did you hear Movies are dead. Or they are dying. Depends on who you ask. And it’s true: It’s been a rough summer at the box office so far But while every new bit of news seems to spell doom for this most beloved pastime, there’s still reason not to be completely pessimistic about the future of movies.
Although it’s not technically summer yet — that happens on June 20 — the summer movie season usually begins the first weekend in May. In recent years, the honor of kicking things has gone to a superhero tentpole, with the pandemic era of 2020 and 2021 being a notable exception to this rule. This year, however, the movie has been slotted at that spot The Fall Guy, the well-reviewed action rom-com starring Ryan Gosling as a stuntman. It didn’t have the same effect as one Guardians of the Galaxywhich had its third installment in 2023, or a Avengerwhich dominated 2019, brought in only $28.5 million on its opening weekend against a $140 million budget. Other disappointments followed Mad Max Fury Road prequel anger, which In leadership that was considered diversity “Worst Memorial Day Weekend in Nearly Three Decades.”
But there are some signs of life: Bad Boys: Ride or Die Beat expectations, and hope is high for both Inside Out 2 And Deadpool vs Wolverine. So should we mourn the moviegoing experience? Or is there still hope? Here’s an optimistic take on our dire situation.
A strike will always make it a year wide
Remember last summer? When you are going to dress up and look your best pink barbie, Hollywood was in the midst of the most extensive labor movement in its history. The Writers Guild of America went on strike in May and the Screen Actors Guild in July. Although some smaller projects continued to shoot through interim contracts with SAG, this meant that production on the big budget features was halted for the most part. The strike means that 2024 is always going to be a tough year for the movie business.
As the Hollywood Reporter Comment, death well It was supposed to take its place The Fall GuyBut due to work stoppage it has to be delayed till July. Say what you want about it death well And the aggressively self-referential nature of that franchise, which can be very jarring, but we’d probably have a very different conversation if that movie had already debuted. Meanwhile, other films that could have made waves were either pushed towards the fall (Mufasa: The Lion King) or bumped into 2025 (Marvel’s lightning) was no help to an already battered industry coming out of the strike delay epidemic — even though the strikes themselves were a net good for workers. Still, it’s impossible to rate this box office like any other.
anger Bombing – but it shouldn’t be the barometer
Let’s get this straight: anger Bombshell Yes, it’s based on pre-existing intellectual property, but it’s a brilliant film from one of the greatest directors of all time, George Miller. So why did it seem like such a bad fit for box office dominance? For one, it’s time to look Fury Road as an anomaly. When the film opened in 2015, it was surpassed Looking forward to a new entry The decades-old franchise featured entirely new cast members in part because it was such an undeniable masterpiece. Above that, it is still It finished second at the box office in its first weekend Pitch Perfect 2. (Alas, the box office was generally much healthier back then, meaning in far more currency than both anger or its competitors Garfield.)
despite Fury RoadWith its Oscar nomination and classic status, it makes sense that audiences wouldn’t rush to see a prequel, especially one that wasn’t as wildly received as its predecessor. It probably didn’t help that Anya Taylor-Joy replaced Charlize Theron, even if Taylor-Joy is great in her own right. And, above all, as my colleague Bilge Ebiri writes in Vulture , a movie as gloriously weird as anger There was never supposed to be such a thing as saving movies. Thus, sad that audiences didn’t jump on it, it’s hard to read it as an obituary in and of itself.
Keep trucking the flop
Remember when I said The Fall Guy flop? Well, it happened, but it also continues Universal makes money at the box office even if it drops on digital, and has now grossed over $165 million worldwide. Meanwhile, John Krasinski’s children’s film IF continues to make money despite its devastatingly bad reviews and not-so-great run. It’s a reminder that the start of the weekend is important, but it’s not the be-all and end-all in some cases. Just look at the success Anyone but youThe rom-com that had a light opening in December has since continued to build on word of mouth Valentine’s Day release and grossed over $200 million worldwide.
We are only one year later barbie And Oppenheimer
Look, I’m personally very hurt when I think we were high last summer barbie And Oppenheimer. Both films exceeded box office expectations, grossing over $1 billion worldwide. Together they have again organized the event of going to the cinema hall. Dress up for people barbieAnd flock to IMAX 70MM Oppenheimer. I don’t expect executives to immediately take the proper lessons from this win — a non-sequel inspired by the Green Light talent creators — but I refuse to believe it wasn’t all there was.
There is hope on the horizon, especially when you don’t underestimate the audience
Fourth bad boys The movie has been heralded as a box office savior thanks to its $56 million opening weekend, and that’s exciting, but one would be surprised by its popularity. Underestimating black and Latino audiences, who drove it to success. Meanwhile, Inside Out 2, opening this weekend, is set to serve another group of people who need entertainment: children. Quality kids movies are few and far between – sorry, Garfield — and with school almost out, the kids have to hunker down for the air-conditioned seats. (Last year, Matt Singer wrote a great piece on how to grieve The kid has been rare in the market Late.)
And finally there is Deadpool vs Wolverine. In some ways, it would be something of a philosophical bummer death well The sequel was a huge success. Why? Well, that would prove that the superhero IP still has juice and maybe we’re condemned to wear the suit for another 10 years. On the other hand, I’d still cheer if it brought in as much as everyone expected. A win is a win.
