TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
I’ll let you know when it hits Disney+
haha.
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'Lightyear' Coming Summer 2022
- Thread starter NateD1226
- Start date
haha.
Kirby86
Well-Known Member
Nah it did better with the Lightyear name then it would have as an original IP. Speaking financially. Critically maybe it would have done better disconnected from Toy Story, however if you change Buzz Lightyear to Lunar Larry the movie still has the same issues.
It starts off well but after the first act it kind of starts to head downhill. It's not bad by any means but it's not the type of movie that will have great word of mouth. Also the comic relief outside of Sox was annoying.
doctornick
Well-Known Member
I guess I might be among such folks but my opinion was that the opening wasn’t as bad as people were making it out to be. But since the box office has fallen off in the second weekend I would agree that now calling Lightyear a bomb is actually appropriate.
That being said, I still think this is less an issue about Lightyear specifically and more about family/children/animated movies. Those types of films have just not done all that well since the pandemic and IMHO consumer behavior may have been permanently changed due to the pandemic and rise of streaming. IOW I’m not sure we’re going back to animated films being able to be the massive blockbusters that they sometimes were pre-2020.
Rise of Gru will be an interesting litmus test in that regard. If it does well then it is a good sign for the box office potential of animated films. But if it too underperforms, we likely have a genre issue that isn’t going away. And it better have a big opening weekend because Thor is coming out the next weekend and will draw the attention of moviegoers.
Ghost93
Well-Known Member
That being said, there is no point in spinning it: Lightyear is a flop. Unfortunately, since Soul, Luca and Turning Red were sent straight to streaming and Encanto had an absurdly short theatrical window, we really don't have much to compare Lightyear with to assess how much of the underperformance was due to a backlash against LGBTQ inclusion and how much of it is due to animated movies underperforming in general during the pandemic.
Reviews are also a factor — Lightyear had low reviews by Pixar movie standards. While l liked the movie, I also think Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis are better movies to check out in theaters. Everything is better than Jurassic World Dominion, however.
The Minions sequel will probably make more than Lightyear, although I also think that franchise panders more to kids anyway — compared to Lightyear which had a fairly somber tone throughout.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
The highest grossing animated release since March 2020 is Sing 2 at $162 million domestically. Rise of Gru is likely to beat that (if it doesn't, that will send off alarms across the industry regarding animated features).
Lightyear is now less than $10 million away from becoming Disney's highest grossing animated release since the start of the pandemic...because they keep dumping them on Disney+, so not even Encanto could crack $100 million in the US.
networkpro
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Exactly how many levels of suspending disbelief do we need ? A cartoon movie about an imaginary character that was the basis for an imaginary toy line with abandonment issues that enthralled a young protagonist? Does that make this far-far-far-fetched?
Seriously whoever greenlit this project needs to be taken to the woodshed.
Seriously whoever greenlit this project needs to be taken to the woodshed.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
The Box Office numbers are in for this weekend. As was apparent by Saturday morning, Lightyear fell off the cliff and is now officially a box office bomb. It will cost the Walt Disney Company a few hundred million dollars because it will never get close to breaking even. 
Here's the chart, plain and simple, and it's interesting to see how poorly Lightyear did even though it was in a staggeringly large 4,200+ theaters for its second weekend.
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www.the-numbers.com
And reading Forbes this afternoon over a crab Benedict down at The Cottage (best brunch spot for decades now!), I saw this article on my pad. It's pretty insightful and a good summary of how Lightyear failed to launch. Here's the relevant paragraphs on Lightyear...
Alas, Walt Disney's Lightyear will not be cracking $700 million. The well-reviewed but (relative to Pixar) indifferently received Toy Story spin-off earned just $17.7 million in its second domestic weekend. That’s a record-for-Pixar drop of 65%. Lightyear’s “falling without style” drop single-handedly prevented theaters from getting the first “the entire top five grosses $20 million each” weekend since July of 2016. The $200 million sci-fi actioner has earned $88.7 million domestic (suggesting a total just over/under The Good Dinosaur’s $127 million finish) and $63.2 million overseas for a $153 million global cume.
With only Japan left for next weekend, it’s looking like the Chris Evans-led toon will struggle to match Encanto’s $255 million global cume. If Minions: The Rise of Gru opens noticeably better next weekend (after Sing 2 legged out to $400 million), then Disney won’t be able to claim Covid-curve hardship for animated films. Yes, I do think Disney normalizing the notion of big Disney blockbusters being available for “free” on Disney+ (either instead of theaters or very soon after theaters) is doing exactly the long-term damage we all feared it would do.
www.forbes.com
But honestly, if you are ever in San Diego and want a good breakfast or brunch spot that stays open into the afternoon, head to The Cottage! Excellent food, big outdoor patio, stylish yet never snotty about it, with friendly-chirpy-San Diego service. Nice folks! And a mean Benedict!
cottagelajolla.com
Here's the chart, plain and simple, and it's interesting to see how poorly Lightyear did even though it was in a staggeringly large 4,200+ theaters for its second weekend.
The Numbers - Weekend Box Office Chart for August 2, 2024
Weekend Domestic Box Office Chart for the weekend of August 2, 2024
www.the-numbers.com
And reading Forbes this afternoon over a crab Benedict down at The Cottage (best brunch spot for decades now!), I saw this article on my pad. It's pretty insightful and a good summary of how Lightyear failed to launch. Here's the relevant paragraphs on Lightyear...
Alas, Walt Disney's Lightyear will not be cracking $700 million. The well-reviewed but (relative to Pixar) indifferently received Toy Story spin-off earned just $17.7 million in its second domestic weekend. That’s a record-for-Pixar drop of 65%. Lightyear’s “falling without style” drop single-handedly prevented theaters from getting the first “the entire top five grosses $20 million each” weekend since July of 2016. The $200 million sci-fi actioner has earned $88.7 million domestic (suggesting a total just over/under The Good Dinosaur’s $127 million finish) and $63.2 million overseas for a $153 million global cume.
With only Japan left for next weekend, it’s looking like the Chris Evans-led toon will struggle to match Encanto’s $255 million global cume. If Minions: The Rise of Gru opens noticeably better next weekend (after Sing 2 legged out to $400 million), then Disney won’t be able to claim Covid-curve hardship for animated films. Yes, I do think Disney normalizing the notion of big Disney blockbusters being available for “free” on Disney+ (either instead of theaters or very soon after theaters) is doing exactly the long-term damage we all feared it would do.
Weekend Box Office: âLightyearâ Falls 65% As âJurassic World 3â Tops $300 Million
'Jurassic World Dominion' has earned nearly $750 million worldwide as 'Lightyear' crawls past $150 million.
www.forbes.com
But honestly, if you are ever in San Diego and want a good breakfast or brunch spot that stays open into the afternoon, head to The Cottage! Excellent food, big outdoor patio, stylish yet never snotty about it, with friendly-chirpy-San Diego service. Nice folks! And a mean Benedict!
The Cottage La Jolla - La Jolla, CA
cottagelajolla.com
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doctornick
Well-Known Member
I think Rise of Gru likely will beat that total but I also expected Lightyear to do so. That is why I think it’s an interesting test. The franchise is popular but I think there’s some potential diminishing returns there as the fifth movie which is often around when interest wanes.
Rise of Gru will have the current movies as competition since Top Gun and Jurassic World have been having decent holds and then has Thor the week after. It does have a good window until League of Super Pets late in July.
I personally think streaming has completely undercut animated family films. Why spend so much on tickets (and concessions) and deal with bathroom breaks and whatever when a movie is likely to be on a streamer within 3 months. Or you can just watch something they already like again for “free” because you already have the streaming service. I feel like the pandemic may have irreversibly impacted behavior towards such films.
TwilightZone
Well-Known Member
The sad thing is, it was done years ago, way better but Pixar refuses to acknowledge it.
Rumor has it Pixar HATES this series because they didn't make it. Yet this one cartoon was popular enough to semi-inspire an entire ride that is still popular with guests today. People who grew up with the show know how much of a comparable downgrade this new movie is. Countless comparisons have been made now.
tcool123
Well-Known Member
Finally saw Lightyear it’s a solid animated film with a predictable plot and with some gorgeous visuals. The space scenes in particular looked amazing in IMAX. The audience in my theater really enjoyed the film giving it a round of applause at the end and plenty of laughter throughout thanks to the films jokes.
A true shame the film didn’t find its audience in theaters as it’s a solid flick and can have made for a cool way to pull the Buzz Lightyear rides into a more futuristic look.
A true shame the film didn’t find its audience in theaters as it’s a solid flick and can have made for a cool way to pull the Buzz Lightyear rides into a more futuristic look.
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Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
It’ll find it on Disney+, just like all their other recent movies.
Kirby86
Well-Known Member
I told my buddy that's probably his best bet for him and his son. Either that or see it at the Drive in when it's paired with Minions.
GimpYancIent
Well-Known Member
This is grabbing attention now. People actually want to see this;
Lightyear who / what? Don't remember it.
Lightyear who / what? Don't remember it.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
This is my impression of the two movies as well. I suspect Turning Red will also benefit a lot from streaming as it will be more conducive to its intended audience finding the film.
Personally, I was very interested to see Turning Red and watched it as soon as it became available on Disney+ as it at least seemed like an interesting and fresh idea. Can't say that Lightyear interests me in the least, and I don't think I will probably even watch it on Disney+. It does seem to me like it could have been a hit if they really nailed the execution, but it also seems like a film no-one was asking for.
Will be honest and say that for me the franchise was already seeming a bit tired by Toy Story 4.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Marvel's Doctor Strange 2 is a very different film than the consumer marketplace that Pixar deals in.
Doctor Strange 2 was rated PG-13 and was marketed with visuals and subject matter that was clearly aimed at teens and adults looking for a scary superhero movie. I love that gay representation is being included in more films aimed at young adults, so long as it's not pandering and flows naturally and is key to the plot. I don't have any problem with a teenager seeing a movie like that, and I imagine most parents don't either.
But teenage boys and young men have loved that kind of gory and violent stuff since the 1950's. Doctor Strange 2 was not a children's cartoon produced by a family-film studio like Pixar.
I think it's obvious now from the box office results that far too many American parents had a problem with letting their 8 year olds go see Lightyear. A family-film studio needs to release movies lots of parents will allow their children to see. Lightyear wasn't one of those films.
Disney's Lightyear Was The Only Real Loser At The Box Office This Weekend - SlashFilm
Lightyear fell all the way to number five in its second weekend with just $17.6 million.
www.slashfilm.com
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DCLcruiser
Well-Known Member
It’s a shame. It would have been a great time in A/C with popcorn and fake butter.Marvel's Doctor Strange 2 is a very different film than the consumer marketplace that Pixar deals in.
Doctor Strange 2 was rated PG-13 and was marketed with visuals and subject matter that was clearly aimed at teens and adults looking for a scary superhero movie. I love that gay representation is being included in more films aimed at young adults, so long as it's not pandering and flows naturally and is key to the plot. I don't have any problem with a teenager seeing a movie like that, and I imagine most parents don't either.
But teenage boys and young men have loved that kind of gory and violent stuff since the 1950's. Doctor Strange 2 was not a children's cartoon produced by a family-film studio like Pixar.
I think it's obvious now from the box office results that far too many American parents had a problem with letting their 8 year olds go see Lightyear. A family-film studio needs to release movies lots of parents will allow their children to see. Lightyear wasn't one of those films.
Disney's Lightyear Was The Only Real Loser At The Box Office This Weekend - SlashFilm
Lightyear fell all the way to number five in its second weekend with just $17.6 million.
TwilightZone
Well-Known Member
On another note, the "Strange World" movie Disney is cooking up seems more like a Buzz Lightyear movie than the actual Buzz Lightyer movie.
I agree with all of this, but that I was only mildly interested in Turning Red (which, considering I’m a redhead, is sayin something) and when I did watch it, i thought it was cute but I am definitely waaaaaay older than their target demographic.
I'm with you 100% on Lightyear and TS4.
spacemt354
Chili's
