Box Office Winners
Disney: The box office success is highlighted by the spring releases of Disney’s Zootopia and The Jungle Book, alongside two blockbuster hits: Captain America: Civil War (USD 1.152 billion) and Finding Dory (USD 929.1 million). These also represented the two biggest films of the summer of 2016. While Civil War benefited from the superhero genre’s popularity, Finding Nemo’s sequel showcased Pixar’s undeniable drawing power in animation. Despite the disappointing performances of Alice Through the Looking Glass and The BFG, this still marks a successful summer for Disney. Looking ahead to the end of the year, they hold the promising titles Doctor Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Image: Disney
Sony: Many point to the failure of Ghostbusters. However, it was the only film that lost money for Sony during the summer of 2016 – a significant step back compared to the previous summer’s box office. The Angry Birds Movie capitalized on a nostalgic audience and mobile game fans, grossing USD 347 million against a production budget of only USD 73 million. Following that, low-budget projects like The Shallows, The Sausage Party, and Don’t Breathe showcased impressive returns.
Image: Sony
Warner Bros.: After breaking the USD 600 million mark just a week prior, Suicide Squad brought in further profits for Warner Bros. However, the film’s sales could have been higher without the Chinese market, as the country decided to ban the film due to its portrayal of the Suicide Squad. The success stemmed from an aggressive marketing campaign, but it also faced significant criticism similar to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice regarding content and its rating. Alongside this, films like Me Before You, The Conjuring 2, and Central Intelligence also contributed to Warner Bros.’ success.
Image: Warner Bros.
Horror Films: The Conjuring 2 earned the R rating and became the highest-grossing horror film of all time, surpassing USD 300 million at the box office. This success prompted production companies to quickly develop standalone films about the demon Valak, similar to what was done with the Annabelle doll after The Conjuring (2011) proved successful. Lights Out also had remarkable success, with a production budget of only USD 5 million, earning over USD 110 million and already greenlit for a sequel. Additionally, The Shallows, The Purge: Election Year, and the latest Don’t Breathe also contributed to creating a profitable summer for horror films.
Image: Warner Bros.
Animated Films: Following the success of Zootopia in March, animated films continued to attract large audiences throughout the summer. This included The Angry Birds Movie, Finding Dory, and The Secret Life of Pets. The only disappointment came from Fox’s Ice Age: Collision Course. However, despite its critical reception, the film has grossed over USD 360 million against a production budget of USD 105 million. Among the hits, The Secret Life of Pets has been the latest project from Illumination, following Minions (2015), helping to further distance itself from Pixar’s “big brother.”
Image: Universal
Jason Bourne: After a nine-year hiatus, Jason Bourne returned to success, reviving the thrilling character portrayed by Matt Damon. Not many films draw audiences back in after a long absence like Jason Bourne has. This is surely a big win for Universal, as director Paul Greengrass only required USD 120 million to produce the film.
Image: Universal
X-Men: Apocalypse: Despite being criticized in North America, Apocalypse managed to garner an audience, grossing USD 155 million (less than the USD 157 million of the first X-Men film in 2000). However, on a global scale, director Bryan Singer’s latest film still helped Fox achieve a total of USD 542 million. Even though it fell short of USD 200 million compared to the previous installment, Days of Future Past (2014), it indicates that the X-Men franchise remains a leading force in the film industry. Production must quickly improve content quality to continue engaging audiences.
Image: Fox
Box Office Flops
Paramount: This summer has been forgettable for Paramount. Out of the Shadows, the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, failed to make a significant impact, earning only USD 239 million against a production budget of USD 125 million. Star Trek: Beyond is well-received but is still at risk of losing money. Meanwhile, Ben-Hur could potentially cost the studio around USD 100 million!
Image: Paramount
Films Critically Panned: If we look at the list of films released in wide release and rating over 70% on Rotten Tomatoes this summer, many only achieved average box office numbers or even flopped. This group includes The Nice Guys, The BFG, Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond, Pete’s Dragon, and the latest Kubo and the Two Strings. Each of these films has various reasons for their failures, but they all suggest that the quality of the productions may not have guaranteed box office success at the current time.
Image: Warner Bros.
Independence Day: Resurgence & The Legend of Tarzan: Looking at the achievements of these two blockbuster projects, it is clear that they were successful in grossing over USD 350 million and are based on well-established franchises, though they may not resonate with contemporary audiences. The only issue is that the production costs of both were excessively high. Fox spent USD 165 million on the sequel to Independence Day, while The Legend of Tarzan had a production budget of USD 180 million. The public may find it difficult to see Independence Day 3 or The Legend of Tarzan 2 in the near future.
Image: Fox
Alice Through the Looking Glass: The sequel to Alice in Wonderland (2010) faced the most significant backlash in the “bomb” category this summer, being the first film to fail miserably. Disney’s investment was USD 170 million, but Alice Through the Looking Glass only managed to gross USD 294.5 million, less than one-third of the original film’s success. Fortunately for Disney, they still have several other profitable hits to cushion the sting of this disappointing failure.
Image: Disney
Steven Spielberg: The director returned to the summer blockbuster scene with The BFG – a tale of a kind giant. Spielberg’s film had a production budget of USD 140 million, yet it has grossed only USD 141 million so far. This marks the second time in the director’s over 40-year career that he faced such a disappointing outcome.
Image: Disney
Jason Statham: Released at the end of the summer, Jason Statham’s Mechanic: Resurrection only grossed USD 7.5 million in its opening weekend, far behind low-budget horror film Don’t Breathe. It’s clear that Jason Statham is struggling to find films where he can command higher box office numbers, as none of his films have surpassed USD 20 million yet. With Mechanic: Resurrection, Lionsgate only holds a faint hope for international markets.
Image: Lionsgate
(According to Zing)
