To Infinity And Beyond... Again!

To Infinity And Beyond... Again!

With Jeremy Fuster having to bow out for the week, Caroline Siede, she of The AV Club, the podcast Role Calling (each episode is “a five-film retrospective starring an actor they love”), stops by to discuss all things Toy Story 5, with a few brief notes related to Obsession’s ridiculous legs, hopes and fears for Supergirl and last weekend’s other three releases (The Death of Robin Hood, Leviticus and Girls Like Girls). Among the subjects of discourse… * All of the reasons (some less obvious than others) that Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story remains a top-tier artistic and commercial franchise * The miracle that is Jessie, beginning as a supporting character in Toy Story 2 and then almost immediately becoming a co-lead going forward * Why you can’t make a Toy Story movie without Woody or Buzz * Whether any franchise can match Toy Story’s artistic batting average * The value of keeping theatrical IP almost exclusive to theatrical release * How A24 has positioned itself, whether it works each time out, as a genuine brand name for moviegoers * The commercial value of LGBTQIA-friendly movies during Pride Month * To what extent Taylor Swift gave the film a commercial boost or merely hitched her wagon to a preordained blockbuster (and why WB should have offered up Supergirl trailers and TV spots featuring modern music*) * And more…! *Okay, so WB eventually did exactly as hoped, natch… Recommended Reading/Listening… * Scott Mendelson went long on how [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/kids-trying-to-save-box-office-and-hollywood-from-itself] the wave of youth-skewing sleeper hits, alongside older franchise flicks breaking out partially because they are attuned to today’s kids, is reminiscent of the great box office readjustment of 2001. * Jeremy Fuster goes deep into attempts to pitch the federal government (the executive and legislative branches) on a federal film tax credit [https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/business/can-hollywood-sell-congress-trump-on-federal-film-tax-credit/]. * Lisa Laman offers her picks [https://www.looper.com/2199656/best-neo-western-movies-all-time-ranked/] for the best neo-westerns of all time. * Ryan Scott dug into the commercial failure and complicated post-debut legacy of what is technically the first Black superhero movie (at least of remotely modern times), Robert Townsend’s [https://www.slashfilm.com/2196924/hollywood-first-major-black-superhero-movie-90s-flop-the-meteor-man/]The Meteor Man [https://www.slashfilm.com/2196924/hollywood-first-major-black-superhero-movie-90s-flop-the-meteor-man/]. * Caroline Siede explained, quite correctly [https://www.avclub.com/the-adventures-of-robin-hood-perfect-way-into-classic-movies], I might note, how and why The Adventures of Robin Hood (or, as I call it, the best Hollywood action movie up until, I dunno, From Russia with Love) is the ideal gateway drug to get kids (and adults) into classic cinema. If you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com (which I finally fixed so that it’ll forward to my personal business email, natch). * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/] * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/] * Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Land of the Nerds [https://landofthenerds.blogspot.com/], Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Pajiba [https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/], Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/] * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/], Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] and Inverse [https://www.inverse.com/profile/ryan-scott-111725388] * Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL] * Caroline Siede - GirlCulture [https://girlculture.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips], The AV Club [https://www.avclub.com/author/caroline-siede] and Role Calling [https://rolecalling.podbean.com/] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

'Disclosure' Yay!

This won’t exactly be the most hard-hitting critical discussion about Disclosure Day. I probably liked it least among the four of us, and yet my thumb is still firmly pointing upward. Nonetheless, Aaron Neuwith, fresh from a trip to Japan with 2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla co-host Terrance Johnson, returns to the fourth chair to discuss The Furious (since he ended up quoting in the trailer and on the film’s German poster) and — of course — the $44 million domestic/$94 million worldwide opening weekend for Steven Spielberg’s latest sci-fi thriller. The curtain-raiser question is everyone’s pick for their favorite performance in a Steven Spielberg movie, after which the subjects of discourse are… * The $2.75 million domestic and $17 million worldwide debut for The Furious and how that compares to recent overseas action movies and (offhand) the late-90s run of English-dubbed, domestically-targeted Jackie Chan releases. * The big drops for Scary Movie 6 and Masters of the Universe, although obviously one is more problematic than the other. One question is whether we get a Scary Movie 7 before we get a Scream 8. * Whether the social media divisiveness over Disclosure Day will prove indicative of general audiences’ sentiment or merely an online-specific back-and-forth. * How the film was marketed, whether it was or wasn’t indicative of the film itself, while noting that it clearly worked in terms of opening weekend interest. * That a new Spielberg film succeeded on its own terms, right alongside massive overperformances from the likes of Obsession and Backrooms, is actually the best-case scenario. * The usual “Spielberg makes movies good, actually” conversation, which is still always worth reiterating. * Spielberg’s willingness and seeming desire to work with newer and younger onscreen talent. * And more, including opening weekend predictions for Toy Story 5. Recommended Reading/Listening… * Scott Mendelson went long and annoying [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/amazon-cannot-pretend-that-masters-of-the-universe-is-not-a-box-office-disaster] over Amazon, trying to spin Masters of the Universe’s poor box office as an irrelevant trivia point. * Jeremy Fuster noted that AMC’s previously scheduled series of concert films, set for this summer, has been canceled because the box office is so damn healthy [https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/business/amc-theaters-postpones-concert-events-paris-hilton-maren-morris/] that the theaters don’t need them right now. * Lisa Laman offers her picks for the five most underrated Pixar flicks [https://www.looper.com/2194823/pixar-most-underrated-movies-ranked/]. * Ryan Scott offers a retrospective on one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time, the mostly-forgotten Warren Beatty/Diane Keaton comedy [https://www.slashfilm.com/2193580/warren-beatty-diane-keaton-town-and-country-big-box-office-flop/]Town & Country [https://www.slashfilm.com/2193580/warren-beatty-diane-keaton-town-and-country-big-box-office-flop/]. * Max Deering couldn’t make this episode’s recording, but this week’s Action For Everyone features an extensive interview with [https://open.spotify.com/episode/72QqHLJFVzB1kItVZ2QoEz]The Furious [https://open.spotify.com/episode/72QqHLJFVzB1kItVZ2QoEz]director Kenji Tanigaki [https://open.spotify.com/episode/72QqHLJFVzB1kItVZ2QoEz]. * Aaron Neuwirth and Terence Johnson took a detour with an episode centered on director Shusuke Kaneko’s late-1990s trilogy of [https://2blackguystalkgodzilla.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-the-gamera-heisei-trilogy-1995-1999]Gamera [https://2blackguystalkgodzilla.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-the-gamera-heisei-trilogy-1995-1999]movies [https://2blackguystalkgodzilla.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-the-gamera-heisei-trilogy-1995-1999]. I actually saw (the genuinely awesome) Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris in a movie theater with my parents while visiting Japan in early 1999. Sure, the episode is a delight, but you’re only delaying the inevitable. Dread it, run from it… Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla still arrives all the same. If you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com (which I finally fixed so that it’ll forward to my personal business email, natch). * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/] * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/] * Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Pajiba [https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/], Comic Book [https://comicbook.com/author/lisa-laman/] and Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/] * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/], Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] and Inverse [https://www.inverse.com/profile/ryan-scott-111725388] * Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL] * Aaron Neuwirth - The Code is Zeek [https://thecodeiszeek.substack.com/] and We Live Entertainment [https://weliveentertainment.com/author/aaron-neuwirth/] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Masters of the Scary Circus

As expected, Masters of the Universe became the latest example of “good movie, don’t care” IP adaptation in the tradition of Power Rangers, Transformers One, and (at least overseas) Predator: Badlands. And, as somewhat expected, Scary Movie 6 was a nostalgia-skewing relaunch that successfully played to the kids. At the same time, The Amazing Digital Circus was the latest example of a YouTube-created IP successfully transitioning from streaming to cinema. Luke Y. Thompson, as a lifelong He-Man fan with an encyclopedic knowledge of the nearly 45-year-old franchise, still has much to say about the decades-in-development franchise reboot that ended up with an opening weekend that was barely above the second weekend for Backrooms and the fourth frame for Obsession. Meanwhile, Jeremy Fuster goes long on the frustrating double standard often applied to mega-budget theatrical flops released by “money doesn’t matter” tech giants. At the same time, everyone remembers to give Paramount its Scary Movie 6-specific flowers. Also on the docket is discourse related to Dan Lin’s “filmmakers who want theatrical releases can buzz off” New York Times article, favorite Regina Hall roles, whether the YouTube-to-cinema pipeline will have a quality curve, Jared Leto’s inconveniently excellent performance as Skeletor and my personal annoyance over Masters of the Universe’s false-hope mid-credit cookie. Recommended Reading… * Scott Mendelson discussed the reasons why [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/chris-nolan-the-odyssey-summer-blockbuster-for-adults] Chris Nolan likely had little issue with convincing Universal to let The Odyssey go out with an R-rating. * Jeremy Fuster digs into what companies might be making a play to buy IMAX [https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/deals-ma/imax-sale-potential-buyers-analysis/]. * Lisa Laman notes the four actors [https://www.looper.com/2187909/actors-almost-played-he-man-masters-of-the-universe-movie/] who were previously cast/almost cast as He-Man in various previous unmade iterations of Masters of the Universe. * Ryan Scott kicks yet more sand [https://www.slashfilm.com/2190938/biggest-box-office-flop-all-time-2026-movie-desert-warrior/] in the face of Desert Warrior. * Luke Y. Thompson uses the new “Action Man” figure [https://lytrules.substack.com/p/hasbros-new-action-man-looks-like] to discuss the ins and outs of toys that resemble actors and movie stars. If you like what you hear… Please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com (which I finally fixed so that it’ll forward to my personal business email, natch). * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/]* Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/]* Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Pajiba [https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/] and Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/]* Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/], Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] and Inverse [https://www.inverse.com/profile/ryan-scott-111725388]* Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL]* Luke Y. Thompson - Mortal Cinema [https://lytrules.substack.com/], TV Line [https://www.tvline.com/author/lukethompson/] and SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/lukethompson/] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

An Hour With... Fathom Entertainment CEO Ray Nutt

Having already announced his intentions to step down [https://www.fathomentertainment.com/news/fathom-entertainment-announces-upcoming-retirement-of-ceo-ray-nutt/] from his role as the Chief Executive Officer of Fathom Entertainment at the end of this year, Ray Nutt also stopped by for a brisk 35-minute chit-chat for another irregular “an hour with” episode of The Box Office Podcast. On the eve of Amazing Digital Circus becoming the latest “from YouTube to movie theaters” success story, and weeks after Fathom’s first trailer for Laika’s Wildwood broke the Internet, the departing CEO discussed hopes that recent success with the 15th anniversary rerelease of Coraline (with $34 million in North America alone) and the aforementioned Wildwood teaser trailer (100 million views in a day or two) will translate into actual butts-in-seats interest for what will be Fathom’s first conventional nationwide theatrical release, on October 23, for a “new” movie. Mr. Nutt also discusses the recently announced Jimmy, a KJ Apa-starring Jimmy Stewart biopic set for November 6 and what will likely be his proverbial swan song. Among the subjects of discourse are what he believes he accomplished during his nine years in the top spot, as the company has sought to expand what it offers theaters, even as it emphasizes quality and variety over sheer quantity. From the expected anniversary releases to brief theatrical runs for faith-based titles like The Blind and comparatively secular flicks like Rob Zombie’s Three from Hell and Peter Jackson’s World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, alongside semi-regular offerings in the realm of opera, Broadway, sporting events and episodic television, the goal has been offering something for everyone without necessarily saying “Yes” to everything. Along with this of-the-moment discourse, there’s time for history lessons on how the digital revolution made any of this possible and how the company weathered both the pandemic and a pre-COVID decline in casual moviegoing. Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

I Believe The Children Are Our Future!

Chrissi Michael, content strategist by day and box office nerd by night [https://cmstudiescinema.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search], returns to talk shop for what could be a line-in-the-sand weekend for movies and movie theaters. This weekend’s episode was mostly metaphorical high-fives and champagne-popping, a momentary moment to exhale for a podcast that began on the opening weekend of Argylle. Hollywood might finally be pulling its head out of its ass in terms of (re)discovering the value of newer adaptations of newer IP aimed at today’s kids and/or of-the-moment offering films from talent closer in age to when Orson Welles starred in Citizen Kane than when Orson Welles starred in Transformers: The Movie. Yes, the perennially online generation has finally been given at least a few keys to the kingdom, and recent breakouts like Iron Lung, Obsession and Backrooms show that the so-called YouTube generation has the touch and/or the power. No, one weekend and a few youth-skewing breakouts do not signal an industry-wide revolution. It’s worth remembering that Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu will likely outgross all of these sleeper smashes. Heck, The Devil Wears Prada 2, let alone Toy Story 5, will likely outgross all of them combined. But there’s certainly cause for hope that the theatrical ecosystem might not be entirely dependent upon whether each officially designated all-quadrant, nostalgia-chasing, franchise-friendly, globally-designed would-be tentpole can perform as required. Among the specific areas of discourse, much of the first 1/3 is spent recounting formative horror-movie experiences (even amid a quartet where only Scott Mendelson watched much horror as a youth). Much of the middle is spent discussing how well Kane Parsons’ Backrooms works even for those who don’t give a damn about the source material. Likewise, we all pipe in on the promise and peril of YouTube as a new talent pool. We discuss why horror remains such a viable breakout genre (even beyond budgetary advantages) and how these successes again show that IMAX and other PLFs are supplemental, not essential, to top-tier box office success. And yes, we spend a few minutes discussing whether other genres (and more “not a white guy” [https://cmstudiescinema.substack.com/] talent) can take similar advantage of this new talent pool, which often comes with a baked-in fanbase for the person or property in question. No “recommended reading” this week, mostly because I want to get this episode out a little faster. That said, if you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com. * Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/] and Puck News [https://puck.news/author/scott-mendelson/] * Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap [https://www.thewrap.com/author/jeremy-fuster/] * Lisa Laman [https://lisalaman.wixstudio.com/lisaportfolio] - Dallas Observer [https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/dallas-forths-best-trans-inclusive-bars-and-businesses-21590543], Pajiba [https://www.pajiba.com/staff/lisa-laman.php], Looper [https://www.looper.com/author/lisalaman/], and Autostraddle [https://www.autostraddle.com/author/lisalaman/] * Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm [https://www.slashfilm.com/author/ryanscott/], Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/ryan-scott/] and Inverse [https://www.inverse.com/profile/ryan-scott-111725388] * Max Deering - Fangoria [https://www.fangoria.com/authors/maxwell_deering/] and Action For Everyone [https://open.spotify.com/show/6OWjC2VooChhsCT8UCzDlL] * Chrissi Michael - C(ine)m(a) Studie [https://cmstudiescinema.substack.com/] Get full access to The Outside Scoop at scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]