### Disney's Cinematic Comeback: Blockbusters and Sequels

Cinemas thrive as Disney's successful blockbusters and strategic marketing boost consumer interest this season.

### The Resurgence of Cinema: How Blockbusters and Audience Sentiment Drive Box Office Success
* 🎬 "There’s a great flux of just the **perfect storm** right now" as a combination of consumer sentiment and popular films is drawing audiences back to theaters.
* 🌟 Three films are generating significant buzz and receiving **positive reviews from both critics and audiences**, which is a welcome change after previous misfires.
* 💰 Estimates suggest that the total box office haul for the five-day period could **exceed $300 million**, highlighting the financial stakes involved in producing these films.
* 📈 The marketing campaigns, particularly for "Wicked," have been extensive, with ads appearing **everywhere** to ensure a **strong return on investment**.
* 🎥 Disney is seeing a resurgence with **record previews for its animated films**, suggesting a strong performance that complements the audience for musicals like **"Wicked."**
* 🌊 After a challenging 2023, Disney has successfully released several blockbusters, including **"Inside Out 2"** and **"Deadpool,"** with more sequels and adaptations lined up for the future.
* 🔄 Studios are leaning heavily on **established intellectual property (IP) rights and sequels**, while also attempting to balance these with **original content**, as seen with Amazon's "**Red One**."
* 🌈 Overall, the industry is witnessing a **shift back to theatrical releases**, with studios like Disney focusing on franchises that have **historically proven successful**.

Is it?
It's this time of year as a consumer sentiment thing, or actually it's these
particular movies that are drawing everyone in.
I think it's both, Carolina. I think it's both.
I think there's a great flux of just the

perfect storm right now.
I mean, these three films, they're getting a lot of buzz.
They're being received very well by critics, by audiences.
And that's after a few different misfires.
Right. So cinemas are certainly happy.
The studios are certainly happy.

And as you just said, some of the more
bullish estimates are putting the total haul for this five day period could be
north of $300,000, $350 million. These are not cheap movies to have made,
though, so these ones needed to be

blockbusters, right?
Correct. Correct.
Not by by by no stretch where they were, the cheap films.
And then you have to factor in the marketing campaigns as well.
We saw some incredible marketing spend for Wicked.
I'm sure you saw ads everywhere, sells

everywhere, everything, everywhere,
everywhere. So they got to see a return on that.
And really that kicks off that that content value flywheel starts with a
theater, right? And then you see that carry on.
We were just talking about streaming

services.
So really that that theatrical runway can really accelerate that that flow,
that flywheel. My family's a little bit too young for the
Wicked side of things. Husband's already done
Gladiator 2, but we are interested in Manitou.
Now.

How big a deal is that, could be for
Disney and Disney streaming? What are they?
How are they giving that to the public? Yeah, well, we're starting to get a
little bit of a numbers in one and two. Had a great preview last night, a record
for a Walt Disney animated film, which

is really nice to see and I think it
does complement the Wicked audience. As you said, you kind of are getting the
female demographic, but you're getting different ages there.
So really it's it's looking great for cinemas and Disney specifically.
You know, the has had such a wonderful

bounce back this year after a few
misfires in 2023. I mean, they're only putting out a
handful of blockbuster films but Inside Out to phenomenal Deadpool and Wolverine
really, really impressive. And then Moana and then they have a Lion
King sequel coming out in December.

So really great turnaround.
And then hopefully that momentum can continue next year.
Much of this are sequels? Yes.
Is that just the vibe? I know Wicked was was kind of different,
but certainly tried and tested on Broadway.
Right.

I mean, there's so much content out
there. You got to understand the studios are
leaning on to establish IP rights, something that's had success in the
past. So whether it's a brand or some sort of
a sequel, as you said, yes, you're going

to see a lot of that.
They're trying to balance it out with originals here and there.
I mean, Amazon just had a original film called Red One that came out.
So you are seeing a little bit of a back and forth.
But I do think Disney especially has

said that they're going to lean into some of their established franchises.

Box Office Recovery Flips in 2024

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Box Office Success and Contributing Factors

Discussion on whether current box office success is due to seasonal factors or specific movie appeal.

Three films are receiving positive critical and audience reception, leading to high cinema and studio profits.

Estimated total box office haul for a five-day period could exceed $300-350 million.

High marketing costs, particularly for 'Wicked', are factored into the profitability analysis.

Theatrical success is seen as crucial for boosting content value and subsequent streaming success.

Positive preview numbers for a Disney animated film, complementing 'Wicked's' success.

Disney's strong comeback this year after previous setbacks, highlighting successful films.

Discussion of Disney's strategy focusing on a limited number of blockbuster films and upcoming releases.

Sequels and Established IP in Film Production

Many successful films are sequels, reflecting a trend in the industry.

Studios are leaning on established IP and sequels due to the abundance of content.

A balance is attempted between sequels and original films, with examples from different studios.

Disney's stated intention to focus on established franchises.