Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken | June 30th, 2023 | Kirk DeMicco (Vivo, Space Chimps) directs | Luca meets Aquaman

[SpiderByte]

Remember just six months ago people were claiming DreamWorks was "overtaking" Pixar

[TwoMisfits]

I admit, I'm kinda surprised to see Universal finally drop the ball on a movie, at least to this point...

 

As I mentioned in the tracking thread, at this point, I think Universal is gonna have to employ some price pushing to get folks in, and to try to ramp some presales to secure some more screens and showings, b/c this is where they are gonna be crushed.  Even if it's awesome, even if it wants to break out, it can't, when it's single screened on small to medium count screens at every theater, including 22-30 screen theaters.

 

AKA - You can't sell seats you don't have...

[JohnnyGossamer]

Doesn't look like anyone wants to see this... Didn't Vivo and Space Chimps essentially go straight to streaming? Or, very, very quickly? Maybe Ruby should've or should do the same. Save us time discussing it.

[YM!]

38 minutes ago, SpiderByte said:

Remember just six months ago people were claiming DreamWorks was "overtaking" Pixar

Thing is no one but Keysersoze thought Gillman over Elemental was a serious possibility. Everyone thought it was a wash.

[YM!]

8 hours ago, filmlover said:

Barbie (not rated yet but clearly aiming for a PG) and Haunted Mansion (due to the Disney brand despite the PG-13) are definitely looking to draw families.

I’m pretty sure Barbie is going to be PG-13 from judging test screenings and reports.

[SpiderByte]

3 hours ago, YM! said:

I’m pretty sure Barbie is going to be PG-13 from judging test screenings and reports.

I think the beach off joke definitely pushes it out of PG territory 

[JWR]

Better hope it has decent legs to mitigate a low opening. 

[MOVIEGUY]

I keep reading Rudy Giuliani when I scroll past this thread title

[Boxx93]

7 hours ago, JWR said:

 

Except Puss in Boots had a visible marketing campaign and early screenings as a show of confidence. 

Then why did it opened so freaking low? Puss In Boots is part of the freaking Shrek franchise.

 

Maybe Universal just sucks at marketing animated movies that are not Illumination.

[JWR]

4 minutes ago, Boxx93 said:

Then why did it opened so freaking low? Puss In Boots is part of the freaking Shrek franchise.

 

Maybe Universal just sucks at marketing animated movies that are not Illumination.

 

Shrek was also a franchise that hadn't had a movie in over a decade. And it was a sequel to a spin-off, no less.

Edited June 13, 2023 by JWR

[Boxx93]

2 minutes ago, JWR said:

 

Shrek was also a franchise that hadn't had a movie in over a decade. 

Top Gun Maverick didn't had a movie in 36 years. 

[misterpepp]

Puss 2 opened low because it was a mid-week opener over Xmas weekend, and the way the holiday was positioned in 2022 wasn't ideal. Additionally, there was a massive snowstorm that covered a large part of the U.S. on opening weekend, and that might've halted some potential business.

 

Ruby Gillman is a summer opener, so even if it received terrific word-of-mouth, it wouldn't manage the same legs.

Edited June 13, 2023 by datpepper

[dudalb]

6 hours ago, TwoMisfits said:

I admit, I'm kinda surprised to see Universal finally drop the ball on a movie, at least to this point...

 

As I mentioned in the tracking thread, at this point, I think Universal is gonna have to employ some price pushing to get folks in, and to try to ramp some presales to secure some more screens and showings, b/c this is where they are gonna be crushed.  Even if it's awesome, even if it wants to break out, it can't, when it's single screened on small to medium count screens at every theater, including 22-30 screen theaters.

 

AKA - You can't sell seats you don't have...

I think Universal has written this movie off and is dumping it and will spend as little as possible on its' release, and hope it might get a decent tax write off.

Edited June 13, 2023 by dudalb

[kayumanggi]

Wait, Dreamworks Animation does not have its own Youtube channel? It seems all of their upcoming releases will just be under the Universal Pictures channel. I was trying to find trailers for their previous movies and they are scattered among different studio channels. 🤪

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

I saw a short teaser for this tonight before The Little Mermaid. It specifically namedropped Cinemark; I don't know if they've made one for every chain.

 

Anyway, the Ruby Gillman promo elicited a loud, deep voiced, "Low budget!" from the crowd. The tracking is probably in the right ballpark...

[Ezen Baklattan]

Welp, if Disney had its next Treasure Planet last year, it only makes sense that Dreamworks has its next Sinbad this year. I'm honestly surprised they're going theatrical exclusive and not a theatrical/Peacock split (I actually think the early VOD launch for Puss in Boots ended up helping its theatrical run, if partially to expediate the good WOM spread), but between families likely being satisfied by the one-two-three punch of Little Mermaid, Spiderverse, and Elemental (as well as to a lesser extent The Flash/Transformers), I doubt many will want to head back to the theater so soon.

 

Feels like Dreamworks simply doesn't care about this one, but I suppose there's always a chance it ends up better than expected. Let's see how it fares at Annecy this week (it screens on Thursday)

[Grebacio]

10 hours ago, kayumanggi said:

Wait, Dreamworks Animation does not have its own Youtube channel? It seems all of their upcoming releases will just be under the Universal Pictures channel. I was trying to find trailers for their previous movies and they are scattered among different studio channels. 🤪

There's Peacock Kids which used to be named "DreamWorks Animation" but got renamed after Universal's adquisition

 

https://youtube.com/@PeacockKids

[kayumanggi]

2 hours ago, Grebacio said:

There's Peacock Kids which used to be named "DreamWorks Animation" but got renamed after Universal's adquisition

 

https://youtube.com/@PeacockKids

 

I see. I wish they had their own channel with all the movie trailers and clips of their movies. Will they forever be under Universal?

Edited June 14, 2023 by kayumanggi

[Boxx93]

13 hours ago, Ezen Baklattan said:

Welp, if Disney had its next Treasure Planet last year, it only makes sense that Dreamworks has its next Sinbad this year. I'm honestly surprised they're going theatrical exclusive and not a theatrical/Peacock split (I actually think the early VOD launch for Puss in Boots ended up helping its theatrical run, if partially to expediate the good WOM spread), but between families likely being satisfied by the one-two-three punch of Little Mermaid, Spiderverse, and Elemental (as well as to a lesser extent The Flash/Transformers), I doubt many will want to head back to the theater so soon.

 

Feels like Dreamworks simply doesn't care about this one, but I suppose there's always a chance it ends up better than expected. Let's see how it fares at Annecy this week (it screens on Thursday)

 

Does that mean that Kung Fu Panda 4 is their Shrek 2?

[WebSurfer]

Eh, quality-wise, I’m trying to remain optimistic.

 

But, BO wise, not sure what they were thinking…