Walt Disney

This is true as a general rule. But in a place like China, studios get only 25% of the profits. So it varies from country to country and can make a big difference. Also, the changing exchange rates makes the value of international grosses change. The same number of admissions can be worth different grosses in different years. That's why I stick to domestic numbers. The dollar value is always the same every year and it is easier to compare year to year.

I have to disagree with this because if you look at the top 200 domestic grossing movies (adjusted for inflation), it is very slanted towards modern blockbusters. There are only 3 movies in the top 200 from the 1920's and 1930's combined. There are currently 18 movies from this decade and 39 movies from the previous decade. If it was so much easier for films to have big adjusted grosses back when there were fewer entertainment options, then we would see the list mostly dominated by older films, which isn't the case. Once we get a big enough sample size (which is why I always use the top 200), we see modern movies doing extremely well when compared to older films. I always use adjusted for inflation numbers for my comparisons because I think it gives the best gauge of all-time popularity and it is the best way to compare movies from different years.

Be careful when analyzing multipliers for December and comparing them to TLJ. The average multiplier is big in December, but the average opening is small. We really only have 2 massive December openers to compare TLJ to, and both are star Wars movies: TFA and RO (and TLJ opened higher than RO). We are really in new territory with December big openings and multipliers here. A movie will either open big and have okay legs or open okay and have amazing legs. Very rarely does a movie do both (but it does happen and most of us can probably name most of those exceptions to the rule). I still agree with everyone that the wom is mixed and that this movie could have done even better if different choices were made when making the movie. But, that has more to do with potential, as opposed to realistic expectations. TLJ potentially could have squeezed out even more money, but realistically, it might very well be performing to what a blockbuster like this, with this opening, should be expected to gross.

That entire plot that you are complaining about was all part of the risk. They could have used a safer plot or re-worked the same plot to play out in a safer way. I can't say much more because I don't want to get into spoilers, but those were part of the risks that were taken.

Extreme box office success (and again this is all about potential because TLJ will achieve more than most movies ever dream of) has to do with giving the audiences what they want and meeting their expectations.

The problem with TLJ (and there really isn't a problem because the film is going to be one of the 200 highest gross films of all-time when you adjust for inflation, ranking in the top 50) is that the movie took risks. Everyone always complains about the MCU and why those movies never "take risks." However, the reason is because successful blockbuster film making is about giving the audience what it wants. If you take risks, you create more opportunity to disappoint people. Disney clearly thought the risks taken were going to go over well with the GA and lead to an even greater box office run than the movie has had so far. However, they were wrong. Next time people criticize a movie for not "taking risks," try to take a step back and remember TLJ. Most of the time, it is much better to play it safe. As it turns out, people didn't want something drastically different from the OT with TLJ. All they wanted was a movie that played it safe and was more like the OT. That is why TFA succeeded the way that it did. Blockbuster film-making is about knowing your audience and what it wants. Even if this movie goes on to gross $750M, everything that I said is still true. And the Star Wars brand is not tarnished and Disney will have lots of opportunities to make many other blockbusters. And hopefully when they play it safe in the future, they won't be criticized for it here.

The list has been updated to reflect the addition of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Zootopia has been removed from the list.

There's a trend forming where people are mostly seeing blockbuster films in the movie theater. If it isn't a must-see movie, then people are skipping it in theaters and waiting for it to come to cable. Mid budget and small budget films are the casualties. It's tough to get people to see something in the movie theater, when they can see something comparable at home. There is one group that will still go to movie theaters in droves, and that is teenage boys. That group can still be targeted with small and mid budget films like horror movies.

As much as I liked Thor: Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the best superhero movie of 2017.

The year 2017 is coming to an end, and there have been some new additions to this list. 3 movies have made their way onto this list, with a 4th movie on its way before the year ends. Already making the list are Beauty and the Beast (2017), Wonder Woman, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is on its way to joining them. The first piece of news was the re-release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. One of 2 Carolco movies on this list, the film is now owned by Studio Canal. Studio Canal is re-released Terminator 2 domestically, and it added very little to its total. Therefore, its place on the list didn't change due to its re-release. It did movie down 1 slot because the live action Beauty and the Beast (2017) passed it, and it will move down another slot when Star Wars: The Last Jedi passes it. The big news for Warner Bros. is that they added Wonder Woman to the list. Wonder Woman is a massively successful blockbuster, and it is Warner Bros. first film to make the list since American Sniper in 2014. This gives Warner Bros. 31 films in the top 200 at the end of the year. For Disney, it was business as usual. Since not having a film make this list in 2011, Disney has put at least one film on the list every subsequent year. This year, Disney will put 3 films on the list. It is very rare for the same studio to have 3 films in the top 200 from the same year. Disney added a live action version of Beauty and the Beast, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and will add Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Disney is dominating this decade. Currently, Disney has 45 films on the list, and when Star Wars: The Last Jedi knocks Zootopia off the list, they will still have 45 films on the list. 16 of those movies are from this decade, and Disney is showing no signs of slowing down. Next year will be an interesting year. Disney is poised to add even move films to the list. Universal, which had an extremely successful 2015 and also put a film on the list in 2016, may try to challenge Disney in 2018. Warner Bros. could also put more films on the list. Paramount needs to attempt to re-create its previous magic or it may no longer have the third most movies on the list. For Fox, what could be its last independent year. Some major news this year is Disney's plan to buy Fox. Until the deal is finalized (assuming it ever becomes finalized), any Fox movie that makes the list will be listed under Fox. Once the deal is finalized, any movie after that that makes the list will be listed under Disney. Currently, Fox has 21 movies in the top 200. That is impressive and ties them with Universal for 4th most movies on the list. As ticket price inflation increases, it becomes tougher and tougher for a film to make this list. There is no way to predict if next year will add as many movies to the list as this year did. However, 2018 should be another exciting year for blockbusters at the box office, and some may even gross enough domestically to make this list.

I would vote for Star Wars and MCU.

That has to hurt. Talk about pouring dirt on top of the grave.

About time they figured that out.

He is truly as good as it gets at his profession.

Fox's mistake was not keeping the rights to the franchise when they agreed to make the first Star Wars film. That was their big mistake. Lucasfilm made the sequels and prequels without them, and just used Fox as the distributor. Then, Disney just had to buy Lucasfilm to get the rights to the Star Wars franchise. Although it really doesn't matter, since Disney is buying Fox anyway.

I don't think anyone really cares if everyone likes the deal or not. It's just the over-reactions that are so laughable, like threatening to block people who like the deal. But no one is butthurt over people not liking the deal. Over-reactions should be called out for what they are though. There is only one side that is butthurt.

How could anyone who is fine with the deal be butthurt? There is only one side that is butthurt.

I hope you don't bet your savings on it. I'd be a little disappointed, but I'd never act like some people in this thread. And I certainly wouldn't threaten to put someone on ignore just because they were happy over that deal. I follow box office for fun. It's nothing more and nothing less to me. Certainly not life or death. Now, the Yankees losing the World Series, that's serious business. You didn't want to be around me right after the 2004 ALCS.

Maybe you'll get your wish, but I doubt it.

There were rumors a few months ago that Apple was trying to buy Disney. Hopefully this deal will prevent that from happening.

It seems that Disney will keep Fox Searchlight and use Fox as a brand for R-rated movies. Both of those are good moves.

I expect Amazon will buy Columbia Pictures from Sony or buy Paramount.

I feel like the time to stop this would have been to prevent Comcast from buying Universal. Once that deal went through, I don't see how you can prevent other similar deals. The genie is already out of the bottle.

The regional sports networks don't make sense to block because Fox owned Fox Sports 1 and all the regional sports networks as well. And Fox doesn't have a monopoly on regional sports networks. Also, Disney does not own any regional sports networks, except for what they will purchase from Fox.

Thank you. Glad to have you back, Ecstasy!!