Box Office Thread

Plenty of people like romcoms, it's just that the genre had a massive downturn in recent years. It's pretty much for the same reason any genre eventually starts to wane; at a certain point, everything's been done to death and there isn't much of a hook left to get people interested.

Crazy Rich Asians had that going for it since the all-Asian cast, in addition to being a big milestone, gave the film a hook that no other American romcom has actually had before.

No one ever claimed people don't like romcoms anymore. The claim is that people don't like going to theaters to see romcoms anymore.

Most examples of the genre don't particularly benefit from being seen on a large screen with a big audience around you. There's not much of an incentive to drive to a theater and pay ten bucks to see a romcom film when you can just cue up the latest season of Jane the Virgin on Netflix.

True.

Nobody here said that the majority of the success is based on it being a Romcom. There was only the question raised how much it played into the success and we fast concluded "a little bit, but not too much".

I wouldn't agree that the genre doesn't benefit from having an audience around you, though. Comedies are always more fun if you watch them in a group.

Edited by Swanpride on Sep 2nd 2018 at 12:23:35 PM

Damn right.

Watching comedy with a very responsive audience is one of the most enjoyable theatre experiences.

Which is the opposite of watching horror films with a very responsive audience.

Most romcoms I've seen, though, seem to aim more for low-level amusement throughout rather than a lot of big, laugh-out-loud moments.

Yeah, the "comedy" in romantic comedy is less in the modern sense of being funny and more in the old sense of being a happy work with a happy ending. While there are definitely plenty that are funny (ex. Forgetting Sarah Marshall), there are plenty that aren't (ex. Love Actually).

Love Actually is very funny every time the light models and the old rock star turn up.

Getting laughs clearly isn't the main point of the movie, though. Even dramas and horror movies have comic relief.

It is still more fun to watch it in a group.

The Incredibles 2 has now become the second-highest-grossing animated movie globally, after Frozen.

I assume inflation is accounted for?

Either way, good for Pixar.

You can't really account for inflation on the global box office. Too many different countries, with too many varying ticket prices among them, many of which we don't have an accurate record of.

Plus, The Incredibles already has the record in the home market. And its run is far from over. It left Frozen in the dust.

You can't inflation-adjust at the global box office.

At the domestic box office, Incredibles 2 is about the 6th-highest-grossing animated movie, looking at the inflation-adjusted gross for a first release. (Many of the older Disney movies were re-released multiple times, which isn't a fair comparison.). It's behind Snow White, Fantasia, The Lion King, Shrek 2, and I think one other.

Edited by Galadriel on Sep 4th 2018 at 8:12:47 AM

Plus, back then there was no home video.

So...Marvel made 4 Billion this year with only three movies and one franchise…

Honestly, this is the best acquisition Disney ever made.

And seeing how there are still 3 movies left for Disney to release this year, they are sure to break their record from 2016 of becoming the highest grossing studio of all time in a year.

Two of which are bound to be equally huge successes. I would be surprised if Wreck it Ralph 2 and Mary Poppins won't make their budget back and then some.

What makes you so confident about the Mary Poppins sequel? Yeah, the original is a beloved classic, but that can make people more resistant to a decades later sequel. Christmas Story 2, anyone?

While I get your point, Christmas Story 2 was a direct-to-DVD release with a negative amount of advertising. Not a great comparison.

Maleficent, Cinderella, Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast. Most Disney remakes do really, really well and Mary Poppins is a particular beloved movie. Remember, it was nominated for multiple Academy Awards back in the day, including one for best picture, and is still widely considered Disney best live action movie.

I actually remember what a huge deal it was when it was first shown in free TV over here. Everyone was talking about it.

Christmas Story is btw a solely American classic. I wouldn't even known about the movie if I wouldn't spend so much time steeped in American pop culture.

Edited by Swanpride on Sep 11th 2018 at 2:11:55 AM

My understanding is the upcoming Mary Poppins move is a sequel rather than a remake, though. That could put it more in the realm of Christopher Robin, which did not do terribly well.

Christopher Robin was hampered by not being able to run in China and it is not really a sequel either. Plus, the market for Winnie Pooh is very saturated, has been for a few years. Mary Poppins on the other hand isn't, other than the musical there has been nothing in terms of TV shows or direct to video releases since then. Plus, Emily Blunt might be a draw in itself to a certain degree.

The Predator had the worst opening weekend for any live-action movie playing in 4,000 theaters, beating last year’s The Mummy. It didn’t even pass Predators’ opening eight years ago.