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

[Disstevefan1]

It’s impressive to be green on Disney.

The stock is basically where it was 10 years ago.

I got in last year when it was lower. I don't have enough to make any difference in my life, its just ironic its the only one that is in the green.

 

[WorldExplorer]

I don’t know? Ask my wife. Why do many women love that scene? What makes it so iconic?

People dueting is romantic. Being serenaded is romantic. Snow White is embarrassed by her rags, but despite him being a prince he doesn't care she's wearing rags: it's sweet (note the Queen specifically put her in those to try and make her ugly). She sends a dove to kiss him: it's sweet. She sings his song to herself later: she's thinking about him, she liked the encounter, it's sweet.

Wouldn't it be nice if life was so simple: you look at someone and know immediately you would spend a happy life together? Wouldn't it be great if you also happened to both be royalty and good looking with excellent singing voices? Yes it would be!

It's a fantasy. It's escapism. Many women are adults who understand what a fantasy and escapism is. We can understand that Snow White was made during a time before we became obsessed with over explaining everything and we can understand the sweetness and romanticism of the scene without being aware that prior to this they had three dates and the first was kinda awkward but now they're feeling pretty good about this whole thing, not ready to move in quite yet though.


But hey, anyone who thinks the Prince is a flat character, good news: Walt Disney agreed. There's tons of cut content for this character left on the cutting floor (seemingly all after the initial meet) because the movie was notoriously troubled and they felt he was the hardest to animate. You would think this would be the time to dive into the archives and use the material already made up for them; it even included him being captured and accidentally screwing up his attempt to rescue Snow White because he can't do something she can (understand the animals).

But no. Flynn Rider knock off. What did that Walt guy know, anyway?

 

[Farerb]

I think you missed the point of the articles if you indeed read them. The passive "damsel in distress princess needs rescue" trope is what was being discussed, and its not a vendetta, its was to say that these characters aren't on dimensional and need to be save, they can have more agency. And Disney themselves tried to move away from using this type of princess trope way before the 2010s. Its why you started to see Mulan, Belle, Rapunzel and many other strong female princess character emerge.

Society and times changes, and so does views on old tropes that are no longer popular.

All the 90s princesses got criticized. All of them. Belle got Stockholm Syndrome remember? And she ends up with a guy at the end. Same with Mulan, same with Rapunzel.

Don't misconstrue what I said. I never said there was anything wrong with these kind of characters. I love Moana. But Disney stopped doing romances because of these types of articles and media that criticized the "focus on love stories".

 

[LittleBuford]

So weird how many "Disney fans" are just okay trashing the film that literally made Disney what it is just to prop up a lousy remake that will be completely forgotten in a few months.

I don’t agree with them, but they’re entitled to feel as they do. The main sections of the forum have many posts expressing dislike of what I consider timeless Disney attractions like the Jungle Cruise, it’s a small world, and the Tiki Room. Much as I disagree with the people expressing such sentiments, it isn’t my place to question their fandom. Disney is a big tent, and there’s plenty of room for different tastes and opinions.

 

[Trauma]

I got in last year when it was lower. I don't have enough to make any difference in my life, it’s just ironic it’s the only one that is in the green.

Well it’s important to invest so you don’t have to work for every $$ you earn. Sounds like you’re going to be in good shape.

 

[Chi84]

All the 90s princesses got criticized. All of them. Belle got Stockholm Syndrome remember? And she ends up with a guy at the end. Same with Mulan, same with Rapunzel.

Don't misconstrue what I said. I never said there was anything wrong with these kind of characters. I love Moana. But Disney stopped doing romances because of these types of articles and media that criticized the "focus on love stories".

I can’t imagine that video influencing anyone. Maybe the men here who have such an issue with young female stars because it might explain some things.

 

[Disney Irish]

All the 90s princesses got criticized. All of them. Belle got Stockholm Syndrome remember? And she ends up with a guy at the end. Same with Mulan, same with Rapunzel.

Those are different criticisms however than the traditional "Disney princess" trope criticisms which were the focus of many of those articles from the early 00s/10s that you're talking about. And those criticisms are also fair. The idea was that the traditional "Disney Princess" was just there as a set piece waiting for the prince to save her, ie she was a one dimensional character with no agency nothing more than a prop to advance a "love story".

Don't misconstrue what I said. I never said there was anything wrong with these kind of characters. I love Moana. But Disney stopped doing romances because of these types of articles and media that criticized the "focus on love stories".

Disney stopped doing romances for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they weren't guaranteed box office hits any more, such as Princess and the Frog.

Again times change, audiences want different things. They don't always want the same old sappy one dimensional princess character that constantly needs to be saved.

 

[Farerb]

I can’t imagine that video influencing anyone. Maybe the men here who have such an issue with young female stars because it might explain some things.

So tiring.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE VIDEO. IT'S ABOUT THE TREND

why are you being purposefully disingenuous? Everyone can see how their sensibility changed during the 2010s. A film like Tangled would never be made today.

 

[coffeefan]

 

[Chi84]

So tiring.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE VIDEO. IT'S ABOUT THE TREND

why are you being purposefully disingenuous? Everyone can see how their sensibility changed during the 2010s. A film like Tangled would never be made today.

No I’m not. But the video is so hideously over-the-top that it’s hard to talk about anything else.

I do agree that people have changed and that films are less about romance than they were, especially films directed at young kids.

 

[MagicMouseFan]

2ND UPDATE, Friday midday: Currently, Disney‘s Snow White is seeing $15.5 million today, which includes last night’s $3.5M, and will get the Rachel Zegler-Gal Gadot movie to the mid-$40Ms for a three-day total at the domestic box office. That’s right around where Dumbo was, jeez: That Tim Burton clunker did $15.2M on its opening day for a near $46M 3-day off a much cheaper production cost than Snow White ($170M versus $270M). Again, it all comes down to Saturday and Sunday matinees with Snow White particularly given its target of women.

Ho-Hum, Ho-Hum: ‘Snow White’ Opens To $43M — What Poisoned This Princess At The Box Office – Sunday AM Box Office Update

Disney's controversial 'Snow White' begins with $3.5M in previews on Thursday.

deadline.com

 

[Disney Irish]

Everyone can see how their sensibility changed during the 2010s. A film like Tangled would never be made today.

I disagree, I don't think its that Disney's sensibilities changed its that audience tastes changes and Hollywood followed suit which is why you notice that RomComs by and large also went away. I mean look at the recent RomCom that came out in 2023, Anyone but you. It did $219M WW at the box office, and only $88M domestic. While good compared to its budget, its not some earth shattering smash hit box office earner here that Hollywood is looking for.

I get it if you want that type of content, and I feel for you if you do. But it appears that a majority of audiences don't want that content, or least aren't willing to go to theaters for it.

The only hope is that the trend changes, or that streamers like Netflix see it as an opportunity to make such content. As that is where the small to mid range movies are ending up rather than the theater.

 

[Tha Realest]

I doubt any career is over for Zegler… by most accounts she was not the issue with the movie, but was the highlight

I suspect we’ll see more big budget live action Disney films released in theaters going forward than we see big budget live action films led by Rachel Zegler.

 

[Disney Irish]

2ND UPDATE, Friday midday: Currently, Disney‘s Snow White is seeing $15.5 million today, which includes last night’s $3.5M, and will get the Rachel Zegler-Gal Gadot movie to the mid-$40Ms for a three-day total at the domestic box office. That’s right around where Dumbo was, jeez: That Tim Burton clunker did $15.2M on its opening day for a near $46M 3-day off a much cheaper production cost than Snow White ($170M versus $270M). Again, it all comes down to Saturday and Sunday matinees with Snow White particularly given its target of women.

Ho-Hum, Ho-Hum: ‘Snow White’ Opens To $43M — What Poisoned This Princess At The Box Office – Sunday AM Box Office Update

Disney's controversial 'Snow White' begins with $3.5M in previews on Thursday.

deadline.com

Interesting as that means Disney predicts that Sat and Sun will only get as much as Fri or less. That hasn't traditionally been the case especially Sat, so I think Disney is being conservative here. We'll see how it turns out.

 

[Tha Realest]

I disagree, I don't think its that Disney's sensibilities changed its that audience tastes changes and Hollywood followed suit which is why you notice that RomComs by and large also went away. I mean look at the recent RomCom that came out in 2023, Anyone but you. It did $219M WW at the box office, and only $88M domestic. While good compared to its budget, its not some earth shattering smash hit box office earner here that Hollywood is looking for.

I get it if you want that type of content, and I feel for you if you do. But it appears that a majority of audiences don't want that content, or least aren't willing to go to theaters for it.

The only hope is that the trend changes, or that streamers like Netflix see it as an opportunity to make such content. As that is where the small to mid range movies are ending up rather than the theater.

The audience just went elsewhere. And other studios have cracked the code in terms of that content: it’s why The Hallmark Channel has a complete lockdown on young to middle aged women in the fall and winter, and other streamers and studios are trying to replicate that success as well (Netflix, GAC network, etc).

 

[Disney Irish]

The audience just went elsewhere. And other studios have cracked the code in terms of that content: it’s why The Hallmark Channel has a complete lockdown on young to middle aged women in the fall and winter, and other streamers and studios are trying to replicate that success as well (Netflix, GAC network, etc).

Lifetime had that market locked up long before The Hallmark Channel started. Basic cable has always been a haven for middle aged women content, its why the description of something schmaltzy being called like a Lifetime or Hallmark Movie came into the lexicon.

Hollywood Studios by and large have left that type of content to those providers for a reason, they aren't traditionally huge money makers.

 

[brideck]

The audience just went elsewhere. And other studios have cracked the code in terms of that content: it’s why The Hallmark Channel has a complete lockdown on young to middle aged women in the fall and winter, and other streamers and studios are trying to replicate that success as well (Netflix, GAC network, etc).

Right. There is no need to go to the theater for romantic content because it is everywhere else. Disney even still does this for home audiences, too -- Descendants, Zombies, High School Musical? All musical comedies with romantic relationships at their core.

Having said that, we just finally saw Heart Eyes at the theater last night. A slasher rom-com? Brilliant idea and absolutely goofy (and romantic) fun.

 

[erasure fan1]

You listed animated films. Until recently, animation was one of the few places creating original IPs (we’ll see less of this now). This conversation is about live-action films, a very different matter.

Race-swapping isn’t a solution to the problems we face, but it’s a little tiny bit of progress and the hate campaign and the powerful people perpetuating it are a sign of very significant social regression on the issue.

Disney is an utterly cowardly company, as are most corporations. They deserve criticism. But the far bigger issue is that any little bit of what a poster below you calls “social engineering” brings a torrent of abuse and hate and threats of governmental repression. That should be the focus of our concern.

The “but” with me is an understanding of historical context and nuance. You are exaggerating here to desperately make a point - Falcon was liked well enough, but he certainly wasn’t a “fan favorite” like Loki or Iron Man. That aside, the character DID get a chance to be the lead. The character is Sam Wilson. He’s Sam Wilson as Falcon and Sam Wilson as Cap. You need to reconsider why so many people were upset when he became a symbol of America instead of a man in a bird outfit and think about how close “He should have stayed as Falcon,” is to “he should have known his place.”

At this moment in history this amounts to willful ignorance. As numerous posters have pointed out in this thread, the country has regressed SIGNIFICANTLY on racial matters over the last decade. The people in power are very literally erasing the history of American minority groups. No matter how hard you may close your eyes to what’s happening, it’s still happening - and at some point, denial becomes inseparable from acceptance and even support.

Unwarranted optimism does not make you a good person.

That's fine, unfortunately we won't see eye to eye on this. Keep this in mind. Continuous accusations and furthering the division, Does not make you a good person or the white knight you believe. You've said I don't believe you're this, or that. But it's always followed with comments that insinuate the opposite. No matter what anyone says, if it's not 100% your same view, the accusations start flying. If you want to say being optimistic and not everyone is racist, is having my head in the sand and the same as enabling racism, nothing I can do will change your mind. But I can say I think what you do here, only enables and fosters more division. And that's a shame because there's a bunch we agree on.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

So weird how many "Disney fans" are just okay trashing the film that literally made Disney what it is just to prop up a lousy remake that will be completely forgotten in a few months.

Not one person has trashed anything, including Rachel. Next.

 

[Agent H]

Not just articles, even YouTube videos. It was extremely trendy back then:

Holy terrible singing Batman!