Lightyear (Disney/Pixar)

[Cheesebeef]

Gru and his Minions are about to blow the door off the idea that Lightyear was effected by Covid any more than any other big toon this year.

Racked up 10.2 million in Thursday/midnight screenings versus Lightyear’s 5.2.

‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru’ No Small Fry At Independence Day Box Office With $116M+ Opening

FRIDAY MIDDAY: Moviegoers can’t resist dinosaurs, and they can’t resist Minions, especially when they’re coming from Universal. The studio has a big 4th of July winner in the fift…

deadline.com

 

[MigratingOsprey]

I think the analysis for Lightyear is a bit more simple.

A movie that was unclear and poor in promotion to an unclear market.

Toy story started in the 90s. I didn't see the original 2 until I had kids and I liked them. My kids were too young to really see 3 in theaters, even with the gap. They saw 4 and we all liked it.

But they would rather see a marvel movie or something that is contemporary or a continuation on something that is nostalgic to them - like the minions. They are 11 & 12.

My nieces and nephews range from 3-9. They really don't know toy story. They may be aware, but it holds nothing particularly special to them. They also have grown up on streaming.

Toy Story is just another suggestion they pass over going to watch Turning Red or Raya for the hundredth time.

They too have more desire for a minions story because they know it. They saw and enjoyed Sonic 1. They read the Bad Guys series. They watch Sing. This is what is contemporary to them.

Toy Story 4 hit us with nostalgia and put a bow on Andy and his toys.

So what is Lightyear and who do they think wants it.

It doesn't look like a toy story movie. It almost looks like science fiction, but maybe someone else watching science fiction?

What is it to the movie beyond being "Lightyear"

Why should I care about this? Let alone my kids and my nieces & nephews? Non of which have any real emotional attachment or nostalgia to the character.

It seems like a good movie...... But my wife and son went to see Top Gun Maverick again and this may get watched on streaming, only because people say it's good

 

[Chaplin]

I think the analysis for Lightyear is a bit more simple.

A movie that was unclear and poor in promotion to an unclear market.

Toy story started in the 90s. I didn't see the original 2 until I had kids and I liked them. My kids were too young to really see 3 in theaters, even with the gap. They saw 4 and we all liked it.

But they would rather see a marvel movie or something that is contemporary or a continuation on something that is nostalgic to them - like the minions. They are 11 & 12.

My nieces and nephews range from 3-9. They really don't know toy story. They may be aware, but it holds nothing particularly special to them. They also have grown up on streaming.

Toy Story is just another suggestion they pass over going to watch Turning Red or Raya for the hundredth time.

They too have more desire for a minions story because they know it. They saw and enjoyed Sonic 1. They read the Bad Guys series. They watch Sing. This is what is contemporary to them.

Toy Story 4 hit us with nostalgia and put a bow on Andy and his toys.

So what is Lightyear and who do they think wants it.

It doesn't look like a toy story movie. It almost looks like science fiction, but maybe someone else watching science fiction?

What is it to the movie beyond being "Lightyear"

Why should I care about this? Let alone my kids and my nieces & nephews? Non of which have any real emotional attachment or nostalgia to the character.

It seems like a good movie...... But my wife and son went to see Top Gun Maverick again and this may get watched on streaming, only because people say it's good

If you or your family don't have any attachment or nostalgia to the character, then you are definitely not their target audience.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

If you or your family don't have any attachment or nostalgia to the character, then you are definitely not their target audience.

That's kind of the point though.

Kids generally don't have an attachment to this character

Adults who have an attachment to toy story recently had that tied up.

The promotion doesn't indicate what this is our why people who liked you story should care

It doesn't tell new audiences or those with a passing interest why they should care.

So it's basically a cult movie with a niche audience posing as a potential blockbuster.

If reimagined into what this movie is and who it was marketed towards - it's doing fine

Of course it's going to get boat raced by a minions movie though - one that is very clear on it's marketing to what it will deliver

 

[Chaplin]

Kids don’t have an attachment to the character? Or Are you talking about the “person” vs the toy?

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Kids don’t have an attachment to the character? Or Are you talking about the “person” vs the toy?

I guess both?

Your average 4-12 year old has zero feelings about Buzz Lightyear and quite frankly the Toy Story franchise.

It's not contemporary to them, not something they grew up with and not something they are really calling for

 

[Cheesebeef]

everyone figured this was going to be a smash. seems like a lot of hindsight is 20/20 to say it makes sense that it not only underperformed, but then fell off a cliff as well.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Minions is looking at a 116,000,000 4 day - that will be more than Lightyear's made in TWO WEEKS. 98 million for the 3 day which almost doubles Lightyear's first weekend take.

‘Minions: The Rise Of Gru’ No Small Fry At Independence Day Box Office With $116M+ Opening

FRIDAY MIDDAY: Moviegoers can’t resist dinosaurs, and they can’t resist Minions, especially when they’re coming from Universal. The studio has a big 4th of July winner in the fift…

deadline.com

Covid ain't keeping kids or adults out of the theaters for movies they really want to see. Sonic 2, Minions, Top Gun 2, Jurassic... hell, even Everything Everywhere All At Once is proving that.

I think weird marketing + spin-off + MAGA people saying FU all combined to make Lightyear a big disappointment.

 

[ajcardfan]

Thank God my kids are older. I can't stand the minions. For whatever reason

 

[MigratingOsprey]

I think weird marketing + spin-off + MAGA people saying FU all combined to make Lightyear a big disappointment.

I also think inflated expectations that were unfounded

Success is the difference between expectations and results

This has the Pixar name and toy story pedigree that set an expectation....... One that probably wasn't founded when you look at it as a whole

The marketing was also weird and did a terrible job conveying why the general audience should care...... It was mostly just flashing the name Lightyear - which doesn't have the cachet they think it does

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Just checked into our hotel a few minutes ago and turned on the TV. Have already seen commercials by Liberty Mutual, IHOP, and Carmax featuring Minions characters and promoting the movie Minions: The Rise of Gru.

Cannot remember anything for Lightyear other than the trailer.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Poor ‘Lightyear’ Box Office Highlights Disney’s Increasing Reliance On Marvel​

Poor ‘Lightyear’ Box Office Highlights Disney’s Increasing Reliance On Marvel

Disney is increasingly reliant on MCU superheroes.

Okay, fine, Disney swung and missed, so what, right? Well, this isn’t quite 2015 when they can strike out with The Good Dinosaur and Tomorrowland and still be drowning in money thanks to Avengers: Age of Ultron, Inside Out, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Here’s a scary stat that long precedes Covid: Disney earned $7.038 billion globally in 2018, but $5.262 billion of that (75%) came from three MCU movies (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and the Wasp) along with a Pixar superhero sequel (Incredibles 2).

Disney has failed to make new live-action theatrical franchises.

Bob Iger’s reign from 2005 to 2020 was a near-unmitigated success that reshaped pop culture as we know it in ways good (more inclusive mega-bucks tentpole casting) and bad (an eventual reliance on nostalgia-skewing IP). However, his tenure as Disney’s CEO was one of acquisition, namely Pixar in 2006, Marvel in 2009, Lucasfilm in 2012 and Fox in 2019. In terms of theatrical blockbusters, Disney hasn’t had a “new to theaters” live-action franchise outside of the existing MCU brands since Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003 and National Treasure in 2004. To be fair, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt’s Jungle Cruise might have earned Pirates 1-level money ($654 million) in non-Covid times, and Ryan Reynolds’ original Free Guy earned $330 million last summer on an over/under $115 million budget. However, even if Free Guy spawns a sequel, and Reynolds’ Guy and Jodie Comer’s Molotov Girl just might be marquee characters, that was a project picked up from 20th Century Studios. Likewise, Fox was only theatrically useful for a few existing IP (Avatar, Planet of the Apes, Deadpool, etc.).

 

[Cheesebeef]

This movie is in a death spiral, down 65% on a holiday weekend. Literally, every other big movie that’s come out in the last couple weeks (Top Gun 2, Jurassic World, even Elvis) is holding really well at 35% or higher.

This is just a bomb considering the budget placed at a whopping 200 million.

 

[Covert Rain]

This movie is in a death spiral, down 65% on a holiday weekend. Literally, every other big movie that’s come out in the last couple weeks (Top Gun 2, Jurassic World, even Elvis) is holding really well at 35% or higher.

This is just a bomb considering the budget placed at a whopping 200 million.

Another friend of mine took his family and said the same thing to us. They didn’t get it until the opening scene where it described this as Andy’s favorite movie.

He did bring up a good point. He said why didn’t they Segway from a scene with Andy playing with Buzz the sitting down to watch the movie?! Would have made more sense and they could have used that in a preview trailer.

 

[dscher]

In Attempt To Bring Back Audiences, Disney Recuts 'Lightyear' To Add Some Minions

BURBANK, CA — After Disney's Lightyear disappointed at the box office, failing to earn as much in three weeks as Minions: The Rise of Gru earned in one weekend, Disney announced they are releasing a new cut of Lightyear into theaters — this time with minions added.

babylonbee.com