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Superman is doing fine domestically, not great but not terrible. Internationally, it’s a disaster. The most common comparisons are The Flash, The Marvels and The Eternals. Apparently international markets right now aren’t interested in a DC (boo!) comic book movie (boo!) about America’s most American (booo!) hero. Gunn’s DCU may be DOA. (Sorry. I had to.)


Also, M3gan 2.0 somehow bombed huge.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

Also, M3gan 2.0 somehow bombed huge.

Boo!

ccs wrote:

grahamdbailey wrote:
I love the cinema, and don't mind paying to go. But the real issue isn't the price, it's the behaviours of others in the cinema. This has pretty much stopped me attending; it's been months since the last time I went when I used to go regularly.
Cinema etiquette seems to have died as a thing.

It might just be a location or show time problem.
I hardly ever go to a movie during peak show times. Most things I've seen opening weekend in recent years have been on Thur evening about 7/8pm, earliest showing Sat morning (because there's gaming to be done later ), or late afternoon/evening Sunday.
Virtually no audience issues.

Other stuff I'll catch a week or so later & the crowds will have moved on.

I went with my daughter on Saturday to watch the live-action 'How to Train Your Dragon' and we had the screen to ourselves! It was great, thoroughly enjoyed it.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Superman is doing fine domestically, not great but not terrible. Internationally, it’s a disaster. The most common comparisons are The Flash, The Marvels and The Eternals. Apparently international markets right now aren’t interested in a DC (boo!) comic book movie (boo!) about America’s most American (booo!) hero. Gunn’s DCU may be DOA. (Sorry. I had to.)

Without commenting on Superman specifically, is this actually a good time to launch a movie? Most of Germany is one or two weeks into the school summer holidays. I imagine a fair few people that might have gone seen a movie are too busy lying on a beach right now.

Indoor hobbies take a nose-dive at this time of year. Eg for model sales right now is the nose-dive region where sales are really at their lowest point.

Of course there's a flipside to this which is to do big marketing pushes for large things like major sales and new editions of games around now to try and push those sales up higher.

So there's a flipside to it IF you can get it to work




For hollywood and superheroes I would hazard that perhaps people are just burned out on them. Every major film craze has its end-point and I feel like superheroes are into that period where they are potentially starting to wind down. Not that they aren't still popular, just that they are no longer the new-hotness. That all it will take is one landmark film or short series of films to kick-start the next film craze.

Personally I think that for the superhero films all the different interconnected films; multiple restarts; meta-verse and tied in TV series has worked great for die-hard fans; but is terrible for casual fans. Casual fans but out; get confused and fed up.

I know I can't get excited about "oh its another restart of X superhero" or "oh its another metaverse one where a few key actors changed/costume changed; I need to go watch 3 TV series on another character to catch up and then there's 4 other films I need to see to flesh out the backstory so that this new film doesn't feel watered down and hollow and and and...

Also worth noting there are now genre defining classics that initially bombed.

The Thing sticks in my mind the most as an example. Big Trouble in Little China, too.

 Geifer wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Superman is doing fine domestically, not great but not terrible. Internationally, it’s a disaster. The most common comparisons are The Flash, The Marvels and The Eternals. Apparently international markets right now aren’t interested in a DC (boo!) comic book movie (boo!) about America’s most American (booo!) hero. Gunn’s DCU may be DOA. (Sorry. I had to.)

Without commenting on Superman specifically, is this actually a good time to launch a movie? Most of Germany is one or two weeks into the school summer holidays. I imagine a fair few people that might have gone seen a movie are too busy lying on a beach right now.

In the US, parents can’t afford travel or air conditioning, so summer vacation is the best time for a movie aimed at all audiences. I guess studios don’t account for European vacations.

I thought in the USA they just packaged their kids to the woods for a week of outdoors learning; fun and being murdered by a local crazy person/wildbeast/monster/aliens

At least that's what decades of films have taught me

That was Gen X, my generation. From the TV, I gather todays kids are sealed in bubble wrap and given participation trophies. No one under 20 wants to see a dead body no more.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
That was Gen X, my generation. From the TV, I gather todays kids are sealed in bubble wrap and given participation trophies. No one under 20 wants to see a dead body no more.

My generation was the generation to hear a noise, grab a flashlight and go investigate.

The new generation hears a noise and turns up the volume on their headphones.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Superman is doing fine domestically, not great but not terrible. Internationally, it’s a disaster. The most common comparisons are The Flash, The Marvels and The Eternals. Apparently international markets right now aren’t interested in a DC (boo!) comic book movie (boo!) about America’s most American (booo!) hero. Gunn’s DCU may be DOA. (Sorry. I had to.)

It will be successful enough to keep Warner going with the DCU, at least for the projects that are already started. There's a quote from Warner CEO that they are excited about the reception its getting, but that might just be corporate positivity-speak, given that he's the head and all. From IGN:

Superman's early numbers also seem to have pleased DC Studios' parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, with CEO David Zaslav commenting he "couldn't be more excited" to now see the rest of Gunn's DCU plans unfold.

"This weekend, we watched Superman soar as James Gunn's passion and vision came to life on the big screen," Zaslav said, via Deadline. "Superman is just the first step.

"Over the next year alone, DC Studios will introduce the films Supergirl and Clayface in theaters and the series Lanterns on HBO Max, all part of a bold 10-year plan. The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn't be more excited for what's ahead."

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Also, M3gan 2.0 somehow bombed huge.

The trailers that I saw did the movie no favors.

 nels1031 wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Also, M3gan 2.0 somehow bombed huge.

The trailers that I saw did the movie no favors.

I think most people were confused about what the movie was supposed to be.

Based on the trailer, my first thought was, "huh?"

The sad thing is the trailers don’t reflect on the actual movie. It’s got the same sense of humor as the first movie, but instead of horror has Upgrade-style fights and Mission Impossible-style spy/heisting. The trailer made it seem like there’d be a Britney Spears themed drag brunch, which there was not.

Lets be clear, no matter what its not the kind of movie you make to be a box office hit. It's a movie you release to the box office to market its eventual release for streaming and Blu-Ray.

 LunarSol wrote:
Lets be clear, no matter what its not the kind of movie you make to be a box office hit. It's a movie you release to the box office to market its eventual release for streaming and Blu-Ray.

Disagree. First one made near $200 million on a $15 million budget. With that kind of return, there is no way they weren't hoping to have lightning strike twice at the box office.

 Geifer wrote:

Without commenting on Superman specifically, is this actually a good time to launch a movie? Most of Germany is one or two weeks into the school summer holidays. I imagine a fair few people that might have gone seen a movie are too busy lying on a beach right now.

Family movies generally aim for holiday releases, so families can go see them. Although IIRC, closer to the start of the holiday is generally better.

School's just gone back, here. So nobody's going to the cinema.

For DC, I would agree with the suggestion that they're up against superhero fatigue, and the poor perception of DC as a result of the last few movies. (And internationally, the aforementioned poor perception of America generally at the moment) It's going to take time and a solid run of good movies to shift that... Superman was never going to do that on its own.

 LunarSol wrote:
Lets be clear, no matter what its not the kind of movie you make to be a box office hit. It's a movie you release to the box office to market its eventual release for streaming and Blu-Ray.

Not if you release it in a crowded summer, no. Maybe in January, like the first movie…

 insaniak wrote:

 Geifer wrote:

Without commenting on Superman specifically, is this actually a good time to launch a movie? Most of Germany is one or two weeks into the school summer holidays. I imagine a fair few people that might have gone seen a movie are too busy lying on a beach right now.

Family movies generally aim for holiday releases, so families can go see them. Although IIRC, closer to the start of the holiday is generally better.

School's just gone back, here. So nobody's going to the cinema.

For DC, I would agree with the suggestion that they're up against superhero fatigue, and the poor perception of DC as a result of the last few movies. (And internationally, the aforementioned poor perception of America generally at the moment) It's going to take time and a solid run of good movies to shift that... Superman was never going to do that on its own.

Which does open a window for non-family movies. I see limited appeal in most family movies, so am unlikely to go see them. But. Offer me a horror or a sci-fi? Now you’ve got my attention. And, perhaps for parents of older kids? Something for them to go see whilst the kids see the family fare.