Disney's Live Action The Little Mermaid

DKampy

Well-Known Member
what is the highest grossing film of all time?
I did not mean ever… I am talking within the last few years…I wish it was not true…I go to the theater every weak seeing all types of films from small independent to tentpole blockbusters….I see original movies all the time that deserve more money, but the biggest movie of the year is one that was nothing but member berries… this was not always the case
 

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
This movie losing money at the box office will do absolutely nothing to stop the remakes coming this year and in the future. The countless live-actions that Disney has already announced are still coming, Dune: Part 2 will still be released in November, Blade is still scheduled for 2024, and more. These movies will continue to be produced and people will still pay money to see them. You’re better off just not seeing them instead of hoping that some big change will occur. It won’t.

LOL.
You really think Villenueve’s Dune is a “remake” of Lynch’s Dune in the same way the live-action version relates to the animated film?

Or that the MCU’s PG-13 Blade film is going to be a “remake” of the hard-R Wesley Snipes original?

I think you’re conflating “remake” with “reboot.” These Disney live action films essentially treat the animated films as storyboards.
 

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
The $1 billion figure seems a bit arbitrary, but I don't think it was unreasonable to think it could make that given that these remakes have tended to rake in similar amounts regardless of reviews.

One thing that occurs to me with the domestic box office is that it at least proves an obviously Disney-branded film can still make a lot of money at the box office in the era of Disney+. That has really been an open question as they kept either dumping things directly onto Disney+ or, for example in the case of Encanto, moving so quickly from cinemas to streaming that it's hard to imagine why anyone with Disney+ wouldn't just wait. Lightyear and Strange World bombed, but they were by all accounts average films at best. This was an obvious blockbuster, and at least so far it's doing blockbuster numbers at the US box office which has to be a positive sign for Disney.

I kind of feel they need to re-train their audience to go back to the cinema and not just wait for everything to go to streaming, and hopefully this is a step in that direction.
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
It is unfortunate films are rated success or failure solely based on Box office numbers. For instance, people that are satisfied / happy with having seen the film versus those that experience buyer's remorse and wish they could unsee what they saw. Either way money is made, and success or failure is declared. Since box office numbers are the measure, I believe the numbers on Tuesday following the long weekend release will be telling as to whether this film has (sorry) legs or not.
Philosophical that is fine but the only reason this particular movie exists is to make the studio money. It wasn’t green lit because of some creative motivation to bring an idea into existence and please audiences.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Because they spent like $350 million to make and market it. It needs to make hundreds of millions of dollars just to break even.

If the movie had a $100 million production budget and a $50 marketing budget, then this weekend would be considered a resounding success.
A lot of Disney films don't have to make a profit in the theatrical window to be financially successful. There are other pay windows and merch. There is burnishing the brand with popularity among minority segments. There are synergy opportunities in the parks.

Just coming near break-even, even if it's on the loss side of the equation is enough to make the film financially successful sometimes.

Of course, it loses the prestige of being profitable at the Box Office. But there are plenty of Disney films that didn't profit in the theatrical window but made up for it in other pay windows and in the parks and in burnishing the brand.

And yes, there are films that just lost money and no second market appeal made up for it. But Disney is uniquely suited for squeezing post-theatrical assets out of their films.

Tangled had a $90M deficit at the Box Office.
 

Jedijax719

Well-Known Member
The movie will be a win in the US. It may not make as much as Aladdin, but it will come relatively close. Sure, it missed the century mark for the 3-day opening and will miss $120m for the 4-day, but it should have decent holds and good mid-week numbers and end up in the $320-$330 million range. Not too shabby.

Unless people REALLY have a pulse over the mentality in Asian nations toward this movie, I don't think that anyone could have predicted what is happening to its box office there. But let's see what happens when it opens in Japan, the most accepting nation for American movies.

As for budget and profit-meh-that's a studio's concern. Most people just look at movies and their raw numbers. If a movie makes $40 million at the box office but has a good profit, people will still see just $40 million and judge that. If a movie makes $800 million and barely or doesn't make a profit, almost everyone will just look at that $800 million and say WOW.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
When does advertising become 'propaganda'? What's the difference between the two?
Marketing: "This movie is good. You should come see this movie."

Propaganda: "This movie is *critically important* and will change the world. This movie will single-handedly save an entire generation of girls from a lifetime of self-hatred and depression. Anyone who doesn't like this movie is a review-bomber."
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Marketing: "This movie is good. You should come see this movie."

Propaganda: "This movie is *critically important* and will change the world. Anyone who doesn't like this movie is a review-bomber."
I've not seen your second sentence in action anywhere. We must run in different circles.

Review bombing is indeed happening since several movie sites are saying its happening. But I've not seen anyone say that *anyone* who doesn't like this movie is a review bomber.

It's okay to not like it. It doesn't make you a review bomber. Unless, you know, you give it a bad review without having seen it. Which we have seen in this thread happen sadly too often.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Disney's thin margins on tentpole films are indeed exacerbated by ballooning budgets.

But, as I've mentioned above, Disney gets more out of their films post-theatrically than most other studios can.

Also, the $250M budget for this film isn't unprecedented:


Maleficent
  • Budget: $230M
  • BO: $759M
  • Profit*: $34

Beauty and the Beast
  • Budget: $250M
  • BO: $1,265M
  • Profit*: $257M

Lion King
  • Budget: $260M
  • BO: $1,657M
  • Profit*: $439M


*Using the "rule of thumb"
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
I think the point that Disney needs to get budgets under control is straightforward and obvious. There’s no reason why a film like this couldn’t be made for (say) a $150 million. Other studios are able to make comparable films for far less and it’s something Disney should strive for and will help to ensure profitability in a time of more variable box office.

Also cheaper budgets will allow for more overall films to be developed which increases the chances for a breakout hit to occur and really make big bucks.

Edit: lower budgets need to be occurring across the spectrum with Disney, not just with these live action remakes. Also animated films, MCU films, etc.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom