should draw from this is that, as Barbie indicated, there's a vast, untapped market for blockbusters aimed primarily (though certainly not solely) at a female audience. On a more specific note, between Wicked and the success of Agatha All Along, if I'm a Hollywood exec I'm looking for some more witch-based properties.

What Hollywood should draw from this is that there's a market for "chick flicks", which Hollywood has completely abandoned for some reason a decade ago.

By the way, what Broadway musicals do you like?

 

[Farerb]

No argument about Crowe... although as much as I love Goldblum, he's no Pavarotti.

I don't think there really are many other Broadway shows that could capitalize on the success of Wicked. If I'm Disney, start getting some of my top talent working on a big, colorful, over-the-top, unashamed original live-action fantasy musical property.

Frozen is basically Wicked 2.0. Disney will eventually make a live action remake and a remake for Tangled as well.

 

[Disney Irish]

What Hollywood should draw from this is that there's a market for "chick flicks", which Hollywood has completely abandoned for some reason a decade ago.

The "chick flick" as you're calling them, or more traditionally called RomComs and other female oriented films haven't been abandoned by Hollywood. What has happened, as is the case with many low to medium budget films of all genres, have moved to streaming over the last decade. Netflix picked up a lot of these movies that would have traditionally been direct-to-video or on the rare occasion in theaters for a couple weeks before being dumped to video. So they are still being made, but they are now being made for Netflix or PVOD instead of being in theaters.

What is happening is that Hollywood is seeing the appeal of having a female oriented blockbuster like a Barbie, instead of it always being relegated to the low to medium budget direct-to-streaming fate. That is the traditionally untapped market that Hollywood is waking up to, and expect more to come over the next few years in my opinion.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Yup. Very off topic, but another big one for me is anti-hero TV. Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Penguin, etc. I've watched quite a bit and I can absolutely admire the craft and skill but on a profound level it just doesn't appeal to and sometimes even troubles me. I guess I don't want to root for the bad guy!

Back to Wicked, I certainly hope this launches a string of big musical films, although I'm not entirely sure what the logical follow-up to Wicked would be. The huge lesson Hollywood should draw from this is that, as Barbie indicated, there's a vast, untapped market for blockbusters aimed primarily (though certainly not solely) at a female audience. On a more specific note, between Wicked and the success of Agatha All Along, if I'm a Hollywood exec I'm looking for some more witch-based properties.

It’s more realistic. Villains and evil people are caricatures. People aren’t born bad; they’re born into bad circumstances. Or they wander over into bad circumstances (neighborhoods, families.) Tony Soprano most probably wouldn’t have been a gangster had he been born in Alaska.

If what we would call a true villain isn’t insane, they have an origin story which may not absolve, but explain why they are the way they are. If what makes people tick isn’t interesting, I don’t know what is.

Darth Vader found redemption in saving his son, in putting Luke above the Emperor. Most religions emphasize the power of redemption and penance. Seeing Voldemort as a kid didn’t make him less of a villain; it just explains why he got to where he was. It fleshes out the character into more than a one dimensional randomly bad guy.

 

[Farerb]

traditionally been direct-to-video or on the rare occasion in theaters for a couple weeks before being dumped to video.

This is false.
I didn't invent the term. It has existed for a long time:

Chick flick - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And not every chick flick is a romcom, and they have been successful in theaters, they were not just DTV trash.
I'm talking about films like Clueless, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, 13 Going on 30, etc....

 

[Disney Irish]

This is false.
I didn't invent the term. It has existed for a long time:

Chick flick - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And not every chick flick is a romcom, and they have been successful in theaters, they were not just DTV trash.
I'm talking about films like Clueless, Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, 13 Going on 30, etc....

Guess you didn't read my post fully or didn't comprehend my point, which is why you only quoted a small snippet of it. I never claimed that you invented the term, I'm old enough to have been around when the term was first being used in the mainstream. I'm just saying that you're using a term that is fairly outdated now.

Also never claimed that every "chick flick" was a RomCom, which is why I said other female oriented films. But the RomCom is the one most widely known and identified "chick flick", so it became synonymous with the term.

Also notice how all your examples are 90s and early 00s movies being the successful ones in theaters. Its because again many started to go the route of the direct-to-video and short theater run in the late 00s. Which is where Netflick comes into play taking over that market in the early 10s, with some minor players like Hallmark, Lifetime, and a few others on the linear side in the early 00s.

So no Hollywood has not abandoned the "chick flick" and never did, the landscape changed. As is always the case in the box office world, the pendulum swings back and genres that weren't popular in the past become popular again.

 

[Ghost93]

Moana 2 seems to be fluctuating between 68 and 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. I suspect a strong opening weekend, but think its legs might be hurt by the middling reviews. I think it will still be a juggernaut at the box office, but it might not reach the heights it could have had Disney started this as a theatrical project from the start and ensured it was a top-tier film.

Hopefully the sequel doesn't damage the Moana brand. I don't think it will, as the direct to video sequels were unable to kill the classics or the Renaissance films.

 

[Phroobar]

Moana 2 seems to be fluctuating between 68 and 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. I suspect a strong opening weekend, but think its legs might be hurt by the middling reviews. I think it will still be a juggernaut at the box office, but it might not reach the heights it could have had Disney started this as a theatrical project from the start and ensured it was a top-tier film.

Hopefully the sequel doesn't damage the Moana brand. I don't think it will, as the direct to video sequels were unable to kill the classics or the Renaissance films.

It kind of reminds me of when they released Return to Neverland. Yes, it made money and didn't hurt the brand but it didn't help either. I just worry Disney will start releasing these originally made for tv shows as stand alone movies further cheapening the brand. It is history repeating from the early 2000s.

 

[DisneyWarrior27]

It kind of reminds me of when they released Return to Neverland. Yes, it made money and didn't hurt the brand but it didn't help either. I just worry Disney will start releasing these originally made for tv shows as stand alone movies further cheapening the brand. It is history repeating from the early 2000s.

If there’s one that should be made into a movie, it’s Tiana becoming The Princess and the Frog 2 to try and usher in the return of fully 2D/theatrical hand-drawn animated movies for theaters at Walt Disney Animation Studios, though I think they should delay it to Thanksgiving 2029 to ensure the transition from Disney+ series to theatrical movie is given time and not rushed.

 

[DKampy]

I was looking at my local theater what was playing this weekend… as we were planning to go to the theater this Sunday… and there were a total of 4 movies on 14 Screens…Red One, Wicked, Gladiator, and Moana 2….. by then I would of seen everything except Red One…. Which I am not really interested in…come on give some people a little variety besides tentpole blockbusters… I was hoping for something else like Anora or A Real Pain which were both playing there for just one week the week before Glicked….It makes me miss our other close less busy theater that closed last year… we use to get smaller movies all the time…. As the 2 theaters could split the movies between them…being of the same chain

 

[Disney Irish]

I was looking at my local theater what was playing this weekend… as we were planning to go to the theater this Sunday… and there were a total of 4 movies on 14 Screens…Red One, Wicked, Gladiator, and Moana 2….. by then I would of seen everything except Red One…. Which I am not really interested in…come on give some people a little variety besides tentpole blockbusters… I was hoping for something else like Anora or A Real Pain which were both playing there for just one week the week before Glicked….It makes me miss our other close less busy theater that closed last year… we use to get smaller movies all the time…. As the 2 theaters could split the movies between them…being of the same chain

Unfortunately I see a further consolidation of theaters here in the near future. So you're gonna have more of just playing blockbusters with premium screens rather than the smaller screens.

Around me we have either the theaters playing blockbusters or Hindi movies as that market has grown tremendously over the last couple years.

 

[LittleBuford]

Yup. Very off topic, but another big one for me is anti-hero TV. Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Penguin, etc. I've watched quite a bit and I can absolutely admire the craft and skill but on a profound level it just doesn't appeal to and sometimes even troubles me. I guess I don't want to root for the bad guy!

Back to Wicked, I certainly hope this launches a string of big musical films, although I'm not entirely sure what the logical follow-up to Wicked would be. The huge lesson Hollywood should draw from this is that, as Barbie indicated, there's a vast, untapped market for blockbusters aimed primarily (though certainly not solely) at a female audience. On a more specific note, between Wicked and the success of Agatha All Along, if I'm a Hollywood exec I'm looking for some more witch-based properties.

Breaking Bad is one of my favourite shows of all time, and I never once rooted for Walt. I was quite surprised to learn that others did!

I too am curious to see what lessons Hollywood draws from Wicked’s success. A new breed of strong musicals would be no bad thing!

 

[DKampy]

Unfortunately I see a further consolidation of theaters here in the near future. So you're gonna have more of just playing blockbusters with premium screens rather than the smaller screens.

Around me we have either the theaters playing blockbusters or Hindi movies as that market has grown tremendously over the last couple years.

I just think they may be leaving some money on the table as every screen to every theater can’t be that full… I watch all genres and types of movies but not everybody even is interested in blockbusters… they could not even spare one showtime…

 

[Ghost93]

It kind of reminds me of when they released Return to Neverland. Yes, it made money and didn't hurt the brand but it didn't help either. I just worry Disney will start releasing these originally made for tv shows as stand alone movies further cheapening the brand. It is history repeating from the early 2000s.

Half of the direct-to-video sequels were just rehashes of the first film where the child learned the same lesson as the parent. At least the new Disney sequels are avoiding that (so far).

I recall the voiceover for the Little Mermaid II

"Ten years ago, the Little Mermaid dreamed of life on land....NOW, her daughter DREAMS OF THE SEA!!!"

 

[Phroobar]

Half of the direct-to-video sequels were just rehashes of the first film where the child learned the same lesson as the parent. At least the new Disney sequels are avoiding that (so far).

I recall the voiceover for the Little Mermaid II

"Ten years ago, the Little Mermaid dreamed of life on land....NOW, her daughter DREAMS OF THE SEA!!!"

Very true. However inn this case, it sounds like Moana finds her evil sister. I could be completely wrong.

 

[brideck]

I was looking at my local theater what was playing this weekend… as we were planning to go to the theater this Sunday… and there were a total of 4 movies on 14 Screens…Red One, Wicked, Gladiator, and Moana 2….. by then I would of seen everything except Red One…. Which I am not really interested in…come on give some people a little variety besides tentpole blockbusters… I was hoping for something else like Anora or A Real Pain which were both playing there for just one week the week before Glicked….It makes me miss our other close less busy theater that closed last year… we use to get smaller movies all the time…. As the 2 theaters could split the movies between them…being of the same chain

Yeah, we were just caught off guard by this yesterday. We'd been thinking that Anora would be safe since it's a legitimate Best Picture contender and is still doing good money per screen, but the whole landscape was obliterated this week by those blockbusters, so we had to run out to the art theater last night to catch it before it disappears.

A Real Pain, Conclave, and Heretic are sticking around near us in much more limited showings (and really weird times) compared to a week ago. For Disney/Searchlight, it'll be interesting to see if A Real Pain and/or Nightbench are able to make an impression at awards season. Things feel pretty wide open this year.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Moana 2 seems to be fluctuating between 68 and 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. I suspect a strong opening weekend, but think its legs might be hurt by the middling reviews. I think it will still be a juggernaut at the box office, but it might not reach the heights it could have had Disney started this as a theatrical project from the start and ensured it was a top-tier film.

Hopefully the sequel doesn't damage the Moana brand. I don't think it will, as the direct to video sequels were unable to kill the classics or the Renaissance films.

It kind of reminds me of when they released Return to Neverland. Yes, it made money and didn't hurt the brand but it didn't help either. I just worry Disney will start releasing these originally made for tv shows as stand alone movies further cheapening the brand. It is history repeating from the early 2000s.

I don’t get this line of thinking. It’s pretty insulting to the people working on these films to think they can’t take a plot line from a TV series that is excellent and adapt it into a movie that is excellent. It’s kind of what they do.

The critically acclaimed TV series of today are not anything like the straight to DVD movies, IMO.