Okay. Given that “Pirates of the Caribbean : At World’s End” sold more than $114 million worth of tickets over its opening weekend, it only stands to reason that this Gore Verbinski film would see some sort of drop-off in business over its second weekend in domestic release, right ?
That said, no one at the Mouse House was expecting the 62.4 % plunge that this Jerry Bruckheimer production took this past weekend. Which suggests that “Pirates 3” may not have the same sort of sea-legs that the first two installments of this Disney Studios series (I.E. “The Curse of the Black Pearl” and “Dead Man’s Chest“) enjoyed.
Mind you, “Pirates” isn’t the only high profile franchise to walk the plank this summer. “Spider-Man 3” saw its ticket sales fall off by 61.5% during that film’s second weekend in domestic release, while “Shrek the Third” had a 56.4 % drop-off in business over Weekend No. 2.
So what’s going on here ? Well, some Tinseltown types are suggesting that the lousy reviews that this trio of sequels received may have played some part in their sharp drop-off at the box office. While still others are saying that — given that “Spider-Man 3,” “Shrek the Third” and “At World’s End” all debuted in over 4100 theaters nationwide, with multiple prints playing on some 10,000+ screens … Anyone who wanted to see these pictures over their opening weekend could.
But what’s really troubling studio heads as well as exhibitors that none of these big budget sequels seems to be doing any significant return business. I mean, it used to be that — if your company was lucky enough to produce a summer blockbuster — that you could then count on males between the ages of 13 to 24 to purchase multiple admissions to your motion picture. Which would then in turn super-charge your movie’s grosses.
Copyright 2003 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved
But with this year’s crop of summer blockbusters … That ain’t happening. Young adult males seem to catching each week’s big release as it initially arrives in theaters. But after that — if they like what they see — these 13 – 24 year-olds aren’t rushing right back to the box office to buy another ticket. But — rather — they’re now opting to wait the three or four months ’til the DVD version of that same film goes on sale.
And that trend … It really scares the hell out of a lot of people in Hollywood. Given that industry’s current business models count on those young adult males to help drive up the grosses of all of these expensive-to-produce summer blockbusters.
Now it’s important to stress that nobody’s panicking. Not yet, anyway. But — that said — the studios & theater owners are still clearly trying to get a handle on what’s going on this summer.
Don’t believe me ? Then check out this series of questions that recently appeared in a online survey. One that the Walt Disney Company commissioned in order to determine where & when “Pirates of the Caribbean” fans would finally get around to seeing “At World’s End” :
How many times have you been to the movies in a theater in the past 12 months?
- Less than 6
- 6 – 7
- 8 – 9
- 10 – 11
- 12 or more
How often do you see movies during the first week or 10 days after they open?
- Very often
- Often
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Do you have to see or have you seen this movie in a theater?
- I’ve already seen it
- Definitely
- Probably
- I’m not sure
- Probably not
- Definitely not
When do you plan on seeing or when did you see “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”?
- Opening weekend in a theater
- Within the first two weeks of release in a theater
- In a theater at a later date
- I’m going to wait to see it on Video/DVD
- I don’t plan to see it at all
What’s intriguing about this particular survey is — reportedly in response to some moviegoers’ complaints about how dark & scary “Dead Man’s Chest” was — Disney also polled parents to determine …
… How interested are you in taking your child under 12 years old to see “Pirates of the Caribbean” in a theater?
- Definitely
- Probably
- I’m not sure
- Probably not
- Definitely not
Copyright 2006 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved
When are you planning on taking your child under 12 years old to see “Pirates of the Caribbean”?
- Opening weekend in a theater
- Within the first two weeks of release to a theater
- In a theater at a later date
- I’m going to wait to see it on Video/DVD with my child
- I don’t plan to take my child at all
It’s this particular trend that really troubles the folks at the Disney. The fact that so many parents are now holding off on taking their children to the local multiplex in order to see the studio’s newest releases. Not because they think that the Mouse’s movies are too dark & scary. But — rather — because …. Well, when you compare the cost of buying movie tickets & refreshments for the entire family versus what it costs to buy the DVD of that same film … It just makes more economic sense for the average family to wait for the DVD.
Mind you, the Mouse is trying to counteract this by pushing exhibitors to add more digital screens to their cinemas. Which can then be used to present Digital 3D versions of the studio’s latest releases. Which will — in theory — make going to the movies the sort of experience that moviegoers just can’t have while sitting in front of their 102-inch plasma screens at home.
The only problem with that plan is that there have already been some signs that the bloom may be coming off of the Digital 3D rose … Take — for example — this press release that Disney Publicity issued last month. Which trumpeted the fact that …
The 3-D digital cinema engagements of the Walt Disney Co.’s “Meet the Robinsons” have delivered about 31% of the film’s total gross, said Chuck Viane, president of Disney’s Buena Vista Pictures Domestic Distribution.
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Mind you, what this press release fails to mention was that — in spite of the fact that this Stephen J. Anderson film had been released with much hype to 581 Real D 3-D-ready digital screens around the country — “Meet the Robinsons” ‘s earnings still seriously lagged behind those for Disney’s first CG / Digital 3D release, “Chicken Little.” That Mark Dindal movie wound up earning over $135 million during its initial domestic release, whereas “Robinsons” seems to have run out of steam at just $96 million.
Of course, digital technology all by itself can’t make up for a lackluster story and/or unappealing characters. But one wonders — given how many of the studios are now turning to gimmicks like 3D & large format (Take — for example — the four action scenes that Christopher Nolan is shooting for his “Batman Begins” sequel, “The Dark Knight,” using IMAX cameras. So that — in order to get the full effect of this footage — Batman fans will have to see the next installment of this Warner Bros. franchise on a 10-story-tall screen) in an attempt to lure audiences back into theaters. So that young adult males will once again be compelled to see a motion picture more than once during its initial theatrical release … One wonders if all this new technology will really be enough to reverse current trends ?
What about you folks ? How many of you have actually seen “Pirates of the Caribbean : At World’s End” more than once in theaters ? More importantly, how many of you are opting to take a pass on “Pirates 3” at your local multiplex ? Prefering to wait ’til the DVD version of this film goes on sale in December ? And are you opting to do this out of frugality ? Or is there some other reason that you no longer enjoy seeing movies on the big screen ?
Your thoughts ?