Posted on 01/01/2022 4:40:31 PM PST by Rummyfan
The box office news from earlier this December was mixed. The stupendous success of the latest Spider-Man sequel, No Way Home, indicated that fears of the Omicron variant have not deterred audiences from coming out in the millions: it grossed $260 million at the US box office and $600 million globally.
But it also trampled other less franchise-friendly films. Guillermo del Toro’s new picture Nightmare Alley debuted to a dismal $3 million, and Steven Spielberg’s version of West Side Story will be one of the director’s greatest flops, having grossed a mere $18 million in the US so far. The chances of either film — expensively mounted period pieces from A-list directors — recouping their production budgets at the theater, let alone their advertising costs, is zero.
They join other critically acclaimed adult-oriented pictures that have no audience in theaters. The Ridley Scott medieval epic The Last Duel, Will Smith’s awards-friendly biopic King Richard and even Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast have all opened to mediocre business. The likes of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, No Time To Die and Spider-Man, meanwhile, have made roughly the amounts that might have been expected in the pre-pandemic era. Films are still making money, but only franchise or superhero films.
There are still some anomalies. Scott had greater success with the Lady Gaga-starring House of Gucci, which has done decent business both in the US and internationally. Dune, a risky project, has grossed $400 million worldwide. The Marvel machine was dealt a blow by the relative critical and commercial failure of the unloved woke and diverse superhero film Eternals.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectatorworld.com ...
“Steven Spielberg’s version of West Side Story will be one of the director’s greatest flops”
I’m lovin’ it.
I don’t think covid has anything to do with it. Woke culture is ruining the arts.
These are not impressive numbers. Covid likely has killed attendance.
What numbers they get are not an avalanche of people willing to risk sitting in seats. They are from increased ticket pricing.
I think Hollywood’s ‘grown up’ movie potential was exhausted long before the emergence of Covid, frankly.
Nobody wants woke and diverse. Especially older customers.
And all the movies they were pushing fell into that category.
I think it’s the supply of grown ups that has been exhausted.
We watched Don’t Look Up on Netfix. Watched and watched thinking it would get better and it didn’t. What I tell people is it’s an elitists movie about gwobal warming hidden behind a meteor crashing. It’s so elitists can slap each other on the back on how enlightened they are and no one else. Two hours of my life I’ll never get back.
I agree with that. I’m not afraid of the virus at all. I would go to the cinema and see a movie — if Hollywood was worth supporting. I gave up on their woke crap. If I thought they were producing something worthwhile, I’d buy a ticket. But they’re not, so I’m not.
Not many grown-ups left in this country.
“I don’t think covid has anything to do with it. Woke culture is ruining the arts.”
So true. I was not much of a movie fan a few years back, but did attend one every month or so.
Now, why? At home, I have a better picture, much better sound, can pause whenever I want to eat/talk/bathroom/etc. I can wait and get the blue ray and watch at my leisure.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, even given the above, there are no movies that I give a shi...er...give an Obama about.
If you are interested in carnival slideshow freaks, you can just turn on the evening news. Same thing with gang violence. No need to go to a theater, wear a mask, and pay high prices to see a remake.
Well, with an argument that compelling, who could possibly question your conclusion?
Toro is sort of the king of dark. I may have to go see his movie. Grey post-holiday winter seems like good timing for it.
Box office was dying for ‘grown up movies’ well before Covid.
The industry is dying by a thousand cuts, delivered by its own hand. It’s not just the woke crap, but also their adherence to dying business models and a stubborn unwillingness to adapt to the realities of the marketplace. Hollywood and the music industry would look a lot different today if they had embraced the internet back in the early 2000’s instead of fighting it.
Well, I can’t argue with you there. :0)
Covid was another nail in the coffin, not the hammer. Hollyweird liberalism is the hammer. I haven't been to a movie theater in 22 years
Sad to see such a new large building sitting dark. Even if they were open they couldn't find employees.
Nebraska's unemployment rate is around 1%. The rest are on welfare.
The “shaky camera” and “quick cut” technique, which assume that everyone’s attention span is measured in microseconds so that we have to be watching something move at all times, lost me. And don’t get me started on the Green/Gray filters that they seem to use on all action films.
I can’t STAND that stuff. Irks me so bad.... I also can’t stand the dark scene stuff where they don’t have to go the full measure of completing all the FX they’re trying to convey because nobody can really see crap.
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