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

[Andrew C]

Why?

I really like movie theater popcorn.

I am just joking...

 

[DisneyHead123]

I thought this was a “meme movie” that only appealed to disaffected young men that ironically wanted to see a video game they played?

Minecraft is huge with kids, so they would’ve gotten the family crowd for sure.

I think it would be a really interesting study to see if games like Minecraft and Roblox represent a psychological shift in Gen Alpha. I don’t really get them - it seems like you spend a lot of time wandering around in random fever dreams. So sometimes I wonder if this generation, raised on a super fast rate of input and electronics, just thinks differently. Other times I think it’s the equivalent of wandering around in the forest making up random games that we had in the 80s and 90s, except now kids wander around a digital world. Sometimes I think all these slapstick kid’s movies mean that kids are losing the skills to understand more nuanced stories, sometimes I think they harken back to the days of The Three Stooges and the OG Donald Duck.

Random musings, but I’ll be curious to see what takes off in film with the current generation of kids.

 

[Phroobar]

Minecraft is huge with kids, so they would’ve gotten the family crowd for sure.

I think it would be a really interesting study to see if games like Minecraft and Roblox represent a psychological shift in Gen Alpha. I don’t really get them - it seems like you spend a lot of time wandering around in random fever dreams. So sometimes I wonder if this generation, raised on a super fast rate of input and electronics, just thinks differently. Other times I think it’s the equivalent of wandering around in the forest making up random games that we had in the 80s and 90s, except now kids wander around a digital world. Sometimes I think all these slapstick kid’s movies mean that kids are losing the skills to understand more nuanced stories, sometimes I think they harken back to the days of The Three Stooges and the OG Donald Duck.

Random musings, but I’ll be curious to see what takes off in film with the current generation of kids.

My kids use it to build huge models or environments in creative mode. They never play battle mode.
Because of Minecraft my youngest is studying CAD designed architecture and mechanical design.

 

[brideck]

For what it's worth, it was absolutely true for us. We do have much smaller theaters (they are all recliner style), but my son was dying to go to Minecraft, and we could not get in on Friday night to any showings (maybe the late showings had room, but not good for a kid). And when I purchased Friday night for Saturday afternoon (actually at a different theater that is not reclining because we were going out of town for the day anyways), there were only 6 seats left at our showing (and I'd be shocked if those weren't gone). You have to remember that a lot of theaters went to the reclining-style theaters that can have a lot less people.

Interesting. I'm curious as to how many screens your theater has overall and how many Minecraft was playing at. It's playing at ~4 screens/theater (including premium formats) near me, and although well-attended they definitely weren't sold out that I could see.

 

[Willmark]

Yeah, guy at work's daughter INSISTED they had to go opening night, so they had tickets for a while.

My take on it. It was a really dumb movie, but dumb in the best possible way. It was EXACTLY what it should be, and that was silly, ridiculous, and a TON of fun. And I'd say the box office combined with the viewer reviews vs the "Critics" kind of shows that out. If your top priority going to a movie is just to laugh and enjoy the film, this is for you. If your top priority is to analyze the use of a camera angle and single line in the movie, this is not for you.

So what you are saying is that they knew their customer and gave them what they wanted?

What a strange concept.

 

[TP2000]

The first pass at foreign box office is now in from this latest weekend for Snow White; right around $91 Million now.

The overseas box office is flatlining as quickly as it is domestically. Currently, the split is surprisingly even; about a 46% Domestic and 54% Overseas split. Foreigners are just as unimipressed with Rachel Zegler's Snow White as Americans are.

Will it get to $200 Million globally by the first of May?

It should make it, barely, but it's incredible to think that's now even a question.


.

 

[Phroobar]

Minecraft was fun and entertaining. It did exactly what it was supposed to do. Just be a Minecraft movie. Just like how the Super Mario Bros. Movie accomplished it's purpose. Theater was full of kids and everyone enjoyed themselves.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Worse films is subjective, and I think you need to factor in when they were released.

I just think the Venn diagram of this movie had it doomed. You need people who are not sick of the remakes, that are Ok with the lead seemingly taking some shots at the original and wading into political commentary, who will ignore the critic reviews, and are so excited they will spend money to see it in the theater as opposed to waiting for D+ in a few months. You also don't have the nostalgia button to push on this remake (come relive the magic of this movie in theaters with your kids like you got to do).

Worse was in quotes - and hey, I’m in the Venn diagram!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

You haven't seen Snow White yet? Are you waiting for the crowds to die down?

If you paid attention, you’d know I’ve seen it.

 

[TP2000]

Minecraft was fun and entertaining. It did exactly what it was supposed to do. Just be a Minecraft movie. Just like how the Super Mario Bros. Movie accomplished it's purpose. Theater was full of kids and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Now imagine if the live action remake of Snow White did that; just be a live action remake of the original classic.

No "leadership journey" instead of being a Princess.
No she don't need no man, and he's a stalker anyway, and he could be cut entirely cuz that's Hollywood, baby!
No being embarrassed of the dwarves even though they've been in every Disneyland parade since 1955, are featured in a ride in all six Disneyland's around the world, and still sell a ton of merchandise in 2025.


Just be a Snow White movie.

Imagine what the box office could be like! You could even spend $270 Million to produce it, cause it would be so successful.

 

[coffeefan]

The first pass at foreign box office is now in from this latest weekend for Snow White; right around $91 Million now.

The overseas box office is flatlining as quickly as it is domestically. Currently, the split is surprisingly even; about a 46% Domestic and 54% Overseas split. Foreigners are just as unimipressed with Rachel Zegler's Snow White as Americans are.

View attachment 852237

Will it get to $200 Million globally by the first of May?

It should make it, barely, but it's incredible to think that's now even a question.

The movie underperforming more on the international box office relative to the domestic box office is interesting. We can draw our own conclusions, but I'm sticking with my theory of Gal Gadot having a bigger impact on the film because of her performance (and other reasons we can't discuss).

There are of course other reasons and bigger problems that impacted the movie. But had they cast someone that could act and sing to be the Evil Queen, like say an Anne Hathaway or Nicole Scherzinger the movie would've been better.

 

[coffeefan]

 

[Tha Realest]

The movie underperforming more on the international box office relative to the domestic box office is interesting. We can draw our own conclusions, but I'm sticking with my theory of Gal Gadot having a bigger impact on the film because of her performance (and other reasons we can't discuss).

There are of course other reasons and bigger problems that impacted the movie. But had they cast someone that could act and sing to be the Evil Queen, like say an Anne Hathaway or Nicole Scherzinger the movie would've been better.

This theory doesn’t hold up as she has been in a ton of films that have made huge $$ in the international box office, both as a lead and as part of an ensemble.

 

[Casper Gutman]

This theory doesn’t hold up as she has been in a ton of films that have made huge $$ in the international box office, both as a lead and as part of an ensemble.

I don’t think Gadot is at all responsible for the film’s underperformance, either domestically or internationally, in any way other then given a wooden performance, but the argument would be that recent events have (overwhelmingly unfairly) made her identity the subject of outrage and resentment.

 

[LSLS]

Interesting. I'm curious as to how many screens your theater has overall and how many Minecraft was playing at. It's playing at ~4 screens/theater (including premium formats) near me, and although well-attended they definitely weren't sold out that I could see.

The one that was sold out Friday? I believe 10 (though not sure how many had which movies, I'd guess 4 and one 3D?). The one we ended up at packed on Saturday I believe has 12, and I'd guess 4 regular, and 1 3D on that one as well.

 

[LSLS]

Worse was in quotes - and hey, I’m in the Venn diagram!

Sure, but a lot weren't. I know I wasn't, and neither of my kids were either. It sounds made up, but my 12 year old actually said "UGH, another remake?" Keep in mind, preteen, so she's insanely excited for Lilo and Stich cause logic, but still, she wants something different apparently if she's not obsessed with it (which she is not with Snow White, despite Snow White being her favorite in park character when she was little).

 

[Disstevefan1]

There are a lot of times I would say "This movie was not made for me" and this one also qualifies.

That said, I love to see when these "event" type of movies happen. I am happy for the fans, the theaters and studios.

It gives me hope that when a studio creates a movie that is fun and had mass appeal good things can happen.

 

[LittleBuford]

There are of course other reasons and bigger problems that impacted the movie. But had they cast someone that could act and sing to be the Evil Queen, like say an Anne Hathaway or Nicole Scherzinger the movie would've been better.

Gadot was absolutely fine in the role, and her singing was better than I would have expected.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

There are a lot of times I would say "This movie was not made for me" and this one also qualifies.

That said, I love to see when these "event" type of movies happen. I am happy for the fans, the theaters and studios.

It gives me hope that when a studio creates a movie that is fun and had mass appeal good things can happen.

Same, I have no attachement to the game and no desire to see the movie but it’s nice to see success like this for the fans and for the industry.

I also find it interesting the Jack Black controversy seems to have completely disappeared, probably helps this is a teen flick rather than a kids flick so parents are far less involved in deciding whether to see it in theaters or not.

 

[Phroobar]

Same, I have no attachement to the game and no desire to see the movie but it’s nice to see success like this for the fans and for the industry.

I also find it interesting the Jack Black controversy seems to have completely disappeared, probably helps this is a teen flick rather than a kids flick so parents are far less involved in deciding whether to see it in theaters or not.

When I saw it, the theater was full of teenagers having a great time.