Disney May Lose $140 Million on 'Tomorrowland'

[rteetz]

Ok - so Tomorrowland has a Global Warming message? Yes or no?

Well I haven't seen the movie but I haven't seen this topic brought up until this thread so unclear.

 

[Micca]

You guys who are Disney fans really should give this movie a look. DW and I liked it a lot, another couple who went with us also loved it. Not perfect, but few are.

 

[Hercules123]

I liked the movie well enough. The best scenes were those in "Tomorrowland", though they were way too few and far between. I was hoping for more success so that maybe we could see some desperately needed Tomorrowland refurbishments in the parks.

 

[dinolounger]

As others have observed, what really sank this film was less any politics in its supposed "message" and more its tepid, muddled marketing and a plot that was clearly put together by committee (the narrative bounces around like a ping pong ball - is this a science fiction journey - or a tale of personal redemption -- or an action movie - or a fantasy -- or a moral saga?) The big Imax theatre I was in when I saw it was at best 1/10 or so full, maybe 30 people. And I heard many aggravated comments when exiting to the effect "this %*&@! movie spent hardly any time in Tomorrowland" - which was again confirmation of how poorly the film was promoted. Many people clearly thought this was going to be a film about the future, which it isn't.

Which why even before the film press wrote the obituary for Tomorrowland, it was clear it was going to lose serious money.

 

[Hercules123]

Ok - so Tomorrowland has a Global Warming message? Yes or no?

It has a End of Humanity messaage, including Global Warming.

 

[skier_pete]

I don't think the movie hits global warming in particular, but mostly just talks about human apathy towards the world's problems - of which global warming is just a small part of that.

I think it's a shame that climate change (even the term "global warming" is wrong) has become such a political football. I work in an industry that is involved heavily in it and I can tell you that I am convinced it is real, and it's going to lead to a major world crisis in the next 50 years - with the biggest problem being that by the time enough people believe it's an issue it will be too late to prevent the effects of it. Don't get me wrong - it's not an "end of the world" crisis as some make it out to be. But, it WILL lead to some major world-wide affects. (You are already seeing it on the West Coast with all-time drought conditions and the storms that are battering the east coast each year.) The greatest problem is that it's almost impossible to fix, because it requires the elimination of carbon dioxide, which every single motor in the world produces.

Anyways, I apologize for soap-boxing here but I believe pretty strongly in it and get into fights with friends over it. Again, it's a shame that it's become a Republicans vs Democrats hot-topic as opposed to just taking the scientific evidence and trying to do something about it.

 

[circus4u]

Disney's 'Tomorrowland' Shows Big Budgets Aren't Always Good
http://www.abc15.com/newsy/disneys-tomorrowland-shows-big-budgets-arent-always-good

 

[ScienceDad]

... it's a shame that it's become a Republicans vs Democrats hot-topic as opposed to just taking the scientific evidence and trying to do something about it.

Here, here. I wish people would simply look at the real, empirical evidence that has lead virtually all the world's scientists to the same conclusion and leave politics out of it. Just because there's a certain letter next to your candidate doesn't mean you have to agree with everything they do.

 

[kbelle8995]

I didn't love the movie. I didn't hate it. There were parts I really liked. And any movie that has "It's a great Big beautiful tomorrow" in it has a chance with me. And I liked the message of the movie. It just didn't land with me and I wish it had. Because I am so tired of doom and gloom movies. You know the kind.

The idea of that we are all going to die so lets watch instead of trying to find solutions. It would be nice to see more movies and programs with a little more optimism.

 

[JaxDad]

The greatest problem is that it's almost impossible to fix, because it requires the elimination of carbon dioxide, which every single motor in the world produces.

Not to mention the effect on plants!

 

[HM]

Actually she's 26! I agree she wasn't particularly convincing as a high school student.

I had no trouble seeing her as a HS student. She played one on Under the Dome too, so I was all set to see her that way.

 

[dinolounger]

Disney's 'Tomorrowland' Shows Big Budgets Aren't Always Good
http://www.abc15.com/newsy/disneys-tomorrowland-shows-big-budgets-arent-always-good

Interesting piece. Sadly, it does underscore the fact the failure of Tomorrowland will definitely make an existing problem even worse: specifically, it is going to become even more difficult for producers to successfully argue for "tentpole" films that aren't sequels of existing franchises.

I don't entirely agree with the article assessment that despite Tomorrowland Disney is still guaranteed to have an overall profitable 2015 film year. That will be a function of how large the margins are/aren't for other upcoming releases as well as just how big a financial hole Tomorrowland ends up producing (if it gets into the $150 million territory, Disney is going to need some other really big hits to make up for that).

 

[dinolounger]

any movie that has "It's a great Big beautiful tomorrow" in it has a chance with me.

Not to be literal, but the 1964 World's Fair sequence in the film didn't show or reference the General Electric Pavilion which hosted the original Carousel of Progress and featured that song. But I will:

Below is the pavilion entrance as it appeared on the fairgrounds (love the retro 60s "Jetsons" architecture). Note how the signage boasts of what was the true innovation of the attraction: the first use of the "continuous conveyor belt" approach, which to this day is the highest capacity design and the best approach to presenting highly immersive dark ride/show experiences (used at Pirates and Haunted Mansion).

Images from original brochure GE distributed at the pavilion:

 

[Josh Hendy]

Nice pictures dinolounger. They say so much about the time, such as the feelings of increasing wealth and optimism.

Carousel of Progress is nothing but a cynically outdated people-eater now. Which is also sign of the times.

Maybe that's what Brad Bird was trying to comment on and even correct ... but although there is clearly something wrong right now which is diminishing people's wealth and optimism, it isn't "environmental disaster".

Here is the takeaway message from the officially-approved, UN-mandated environmental movement: "If you insist on living then we're going to need lots and lots more of your money to solve the problems you've created."

 

[kbelle8995]

No they didn't feature COP but they sure played that song when the male kid character got off the bus. I admit a nostalgic love of COP. I think that it needs to be fixed and the Last scene boy talk about outdated. But I will take it over Frozen any Day.

And they certainly did show It's a small world. I wish the ride did what it did in the movie in real life. But thats me.

 

[skier_pete]

BTW, we were at MK in November 2013, and they were shooting Tomorrowland in the park. They had Carousel of Progress roped off and there were many extras in period (60s) costumes coming in and out of CoP. After watching the movie, we never figured out what exactly they shot there. The only thing we could figure is the early scene of young Frank showing off his rocket pack to Nix. Pretty clear what was shot at DLR.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Interesting piece. Sadly, it does underscore the fact the failure of Tomorrowland will definitely make an existing problem even worse: specifically, it is going to become even more difficult for producers to successfully argue for "tentpole" films that aren't sequels of existing franchises.

I don't entirely agree with the article assessment that despite Tomorrowland Disney is still guaranteed to have an overall profitable 2015 film year. That will be a function of how large the margins are/aren't for other upcoming releases as well as just how big a financial hole Tomorrowland ends up producing (if it gets into the $150 million territory, Disney is going to need some other really big hits to make up for that).

Yes. Disney profits from movies is as guaranteed as anything can be in this world. If Disney quits today, Disney still has a huge profit for the year. The loss of $150 million can be taken out of Avengers: Age of Ultron profits and still leave Age of Ultron with many hundreds of millions in profit, when all is said and done possibly a billion in profit AFTER Tomorrowland. AND Inside out will be a big hit, Ant man has the possibility of being a hit, and Star Wars will make a Billion in profit. Billion. With a B. A thousand million plus, profit. That is why stocks didn't budge on announcement of the potential of an over $100 Million loss.

Global warming is mentioned several times with a lot of other subjects, but there is not way global warming is a central theme. It is a very small part. The movie is about all the end of the world scenarios and never specifies which one is the culprit.

 

[bookgirl]

Disney doesn't make money on movies in the theatre. Their home DVD sales are huge. Even the "bad" theatre sales don't matter if you make enough in DVD to pay for the division's overhead.

Plus let's talk merchandising and branding. Jeeze.

I don't think in the long run that they will lose anything.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Loved the movie, but not surprised that it is losing money. I had no idea what the movie was about until I sat in the movie seat and started to watch. Even then it took a while to figure out where they were going. Still, worth the price of admission for me.

 

[dinolounger]

Yes. Disney profits from movies is as guaranteed as anything can be in this world.

We've heard similar comments on this site when films like Mars need Moms, The Lone Ranger and John Carter were released. I.e., forgetting the moral of not counting chickens before the eggs have hatched. And BTW, if one wants to see an example of a truly successful film strategy, look at the smiles going on over at Universal this morning:

http://deadline.com/2015/06/jurassi...spy-entourage-insidious-chapter-3-1201441812/