Tag: movie

Summer 2026 Box Office Breakdown

AdamLeave a comment

Movie theaters are back! Or that’s at least what I’ve been hearing for the past month or two! Ever since that disastrous turn of events that shut down the whole world for a year or two, movie theaters all around the world has seen a significant decline in ticket and concessions sales. That hasn’t stopped Hollywood from doing everything in their power to keep the movie theater going experience alive. Even in the age of streaming, pirating, and Tik Tok, this is a battle that the movie making folks in southern California (and other parts of the world) are willing to fight until they suddenly can’t.

And I don’t think there has been a period of time that has determined just how “well” movie theaters are going throughout the 2020s than this year’s lineup of summer blockbusters, especially since we are entering the latter half of the 2020s. Six years removed of movie theaters being shutdown and two years of infamous strikes, this is probably the most “back to normal” feeling that Hollywood has felt since pre-Covid. If this summer saw yet another underperforming two to three months, then there must come serious questions as to how long movie theaters have before they go extinct.

However, now that summer of 2026 has come and gone, it’s time to see the results of how all the main feature films did in movie theaters everywhere. And the results are…….surprisingly positive. While there are certainly some baffling duds that do raise cause for concerns for certain IPs, there were plenty of notable successes that were so successful that it practically made up for all those duds. Because of that and more, 2026 is looking to be hands down the best year for movie theaters since 2019! And for the first time since Covid, that actually is saying something!

In case you are wondering how I am judging this data, I am gonna look at a chunk of wide releases that came out at the start of May to the near the end of August. I’m gonna list the film’s budget, how much the film made at the box office, what the projected break even point likely was, how much the film gain in profit, and whether or not it should been seen as a success, flop, underperformance, or break even point for the studios.

I’m only gonna use math that most tend to use when judging how a film does at the box office. Mostly by taking the budget, times that by 2.5X to cover the whole budget surrounding production and marketing, and seeing how much money it made or lose as a result.

Again, that is not the case for EVERY single one of these movies and this is NOT a direct result as to how the studios view each film from a financial standpoint. This is just my personal guess and opinion as to how each one of these films should be viewed as.

Plus, it’s also worth mentioning that ever since Covid, the definition of “success” is now quite different in the eyes of many producers in Hollywood. Who’s to say that just because a film didn’t do so great in it’s opening two weeks in theaters that the studios sees it as a failure when it became a big hit on digital and streaming? That alone could make it a “success” in the minds of studios.

It is worth remembering that a film’s overall success isn’t just determined based on how it did in theaters but also how it fared in terms of digital, streaming, and physical media sales. Just because not enough people showed up in theaters to give the film profit doesn’t mean people didn’t show it’s support when said film became accessible to all of our home media.

Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this analysis and gives you a good indication of how films are still thriving/struggling in movie theaters!

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Budget: $100 Million

Box Office: $692.8+ Million

Break Even Point: $250+ Million

Gain/Lose: $442.3+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

While hardcore fans have certainly debated the quality of this 20 years in the making sequel since it’s release, there’s no denying the massive cult following the original film has gained since 2006. And it’s that exact cult following that showed up in drones to support yet another adventure with Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. Whether it’s because of it’s timely story of AI and digital taking over the fashion industry or just wanting to spend more time with these characters, The Devil Wears Prada 2 was an absolute slam dunk for both Disney and 20th Century Fox. I wouldn’t be shocked if a third film is being discussed right at this very moment.

Mortal Kombat II

Budget: $80 Million

Box Office: $129+ Million

Break Even Point: $200+ Million

Gain/Lose: $71+ Million Loss

Verdict: Flop

Although this was certainly an improvement over the 2021 original (which grossed $80 million when over half of the movie theaters around the world was close), I doubt it’s enough for Mortal Kombat II to be considered a success in the eyes of Warner Bros. Whether it’s because of the multiple delays or divisive reception that the first one got among critics and fans alike, Mortal Kombat II just couldn’t seem to win over folks, despite it being more positively received than the original. Unless digital and streaming can come in to save the day, I would not expect a third film to be released anytime soon.

Obsession

Budget: $750,000

Box Office: $750,000

Box Office: $505.7+ Million

Break Even Point: $1.875+ Million

Gain/Lose: $493+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

The breakout hit of the summer that is still leaving the higher ups at Hollywood shaking their heads, wondering how in the world they did NOT see this coming?! A supernatural horror film that is fully original being made by a YouTuber that hardly anyone in the industry heard about and feature a cast of actors and actresses that hardly anyone in the industry heard about, ending up being one of the most shocking success stories in modern film history! Obsession was able to defy any sort of expectations that might’ve been leveled against it and then some! Throughout the summer, it went toe-to-toe with the likes of Star Wars, He-Man, DC Comics, Disney Live-Action, and the great Steven Spielberg…..and actually WON! Congrats to Curry Baker, Inde Navarrette, and everyone involved with Obsession, enjoy this glorious success, you deserve every bit of it!

The Mandalorian & Grogu

Budget: $165 Million

Box Office: $345.7+ Million

Break Even Point: $412.5+ Million

Gain/Lose: $66.8+ Million Loss

Verdict: Underperformed

I called it at the beginning of this year and I (unfortunately) was completely right! It’s still baffling that Disney and Lucasfilm thought that Star Wars’ triumphant return to cinema should consist of three to four episodes of a Disney Plus series that most people stop caring about over half a decade ago. With the near non-existence marketing and a very vague plot synopsis, The Mandalorian & Grogu was more in-line with the The Clone Wars animated film from 2008 than any of the “official” Star Wars films (And that’s totally NOT because both films where originally meant to be several episodes of their own respective shows and JUST so happens to have Jabba the Hutt’s son in it). I’m sure Disney Plus numbers and merchandise will be enough to save this from being a complete financial disaster in the eyes of stock holders but the fact it’s solely reliant on that is a good indicator just where Star Wars is right now. Let’s hope that Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling are up to the task of restoring the legacy of Star Wars next year with Starfighter or else the Dave Filoni era of Lucasfilm could be over before it even begins.

Backrooms

Budget: <$10 Million

Box Office: $394.1+ Million

Break Even Point: <$25+ Million

Gain/Loss: $371.5+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

Another surprise “original” hit that no one saw coming. Granted, unlike with Obsession, Backrooms already did have an established fanbase, as it is based on a series of web shorts on YouTube created by director Kane Parsons. However, that still doesn’t change the fact that it was still able to stand strong on it’s own and even surpassed many other established IPs this summer that I’ve already mentioned. Perhaps if the audience’s reception was on the level of Obsession, it might’ve been able to gain enough legs to cross the 400 million dollar mark. Even so, another terrific success story that will surely usher in a new era of filmmaking among social media influencers, for better or worse (most certainly worse)!

Scary Movie (2026)

Budget: $30 Million

Box Office: $231.4+ Million

Break Even Point: $75+ Million

Gain/Loss: $156.4+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

The return to form horror spoof franchise was able to make it’s 13-year long return look pretty easy. Despite the negative reviews and divisive fan reception, it was still able to make it’s money back and then some, becoming the highest grossing Scary Movie sequel to date (inflation aside). Between this, last year’s The Naked Gun, and the upcoming Grown Ups 3, it looks like we are now seeing the doors being open for more raw horror/anti-woke/politically incorrect comedies for the immediate future. And I’m sure it will absolutely NOT get old and tiresome very fast!

Masters of the Universe

Budget: $170+ Million

Box Office: $114+ Million

Break Even Point: $285+ Million

Gain/Loss: $171+ Million Loss

Verdict: Flop….but

In almost ALL circumstances, Masters of the Universe (2026) would be seen as an absolute bomb, barley able to make pass just a $100 million globally despite it’s $175 million budget and being based of the He-Man IP. However, when it comes to Amazon MGM and Mattel, they are clearly looking more at how the film does in terms of streaming and merchandise numbers. And thus far, Masters of the Universe (2026) has been a MASSIVE hit for both Amazon Prime AND for Mattel toys/action figures! Similar to last year’s F1, the purpose of the film’s existence isn’t so much to make all the money in the world at the box office but more to introduce He-Man to a new generation, hoping that the film itself will be remember upon leaving movie theaters everywhere and gain new fans among younger demographics. And if the strong numbers for Amazon Prime and Mattel are any indication, we MIGHT just see Masters of the Universe continue in some way, shape, or form in the future. Again, if we are looking at just box office numbers, it’s an absolute flop! But whether or not Amazon and Mattel both feel that way remains to be seen!

Disclosure Day

Budget: $115 Million

Box Office: $241+ Million

Break Even Point: $287.5+ Million

Gain/Loss: $46.5+ Million Loss

Verdict: Underperformed

Despite the marketing painting this as a glorious return to form for Stephen Spielberg and the OG “disaster” film of the summer, Disclosure Day most certainly didn’t live up to the box office projections that Universal thought they were getting. Although it did get decent legs in the latter half of it’s theater run (most likely due to it being the only main “adult” film released until The Odyssey), it’s polarizing response from audiences clearly didn’t help, with many feeling like the film didn’t live up to it’s title. Even as someone that is a strong defender of the film, I definitely understand those that want a film to be a complete package with no loose ends whatsoever would be disappointed by it. There could be a chance that this film will find it’s audience in terms of digital and streaming but I’m sure Universal and Spielberg themselves thought that THIS would be the breakout original hit of the summer…..and it just wasn’t.

Toy Story 5

Budget: $250 Million

Box Office: $1.136+ Billion

Break Even Point: $625+ Million

Gain/Loss: $545+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

Despite everyone and their mom constantly claiming that this series should have ended after 3 until they are blue in the face, that didn’t stop Toy Story 5 for being yet another $1 billion grosser for Mickey Mouse and crew, performing as the highest grossing Toy Story film to date (Again, inflation aside!). It’s timely plot involving tablets and electronics taking over the lives of modern children most certainly played a benefit to the audience’s glowing response to it, along with seeing our cowgirl Jessie getting more screentime than last time out. And unlike another big animated film released this summer, it had a decent seven-year long wait that kept enough distance from audience to justify another Toy Story adventure that they would want to see. Post-Toy Story 3 naysayers be damned, I’m sure Disney and Pixar will be coming out with a Toy Story 6 with Buzz Lightyear front in center sooner than you would think (Just don’t make it like Lightyear, please!).

Supergirl

Budget: $170-$186 Million

Box Office: $126.4+ Million

Break Even Point: $425-$465+ Million

Gain/Loss: $298.6-$338.6+ Million in Loss

Verdict: Flop

Another big flop that I (unfortunately) saw coming from a mile away. From it’s questionable release date to it’s lackluster trailers to it’s nightmare PR, Supe’s cousin had a hard time finding any sort of audience in the theaters this summer. As I sadly predicted, Supergirl was the most heartbreaking bombs of the summer, falling into the same “female-led movies made for men” wheelhouse with 2024’s Furiosa and last summer’s Ballerina, only not having any fandom goodwill attached to it. Mr. Gunn and company better hope that Man of Tomorrow delivers next summer or else this new DC Universe might just be over before it even got a chance to settle in, (and that’s not even mentioning the GIANT elephant in the room that’s about to swallow Warner Bros Discovery up).

Jackass: Best and Last

Budget: $10 Million

Box Office: $27.8+ Million

Break Even Point: $25+ Million

Gain/Loss: $2.8+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Broke Even

For a movie that had little to no marketing and was basically thrown into movie theaters at the very last second, this is about as good as it could get. I don’t know if this has to do with Paramount realizing the shift away from streaming and shift towards movie theaters or Mr. Ellison proving his point on releasing up to 30 films a year once he acquires you know what, I’m at least glad that Johnny Knoxville and friends were able to get Jackass: Best and Last in the seats for their last hooray! If only they actually bother to market the damn thing and over half of the movie wasn’t just deleted stunts from the previous movie! Only then, this could’ve ended up being among the highest grossing Jackass films of all time.

Minions & Monsters

Budget: $85+ Million

Box Office: $514+ Million

Break Even Point: $212.5+ Million

Gain/Loss: $301.5+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

Yes, this will (likely) be the lowest grossing installment in the Despicable Me franchise by quite a big margin and was clearly affected by circumstances such as the World Cup, America’s 250th birthday, the massive heat wave, and potential audience fatigue of those walking, talking corn puffs. However, thanks to it’s very tight budget and billions of dollars earned in merchandising, Minions & Monsters still made more than enough to be considered a hit. However, considering this is the SEVENTH overall installment with the Minions since 2010 and the THIRD installment that we have gotten with them since 2022, it might be time for Illumination to take a break with their beloved/infamous mascots and revisited some of their other properties. And considering that Universal are dipping their toes back to the wells of Shrek and The Secret Life of Pets, it seems they might be doing just that. This is STILL a success but it might be a little while before we are reunited with Gru and the minions once again.

Moana (2026)

Budget: $250+ Million

Box Office: $315+ Million

Break Even Point: $625+ Million

Gain/Loss: $310+ Million Loss

Verdict: Flop

I don’t know if the motive to do a live-action remake of a Disney animated film that came out just ten years ago had to do with corporate greed or The Rock needing a quick hit after his attempt at jumpstarting DC Comics (Black Adam) and going for an Oscar (The Smashing Machine) fell flat but Moana (2026) could have NOT made the higher ups at Disney particularly happy regardless of which way you look at it. Even in a crowded summer of family friendly blockbusters, I don’t think people expected for this to fail THIS hard! Maybe it was just way too early to do a live-action remake of Moana OR the audience fatigue with these live-actions remakes are settling in with Lilo & Stitch (2025) being just a fluke?! Regardless, Disney might need to start carefully considering which animated classics they chose to do a live-action remake for to avoid big losses like this for the future.

Evil Dead Burn

Budget: $20 Million

Box Office: $72.3+ Million

Break Even Point: $50+ Million

Gain/Loss: $22.3 Million in Profit

Verdict: Broke Even

Releasing a horror film like this in the middle of summer is still a baffling choice in my mind, but that didn’t stop Evil Dead Burn from doing JUST enough to keep it from being a total failure. Even with the lack of marketing or the possible franchise indifference now, I don’t think Warner Bros should be too upset with how this did, especially compared to their other failures in 2026. A Spring or Fall release date might have faired this much better but considering this was released under the worst circumstances, this was still good enough.

The Odyssey

Box Office: $250 Million

Box Office: $1.555+ Billion

Break Even Point: $625+ Million

Gain/Loss: $930+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

Perhaps the profit numbers are a bit exaggerated with extra marketing and budget numbers probably added in there, but make no mistake, The Odyssey is a MASSIVE hit! The haters can point to the inflated numbers and the amount of “ghost” seats in the theaters all they want but you would be lying through your damn teeth if you claim that Universal is NOT happy with the results for The Odyssey. Christopher Nolan sought out to make a definite version of The Odyssey that will go down in history as one of the greatest cinematic achievements of the decade and he did just that. What’s even more crazy is that it is STILL selling out seats over two months later, which can push this to $1.7+ Billion total by the time it finally gets let out of theaters. Between this and the next movie I’m about to talk about, this was the one-two knock out punch that the summer movie season DESPERATELY needed to save any kind of face from it’s overall shortcomings! Rock on, Nolan!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Box Office: $225+ Million

Box Office: $2.335+ Billion

Break Even Point: $562.5+ Million

Gain/Loss: $1.772+ Billion

Verdict: Hit

Let’s be honest, NONE of us saw this coming! Sure, we all knew that Spidey was gonna be an easy billion dollar hit but I don’t think anyone expected THIS! Not only managing to outgrossing one of the most successful films of all time in No Way Home (which included THREE Spider-Men and all of their memorable villains) but it’s able to stand up their with the likes of Avatar, Titanic, and Avengers: Endgame, by being one of the ONLY two billion dollar grosses of all time. Spider-Man: Brand New Day was able to deliver the right amount of twists and turns and surprises that are to be found here, all which work as not just fun fan service and crowd pleasing moments but also plays actual, legit importance of a role to the film’s overall themes and messages. You have the Punisher, the Incredible Hulk, *SPOILER ALERT* and Yelena, A.K.A. the new Black Widow, that are present and accounted for here. Yes, I know the buzz killers out there will bring up inflation and the ACTUAL number of ticket prices but come on, regardless if this movie came out in 2026 or 2006, this is still an INCREDIBLY achievement. Tom Holland and Zendaya better put their retirement plans on acting on hold because with the way things are going on, Sony and Marvel are gonna make them do their roles until they are 90! (*whispers* UNTIL YOU ARE 90! *whispers*)

The End of Oak Street

Budget: $80-92 Million

Box Office: $107+ Million

Break Even Point: $200-$230+ Million

Gain/Lose: -$93-$123+ Million

Verdict: Flop

The verdict here is quite a head scratcher. Considering it’s overall positive reviews, it’s superbly talented cast, and tackling a genre sandbox most mainstream moviegoers absolute LOVE in dinosaurs, The End of Oak Street should have been an easy mini-win. Whether it’s because of it’s high budget or controversy surrounding the film’s AI-generated marketing, it seems like dinos don’t sell to the audience unless it’s related to something Jurassic Park or World. Maybe it will gain enough legs down the road and streaming numbers to pump it up to the break even point, but yeah, quite disappointing.

Insidious: Out of the Further

Budget: $18 Million

Box Office: $110.3+ Million

Break Even Point: $45+ Million

Gain/Lose: $65.3+ Million

Verdict: Hit

While it’s too early to claim if this will be up there with among the most highest grossing films of the franchise, Insidious: Out of the Further still manages to continues the series overall consistency in box office numbers. Regardless of it’s release date, Insidious still seems to do just fine no matter when it comes out. It may no longer reinvent the wheel for horror but it’s still able to make the best out of it’s limited budget and can keep the brand going just as long as enough people still show up for it. Bring on Insidious 7!

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie

Budget: $40 Million

Box Office: $125+ Million

Break Even Point: $100+ Million

Gain/Lose: $25+ Million

Verdict: Hit

This would probably be at the break even verdict had this movie came out a few months ago but since it will likely still be in theaters at least for another month and there’s no major kids movie coming out until Forgotten Island, I’m willing to bet it will make more in profit in terms of theater, digital, and streaming that Paramount will be more than happy with the results of Paw Patrol. Like a handful of successes this summer, just keep the budgets low and deliver on crowd pleasing thrills and you will be surprised how much money you will get back as a result.

When you take all the box office results into account with the ways that most film analysts use to determine if the movie is a success or failure, this summer has had a total of TEN movies that should be considered hits, five movies that should be considered bombs (with one potential exception thanks to streaming), two movies that underperformed, and two other movies that did just enough to break even.

With these results, I am more than happy to say the movie theaters are indeed coming back and for the first time since Covid-19, it seems like it is FINALLY headed towards a positive direction. Yes, it’s a shame that The Mandalorian & Grogu and Disclosure Day underperformed as they did and Supergirl and Moana (2026) were the gigantic bombs that they were, there was just WAY too much success stories to completely right this summer off.

You had Toy Story 5 being another billion dollar animated grosser for Disney, you had The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Scary Movie (2026) being able to ride the legacy-quel wave to become solid hits, you had The Odyssey being the massive theatrical event that it was advertised to be and practically bringing back the good old days of movie theaters, you had Spider-Man: Brand New Day killing all Marvel/superhero fatigue narratives yet again to become only the THIRD two billion dollar juggernaut of all time, and of course, you can NOT forget two of the greatest cinematic success story in recent memory than with Obsession and Backrooms. Even a low grossing franchise installment like Minions & Monsters was STILL able to cross the half billion dollar mark and gain plenty of revenue for Universal and Illumination Animation. Throw early year hits such as Scream 7, Hoppers, Project Hail Mary, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Michael and I would say that movie theaters have been eating quite good for 2026.

While I don’t know movie theaters will EVER be able to capture the same magic they were able to before 2020, 2026 is prove that there is still a massive audience and demographic for the film going experience. This might just be the start of a big shift that we are seeing with how we view our entertainment. With streaming prices going up, more studio mergers happening, and owning digital media no longer having that special ownership feeling as physical media, you can sense there’s a chance of vibes, especially among younger audiences, of the way they go about seeing the newest film releases.

Because of that and more, there is still plenty of hope for movie theaters! There are still plenty of changes that need to be made (lower ticket prices/concessions, longer theatrical windows, longer time waiting for films to come to digital/streaming, more movie subscriptions/clubs….etc.) but if studios keep going with this direction while being able to contain a sustainable budget with most big movies they released, there might still be hope for movie theaters yet!

Is The Theatrical Experience Dead?

AdamLeave a comment

There was a time when you went to cinema to see the next big blockbuster, it didn’t just feel like you were in for a new movie, it felt like you were in for a new experience. Whether you loved the movie or hated it, there was a magical feeling of being in the cinema for the next big movie with a sold out crowd on opening night or weekend. I will never forget the experience of watching Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame on the very first night with the crowd being on cloud nine the whole way through. To experience all the laughs, cheers, excitement, and even tears to come from the crowd was something truly special and will always be a lasting memory for me! However, as we approach the end of 2023 and see where cinema is in it’s current state, there is a strong argument to be made about how the magic of watching films in cinema is long gone.

To say that 2023 has been a brutal year for Hollywood and cinema would be an understatement. Not only with the handful of strikes that have gone on for the majority of the year but the way that new franchise installments have underperformed vastly and bombed spectacularly at the box office. It’s not only in terms of flicks involving Disney and superheroes like the media has made it out to be but almost every notable franchise out there minus a few exceptions. And it’s not only one or two specific reasons that stand out for these movies tanking but there are MULTIPLE factors here. Multiple factors that honestly has been years in the making!

Because of that, let’s go over ever single logical factor here! Every single concrete reason as to why cinema is in the state that is in right now and why major changes need to happening if cinema will continue to evolve in the comfort of movie theaters everywhere!

The Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the lives of every single life form on planet Earth. A worldwide plague that forced everyone to quarantine for the majority of 2020 along with parts of 2021 and 2022. Because of that, entertainment around the world was put on hold. Theaters were closed, films were delayed, and productions of basically all forms of entertainment were put on hold. Coming right after a massive year of the box office in 2019, where there were NINE films that grossed over a billion dollars worldwide (SEVEN of them disturbed by Disney), this could not have occurred at a worse time for Hollywood.

This led to many of the big movies that were to come out in 2020 and 2021 being sent to streaming with some occasional theater showings for some of them. With over half the theaters around the country being closed and streaming services being more popular than ever, of course most chose to stay at home and watching the upcoming movies on streaming services. However, that line of thinking of just waiting to watch movies in the comfort of your own homes has clearly played an impact on the way movie goers chose to watch films in the 2020s.

With a handful of exceptions, most new franchise installments that always tended to make a guarantee profit have underperformed or bombed in this post-Covid timeline. A large reason for that has to do with the fact that most audiences would rather wait for new movies to be able for digital or streaming services then shelling a few extras bucks on concessions and theater seats when new movies come out in cinema. The theatrical experiences for most big movies nowadays is just not worth it in the eyes of the consumer.

Strikes-a-palooza

2023 was a year that was litter with strikes going on in Hollywood, with some that either is still happening or most likely to happen soon. You have the writers strike that lasted for nearly five months, you have the actors strike that lasted for four months, there’s a strike going on at the moment with the VFX artists from Disney and Marvel, and if reports are to believe, you can bet that a strike within the gaming and animation industry is likely to occur sooner rather than later.

The strikes involving the writers and actors caused a halt in production of films along with the promotion and marketing of upcoming films being practically non-existent. This caused films like Dune: Part Two to be delayed and films that have been released during it such as The Marvels to suffer severely at the box office. While we might not have felt the direct impact of upcoming films in production that were halted because of the strike, we will certainly feel it in the next two to three years. Just as we all felt the impact of the previous writers strike with films that came out in 2009 or 2010. If the impact wave of Covid is about over, a brand new wave involving all the strikes is about to come. Surfs up!

Too Many Mid-icore Movies

While the other two reasons mentioned is a great argument of the amount of money studios spend on their movies and the amount of moment audience will spend to watch them, maybe the big reason as to do with the actual quality of the motion picture. Maybe it has to do with audience no longer wearing their rose-colored glasses and seeing how it’s become quantity over quality for a lot of franchises right there. Movies that just exist for the sake of existing and not because it’s something the audience actually want to see.

That would explain greatly how films like Barbie, Oppenheimer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse have been the most notable successes at box office in 2023. Not just because they were names from a familiar brand but because of the strong impact they had on mainstream audiences which led to repeat theater viewings and strong worth of mouth. While not quite the most successful films of all time, it was able to exceed expectations, and possibly even surpass them due to how good those movies actually were. The same thing can’t be said about the other big movies that came out in 2023.

Fast X was seen as more of the same, over-the-top nonsense that has become accustomed to this franchise at this point. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was seen as a passable if not disposable entry for a franchise that is still dealing with the aftermath of the overblown Bayformers flicks. The Flash was seen as a ugly CGI mess made solely for course correcting and the hope that having Michael Keaton back as Batman along with Sasha Calle’s Supergirl would be enough to overcome any shortcomings. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was seen as an unnecessary and forgettable finale to a series that already had two definite finales beforehand. The Marvels, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might have been considered “good enough” when superhero movies still felt like events but not in the year 2023. And Wish was seen as lackluster of an 100th year anniversary film for Disney that you could possibly imagine. While two or three of these might be enough to guarantee a solid three out of four stars ratings, they all did not receive the best reviews or the strongest word of mouth to make any of these worth buying a ticket for. Because of that, they were not able to make their money back or break even.

Even Good Movies Are Bombing

I’m sure most of you reading this thinks that the easy solution would be just to make better films and more people will be more eager to see them in theaters. While there have definitely been films this year that have accomplished just that, there have been other notable critically successful films that suffered at the box office regardless of it’s high quality.

These include the likes of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning- Part 1, Blue Beetle, and Killers of the Flower Moon. All four of these films were ones that gained mostly very good reviews from critics and received a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes but still lost money. While plenty will argue it had to do with awkward release dates or going ridiculously overbudget, it still doesn’t change the fact that these were all very good films in the eyes of critics and folks that went to see them but still underperformed or flopped at the box office.

This just goes to show you that even films that are well-acclaimed are not guarantee to be box office hits either. Sometimes a movie bombing has nothing to do with it’s overall quality, it’s that audience didn’t have the interest or knowledge of it’s existence to check them out while it was playing in theaters. There are plenty of good to great films in recent memory in the past that have been guilty of that: Dredd, Edge of Tomorrow, The Nice Guys, Blade Runner 2049, Annihilation, and Doctor Sleep just to name a few. While I’m sure all four of the 2023 films mentioned will find or already has found it’s audience through digital or physical media, the fact they were unable to gain them at the time it came out in theaters goes to show how even well quality films have suffered from other dire consequences.

Overbudgeting At It’s Finest

This is the one that everyone and their mother has pointed out but it’s certainly worth pointing out again. The amount of money that is being spend on these big movies is beyond ridiculous. Going past the traditional of $150 to $200 million budgets to big blockbusters in favor of now $250 to $300 million budgets. You have Elemental and Wish costing $200 million to make, The Flash costing $220 million to make, The Marvels costing $275 million to make, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning- Part 1 cost $291 million to make, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny costing $300 million to make, and even Fast X costing $340 million to make. And that’s not even including the amount of money that was spent on trailers and marketing which you could add at least a few more million with. The overconfidence in box office has certainly been Hollywood’s weakness throughout the entirety of 2023.

I’m sure many people will point out how the larger budgets may have to do with Covid-19 halting many of these projects while they were in development but that doesn’t excuse how others movies released this year which made either just as much, more, or even less than any of the big movies were able to be a financial hit. You have John Wick: Chapter 4 which made a franchise record, 432 million worldwide, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse making over 600 million worldwide, which is a record for Sony Animation, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 making over 800 million worldwide, and The Super Mario Bros Movie making over 1.3 billion worldwide.

When looking at the movies mentioned from this year, only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was able to have a budget over 200 million dollars and was able to be a financial success. The rest of the movies either underperformed or flat out bombed at the box office. It makes you wonder how in the world movies such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Across the Spider-Verse were able to have a cheaper budget than Elemental despite having more impressive animation and more well known celebrities in the cast. Even so, it goes to show you how easy it is to make back your money on movies if you keep your expectations and budget in check without going too overboard.

If a movie making half or 3/4 of a billion dollars is considered underperforming, the studios need to take a good, hard look at themselves and figure out what has allowed that to happen. If you need to make at or near a billion for your big movie to make a profit, then that just speaks volume how little connection you have with yourself or the general public. Even if Covid was a factor in some extra money being spent, that can’t be the only factor to do it.

It must be no coincidence that the three highest grossing films of the year in Barbie, Mario, and Oppenheimer were all films that only cost 145 million or less. Take a hint, Hollywood!

Theater and Concession Prices Are Ridiculous

Is it me or has the prices for movie tickets and concessions skyrocketed quite a bit to the point of insanity? No matter what time or day it is, it seems like movie tickets nowadays cost a total of at least 12 to 15 dollars with 15 to 20 dollars involving food and beverage. That’s at least 25 to 35 dollars spent on one night at the movies, possibly more if you are going with friends or family members. That is just insane!

While there are certain theater companies out there that offer paid monthly subscriptions that helps save money with going to the movies such as Regal, not all theater companies are like that. At best, you will get a five or ten dollar discount after spending 50 to 100 dollars worth on your local theater and that’s basically it. And if you don’t find yourself using any of those subscriptions, that’s just a few extra bucks you got to fork over just for one or two times at the cinema.

Whether this is due to Covid-19 or the power of inflation, the increase of price in tickets and concessions has to play an effect on the way audience select the upcoming blockbusters they want to see. The movie going experience is more expense now than ever before, almost approaching the level of the expenses of gaming and sporting events. Because of that, it’s obvious the mainstream audience are mostly picking and choosing at random which movies they want to see on the big screen and which ones they would rather wait to watch in the comfort of their own homes. They’ll go see their Barbie and Oppenheimer but they will likely rather wait for The Marvels and Killers of the Flower Moon to come to streaming.

Maybe, just maybe, if theaters and cinema would have the urge to lower the prices on tickets and concessions or offer more events like Cinema Day, perhaps folks might be more willing to check films out in cinema when they arrive on the big screen.

Movies Are No Longer Events

To repeat what I said at the start of this article, remember when going to a movie of a big franchise felt like a cinematic event? Almost as if you are about to witness a moment in history you would be eager to tell your kids and grandkids many years later down the road? Is it me or has the movie theater experience lacked that hype and event feeling at least since 2020 rolled around?

There have been exceptions of course. You have the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: Way of Water, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Barbie, and Oppenheimer that were able to achieve that cinematic feeling for most moviegoers out there. But, those are really only exceptions compared to other franchise films that have come out since then. Instead of the feeling you are about to watch the cinematic equivealant of the World Series in theaters, it now feels like you are watching the cinematic equivalent of a Spring Training game.

When I saw The Marvels and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in theaters, the things that took me off guard the most when watching them was how uncinematic it felt watching those in theaters, especially compared to the series prior installments. I remember theaters being mostly packed when I saw the first Captain Marvel and the other Hunger Games films when I saw them in theaters, with the feeling that the hype and anticipation of so many folks was about to pay off. When I saw the newest installment of Captain Marvel and Hunger Games, I can only count on hand about eight to ten other folks with me in the theaters, which made about less than a quarter of the whole theater. If that’s not a sign how far the feeling of being in a movie theater has fallen, then I don’t know what is.

I could also give other examples, most recently with Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom set to be an absolute bomb despite the first film being the highest grossing DC film of all time, but the examples I just mentioned really gave me that depressing feeling about how the theater experience isn’t the same anymore and likely never will be.

This is likely because of how most franchise installments nowadays don’t feel like events anymore. Whether that’s due to Covid-19 or being oversaturated with them or just the overall declining quality with most of them, they just don’t feel as grand or rewarding as they used to be. Because of that, what’s the point of going to theaters anymore when you can just wait a couple of months to watch them in your own homes where you will save yourself extra cash? It’s like they said, vote with your wallet and that’s what many moviegoers have done since the pandemic rolled around.

How To Fix This?

There has been plenty of discussions going around on what Hollywood needs to do to fix their current problems. I’ll tell you right now that there is no simple solution to fix all of this. They have dug themselves into massive hole that it will take years to come even close to climbing out of it. If I were to give a simple bit of advice, it’s to probably go back to the “old school” ways of making films.

Don’t feel the need to go overbudget, don’t overthink every single bit of detail, don’t needlessly overwork your VFX artists, use every old fashioned camera trick and editing technique in the book, work at a reasonable time and pace, and most importantingly, make them all feel like films that deserve to be seen in movie theaters. Also, lowering the prices on tickets and concessions would help as well!

Of course, this won’t solve every single problem that Hollywood is currently having, especially with the amount of strikes that are likely gonna occur in the future, but at least it would give a reason as to why the theatrical experience should still be a thing in the year 2023 and onwards. Why going out to theaters to see the newest blockbuster when it comes out is important instead of just waiting a few extra months to watch on streaming or demand!

All of those things and much more need to happen if the theatrical experience is to thrive in the future. Otherwise, streaming and digital media will be the absolute future with no need for theaters and physical media.

Thanks a lot, Trolls: World Tours! You destroyed cinema!