Thanksgiving 5-days Weekend thread | BOSS: 42.2m, Napoleon: 32.75m, Wish: 31.6m, Trolls: 25.6m, Thanksgiving: 10.9m

[grim22]

Saw this on Reddit, and it's clear something about the Disney movies just isn't connecting with audiences

 

Disney films in 2023 by CinemaScore: Ant Man 3 - B

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 - A

The Little Mermaid - A

The Boogeyman - B-

Elemental - A

Indiana Jones 5 - B+

Theater Camp - A

Haunted Mansion - B+

A Haunting in Venice - B

The Creator - B+

The Marvels - B

Next Goal Wins - B+

Wish - A-

 

Legs on anything outside Guardians 3 and Elemental were nothing to write home about for most of these movies. So it's basically audiences going to watch them, not doing repeat watches and even discouraging other audiences from watching them as well.

[interiorgatordecorator]

30 minutes ago, M37 said:

 

 

I still say something is going to the do the same over the Christmas holidays,

 

if wonka is bad, does something have to? if the movies arent particularly appealing is it possible for the GA to simply not go to the movies over the Christmas holidays? or is the tradition already too ingrained for that to happen? 

[narniadis]

Deep rural Texas and for most, Disney as an entire company can go jump off a cliff. Which is funny when I know many have D+. Middle America has a big issue with the company just as M37 said, but it had been brewing for a long time before the Florida stupidity. 

 

Cost and unappealing product are definitely a major factor. I have 4 kids, and they adore most of this stuff. Guess what, Mario was the only film we have taken them to in theaters and it was due to a $4 ticket deal. Can't afford to take them all out for $12+ a pop in the nice theaters when I just paid $120 for an entire years membership for their favorite Children's science place (and I have access in all major cities in the state/nation.) 

 

@TwoMisfits keeps harping the price point stuff for the family films, and I think some of yall just don't get it, but she is 100% right. We have watched every major family film, but all on streaming because it's what we can afford. No plans for Wish, Trolls or Migration either. 🤷‍♂️

[YM!]

17 minutes ago, grim22 said:

Saw this on Reddit, and it's clear something about the Disney movies just isn't connecting with audiences

 

 

 

 

Legs on anything outside Guardians 3 and Elemental were nothing to write home about for most of these movies. So it's basically audiences going to watch them, not doing repeat watches and even discouraging other audiences from watching them as well.

And I do think the Plus ate into this because of the short windows and far greater association due to branding (which not even Paramount+ has despite a shorter window and Nickelodeon (which never was a big theatrical factor)) as ninety days isn’t that hard to wait out and far cheaper than going to theaters. Mediocre product can’t travel as much because of this. 

 

It also gives conservative audiences an out. They can boast all they want about not supporting the “woke mouse” but have the streamer in secret for their kids to watch it without judgement. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by YM!

[filmlover]

Wonka is going to live or die based on its reviews, especially when musicals (which the marketing has been curiously trying to hide for the most part, and doesn't seem like a very confident move if you ask me) have always had a ceiling even before the feast or famine era that we now live in. 

[interiorgatordecorator]

14 minutes ago, interiorgatordecorator said:

 

if wonka is bad, does something have to? if the movies arent particularly appealing is it possible for the GA to simply not go to the movies over the Christmas holidays? or is the tradition already too ingrained for that to happen? 

 

migration is going to make 350 dom and its all going to be wb's fault

[Kon]

55 minutes ago, YM! said:

On the bright side, THG looks strong but what a horrid November. THG seems like the only 100m grossing hit next month. Thankfully, December looks much healthier as I think the trio of Aquaman, Wonka and Migration should get to 100m as should The Color Purple. Disney has had such a shitty year, maybe even their worst ever at the box office. Though I don’t believe culture wars are the cause mainly due to the fact that boycotts don’t work and the fact that Barbie which is fundamentally more “woke” than anything Disney would ever try, I do believe mediocre product for the older audiences (apart from TLM, Elemental and Guardians, WOM for movies this year from the Mouse House have been mediocre (Wish) to shitty (The Marvels, Haunted Mansion, Indy, Quantumania, etc) and streaming is hurting it the most particularly in the family genre because unless something is known to be “good” it’ll die.

 

I'm not sure Barbie is fundamentally more "woke" than anything Disney would ever try.

 

I mean, Barbie is "woke" and has diversity, while the main characters are a white woman and a white man. Also, Barbie has a trans actress, but they would never recognize that in the story.

 

Disney choosing a black actress for Ariel in TLM seems a lot more daring (and likely risky).

Edited November 24, 2023 by Kon

[Brainbug]

I am happy that Dominion released last year. I have a feeling that it might have not come anywhere near a billion if it was released in 2023 if im beeing honest.

 

 

[M37]

12 minutes ago, interiorgatordecorator said:

 

if wonka is bad, does something have to? if the movies arent particularly appealing is it possible for the GA to simply not go to the movies over the Christmas holidays? or is the tradition already too ingrained for that to happen? 

I’m not claiming there is some high floor, that we’re going to get X dollars no matter what, and it’s just a question of how it’s distributed. I do think this will be probably be the lowest grossing December since 2000

 

But rather the barriers that hold people back during most of the year are lessened over holiday periods, with people having more free time and looking for family activities, movies are still a viable option for many. People are not going to watch bad movies just out of habit, but be more willing to spend on something average with lukewarm interest like Wonka, Aquaman or HG:BOSS this week 

[YM!]

15 minutes ago, Kon said:

 

I'm not sure Barbie is fundamentally more "woke" than anything Disney would ever try.

 

I mean, Barbie is "woke" and has diversity, while the main characters are a white woman and a white man. Also, Barbie has a trans actress, but they would never recognize that in the story.

 

Disney choosing a black actress for Ariel in TLM seems a lot more daring (and likely risky).

Barbie is, for a blockbuster at least, a deep dive on feminism, patriarchal constructs and toxic masculinity. Disney never really dives down on feminism ideas or concept apart for some broad, rudimentary surface-level things. The Frozen movies tackle feminism ideals more than even Marvel’s attempts with female heroes.
 

TLM did great domestically and probably would’ve done less domestic with a white Ariel. Its problems were moreso overseas in which racism is a very real factor that black led films deal with regularly. 
 

As for a trans character, when was the last time Disney had a trans lead or side character in one of their films. Apart from Strange World, Disney has never had an LGBTQ character apart from background stuff in their family films which is something both WDAS, Pixar and Blue Sky employees have said numerous times. South Park did a satirical bit on how Kathleen Kennedy was turning everything gay but when have we ever had a gay lead in the Disney live action branch including Star Wars and Marvel?

Edited November 24, 2023 by YM!

[JonathanMB]

9 minutes ago, Brainbug said:

I am happy that Dominion released last year. I have a feeling that it might have not come anywhere near a billion if it was released in 2023 if im beeing honest.

 

 

 

People love the world of Jurassic, even when every sequel has had diminishing returns their take on dinosaurs and humans living side by side seem to always bring people back in. It probably would have done just as well, maybe even a bit better if it wasn't opening in the shadow of Maverick.

[YM!]

15 minutes ago, Brainbug said:

I am happy that Dominion released last year. I have a feeling that it might have not come anywhere near a billion if it was released in 2023 if im beeing honest.

 

 

I can see either or tbh. People love dinosaurs and that itself is a great sell. Even with the mixed WOM and reviews, think it could’ve been a big breakout this summer due to not much being there apart from Guardians, Across and Barbenheimer.

[scytheavatar]

33 minutes ago, filmlover said:

Wonka is going to live or die based on its reviews, especially when musicals (which the marketing has been curiously trying to hide for the most part, and doesn't seem like a very confident move if you ask me) have always had a ceiling even before the feast or famine era that we now live in. 

 

Wonka is a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie with no Charlie or the Chocolate Factory......... it was DOA from day one.

[Kon]

22 minutes ago, YM! said:

Barbie is, for a blockbuster at least, a deep dive on feminism, patriarchal constructs and toxic masculinity. Disney never really dives down on feminism ideas or concept apart for some broad, rudimentary surface-level things. The Frozen movies tackle feminism ideals more than even Marvel’s attempts with female heroes.
 

TLM did great domestically and probably would’ve done less domestic with a white Ariel. Its problems were moreso overseas in which racism is a very real factor that black led films deal with regularly. 
 

As for a trans character, when was the last time Disney had a trans lead or side character in one of their films. Apart from Strange World, Disney has never had an LGBTQ character apart from background stuff in their family films which is something both WDAS, Pixar and Blue Sky employees have said numerous times.

I'm not sure TLM with a white Ariel would really make less at domestic, but that wasn't my point. 

 

I was focusing on Disney deciding to have a black female actress for Ariel, who is the main character and face of the movie. I think that was a more daring decision than the decisions for Barbie movie.

 

Honestly, Barbie tends to play pretty safe on many aspects. People tend to ignore this, because the movie focus on feminism and has diversity in the secondary characters.

 

I mention Barbie having a trans actress, because it's was another "safe" bet, since the character would never been recognized as trans.

 

 

PS: I really like Halle as Ariel. So, I'm happy about Disney's decision.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Kon

[grim22]

2 minutes ago, Kon said:

 

I mention Barbie having a trans actress, because it's was another "safe" bet, since the character would never been recognized as trans.

 

The movie Barbie includes dialogue that they don't have private parts, so a trans character doesn't make sense to point out in that world.

[Brainbug]

26 minutes ago, JonathanMB said:

 

People love the world of Jurassic, even when every sequel has had diminishing returns their take on dinosaurs and humans living side by side seem to always bring people back in. It probably would have done just as well, maybe even a bit better if it wasn't opening in the shadow of Maverick.

 

20 minutes ago, YM! said:

I can see either or tbh. People love dinosaurs and that itself is a great sell. Even with the mixed WOM and reviews, think it could’ve been a big breakout this summer due to not much being there apart from Guardians, Across and Barbenheimer.

 

Its nice to see other people beeing more optimistic about JP than myself for a change

[filmlover]

33 minutes ago, Brainbug said:

I am happy that Dominion released last year. I have a feeling that it might have not come anywhere near a billion if it was released in 2023 if im beeing honest.

 

 

Mentioned it yesterday but it really does feel like 2022 was the last hurrah for anything that wasn't a FOMO level event at the multiplex. On the bright side (if we want to call it that), the "(pick your poison of choice) is killing actual cinema" crowd no longer has these tentpole franchises to blame for their faves not making as much as they wish they were now that everyone seems to be struggling.

[ringedmortality]

40 minutes ago, Brainbug said:

I am happy that Dominion released last year. I have a feeling that it might have not come anywhere near a billion if it was released in 2023 if im beeing honest.

 

 

 

I think it would have. I don't see a reason why it wouldn't. It was still a franchise that had good will among the GA to at least match it's domestic numbers.

[ringedmortality]

You think, how through the 2010s, Disney was associated with a certain level of quality product, that Universal will start getting that treatment?

[Kon]

15 minutes ago, grim22 said:

 

The movie Barbie includes dialogue that they don't have private parts, so a trans character doesn't make sense to point out in that world.

That's why it's a "safe" bet to have a trans actress in that secondary role.

 

As her character is Doctor Barbie, it wouldn't be possible to recognize the actress as trans. And certain countries wouldn't ban the movie.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Kon