Weekend Box Office

[johare]

Here's a Reuter's Quote from 6/10:

"``Shrek'' is tracking better than Disney's animated hit ``The Lion King'' which holds the cartoon box office record with $313 million, according to studio estimates."


Here's another quote from an article on 6/4:

"``SHREK'' ROARS

By contrast ``Shrek,'' a fairy tale spoof about a green ogre's quest for love, fell just 33 percent. It has grossed $148.6 million after 17 days in wide release, and is tracking better than Disney's ``The Lion King,'' which holds the cartoon record with $313 million.

Industry observers expect the new film to reach $270 million, about what ``Lion King'' had earned before Disney pulled it from theaters early and re-released it a few months later with a different marketing campaign. DreamWorks distribution president Jim Tharp said his closely held company was considering a similar strategy, but had not made up its mind."

After pulling in another $12.9 million this weekend, Shrek is still on track to catch or even top Lion King.

 

[HBK]

After pulling in another $12.9 million this weekend, Shrek is still on Shrek to catch or even top Lion King.

Yeah! What he said!

 

[Buzz2001]

7.5 years later. Make a comparison with equal movie prices. Shrek may beat the Lion King but will never be half the movie.

Here is a list of all-time movies adjusted to todays movie prices. Lets see how many of dreamworks animated movies are on the list.

I think you'll be surprised as to what Disney movie tops the list

http://movieboxoffice.about.com/mov....the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10everad.html

 

[HBK]

Shrek may beat the Lion King but will never be half the movie.

Signed Mike Eisner.

Lets see how many of dreamworks animated movies are on the list.

Give it time my friend, give it time.

 

[Fiver]

WOW!!!

Okay, okay....first I want to respond to the remark about how sad it is to see someone so blindly follow a company. Now I never said that if something stunk that I would praise it just because it was disney! My loyalty to this company has been formed from years of happiness that have come from their movies and their parks. Also, I have been quite critical of this company when I have felt that have made some poor decisions...when they have sacrificed quality over profit. I also do not believe that it is not soley things in the now that dictate what is successful. It is from years of success that this company has earned its following. One that is so strong that if affects how other companies judge their success. I'm sure that Dreamworks is made up of a lot of people that grew up with Disney as their main influence. Disney has set the standard for these companies to follow and perhaps to surpass. I'm sure Dreamworks will be a powerful player in the field of animation, but I want to see more before I start shouting to the rooftops that a new standard has been set. Disney has faced and always will face a lot of pressure to make a perfect product. No company can constantly make Lion King after Lion King, but we can expect them to try. As much as everyone is accusing people of blindly following Disney, the same can be said about everyone here blindly following Dreamworks. If Dreamworks is going to become a leader in this field then they need to be held to the same level of expectations that everyone here is placing on Disney. I liked Atlantis. No it was not the best piece of animation that Disney has ever done, but to say that Shrek is a masterpiece? that it is right up there with Lion King? Come on....plus my Dh made a good point...if you take away everything that Shrek is parodying and the jabs at Disney then all you have left is a 15min film with a grumpy ogre, which in itself is not very appealing. Shrek may be innovative in its format, but it is derivitive in its content.

Fiver *starting to build a barricade to stop all the pies heading my way*

 

[Buzz2001]

HBK, how did you guess.

May this be a disgruntled Katzenberg


Fiver - don't forget Dreamworks other classics like Antz; The Road to El Dorado; Chicken Run; Joseph, King of Dream; The Prince of Egypt; Small Soliders

 

[johare]

"Shrek may beat the Lion King but will never be half the movie. "

According to who?!? You?!?

In adjusted dollars they have Lion King listed at $356M. In today's dollars don't be surprised if Shrek gets very close to that number.

And, btw: you with the exception of Lion King, I don't see many recent Disney movies on that list (especially in the top 50) either. Not surprising since most of these movies were released before VCR's existed and some even before televion. Guess you can 'spin' the numbers any way you want with a list like this. At least I did learn one thing from this...Lion King is BARELY half the movie that E.T. (a Universal film) was!

 

[HBK]

Originally posted by Buzz2001
HBK, how did you guess.

May this be a disgruntled Katzenberg

Simple...

Something tells me Mr. Katzenberg doesn't have much to be upset about lately. He's thoroughly kicking Disney's high priced tail lately.

This is starting to become pointless.

If you enjoy the product Disney is offering...great! If you enjoy the product Dreamworks is offering...great!

The numbers DO NOT LIE. Shrek is pacing itself better than Lion King did. Disney hasn't produced an animated film in the past 8 years which comes CLOSE to what Shrek has accomplished. There is no debating that fact.

What is up for debate is how Disney reacts. So far, not good. If you have someone declare war on you, you don't release half of your troops.

 

[Buzz2001]

johare - I guess according to the $313,000,000 people spent to go see it. Then the folks that purchased the video or DVD.


HBK - if you say so

 

[johare]

So Buzz, if people spend $357,000,000 on Shrek it will then be the better movie, right?

 

[HBK]

HBK - if you say so

Allllllllll righty then! I do say so!

Jeez, why not end your post with Neiner Niener Pumpkin Eater?

 

[Buzz2001]

Never did I say Shrek was a bad movie. I saw it. Almost feel asleep during the middle. It got a little boring. I like the ending and Eddie Murphy but the overall, the movie was not as good as the Lion King, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Mulan, Hunchback and so on. Whether it hits $500,000,000 or $250,000,000. Maybe its me but its not even close.

Its like comparing the Red Sox's to the Yankees. Sure the Red Soxs are in first place now...but we all know where they will be in October.

Sorry fellow Red Sox fans.

 

[johare]

hbk, exactly...according to the list that 'Buzz' referenced, Toy Story 2 made $252.09M and Toy Story $209.91M adjusted for inflation. Since Shrek is on track to easily top $260M in today's dollars, there is no denying that it is better than either Toy Story movie and has a real shot at outperforming Lion King.

 

[All Aboard]

Originally posted by HBK
Something tells me Mr. Katzenberg doesn't have much to be upset about lately. He's thoroughly kicking Disney's high priced tail lately.

Do you define "lately" as "the last three weeks"?? Road to El Dorado did $50m last year, Chicken Run and Price of Egypt barely cracked $100m (a figure that folks are projecting Atlantis to hit - yet, for Atlantis, that would make it a "bomb.")

While some folks may be blindly following Disney, others seem to be diefying Dreamworks based on the success of a SINGLE FILM! Shrek has about the same probability of being "the beginning of something great" as being "Katzenberg's one-hit-wonder."

 

[HBK]

Its like comparing the Red Sox's to the Yankees. Sure the Red Soxs are in first place now...but we all know where they will be in October.

Now you're really starting to offend me.....

 

[HBK]

While some folks may be blindly following Disney, others seem to be diefying Dreamworks based on the success of a SINGLE FILM! Shrek has about the same probability of being "the beginning of something great" as being "Katzenberg's one-hit-wonder."

Uhm...

Uhm, did you forget Lion King? How about Beauty & the Beast?

Yeah who produced those films?

[class...in unison]

JEFFERY KATZENBURG!

P.S. Atlantis is considered to be a failure if it only reaches 100 million due to it's cost. Moves such as Shrek (I can't speak for the others. I don't know what their costs were) are successfull if they hit 100 mill because they cost less to produce. Shrek only cost $60 Million.

 

[Buzz2001]

Okay - you win. The movie wasn't that good to be discussing for this long.

Good luck with the Red Sox's

 

[All Aboard]

I thought those films were basically produced by Ashman, Hahn, Shumaker, and Sarah McArthur, guess I was wrong.

 

[Patch'sD]

I don't see how how only 15 minutes of the movie was not related to taking up jabs at Disney or parodies. I don't think the fairy tale creatures are owned by Disney, nor is Robin Hood, Dragon Slaying, Walking through the woods, Knights Fighting, Talking Donkey's Orges taking baths, and several other scenes. I think that the Computer Animation was the next step. The fur on the Donkey Moving, The Dragon Flying Scene, Many different Facial Features moving during close ups. I don't think Dreamworks is the second coming, but they did put out a very good, Entertaining Movie. I also had the chance to see Tarzan, Hunchback, and Lion King. All of them were great. I think Tarzan was one of the better efforts, Disney spent over 100 Million on that one. Hunchback had a great Story Line and was very well done great anamation scene with Notre Dame. However I never read anything about anyone knocking Esmeralda's Pole Dance, It sort of resembled a scene from the Ex Mrs. Willis Stripper Movie.

But I agree whole heartly, This is a Disney Site, " In Disney We Trust". Want to get a response to Trip Report, Just say you had a bad time. People will step all over themselves trying to make excuses for Disney or calling the Poster an Anti Disney person just making up Stories.

 

[Amateur Imagineer]

Buzz2001--I agree that Lion King was better than Shrek...however, that's a matter of personal opinion. As for the Red Sox--you can talk all you want about the Yanks being on top in October. But the Sox lost the best pitcher in the league for a short time (Pedro), have had FOUR 100+ RBI hitters on the bench due to various injuries etc, and they've STILL managed to win their last 7 series.

HBK--You raised an excellent point that I had actually thought about when I was in WDW last week. If Disney doesn't put out quality films, then what can they do to draw new customers to the parks? They're advertising the same things over and over.... Without a hit movie on which they could base a parade or attraction, it's going to be hard to bring in new visitors. Brand names just don't work like they used to in our hyper-marketing culture.