Strange World | Walt Disney Animation Studios | Comes to Disney+ on December 23rd

[Morieris]

19 minutes ago, Dingdong said:

at the same time, all the above movies had stellar marketing while Disney is dropping the ball in marketing this. And I don’t even know what’s up with that ugh. This is my primary concern tbh.

 

This + the possibility of a (third? 5th?) Cold/Flu/COVID resurgence in the fall and winter that might keep families away.

 

But in this new world, let's think about what 'underperforming' means. During the pandemic, has any Disney animated movie with a theatrical release performed at or over expectations?

[Eric the Minion]

1 hour ago, El Squibbonator said:

For those of you saying this is going to bomb. . . I'm just curious, but why? It's not like Disney hasn't had success with more adventure-oriented animated movies before. Big Hero 6 was exactly that, and the new trailer even promotes it as being "from the director of Big Hero 6",  so they're definitely trying to play that connection up.
 

Is it because the main character is gay? While that might have contributed some to Lightyear's failure, I doubt it was the only factor, or even the biggest factor. Lightyear came out the same week as Jurassic World Dominion, and Top Gun: Maverick was still going strong. Plus, it didn't have much connection to the Toy Story movies outside the name. Removing the lesbian kiss from Lightyear wouldn't have changed any of that. 

 

Strange World is the first new animated family movie to be released since DC Super-Pets at the end of July, and with Avatar: The Way of Water and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish not coming out until December 16th, it should have theaters more or less to itself for at least three weeks. This is in stark contrast to Treasure Planet, which came out the same weekend as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Given the lack of other family movies in Strange World's timeframe, I think a $50 million domestic opening weekend and a global gross above $300 million is doable. 

Disney+ is too convenient. People prefer seeing Disney animated movies at home now.

[El Squibbonator]

With Big Hero 6, I don't think that many people were actually aware it was based on a comic book. 

[Morieris]

Well, there's a TV spot for this during the season premiere of Abbott Elementary.

[YM!]

2 minutes ago, Morieris said:

Well, there's a TV spot for this during the season premiere of Abbott Elementary.

I just saw. 
 

You watch Abbott Elementary as well?

[Morieris]

5 minutes ago, YM! said:

I just saw. 
 

You watch Abbott Elementary as well?

 

I love it! My mother is watching with me and while (for some reason) she didn't have the sound up upon watching the TV spot, she was slightly interested.

[Eric the Minion]

22 minutes ago, Morieris said:

Well, there's a TV spot for this during the season premiere of Abbott Elementary.

 

19 minutes ago, YM! said:

I just saw. 
 

You watch Abbott Elementary as well?

TIL while watching the Abbott premiere that Topher Grace has his own sitcom. And apparently it’s on its third season? Good for him I guess.

[Mojoguy]

3 hours ago, Morieris said:

 

This + the possibility of a (third? 5th?) Cold/Flu/COVID resurgence in the fall and winter that might keep families away.

 

But in this new world, let's think about what 'underperforming' means. During the pandemic, has any Disney animated movie with a theatrical release performed at or over expectations?

No one cares about covid anymore. Biden just announced that the pandemic is over.

 

Animated movies can still explode as we saw with Minions 2 this summer and also Sing 2.

 

Raya was premier access/theaters release during when pandemic was raging.

 

Encanto made $96m DOM/$230M WW, but blame that on Disney stupidly announcing before the release that it was coming out on D+ after 30 days, which really kneecapped its boxofice run. Tons of families stayed home after hearing that news I imagine. If Disney does that for Strange World...

Edited September 22, 2022 by Mojoguy

[Potiki]

1 minute ago, Mojoguy said:

No one cares about covid anymore. Biden just announced that the pandemic is over.

 

Animated movies can still explode as we saw with Minions 2 this summer and also Sing 2.

 

Raya was premire acress and theaters. Encanto made $96m DOM/$230M ww, but I blame that on Disney stupidly announcing before the release that it was coming out on D+ after 30 days, which really kneecapped its boxofice run. Tons of families stayed home after hearing that news I imagine. If Disney does that for Strange World...

I think a lot of box office success recently is from sequels (which both the successes you mention are) as they are a known quantity that people are willing to part money with to see, a lot of original films are not doing nearly as well. 

 

I imagine Inside Out 2 will do significantly better than any of the other Pixar/WDAS films released in the next 2 or so years but that will take some time to see.  

[Dingdong]

5 hours ago, Potiki said:

I think a lot of box office success recently is from sequels (which both the successes you mention are) as they are a known quantity that people are willing to part money with to see, a lot of original films are not doing nearly as well. 

 

I imagine Inside Out 2 will do significantly better than any of the other Pixar/WDAS films released in the next 2 or so years but that will take some time to see.  

yeah box office grosses of already popular franchises have been stellar. And that’s why Strange World needs to be on theatres for a longer time - since original properties are in for the long haul

 

and the trailer is truly terrific hopefully Disney ramps up the marketing so we can get a breakout hit!

[ThomasNicole]

The plot is so similar to Ad Astra, but with an alien world instead of space

 

The ending will be obviously different tho 

[JWR]

11 hours ago, Mojoguy said:

No one cares about covid anymore. Biden just announced that the pandemic is over.

 

Animated movies can still explode as we saw with Minions 2 this summer and also Sing 2.

 

Raya was premier access/theaters release during when pandemic was raging.

 

Encanto made $96m DOM/$230M WW, but blame that on Disney stupidly announcing before the release that it was coming out on D+ after 30 days, which really kneecapped its boxofice run. Tons of families stayed home after hearing that news I imagine. If Disney does that for Strange World...

 

Encanto came out when families and kids weren't vaccinated in mass.

[Mojoguy]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/09/21/can-walt-disneys-strange-world-succeed-where-atlantis-failed/?sh=1983c3116bc1

 

Strange World feels like a redo of Walt DIsney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire

 

The original WDA release has renewed pressure to deliver theatrically after the underwhelming (if hamstrung) results for Raya and the Last Dragon ($130 million in early 2021, less than Paw Patrol and Tom & Jerry) and Encanto ($250 million in late 2021, about on par with The Bad Guys in early 2022). You can argue that Bob Chapek doesn’t care that much about theatrical if the Disney+ train keeps a-chugging. But from a macro point of view, does Disney want to cede theatrical animation domination to ComcastCMCSA -0.6% and its DreamWorks and Illumination-released films? Not only will that change the broader cultural image of Walt Disney as an entertainment powerhouse, but I’d argue that Disney does not want its animated films (quality notwithstanding) to be viewed as second-class offerings when they arrive on Disney+. Does Disney want to start playing runner-up?

 

 

 

[Mojoguy]

5 hours ago, JWR said:

 

Encanto came out when families and kids weren't vaccinated in mass.

Sure, but that doesn't mean the early D+ release didn't cripple Encanto's holiday legs.

 

Sing 2 was just released a few weeks later and was able to reach $400m WW.

Edited September 22, 2022 by Mojoguy

[JWR]

45 minutes ago, Mojoguy said:

Sure, but that doesn't mean the early D+ release didn't cripple Encanto's holiday legs.

 

Sing 2 was just released a few weeks later and was able to reach $400m WW.

 

Sing 2 also had the advantage of holiday legs. 

[jedijake]

Animated movies are not must-see-in-theater movies. Disney Plus has become predictable in terms of releases. People know that most movies will be there in 45 days with a few holdouts in 70 days. But animated movies have mostly been close to immediate on D+.

 

The reason Rise of Gru did so well is that it's not guaranteed when it would be streaming. Other streaming platforms are not set in stone in terms of release dates. D+ has always been a range. There is ZERO incentive now to watch a Disney-made (Pixar or WDAS) animated film in the theater. None, zero, zilch. People who would watch them already have D+ anyway so why spend more money?

 

MCU films are different because they are something completely different on the big screen. When was the last time you heard someone say, about an animated film, "you HAVE to see it on the big screen to truly appreciate it"?

Edited September 22, 2022 by jedijake

[Dingdong]

Has Alan Tudyk’s participation been confirmed for the film?

[Morieris]

2 hours ago, Dingdong said:

Has Alan Tudyk’s participation been confirmed for the film?

 

Spoiler

I don't think so, but you can hear it in that nameless red shirt in the trailer.

 

[JWR]

The ONE thing this might have in its favor is being the first family animated film since DC League of Super Pets. 

[TwoMisfits]

4 hours ago, JWR said:

The ONE thing this might have in its favor is being the first family animated film since DC League of Super Pets. 

 

Yes, but Disney has guaranteed that all their fans will be staying home on Thanksgiving weekend to watch Disenchanted, b/c in their wisdom, they have set the D+ release for that movie one day after Strange World's theatrical release...

 

Why?  You'd have to ask them, but they have seemingly torched their own theatrical movie offering before it even opens.

 

This might be as bad as preannouncing Encanto's 30 days to D+...instead, they are giving Strange World 1 day before a sequel to a VERY popular original family movie hits their streaming service...

 

PS - I guarantee Strange World is on D+ for Dec 25, seeing this set up plan from Disney...