Disney Hits $1 billion at US box office

[Choco Bear]

dont forget open range which opened with 14 mill and only cost 20 mil to make open range distributed by disneys touvhdstone label

[2099net]

Don't forget Finding Nemo did cost cost around $95m (plus unknown advertising) and any box office takings have to be shared between Disney, Pixar and the theaters. Likewise Pirates of the Caribbean cost $125M (plus unknown advertising) and the takings have to be split between Disney, Jerry Bruckheimer Films and the theaters. I would guess Bruckheimer being the business man that he his will have negotiated a substantial return (but unlikely to be as large as Pixar's on their films). We also don't know with PotC if any deal was made with the cast to keep a percentage of the box office takings (such a deal was made with all of the principle cast members of Disney/Bruckheimer's Pearl Harbor). So in short there is no way of knowing how much of the box office takings Disney actually gets to keep for themselves. While it may appear that Disney are raking money in from these figures, in reality other studios with less box office could be taking more profit.

I don't want to pour cold water over everyone's excitement, but box office takings mean almost nothing when it comes to actual profits. Of course they can be used as a guide to a film's popularity and there is no doubt in anybody's mind that once the films complete their international and home video releases Disney will have made a tidy sum for themselves.

As for Nemo almost surpassing the takings of The Lion King this really is something that irritates me enormously. It really is a most unfair comparison. Not only has inflation pushed up the price of ticket admissions but inflation has also pushed up the actual cost of making advertising the film. No clear and accurate comparision can be made between the two.

I understand some countries in Europe don't measure money, but measure actual admissions. This seems like a much more sensible method of judging a films popularity - being as it measures actual "bums on seats". However, Hollywood is unlikely to switch to this method, as it will stop their sensational headlines everytime a 'record' is broken, thanks in no small part to inflation.

[Loomis]

I understand some countries in Europe don't measure money, but measure actual admissions. This seems like a much more sensible method of judging a films popularity - being as it measures actual "bums on seats". However, Hollywood is unlikely to switch to this method, as it will stop their sensational headlines everytime a 'record' is broken, thanks in no small part to inflation.

Actually, that sounds quite good. As you say, the money obsessed Hollywood is unlikely to adopt it, but it would give a more accurate reading as to how many people are actually seeing films over time. Obviously so many more people went and saw the Lion King than Nemo (not to take anything away from Nemo which has done very well for itself when all is said and done).

They could still have their records I guess, but $320 MILLION sounds better than 32 million people saw the film!!!

In the end though, even if all that money doesn't see its way back to Disney the great returns do mean this:
More films.

It means Pixar will make more films (always good), Disney might have a franchise on their hands (PotC) or at the very least it will mean that more big budget live action films will be made by Disney (for better or for worse ).

The Freaky Friday success might mean a DVD of the original, and Spy Kids 3 keeps Robert Rodriguez in employment long enough to make more Mariachi films...

So even though Disney may not see al of this money, the box office returns are encouraging, as they may lead on to other things as a result of this impressive bounty.

[Maerj]

We all realize that Disney isn't keeping 100% of that billion dollars at the box office, that isn't the point here! The point here is that they are extremely successful at the box office this year and that bringing in a billion dollars worth in movie ticket sales is an enormous achievement.

[Captain Hook]

We all realize that Disney isn't keeping 100% of that billion dollars at the box office, that isn't the point here! The point here is that they are extremely successful at the box office this year and that bringing in a billion dollars worth in movie ticket sales is an enormous achievement.

You tell 'em Maerj! That's a very good amount of money.