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

[celluloid]

Twister was an odd choice to make a movie about. I'm guessing about halfway through production, they figured it would be inappropriate for family audiences, and decided to change the entire premise to revolve around tornados.
It worked. It made big $. And thankfully we didn't have to witness Helen Hunt & Bill Paxton doing this for two hours.
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That LIFE-based movie with Eddie Murphy was not that great though.

 

[Baloo124]

That LIFE-based movie with Eddie Murphy was not that great though.

Never saw that one. I have a love it or hate it relationship with his movie catalog.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

I never played it, and I have kids, one who has only played it once.

We all enjoyed it decently, and they liked it as well as any other recent kids movie that has been out lately for the family demo. There are certainly millions of people seeing the movie who have never played it or know as much about it.

I would question "There are certainly millions of people seeing the movie who have never played it or know as much about it." I have no proof but I just don't believe that to be true.

 

[WorldExplorer]

I think Minecraft could work very well to tell a (animated!) story about a man who wakes up in the woods with nothing and progressively learns how to make more and more elaborate things, use the resources of the lands he explores, and fights a bunch of enemies until he can take down something as impressive as dragon (which is in the game but not the movie).

Which wasn't really the story of Minecraft, but is taking what happens/can happen and putting it into a narrative structure.

But instead we got this and tons of positive enforcement that it was the right decision, which is sad.

 

[celluloid]

I would question "There are certainly millions of people seeing the movie who have never played it or know as much about it." I have no proof but I just don't believe that to be true.

Interesting. I mean with our party there were six adults who have never played it. (we know of it for sure and was even out I believe when I was in HS) but either way, we did not see it for the novelty of being tied into the property. We saw it to see a decent family flick, and for the most part, it was ok.

By the end of its theatrical run worldwide I imagine it is reasonable to presume that over 2 million people that went to theaters to see it never played the game?

Kind of like Transformers, Barbie or any other tie in property.

 

[celluloid]

I think Minecraft could work very well to tell a (animated!) story about a man who wakes up in the woods with nothing and progressively learns how to make more and more elaborate things, use the resources of the lands he explores, and fights a bunch of enemies until he can take down something as impressive as dragon (which is in the game but not the movie).

Which wasn't really the story of Minecraft, but is taking what happens/can happen and putting it into a narrative structure.

But instead we got this and tons of positive enforcement that it was the right decision, which is sad.

Imagine being a Disney park purist fan and seeing what has been done to Pirates or multiple time to HM(when you realize that Muppets have treated it with the most respect post The Osmonds)

 

[Disney Irish]

Interesting. I mean with our party there were six adults who have never played it. (we know of it for sure and was even out I believe when I was in HS) but either way, we did not see it for the novelty of being tied into the property. We saw it to see a decent family flick, and for the most part, it was ok.

By the end of its theatrical run worldwide I imagine it is reasonable to presume that over 2 million people that went to theaters to see it never played the game?

Kind of like Transformers, Barbie or any other tie in property.

With currently ~32M tickets sold WW, that 2M still seems a bit high. We're just talking opinions here, but I can't imagine that many people knowingly going to a movie about a video game that they know nothing about, especially when its ~185M players of the game WW.

 

[celluloid]

With currently ~32M tickets sold WW, that 2M still seems a bit high. We're just talking opinions here, but I can't imagine that many people knowingly going to a movie about a video game that they know nothing about, especially when its ~185M players of the game WW.

Not knowing about it vs playing it are two totally different things.

You also don't account for the plenty of people(probably also millions) who play the game who won't go see the movie.

 

[Disney Irish]

Not knowing about it vs playing it are two totally different things.

You also don't account for the plenty of people(probably also millions) who play the game who won't go see the movie.

Actually I do account for those players that won't see it, right now the amount of ~32M tickets sold WW only represents ~17% of players that could have potentially saw it, which is very low engagement for that group.

Again I can't imagine that many people going to a modern video game movie who don't know or haven't played the game. And of those that don't know or haven't played the game, I imagine most of those are parents going with their kids who do actually play.

Anyways we're just talking opinions here, so you have a valid opinion even if I disagree with it.

 

[erasure fan1]

They didn’t make a mystery film or a fantasy film or a whatever film. They made a Clue film and a D&D film and a Lego film. They made films that not only used the surface trappings of the IP but explored why they were special and why and how people engaged with them. Look at how many reviews of D&D discussed how the film managed to capture the sense of playing a game with your particular set of friends. They did this while also making films that told stories with humor and substance. The point is that, if you have creators that are good enough and care enough to actually try, you can make meaningful stories about almost anything.

I agree for the most part. And I said, I agreed, I wouldn't say it can't be done.

The Minecraft Movie didn’t try.

Agree. As I said, it looked bad. But you probably didn't read where I said that. That said, I do believe they decided to go this route to cater to the 7yr old to early teens. And it seems to be a good choice.

There is just as much to work with in Minecraft as in Lego. Both are about building. Your dismissive comments about Lego can be just as easily applied to Minecraft.

Have you played the game? If you think that there's just as much to work with in Minecraft as lego. That tells me you're just being argumentative for the sake of it.

But to get back to the original issue. What was the point of your diatribe, the thing that started this? You've talked about ips that were easy to create a good story. But avoided the statement of why people were more critical of Disney. It's really simple actually. Moana and Frozen 2 were not expected to be lousy as you say. I know NO ONE who thought Minecraft was going to be anything but what it was.

I didn't applaud for moana and frozen because I expected better from Disney with two sequels from their most popular franchises. And I say good for Minecraft, they set out to make a nonsensical film based off the game. It has almost every element from the game in it. It's squarely aimed at the age group I mentioned. Just like Mario it was completely predictable nonsense that was exactly what it should have been, pure Mario. I didn't knock moana because, gotta hate Disney! It's because I expected more. I'm not sure why that bothers you so much.

 

[Phroobar]

I think Minecraft could work very well to tell a (animated!) story about a man who wakes up in the woods with nothing and progressively learns how to make more and more elaborate things, use the resources of the lands he explores, and fights a bunch of enemies until he can take down something as impressive as dragon (which is in the game but not the movie).

Which wasn't really the story of Minecraft, but is taking what happens/can happen and putting it into a narrative structure.

But instead we got this and tons of positive enforcement that it was the right decision, which is sad.

I was reading the Minecraft movie was suppose to be more like you said with a hunt for the Ender Dragon but they went in a different direction for introductions. The post credits scene teases the intro of Alex.

 

[WorldExplorer]

Imagine being a Disney park purist fan and seeing what has been done to Pirates or multiple time to HM(when you realize that Muppets have treated it with the most respect post The Osmonds)

I've got a decent idea; Haunted Mansion is the closest I've ever come to walking out of the theater.

I was reading the Minecraft movie was suppose to be more like you said with a hunt for the Ender Dragon but they went in a different direction for introductions. The post credits scene teases the intro of Alex.

I'm so darned old (in a Minecraft sense) that when I played there was no Alex. There was Steve? and there definitely was not Herobrine.

I'll need to go reading about what almost was in here.

 

[celluloid]

Actually I do account for those players that won't see it, right now the amount of ~32M tickets sold WW only represents ~17% of players that could have potentially saw it, which is very low engagement for that group.

Again I can't imagine that many people going to a modern video game movie who don't know or haven't played the game. And of those that don't know or haven't played the game, I imagine most of those are parents going with their kids who do actually play.

Anyways we're just talking opinions here, so you have a valid opinion even if I disagree with it.

Ok.

 

[LSLS]

Actually I do account for those players that won't see it, right now the amount of ~32M tickets sold WW only represents ~17% of players that could have potentially saw it, which is very low engagement for that group.

Again I can't imagine that many people going to a modern video game movie who don't know or haven't played the game. And of those that don't know or haven't played the game, I imagine most of those are parents going with their kids who do actually play.

Anyways we're just talking opinions here, so you have a valid opinion even if I disagree with it.

This right here is why the people seeing it who have not played the game could be a lot higher than you think.

 

[Disney Irish]

This right here is why the people seeing it who have not played the game could be a lot higher than you think.

Maybe, but that is likely the only reason, ie parents of players. As I can’t imagine you have Millions of non-parent non-players going to see a video game movie about a video game they don’t play and know little or next to nothing about.

So yeah I’m still willing to bet that a vast majority that have seen it are more likely to have played the game than not.

 

[celluloid]

Maybe, but that is likely the only reason, ie parents of players. As I can’t imagine you have Millions of non-parent non-players going to see a video game movie about a video game they don’t play and know little or next to nothing about.

So yeah I’m still willing to bet that a vast majority that have seen it are more likely to have played the game than not.

Well that changes the concept to a specific dynamic and permanters. The parents/non players of the original IP inspiration are still paid tickets of the movie theater. There was never anything said about vast majority. Just that millions will be seeing it that are not players.

So that is what counts in the point you posted to initially. Millions are going to see this movie who are not fans/players of the game.
Parents, husbands, wives, caregivers, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends will always go to see things that they are not familiar with and or active participants of.
Just like Transformers, Barbie, Superhero films, Toy Story's toy basis ...everything since the dawn of established IP films. The theaters are happy to sell a ticket to everyone.

 

[Disney Irish]

Well that changes the concept to a specific dynamic and permanters. The parents are still paid tickets of the movie theater.

So that is what counts. Millions are going to see this movie who are not fans/players of the game.

Just like Transformers, Barbi, Toy Story's toy basis ...everything since the dawn of established IP films. They are happy to sell a ticket to everyone.

This isn't a hill I wish to die on, so I'll just say I respectfully disagree.

The point is that there aren't Millions of non-fans/non-players of the game who are buying tickets and going on their own to see the movie. You want to now split hairs and say "but the parents", ok fine. But those parents aren't going without their player kids, ie its still players (even if with others in tow) going to see the movie.

 

[celluloid]

This isn't a hill I wish to die on, so I'll just say I respectfully disagree.

The point is that there aren't Millions of non-fans/players of the game who are buying tickets and going on their own to see the movie.

Ok. I definitely never said anyone was going to see a movie by themselves that they don't wish to see. No splitting hairs. Maybe you were projecting something that was not said? I just say it is reasonable to presume that in a smash blockbuster hit millions are going to be spending ticket money to see something they have not experienced the inspiration from.

Jaws, Gone with The Wind, and any book based screenplay if we want to go back to the most common source inpiration for screenplays in cinematic history. I don't even know how to reasonably claim that one as a number just like any other, but they would be included in the millions seeing the movie that have never played. I did not think you were arguing on a hill, which is odd to me, but rather just not being reasonable that millions of tickets sold to a movie might have people who are not into the lore of the inspiration enough to have played the game.

 

[DKampy]

Jaws, Gone with The Wind, and any book based screenplay if we want to go back to the most common source inpiration for screenplays in cinematic history.

Minecraft will not come close to the legacy of Jaws or Gone With the Wind….Many people are going to Minecraft ironically for just how bad the film is…. To participate in the Memes and TikTok

 

[Disney Irish]

Ok. I definitely never said anyone was going to see a movie by themselves that they don't wish to see. No splitting hairs. Maybe you were projecting something that was not said? I just say it is reasonable to presume that in a smash blockbuster hit millions are going to be spending ticket money to see something they have not experienced the inspiration from.

Jaws, Gone with The Wind, and any book based screenplay if we want to go back to the most common source inpiration for screenplays in cinematic history. I don't even know how to reasonably claim that one as a number just like any other, but they would be included in the millions seeing the movie that have never played. I did not think you were arguing on a hill, which is odd to me, but rather just not being reasonable that millions of tickets sold to a movie might have people who are not into the lore of the inspiration enough to have played the game.

Well you made this statement in response to a poster who said they weren't going to see it because they never played the game -

There are certainly millions of people seeing the movie who have never played it or know as much about it.

As you didn't identify whom those Millions were one can only presume you're talking about those who don't have kids who play or don't play themselves who were going since it was in the context of a poster who said they never played the game. And like that same poster that responded to you, I questioned it also, since I don't think its reasonable to think there are Millions of people who aren't playing the game going to the movie without someone who is playing the game. Since now you want to say its parents, then yes I'll say reasonable to think there are likely Millions of parents (I'll even throw friends and other family in there for you) who aren't fans nor have played the game who bought tickets to go with their player kids/friends.

As for the rest, I don't know the reasoning for bringing in Jaws, Gone with the Wind, or other source inspired movies as those aren't even in the same realm of discussion as a video game movie made for fans of the video game.