Elemental (Pixar - June 2023)

[Phroobar]

This is my opinion and you can disagree if you want.

It's strange, but Disney animation seems to go through time periods where they are making a lot of duds.

1978 - 88 (besides The Great Mouse Detective)
2000 - 08 (Pixar takes the lead)
2018 - ? (Both Disney and Pixar suck)

1978-88 is also the time when Disney tried to expand and innovate. The Black Cauldron was suppose to be something to rival Sleeping Beauty in art style. The problem was it wasn't traditional Disney. No songs and too dark for kids. It wasn't a fairy tale people knew. It didn't help that someone let Katzenberg into the editing room.

The Fox and the Hound while beautifully animated but was kind of boring. The Great Mouse Detective was too dark and no songs. Oliver & Company had songs but was just a retelling of Oliver Twist with dogs.

2000-2008 There was a glut in the market. Disney was releasing too many movies and competing against itself. There were two to three Disney/Pixar movies per year. It is the Star Wars effect of too much takes away from the specialness of the product. It didn't help that Disney was competing against Pixar with Chicken Little, Bolt, Meet the Robinsons and third party want to be Pixar houses (Valiant & The Wild).

 

[Disstevefan1]

We all know what the plot is but if they put in enough funny stuff in it there is a chance it won’t flop.

 

[Ghost93]

1978-88 is also the time when Disney tried to expand and innovate. The Black Cauldron was suppose to be something to rival Sleeping Beauty in art style. The problem was it wasn't traditional Disney. No songs and too dark for kids. It wasn't a fairy tale people knew. It didn't help that someone let Katzenberg into the editing room.

Eh, I think the Black Cauldron didn't work due to bland characters, lackluster worldbuilding, poor pacing and a weak climax. The art style and the dark tone were not the issues with the movie. If it were a great movie but dark, it would have eventually built up a reputation and a much stronger fandom over the years. But it's simply not good enough.

 

[TP2000]

While we wait for the film to open this weekend, here's an article mentioned in another thread. Yahoo News (yes, a ridiculous example of "news", but that's the state of journalism today all over) predicts that Elemental will bring in $600 Million in domestic box office. Not a typo. $600 Million, from just the theaters in the USA, not including global box office.

The summary from the article is mostly wishful pablum (again, "journalism" today), but that very last sentence is a doozy. What if, and some folks here should sit down for this, Elemental does even worse than Lightyear? What then?

7. 'Elemental' — $600 million​

Could this be a rebound summer for Pixar? The animation studio had a rough season last year, as its Toy Story spinoff Lightyear wildly disappointed with a disastrous $226 million worldwide haul. If part of the reason for that was that audiences were conditioned during the pandemic to wait and watch Pixar movies on Disney+, then the studio's next film, Elemental, could also be in trouble. But if Lightyear's failure was specific to issues with that movie and its confusing "the real Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on" hook, then Elemental could see the studio bounce back. Set in a city where the elements of fire, water, land, and air live together, it looks like sort of a cross between Inside Out and Zootopia, both of which were huge hits, as the former grossed $858 million and the latter took in $1 billion. But if Elemental performs closer to Lightyear, some soul-searching about the state of the Pixar brand will be in order.

What will be the highest-grossing film of summer 2023?

Which beloved franchise will prevail?

news.yahoo.com

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

This is my opinion and you can disagree if you want.

It's strange, but Disney animation seems to go through time periods where they are making a lot of duds.

1978 - 88 (besides The Great Mouse Detective)
2000 - 08 (Pixar takes the lead)
2018 - ? (Both Disney and Pixar suck)

They do tend to have a 10 year cycle of good/bad movies, just 5 more years and we can expect movie gold.

 

[Disney Irish]

While we wait for the film to open this weekend, here's an article mentioned in another thread. Yahoo News (yes, a ridiculous example of "news", but that's the state of journalism today all over) predicts that Elemental will bring in $600 Million in domestic box office. Not a typo. $600 Million, from just the theaters in the USA, not including global box office.

The summary from the article is mostly wishful pablum (again, "journalism" today), but that very last sentence is a doozy. What if, and some folks here should sit down for this, Elemental does even worse than Lightyear? What then?

7. 'Elemental' — $600 million​

Could this be a rebound summer for Pixar? The animation studio had a rough season last year, as its Toy Story spinoff Lightyear wildly disappointed with a disastrous $226 million worldwide haul. If part of the reason for that was that audiences were conditioned during the pandemic to wait and watch Pixar movies on Disney+, then the studio's next film, Elemental, could also be in trouble. But if Lightyear's failure was specific to issues with that movie and its confusing "the real Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on" hook, then Elemental could see the studio bounce back. Set in a city where the elements of fire, water, land, and air live together, it looks like sort of a cross between Inside Out and Zootopia, both of which were huge hits, as the former grossed $858 million and the latter took in $1 billion. But if Elemental performs closer to Lightyear, some soul-searching about the state of the Pixar brand will be in order.

What will be the highest-grossing film of summer 2023?

Which beloved franchise will prevail?

news.yahoo.com

Article is a bit outdated there my friend, its from April....

 

[Phroobar]

Eh, I think the Black Cauldron didn't work due to bland characters, lackluster worldbuilding, poor pacing and a weak climax. The art style and the dark tone were not the issues with the movie. If it were a great movie but dark, it would have eventually built up a reputation and a much stronger fandom over the years. But it's simply not good enough.

Black Cauldon was suppose to be the movie to bring Disney back on the map. It was suppose to be the movie that passed the torch from the nine old men to new young artists like Don Bluth and Richard Rich. The movie became four years behind schedule when Don Bluth lead an exodus of animators away from Disney. The animation department was in chaos.

How The Black Cauldron Nearly Killed Disney Animation

The true, never-before-told story of how Disney's 1985 film The Black Cauldron nearly killed Disney Animation and why the production was plagued with issues

collider.com

 

[Tha Realest]

You left out Princess and the Frog during that era that grossed significantly less than both Bolt and Chicken Little.

And killed hand drawn animation as we know it

 

[TP2000]

Article is a bit outdated there my friend, its from April....

Yes, April 30th, six weeks ago. Looking ahead at the summer season that began in May.

The point stands. $600 Million domestic box office for Elemental???

And if it performs on par with, or worse than, Lightyear... what then?

 

[TsWade2]

I know it's not the end of Pixar, but I'm afraid their doom! Please tell me if I'm overreacting!

 

[Ghost93]

Yes, April 30th, six weeks ago. Looking ahead at the summer season that began in May.

The point stands. $600 Million domestic box office for Elemental???

And if it performs on par with, or worse than, Lightyear... what then?

They had to have meant worldwide. Not even the most popular Pixar franchises — like Toy Story 3/4 or Finding Dory — made that much domestically. Incredibles 2 is the only Pixar movie to have made $600 million or more at the domestic box office. Here is the list (not adjusted for inflation): https://www.boxofficemojo.com/brand/bn3530750466/

 

[Miss Jennifer]

Eh, I think the Black Cauldron didn't work due to bland characters, lackluster worldbuilding, poor pacing and a weak climax. The art style and the dark tone were not the issues with the movie. If it were a great movie but dark, it would have eventually built up a reputation and a much stronger fandom over the years. But it's simply not good enough.

That, and the fact that they tried to smush two/three books of material into one movie. It was both too much and too little...too much plot density, and too little character development.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I know it's not the end of Pixar, but I'm afraid their doom! Please tell me if I'm overreacting!

It would be nice if these wannabe film portals would source their claims. I'm not saying that someone somewhere doesn't have it at $35M, but *who* is saying that?

 

[Tha Realest]

Pixar is not doomed, but good lord, what the hell with this site, with people rooting for Disney to fail on thread after thread after thread. Some need to find a new hobby ASAP.

Pixar is one of the greatest brands/divisions in the history of film. I desperately want them to return to their glory years. I’m on the record as saying Disney is doing itself NO favors with the release calendar. Four tent pole films in a two month span is corporate malfeasance. Then again, if they produce films like the last few all the marketing in the world can’t save them.

They need to get back to 1) making good appealing films with 2) a corporate hierarchy that doesn’t set them up to fail.

 

[Tha Realest]

It would be nice if these wannabe film portals would source their claims. I'm not saying that someone somewhere doesn't have it at $35M, but *who* is saying that?

Long Range Box Office Forecast: INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR and JOY RIDE

This week's report takes a look at two new releases slated for the post-Independence Day holiday weekend, plus updated tracking for other upcoming titles.

www.boxofficepro.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Long Range Box Office Forecast: INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR and JOY RIDE

This week's report takes a look at two new releases slated for the post-Independence Day holiday weekend, plus updated tracking for other upcoming titles.

www.boxofficepro.com

Thank-you.

But it's frustrating they only look at Domestic BO.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Elemental is currently 78% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. The film I want to see most this weekend is The Blackening, but I will definitely see Elemental as well, probably Thursday night,

 

[Ghost93]

Elemental is currently 78% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. The film I want to see most this weekend is The Blackening, but I will definitely see Elemental as well, probably Thursday night,

I want to see Elemental in a Dolby, but it only gets Dolby in the daytime, whereas the Flash gets the nighttime screenings. Since I work, I plan to see the Flash Thursday night, Asteroid City Friday night, Elemental during the day on Saturday and the Blackening during a weeknight next week. I'm very thankful for AMC-A list, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to afford all of these movies.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I want to see Elemental in a Dolby, but it only gets Dolby in the daytime, whereas the Flash gets the nighttime screenings. Since I work, I plan to see the Flash Thursday night, Asteroid City Friday night, Elemental during the day on Saturday and the Blackening during a weeknight next week. I'm very thankful for AMC-A list, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to afford all of these movies.

I didn’t realize so many movies were opening this weekend!

 

[Ghost93]

I didn’t realize so many movies were opening this weekend!

June is WAAAY overcrowded. Elemental should have moved to July 28 (With Haunted Mansion moving to October) and Transformers 5 should have moved to August.