75 employees laid off at Pixar, including the director of Lightyear

[Frogman88]

Funny. Top Gun had those same rules and did a billion dollars. It had "forced diversity" that the first movie never had. Using "woke" or DEI as the only excuse as to why people aren't showing up this summer is a bit of a stretch.

Sound of Freedom would be a better example if it wasn't partially crowd funded for the box office returns.

I agree it did do and it had a bit both right. You can say it was neutral? They kept the same story going which brought in the nostalgia.

 

[Frogman88]

DEI is a political topic that’s become part of the discussion in the 2024 election.

You are making it political I’m stating this is the reason people are getting fired and they are not bringing in money. Do you know what thread you are in ?

So you want to silence me ? Just say it.

 

[irlandaise]

No one is showing up to watch original content outside of animated films. You can go back to 2010 and see that is the case. Barbie is on track to make 140M this weekend. It's never been touched outside of cartoon movies. It has a 60 year following that spans generations just like Legos did. It has a pretty talented writer/director helming it.

There is no demand for that type of content.

They are only pandering to a small base.

Boy are you out of touch with what's happening this weekend. As mdmost noted, Barbie is going to pull in well over $100M this weekend. That isn't "a small base." Along with "Oppenheimer" and "Mission: Impossible," this may be a $200M weekend for Hollywood--a badly needed boost for struggling movie theaters.

You also said earlier, "MI7 did not need to happen neither did Barbie. They need to bring in new talent that can actually write and tell a story." Well, if you don't think that Greta Gerwig "can actually write and tell a story," I'm not sure who you think can. Maybe you don't like the stories she tells, but she can certainly tell them.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Yea it has been labeled and again I have not watched it nor do I care too but the story seems to have resonated with everyone.

That’s the point the story not what some political pundits are claiming it about.

I watched a show that was also labeled by show critics which was “ The terminal list” and it was really good the story line was great.

The story telling is the problem and if the business is about making money then they made a bad decision clearly.

It's not a claim if the creators of the movie have been very vocal about the topics the movie is getting criticized for spewing.

Sound of Freedom also pandered to a base that went out to see it.

 

[BrianL]

So then it doesn’t bring in money right ? If you are in the business to bring money would stay the course or fail?

I don't particularly agree that that is WHY they don't make money,

 

[Frogman88]

Boy are you out of touch with what's happening this weekend. As mdmost noted, Barbie is going to pull in well over $100M this weekend. That isn't "a small base." Along with "Oppenheimer" and "Mission: Impossible," this may be a $200M weekend for Hollywood--a badly needed boost for struggling movie theaters.

You also said earlier, "MI7 did not need to happen neither did Barbie. They need to bring in new talent that can actually write and tell a story." Well, if you don't think that Greta Gerwig "can actually write and tell a story," I'm not sure who you think can. Maybe you don't like the stories she tells, but she can certainly tell them.

Likewise I can also say you are out of touch go dive into the numbers then get back to me before trying to belittle me.

The stories are not good maybe they are good to you but the numbers say otherwise. So they need new talent.

 

[irlandaise]

Likewise I can also say you are out of touch go dive into the numbers then get back to me before trying to belittle me.

The stories are not good maybe they are good to you but the numbers say otherwise. So they need new talent.

It's hard to dive into numbers when "Barbie" just opened last night but it did $22M so I don't know why you think that's disappointing. And if you haven't seen it, how do you know the story isn't good?

 

[bryaalre]

Likewise I can also say you are out of touch go dive into the numbers then get back to me before trying to belittle me.

The stories are not good maybe they are good to you but the numbers say otherwise. So they need new talent.

The Barbie movie might become WB biggest opener passing HP Deathly Hallows. This weekend could be the 4th weekend ever to have the domestic box office reach $300M. The Barbie movie is looking to be the biggest domestic and worldwide opener of the year.

Both Barbie and Oppenheimer are certified fresh with near or above 90% on rotten tomatoes. We have had MI7 release to good reviews, Elemental, Across the Spider Verse, GOG3 all this summer. We have good stories, I am sorry that you do not feel that way and feel under represented but on the whole, the country does not feel the way you feel.

 

[Frogman88]

I don't particularly agree that that is WHY they don't make money,

Let’s hear the excuse as to why?

They turned of a very large consumer group and they forgot that’s what was feeding them. Plain and simple.

 

[Frogman88]

It's hard to dive into numbers when "Barbie" just opened last night but it did $22M so I don't know why you think that's disappointing. And if you haven't seen it, how do you know the story isn't good?

For the amount of hype and marketing, budget, actors yes it’s not good.

 

[BrianL]

It's a confluence of things - marketing, timing, quality, reviews, etc. Explain why a very DEI-centric movie like Spider-Verse did so well? It's because most movie goers really don't care about that stuff one way or the other.

 

[mdmost]

For the amount of hype and marketing, budget, actors yes it’s not good.

You simply are seeing what you want to see if you think 22M on a Thursday night is not good.

 

[irlandaise]

For the amount of hype and marketing, budget, actors yes it’s not good.

You simply are seeing what you want to see if you think 22M on a Thursday night is not good.

Amen. The first showings of the new movies weren't even until 5:00 p.m., so there were only two or three screenings available. And although this is summer, that was still a weeknight and therefore a lot of people couldn't stay up late.

As bryaalre noted, last night was an outstanding one for movie theaters, and the buzz around the two new movies is extremely positive. I literally don't know what world Frogman is living in if he thinks "the numbers" aren't going to be good this weekend.

 

[HokieRaven5]

You simply are seeing what you want to see if you think 22M on a Thursday night is not good.

Yeah, only the largest preview night of the current summer box office.

 

[mdmost]

Yeah, only the largest preview night of the current summer box office.

Highest preview of FY 2023 according to Variety.

 

[Frogman88]

I will comeback in a week to read all the excuse as to why these movies aren’t making any money since the mob has already decided I’m out of touch with reality by using the numbers to show why this content isn’t making any money.

I will laugh at all the excuses.

 

[fatmanatee]

I will comeback in a week to read all the excuse as to why these movies aren’t making any money since the mob has already decided I’m out of touch with reality by using the numbers to show why this content isn’t making any money.

I will laugh at all the excuses.

This really isn't a mob dude.

 

[mdmost]

I will comeback in a week to read all the excuse as to why these movies aren’t making any money since the mob has already decided I’m out of touch with reality by using the numbers to show why this content isn’t making any money.

I will laugh at all the excuses.

It's always funny when someone's opinion is not accepted by enough people that they label others as "the mob" or this place as an echo chamber. You stated an opinion which others feel is wrong and when we have shown you the opening number is the most this year. You are choosing to see what you want to.

If Barbie goes on to be a huge hit, will you also return to tell us you were wrong?

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

Why? No one is showing up to watch original content outside of animated films. You can go back to 2010 and see that is the case. Barbie is on track to make 140M this weekend.

Just this year, Asteroid City, M3gan and Sound of Freedom are all original films this year that are profitable. Perhaps Barbie and Oppenheimer will be profitable?

And as for going back to 2010, there have been really profitable original films. In musicals and docu-drama type works alone I can think of The Greatest Showman, La La Land and Bohemian Rhapsody off-hand. It's possible.

What Pixar and many other Disney owned studios are suffering from is a combination of problems, and a culture-war sadly is one of the problems. Not the only problem, but one of the problems.

And I say sadly, because I loathe culture-wars. Personally speaking, I have a long-time family friend that owns a gas station, BP. When the Deepwater Horizon disaster happened in 2010, there was a boycott BP stations. How was my family friend responsible for Deepwater Horizon? He wasn't. But people disparaged his business and actually his station was vandalized. To what end?

Watching what is happening to Pixar is really interesting. Arguably, it is the most successful studio in the history of Hollywood. I remember my step-father telling me as a kid that I should buy all my tools and equipment through Sears because tools are guaranteed for life and Sears will always be around. And why wouldn't he say that to me as a kid? My step-dad passed away over a decade ago. I do wonder somedays how he would react knowing that Sears is dead, for lack of a better term.

I hope Pixar doesn't suffer the same fate as Sears or RKO, Touchstone, Dimension, etc.

 

[Smugpugmug]

It's a confluence of things - marketing, timing, quality, reviews, etc. Explain why a very DEI-centric movie like Spider-Verse did so well? It's because most movie goers really don't care about that stuff one way or the other.

I really like how your question wasn't answered. I guess I'll do it. It's because it was an awesome movie.