'Strange World' Disney's 2022 Animated Film

[Wendy Pleakley]

This thread is weird.

Barely anything about the actual movie, just a whole lot of nonsense, and one really creepy person sexualizing girls for having their period.

 

[TP2000]

Surely you can see that a few examples of box office success don't mean the good old days of multiplexes and shopping malls are coming back?

No, not at all. And on that part I agree with you strongly; the entertainment options for middle-class Americans have changed dramatically in the last 20 years. And in the last 5 years especially, with very cheap 4K streaming to relatively cheap 70 inch HD+ screens in their family room.

That said, I've heard too many Hollywood types using "Covid!" as the excuse why their movie bombed in 2022. (I'm not insulting you specifically as a "Hollywood type", you seem fun and normal. I'm talking about industry watchers and execs placing blame for their creative failures on Covid.) Americans still flock to movie theaters in huge numbers, but only IF it's a movie that appeals to them and is worth their time/money. Otherwise, they'll stay home on Saturday night and stream something for free.

The movie industry in 2022 is alive and very healthy. It came roaring back a year ago with Spiderman, and has produced giant blockbusters in the past year; Top Gun Maverick, Dr. Strange, Minions, etc., etc.

Americans still know how to drive their family to their local multiplex and will spend 50 bucks on tickets, if the movie on offer is appealing to them and their cultural instincts.

 

[_caleb]

Yea I also don't get that argument at all. Who cares if top guns audience was older? So if strange world was a big hit with the older crowd that would change something?

You don't get it? Let me spell it out for you:

What resonates today with older people isn't an indication of what the future of the industry will look like. A movie studio that wants to survive beyond the short run has to position itself for what younger generations are going to want in the future.

Disney is trying to position itself for the future. What we're seeing now: the move to streaming, the balance between tried-and-true and "whatever the kids are into these days" is a tricky one. But it's not going to work to keep doing versions of the old stuff (no matter how much that stuff was loved in the past), because the world has changed significantly. See: the recording industry, telecommunications, cable, etc.

So while a few bug-budget nostalgia plays (Top Gun 2) or well-timed popcorn entertainers (Minions, etc.) may still bring people out to movie theaters, the days of cranking out big theatrical releases that all bring in bajillions of dollars are over.

 

[mickEblu]

Humans are very smart creatures. We can always sense when something is fake or forced. We might not be able to expound on it or explain why, but we know instinctively when stuff is fake.

And the character development of Strange World seems designed by a Diversity Committee made up of humorless HR ladies who put their pronouns in their email signatures. It's a family unit that instantly reads as fake and forced.

And then when I learned that the family had a 3-legged dog I just said... Ohhhyougottabekiddingme!?!

Lol I think what happened is after Lightyear bombed, they took all the inclusive characters/ ideas they were going to include in movies over the next 10 years and instead just put them all in Strange World to not waste the resources they had already used.

 

[_caleb]

I’d love to see their internal data on how releasing movies on D+ so early impacts D+ subscriptions, maybe I’m the anomaly because the theatrical release window going to 6 months wouldn’t affect my decision to get or keep D+ at all, I pay primarily for the new series and the catalog, not for quick access to theatrical movies.

It just seems odd to sacrifice box office when I don’t think it’s necessary. If I were Iger I’d go back to the old Blu-ray release schedule and see how that affects box office vs D+ subscriptions, even if they could just break even on production it would make more sense.

The differences between "theatrical movies" and "series" is becoming fuzzier and fuzzier. It's not a "sacrifice" to give a movie a short run to see what it will generate and then use it to buff subscriptions (and fend of "subscribe/binge/unsubscribe" trends).

I do think they'll be spending less and less per project, though. But I fully expect Disney to continue in the "going deep with individual segments of their audience" strategy rather than "big projects with the broadest appeal."

 

[_caleb]

SCOREBOARD: Thats two non-Disney movies folks will show up for VS. (fill in the blank) number of Disney movies folks would show up for. I am thinking zero for Disney.

I for one will be watching both Minions and Top Gun on streaming at home.

The money I save on Gas+tickets+concessions is a lot. Not to mention the comfort of watching at home.

This illustrates the point I've been trying to make. Disney knows that many (most?) of the audience for its animated films also subscribe to Disney+. They don't care where you pay to consume their content, and they don't have to try to compete head to head with Minions or Top Gun to get your money anymore.

 

[BuddyThomas]

@Phroobar, just checking to see if he "checked back in with you" yet.

Why are you so ecstatic that the film got low box office, Rob? Let’s hear it!

 

[_caleb]

It's something Disney is going to have to come to terms with. They've trained the audience to wait for D+. So now they need something special to get people to the theater. Anything that looks just meh, or average is going to have a rough go of it. I will squarely put myself in the wait and see category as well.

This exactly. Except Disney knows "getting people to the theater" is increasingly expensive, challenging, unpredictable, not a solid long-term strategy.

 

[Disstevefan1]

[Disney] has to position itself for what younger generations are going to want in the future. Disney is trying to position itself for the future.

How many stinkers can they afford to put out before they find their position?

I hope the younger generations have the money to go to the movies.

Let’s hope the theme parks continue to be the cash cow so TWDC has the money to continue to crank out stinkers until they find their position.

 

[_caleb]

When Disney makes a good movie folks will go to see it.

Where? At their local Cineworld/Regal theater? Or maybe at the AMC multiplex?

 

[Disstevefan1]

This illustrates the point I've been trying to make. Disney knows that many (most?) of the audience for its animated films also subscribe to Disney+. They don't care where you pay to consume their content, and they don't have to try to compete head to head with Minions or Top Gun to get your money anymore.

I think they care. They are losing big at the box office and losing big money in D+.

How much longer can they suck money from their theme park business to finance their big screen and streaming?

 

[BuddyThomas]

This is one of the many examples of what's wrong with Disney and what can be fixed.......this would be a great palce to start

For the same reasons Disney doesn't make Western movies or horror movies, they shouldn't be making woke content movies = ITS NOT THEIR AUDIENCE.......people dont want to see it

When are they going to learn? The content employees at Pixar put up a huge stink about including woke content in their movies. Well, let them do it if they so choose, but if it's not successful, then make them pay

This movie cost $180mm (estimated) to make..........Doing $11.9mm on the Thanksgiving weekend is DISASTROUS

Did they not learn on Lightyear? That movie barely broke even and was considered a complete disaster

First of all, I can’t believe yet another person on this board is crying about “woke”. Do you even understand what it means? Secondly, if you are trying to cry about the gay content without specifically saying that (free answer - you ARE!), then you don’t know what you are talking about. They gay crush in Strange World gets less that five minutes of screen time, and the gay mothers in Lightyear probably get less than two minutes. I am getting so tired of the veiled and not so veiled homophobia on this board. Do you not realize that gay people have worked on Disney movies since the beginning? Five freaking innocent minutes of a gay crush is too much to handle? My god.

 

[_caleb]

That said, I've heard too many Hollywood types using "Covid!" as the excuse why their movie bombed in 2022. (I'm not insulting you specifically as a "Hollywood type", you seem fun and normal.

Kind of you to separate me out from "Hollywood types," but I assure you I am neither fun nor normal.

The movie industry in 2022 is alive and very healthy. It came roaring back a year ago with Spiderman, and has produced giant blockbusters in the past year; Top Gun Maverick, Dr. Strange, Minions, etc., etc.

Americans still know how to drive their family to their local multiplex and will spend 50 bucks on tickets, if the movie on offer is appealing to them and their cultural instincts.

If you'll indulge me (I don't think I've ever quoted myself before. At least not in public!):

Where? At their local Cineworld/Regal theater? Or maybe at the AMC multiplex?

 

[BuddyThomas]

This thread is weird.

Barely anything about the actual movie, just a whole lot of nonsense, and one really creepy person sexualizing girls for having their period.

Pretty much everyone who has seen it and posted a review on here has had positive things to say. Those reviews go ignored by the contingent of people who have NOT seen it, brag that they will NOT see it, and yet are absolutely and completely thrilled that it got low box office as they continue to trash something that they have not seen, for reasons they won’t admit but that are all too obvious.

 

[_caleb]

How many stinkers can they afford to put out before they find their position?

I hope the younger generations has the money to go to the movies.

Let’s hope the theme parks continue to be the cash cow so TWDC has the money to continue to crank out stinkers until they find their position.

I think we're about to find out! But as I mentioned before (maybe in another thread), Netflix has released its new Knives Out sequel in theaters for one week before it debuts on the streaming platform. Why? Because why not? If people are willing to pay $10 to see in a theater one week before they're able to watch it as part of their $16/mo. streaming plan, what's the difference to Netflix?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Pretty much everyone who has seen it and posted a review on here has had positive things to say.

It has received the worst CinemaScore in Disney animated history. CinemaScore started in 1991. Worst received Disney movie in 30 years. No other Disney movie has gotten below an A- and this one got a B.

 

[TwilightZone]

Pretty much everyone who has seen it and posted a review on here has had positive things to say.

If we are going off wdwmagic alone, I've heard mixed things from the people who actually watched it.

thrilled that it got low box office as they continue to trash something that they have not seen

Personally I would say I am not thrilled this movie got bombed. I was actually looking forward for this one. I think you can find some old comments of mine for verification to that.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I think we're about to find out! But as I mentioned before (maybe in another thread), Netflix has released its new Knives Out sequel in theaters for one week before it debuts on the streaming platform. Why? Because why not? If people are willing to pay $10 to see in a theater one week before they're able to watch it as part of their $16/mo. streaming plan, what's the difference to Netflix?

Ten dollars? Where do you live? Here, you can barely get in the door of a theatre for under $20.00 per ticket. We almost went to Glass Onion in the theatre just for the big screen, even though we have Netflix, but we decided on Bones and All instead, which turned out to be fantastic.

 

[_caleb]

I think they care. They are losing big at the box office and losing big money in D+.

How much longer can they suck money from their theme park business to finance their big screen and streaming?

Honestly, this was the plan. From the beginning, Disney+ didn't intend to become profitable until fiscal 2024 (which is October 2023). Everything up to that point was seen as an all-in investment.

 

[TP2000]

Regarding the unattractive look to many of Strange World's characters, I just found this old footage on YouTube. When the film was initially in development several years ago by famed Disney producer Don Hall, the look of the people in the film was more natural, and far more Disney looking.



But back to the aesthetic look of the Strange World character. Here's a sketch of Ethan Clade from early in the film's development. He looks like a normal human that Disney animation would typically create...

But by the time the film ended up in mostly empty theaters this past weekend, the aesthetic look of Ethan Clade (and all of Strange World's people) had turned into something completely different. And completely unlike typical Disney animation. And not particularly attractive or aesthetically pleasing.

As I learned of the various plot twists and spoilers of this film, I did find it to be a really unique story. It's an idea that seems to have potential. But what if they had made the aesthetics of the film look more traditionally Disney (AKA attractive) and had throttled back the HR Committee ladies who apparently forced every category of "Important Representation!" into this film instead of just focusing on the story and the family dynamic that is universal?

The plot twists and story here in Strange World sounds genuinely unique and clever, even promising. But they shot themselves in the foot with the actual film and are in the process of vaporizing at least $100 Million dollars at a time of corporate crisis. Why???? And whose advice did they take to make the changes they did to Strange World? And how do they keep from repeating that mistake again???