disney Pixar brought huge joy to the box office this weekend.
“Inside Out 2” debuted with an estimated $155 million domestically, making it the second-highest-grossing animated film and the first since “Inside Out 2.” Warner Bros. “Barbie” debuted at a box office of over $100 million.
Notably, Disney is not considering its 2019 live-action remake of “The Lion King,” which grossed $191.7 million in its debut animated film.
“Inside Out 2” is expected to gross $295 million at the global box office over the weekend.
“Let’s collectively ‘welcome’ back to Disney, Pixar and the box office summer,” said Box Office Theory founder and owner Sean Robbins.
Pixar and Walt Disney Animation are both trying to regain a foothold at the box office as pandemic restrictions ease and audiences return to theaters. Disney has chosen to premiere some animated features directly on Disney+, so parents are being trained to look for new Disney titles on streaming rather than in theaters, even if they do return to the big screen.
To make matters worse, many viewers began to feel that the company’s content had become too existential and too focused on social issues that were beyond the reach of children.
“There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding these two studios and films lately, so it’s refreshing to have this powerful premiere for Inside Out 2,” Robbins said.
The film is the fifth Pixar film to have a North American debut of over $100 million and the second-highest opening weekend for Pixar, behind only 2018’s “The Incredibles 2” ($182.6 million). According to EntTelligence, approximately 12 million viewers flocked to theaters to watch the film.
“This is obviously a huge win for theaters,” said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “This is an even bigger win for Pixar.”
The theater industry has struggled this year with fewer films, and last year’s twin labor strikes shut down film sets for nearly five months, exacerbating pandemic-related production shutdowns. The result is a 26% drop in ticket sales compared to 2023 and a 42% drop compared to 2019, according to Comscore. As of this weekend, the domestic box office is $2.8 billion.
While Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment’s “Dune: Part 2,” Warner Bros. and Toho’s “Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire” and generic “Kung Fu Panda 4” has struggled to achieve consistent release speed and box office revenue in 2024.
For the first time since 2009, this early summer’s slate will be without a Marvel Cinematic Universe title. Typically, these movies have an average opening of $100 million to $200 million, with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” setting a record-breaking $357.1 million. In contrast, this year Universal’s “The Fall Guy” opened to $28 million.
Comscore’s Dergarabedian said a reduction in the number of movies and blockbusters could push summer box office sales down as much as $800 million from 2023, with knock-on effects throughout the year. After all, the summer season (which runs from the first weekend in May through Labor Day) typically accounts for 40% of annual domestic box office totals.
“Brain Teasers 2” is a highlight in the industry. It has the biggest domestic opening of 2024, surpassing Dune: Part II’s opening weekend of $82.5 million.
“Does a performance like this eliminate all concerns about the evolution of consumer behavior? Of course not, but for those who think Disney or Pixar have permanently lost some of their business profits after a combination of overly aggressive streaming strategies and undercooked movies For commercially attractive people, it should remain unchanged.
Some heavyweights are wrapping up the summer and ending the year.
Marvel’s first R-rated movie, “Deadpool and Wolverine,” will be released in theaters in July and is expected to have a strong opening weekend and bring in steady box office revenue throughout its run.
Then, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” will be released in early September, “Joker: Folie a Deux” will be released in October along with “Venom: The Last Dance”, and “Gladiator II” and “Moana 2” will be released in November and “Wicked.” Additionally, “Kraven the Hunter,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Mufasa: The Lion King” will be released in December.
Revealed: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.
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