2014 Box Office Crash

[Captain Craig]

This article by the Hollywood Reporter gives it's account of how the 2014 summer season is down year to date and also hits a 17 year low. While the actual break down of the films they mention is neither stunning or new it's the statement made by Disney Chairmen Alan Horn that stood out to me. 

...the fear is that summer 2014 is the start of a new reality. "You have to answer two critical questions: Do I have to see it now? And do I have to see it on the big screen?" says Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn. "If the answer is 'no' to either, you are in trouble."

I'd point out that this "reality" has been in affect for some time now and the summer of 2014 is not the start of it. 

 

Once ticket prices went above $10 for evening shows and the economy tanked in '09 and stayed stagnant these questions kicked in. Do I have to see it now? Do I have to see it on the big screen?

The last question is one that's been on my list for almost a decade(comedies/horror/artsy) films all fall into that question---do I have to see it on the big screen. The answer is almost 99% of the time a NO.

 

So whether the industry or some studio Chairs posed this question, it's now been said aloud by a leading Studio Chair which begs the question----will we get getting more demanding content at our cineplexes? Will pricing options ever be a consideration? How will the industry answer these two questions in order to keep our cineplexes varied with content. What justifications will they make for them? 

[CJohn]

It was expected that this Summer was gonna be weak and was also expected this type of articles was going to show up. 

[AniNate]

All the films that they did push hard did pretty okay for themselves. Problem was there wasn't much else. 

[DAJK]

2014 in like the calm before the storm of the 2015-2016 one-two punch

[The Futurist]

2014 in like the calm before the storm of the 2015-2016 one-two punch

Yep, when the same tired old franchises rear up´their ugly head to save the day.

[Johnny Wiseau]

Yep, when the same tired old franchises rear up´their ugly head to save the day.

and original movies can go and fuck themselves 

 

damn Hollywood

[Webslinger]

Buzzfeed had a really good, insightful writeup on the summer box office. The main point, which I think is accurate, is that there were so many big, effects-driven tentpoles that did so little to distinguish themselves from their predecessors and/or one another that they blurred together to some extent. Virtually the only exception was Guardians of the Galaxy, which not coincidentally has won the summer season in a walk.