75 employees laid off at Pixar, including the director of Lightyear

[fla4fun]

I think the problem is two basic issues.

One, people are used to the convenience of viewing movies at home, especially after the pandemic. No more dealing with people talking or using their electronics during a film. No more overpriced and mediocre snacks. No missing a part of the action due to a bathroom break. Whether you stream or buy a DVD/digital copy, it’s simply a more enjoyable experience most of the time to wait until you can see it at home.

Which brings me to point two . . . the quality of the product. To entice people out of their homes and into the theaters, you have to deliver a product people want to see in a larger than life format. The live action films based on animated classics won’t cut it. Films about a side character no one paid attention to won’t cut it. Over-saturating the market with a successful franchise to the point your customers don’t care anymore won’t cut it. You need a great story, with characters the audience can root for and want to see succeed. When you get it right, such as Frozen ten years ago, it’s gold. When you get it wrong, it’s dust.

Perhaps a few of these movies will do better once DVD sales and streaming revenue are added in. Perhaps not. Personally, I think that Disney should be surveying their customers to find out why they didn’t like or didn’t even see some of these latest movies and then actually incorporate the results of the surveys into their decisions. I mean, it’s not like they don’t have the ability to contact hundreds of thousands of us with the data they have collected. Find out what products your customers do want and maybe they will actually buy it.

 

[Moliphino]

A lot of movies have characters with backstories, but that backstory does do not become the focus to push a narrative. Disney having gay characters or rewriting older stories just to show how progressive their DEI philosophy is, is a turn-off. If Disney has a compelling story, and the character is gay or the main actor is a different ethnicity than previously, well okay!? But don’t cram the idea of “we need to support the movie because the character is gay and if we dislike the movie it equates to being homophobic.” The overuse of that word is ridiculous. Phobic = irrational fear. Or “we are racist if we don’t like the new movie with the re-imagined main character.” That is the turn-off that is pushing away what was their fan-base. If THEY did not make such a huge deal about it, nobody else would either.

I don't think Disney are the ones saying any of that. They're providing the bare minimum of representation in most cases.

They are going overboard on the DEI, virtue signaling. Disney has become so inclusive that the are now exclusive.

Only excluding the people who don't want to acknowledge that LGBTQ+ people exist.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/...diana-jones-elemental-ant-man-1235660409/amp/

 

[Douglas Dubh]

What "narratives" are they pushing that are excluding people?

If you’re over representing minorities than you’re under representing the majority, and therefore excluding some of them.

 

[Moliphino]

If you’re over representing minorities than you’re under representing the majority, and therefore excluding some of them.

What minorities are being over-represented?

 

[nancipants]

What minorities are being over-represented?

I'm also curious on which "majority" is being excluded. It must really suck not being able to see yourself represented in entertainment. Can't imagine what that must feel like.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

I'm also curious on which "majority" is being excluded. It must really suck not being able to see yourself represented in entertainment. Can't imagine what that must feel like.

Well you must love what they are doing currently then, girl power, boss babes, and force is female and all. So that should be killing it in the box office correct? I mean the world wants way less Indiana Jone's and way more Helena Shaw's correct?

How many billions of dollars do you expect the Marvels to bring in at the box office? At least $2-3 Billion right with a massive star like Brie Larson leading the way.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

I don't think TWDC box failure can be solely pointed to any one matter, frankly. Its a combination of things. Budgets, culture wars, talent, release dates, streaming, etc. That's why I really believe that TWDC, specifically, Bob Iger, has got to make a review of the Studio heads a top priority, like 1 of the most 3 important issues right now and immediately.

For me, as someone who loves movies (especially TWDC movies), it is very concerning when I read comments from Pete Docter that he doesn't view Pixar movies as children programming. I totally understand his sentiment and its great and all (and BTW I have long admired animation as a story telling method), but the core (and perhaps singular) focus for Pixar is to write movies for children to enjoy and programming for children to understand, and if the parents can enjoy and understand it too, Amen. To think otherwise is truly folly IMO.

So, yes, Pixar can marry very adult topics, like infertility being explored in Up, but you need to have an adventure that children will particularly take to heart and I guarantee you that kids will find the mission to reunite Kevin with her kids as a far better draw then examining a very serious and poignant topic like infertility.

Likewise, Kathleen Kennedy is a hall of fame producer. Quite literally, she could be on the Mt. Rushmore of producers in Hollywood. Just look at her credits. But, she has not been an effective studio head for Lucasfilm. The sequel trilogy was made without a cohesive storyline thought through, she has changed directors (i.e. Lord/Miller, Gareth Edwards, Colin Trevorrow) in production, and there has been so many announcements of new projects that are cancelled (i.e. Rian Johnson movies, Kevin Fiege movie, Patty Jenkins movie, Zach Snyder movie, Josh Trank movie, Rangers of the New Republic, Detours, Benioff and Weiss film, J.D. Miller movie, James Mangold movie, Underworld, etc.) Who knows if Taika's movie will ever get made too?

There are problems with Marvel and Walt Disney Studios too. It's really sad for me to see TWDC struggle and make one bad decision after the next.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

I don't think TWDC box failure can be solely pointed to any one matter, frankly. Its a combination of things. Budgets, culture wars, talent, release dates, streaming, etc. That's why I really believe that TWDC, specifically, Bob Iger, has got to make a review of the Studio heads a top priority, like 1 of the most 3 important issues right now and immediately.

For me, as someone who loves movies (especially TWDC movies), it is very concerning when I read comments from Pete Doctor that he doesn't view Pixar movies as children programming. I totally understand his sentiment and its great and all (and BTW I have long admired animation as a story telling method), but the core (and perhaps singular) focus for Pixar is to write movies for children enjoy and programming for children to understand, and if the parents can enjoy and understand it too, Amen. To think otherwise is truly folly IMO.

So, yes, Pixar can merry very adult topics, like infertility being explored in Up, but you need to have an adventure that children will particularly take to heart and I guarantee you that kids will find the mission to reunite Kevin with her kids as a far better draw then examining a very serious and poignant topic like infertility.

Likewise, Kathleen Kennedy is a hall of fame producer. Quite literally, she could be on the Mt. Rushmore of producers in Hollywood. Just look at her credits. But, she has not been an effective studio head for Lucasfilm. The sequel trilogy was made without a cohesive storyline thought through, she has changed directors (i.e. Lord/Miller, Gareth Edwards, Colin Trevorrow) in the middle of production, and there has been so many announcements of new projects that are cancelled (i.e. Rian Johnson movies, Kevin Fiege movie, Patty Jenkins movie, Zach Snyder movie, Josh Trank movie, Rangers of the New Republic, Detours, Benioff and Weiss film, J.D. Miller movie, James Mangold movie, Underworld, etc.) Who knows if Taika's movie will ever get made too?

There are problems with Marvel and Walt Disney Studios too. It's really sad for me to see TWDC struggle and make one bad decision after the next.

Pretty spot on!

 

[Douglas Dubh]

What minorities are being over-represented?

Almost all of them.

 

[fatmanatee]

Almost all of them.

Show data.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Personally I feel like Disney (all of the studios not just Pixar) have not made a movie recently that was "must see in theaters" material. This would definitely require a higher budget but a 2D animated film would definitely make me excited. I'm kind of over Disney/Pixar's boring art style.

 

[fla4fun]

Personally I feel like Disney (all of the studios not just Pixar) have not made a movie recently that was "must see in theaters" material. This would definitely require a higher budget but a 2D animated film would definitely make me excited. I'm kind of over Disney/Pixar's boring art style.

I have been following the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie with interest, but I definitely won’t be going to a theater to see it. I will wait until I can see it at home. I am sure my BIL is interested in the recent Indy movie, but he won’t go to a theater either. It takes something of epic proportions to get us in a theater these days. Maybe it’s because we live in areas where the nicer theaters are also in the tourist districts, so they are usually very busy.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I have been following the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie with interest, but I definitely won’t be going to a theater to see it. I will wait until I can see it at home. I am sure my BIL is interested in the recent Indy movie, but he won’t go to a theater either. It takes something of epic proportions to get us in a theater these days. Maybe it’s because we live in areas where the nicer theaters are also in the tourist districts, so they are usually very busy.

In all seriousness, I totally forgot that Haunted Mansion movie was even coming out, let alone this month until I saw an ad for it on Facebook. I think that should've been pushed back to maybe September so it's not super close to Barbie (which I think will be the big movie this summer). The new Indiana Jones movie looks meh and reviews seem to reflect that.

I don't go to the movies a lot either. The movie needs to really interest me to go.

 

[fla4fun]

In all seriousness, I totally forgot that Haunted Mansion movie was even coming out, let alone this month until I saw an ad for it on Facebook. I think that should've been pushed back to maybe September so it's not super close to Barbie (which I think will be the big movie this summer). The new Indiana Jones movie looks meh and reviews seem to reflect that.

I don't go to the movies a lot either. The movie needs to really interest me to go.

I agree. HM should have been pushed back to August or September to be closer to Halloween. They are stupid if they don’t tie HM into the holiday.

 

[nancipants]

I have been following the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie with interest, but I definitely won’t be going to a theater to see it. I will wait until I can see it at home. I am sure my BIL is interested in the recent Indy movie, but he won’t go to a theater either. It takes something of epic proportions to get us in a theater these days. Maybe it’s because we live in areas where the nicer theaters are also in the tourist districts, so they are usually very busy.

Yeah, between the expense and needing my mom to babysit, we’re selective. My husband and I pretty much only go for Marvel movies, and even those are starting to be a case by case basis. We also started going to the $6 Tuesday showings instead of opening night. We did see Indy on July 4 because we had off. I sort of want to see The Creator, but that’ll depend on the reviews.

 

[Moliphino]

I have been following the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie with interest, but I definitely won’t be going to a theater to see it. I will wait until I can see it at home. I am sure my BIL is interested in the recent Indy movie, but he won’t go to a theater either. It takes something of epic proportions to get us in a theater these days. Maybe it’s because we live in areas where the nicer theaters are also in the tourist districts, so they are usually very busy.

I pretty much only go to the theater for Marvel movies. I think the last non-Marvel movie I saw in a theater was Moana. Or Logan if I'm just going by MCU for Marvel.

 

[Disneychick13]

I must admit that my daughter and I are really excited about the Haunted Mansion movie! We don’t see a lot in the theatre but will probably go see this.

 

[irlandaise]

What minorities are being over-represented?

Almost all of them.

Show data.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

If I’m wrong, you’re welcome to show data proving I’m wrong.