Will Disney buy DWA? No! Universal did!

[LotsoA113]

Yeah, I'm gonna be that guy and just link to my own site, since I wrote something earlier in the week about DreamWorks recent financial and cinematic dilemmas (just a few hours before stockholders came out with their pitchforks and torches for their usual "DreamWorks is doomed!" philosophy) Here's the article: http://landofthenerds.blogspot.com/2014 ... -with.html

Now, onto more opinions, I do agree with Ben that things have been way, way overblown on this one. One thing I, and many other box office pundits, got blinded by in anticipating this thing is that Dragon 2 isn't a happy-go-lucky adventure like Despicable Me 2. It's different, and that can frighten away some potential moviegoers. It will make up for it in the coming weeks; I'm really interested to see how it's first weekday numbers shape up this week, as those will be great idnicators as to how it'll hold up against Transformers and the ultimate competition to the family market, Think Like A Man Too

Oh, and EricJ, you've actually made a couple of great points, mainly that bullying is a common theme in their movies (interestingly, their best, like Kung Fu Pandas 1 & 2 and the HTTYD movies I feel completely avoid that trope that only really seemed to fit like a glove in Shrek), but I am so, so sorry, but Phil Lord and Chris Miller are freaking geniuises. The LEGO Movie was amazing (about to go pick up its Blu-Ray in a few minutes actually) and I absolutely adored 22 Jump Street. The dudes know how to consistently make good movies that surprise people; DreamWorks has the ability to surprise people but their consistency needs work.

Also, speaking of DreamWorks: who else has seen this new GEICO ad that uses DreamWorks new CGI models for Rocky & Bullwinkle as well as Tom Kenny as the plucky moose? I went in with basement level expectations, but it actually turned out OK. Hope it isn't the last time we see these two; http://landofthenerds.blogspot.com/2014 ... inkle.html

OK, I'm done with the gratuitous self-promotion; let's use my two cents now to advance the conversation!

[James]

This isn't just a DreamWorks thing, obviously, but one of the big problems is the price of going to the movies has just gotten ridiculously out of hand. Here's a conservative estimate:

4 tickets x $10 = $40
4 small drinks x $6 = $24
2 medium popcorns (to share) = $12

$76 for a family to go see a 90 minute movie? That is crazy. Even if you drop the snacks, $40 is too much for most families to do more than once a month or so.

Compare that to Netflix for $8 a month. How many of us have seen every movie in our queue? There's a ton of content on there from the past several years I haven't got around to watching yet. And stuff not on Netflix I can rent on my Apple TV for about $5 for the whole family.

I love the theatre experience, but I usually enjoy it alone these days since it is too expensive to share with the whole family.

Here's what this means for the studios.

Imagine you just spent $76 to go see something that ended up being pretty bad like Mr. Peabody and Sherman. You ready to risk almost a hundred bucks to see the next one? If moviegoers could expect quality just about every time, Hollywood would be rolling in more dough than they could handle! Now it's too hit or miss, and with so many cheaper options available why take the risk?

[LotsoA113]

Are those evening tickets or morning? I tend to find morning showings to be much cheaper, and, no joke, there's even a nearby theater that has tickets for $3.25 for the first showings of the day (here's proof since I Know it sounds unreal: http://www.cinemark.com/theatre-detail. ... #6/17/2014) Course, I'm lucky to live near Cinemark cinemas, which are cheaper (and have comfier seats!) than the overpriced AMC auditoriums.

Ticket prices may play a small part, but I'd say it's more of poor films than anything else that's harming DreamWorks brand. Well, that and trigger-happy stockholders who amass publicity be declaring the company destroyed after every single one of their movies opens.

[ShyViolet]

A small tidbit on KFP 3:

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/news/cineeu ... 4A1hPQtDMD

[Dacey]

Did I miss something? All I read about KFP3 was that it was "coming" there, which is something we all already knew.

[ShyViolet]

It's not much but I thought it was kind of interesting:

The studio founder and CEO said in the third outing of Kung Fu Panda, the Jack Black voiced Po will face a supernatural enemy and “one much closer to home” in the movie.

[ShyViolet]

A shame about Dragon, I found it very enjoyable. Definitely not as good as the first, but quite good. Maybe the plot had a few too many twists for a summer movie, I don't know.

I'm not very optimistic about Home. Hardly anyone laughed during the preview, and it just looks like more Typical DreamWorks Film than anything else. Then again, it hasn't even come out yet, so I'll try to be hopeful.

Anyway, my money is still on KFP 3 next summer.

[Randall]

I don't know. KFP was a great surprise, but was anyone really jazzed about 2 coming out? I think 3 might just fly under the radar.

[Dacey]

It would've made a lot more money if it hadn't opened against The Hangover: Part II...and if DreamWorks had revealed a little about the plot in the trailers. But in the end, it didn't really matter, since it made a fortune overseas.

Also, KFP 3 is coming out at Christmas, Vi.

[Buzz Bumble]

Are those evening tickets or morning? I tend to find morning showings to be much cheaper, and, no joke, there's even a nearby theater that has tickets for $3.25 for the first showings of the day

I rarely go to the cinema because the ticket prices are far too expensive here in New Zealand too. The two main cinema chains do have cheaper days (usually early in the week like a Tuesday) and there are "Mother & Baby" sessions which are cheaper if you don't mind screaming babies.

When I do go to the cinema it's always during the weekday sessions when it's much quieter, but usually I only go if I've won tickets in a competition.

[Ben]

I still say DWA is pretty screwed over their next few movies. Penguins, Panda and Dragon are all playing on TV, so none of them are going to be Shrek-sized hits. Panda and Dragon 3 will underwhelm, and Home's aliens just look so poorly realised, like rejects from Monsters Vs Aliens.

Such a shame we'll likely never get Me And My Shadow...DWA has never really been about innovative stories but that was one that could have really wowed. Instead, we're going to get the usual run of sequels (no matter how good) and typical fare that all underperform commercially, making their strike rate plummet, what with their last few films failing.

Time to shake things up again, Jeffrey. You did it once before...it needs to happen again.

[ShyViolet]

Yeah it's really sad. He needs to realize that there's much more involved than just "broadening your appeal." I don't really expect things to change much in the near future however...every profile about DW now is all about "brand" and "market." Not the stories.

[Dacey]

I'm just hoping that the underwhelming returns for Dragon 2 don't in any way affect the making of the third one. I'm aware they've had an ending in mind for the trilogy for a long time, and I'd hate to see that not happen.

[ShyViolet]

I'm sorry to say this, especially since I also loved 2

and loved seeing Hiccup as a man leading the tribe,

but I don't see a 3 anymore--2 just wasn't a big enough of a hit and has done too much damage to DW's stock.

Interesting analysis on what went wrong:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendel ... ly-higher/

EDIT: Whoops, there was a semi spoiler in there, fixed it now.

[Dan]

The global numbers will likely ensure the third film gets made (just look at Pacific Rim). The film has yet to hit two of DW's bigger international markets China and the UK.