Winnie the Pooh (2011)

[estefan]

It's a ridiculously stupid idea to pit any film against Harry Potter, which is a series that's popular with every demographic. March is a more appropriate time period, not only because Spring perfectly represents Winnie the Pooh, but in recent years, it has proven a profitable time for family films. Just look at how well Alice in Wonderland and How to Train Your Dragon have done.

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if John Lasseter hits the marketing department upside the head and tells them to change the release, especially since it's getting released two weeks after Cars 2 and I doubt he wants both of his franchises he has a responsibility towards making successful competing against each other.

[DisneyJedi]

I still say it's counter programming. And let's be honest, Pooh IS a toddler experience. It's fricking Winnie the Pooh. Hardly a family film. Especially in times of ADD-3D movies. And us hardcore Disney fans are a big minority group.

This film cost Disney $35 million to make. They'll make it back easily. Just not in the way disney fans want.

Wait. This new Pooh movie cost $35 million to make? Are you sure?

[estefan]

That's not too out-there. They already have character designs and Winnie the Pooh has never called massively complex animation style, instead opting for simplicity. Plus, they have likely hired professional voice actors over big-name stars and they command a cheaper pay-cheque (though, I'm sure Jim Cummings will nonetheless fill his bank account nicely).

Plus, they already have all of the artists and hand-drawn animation tools that contributed such a large portion of Frog's budget in bringing them back.

[PatrickvD]

I still say it's counter programming. And let's be honest, Pooh IS a toddler experience. It's fricking Winnie the Pooh. Hardly a family film. Especially in times of ADD-3D movies. And us hardcore Disney fans are a big minority group.

This film cost Disney $35 million to make. They'll make it back easily. Just not in the way disney fans want.

Wait. This new Pooh movie cost $35 million to make? Are you sure?

yes. This was confirmed. Why would anyone in their right mind release a $100 million+ budget movie on the same weekend as Harry Potter?

This is counter programming.

[DisneyJedi]

Wait. This new Pooh movie cost $35 million to make? Are you sure?

yes. This was confirmed. Why would anyone in their right mind release a $100 million+ budget movie on the same weekend as Harry Potter?

This is counter programming.

Okay, this makes me feel SLIGHTLY better.

[BrandonH]

Counterprogramming is one thing, but placing your movie the same week as a juggernaut like HP7.5 is quite another. Certain movies are not counterprogrammed against because the expectations for their success are so massive. Why not release Pooh in January or October when the competition is not so fierce? The success of Paul Blart: Mall Cop shows that audiences are so starved for good movies in January that they will watch almost anything.

Anyway, that's enough armchair movie scheduling. I hope that the story and songs are up to the level of the first two theatrical Pooh movies and far better than the Heffalump stuff they tried to feed us.

[Flanger-Hanger]

I was juts checking the box office totals of recent Pooh flicks and have seen some interesting facts:

The Tigger Movie: Domestic: $45,554,533 + Foreign: $50,605,267
= $96,159,800

Piglet's Big Movie: Domestic: $23,103,423 + Foreign: $39,767,123
= $62,870,546

Pooh's Heffalump Movie: Domestic: $18,098,433 + Foreign: $34,760,000
= $52,858,433

I'm beginning to question the financial incentive to make another Pooh movie in the first place with a seemingly downward trend in totals, even with a small budget of $35 million. It's not just about making 3 x 35 ($105) to get back the money, I just don't see how this would be hugely profitable.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but trying to compete with Harry Potter sounds like they want to prevent this movie from becoming a hit.

[Sotiris]

I'd love to be proven wrong, but trying to compete with Harry Potter sounds like they want to prevent this movie from becoming a hit.

I highly doubt it would have become a hit even without the Harry Potter competition but it would sure have a lot more box office potential.

[estefan]

I find it hard to believe that a major studio would willingly let a film of theirs do poorly (though Fox is notorious for actually doing that with Mike Judge's film). But, Disney has been acting really strange lately, so who knows?

[Sotiris]

I find it hard to believe that a major studio would willingly let a film of theirs do poorly (though Fox is notorious for actually doing that with Mike Judge's film). But, Disney has been acting really strange lately, so who knows?

Perhaps they want their films to underperform in order to use that as an excuse to declare WDAS as unprofitable and shut it down. Conspiracy theory?

[singerguy04]

I'm not convinced this film is completely being made to be a HUGE hit. Lasseter once said that he was a huge fan of Pooh, and that he wasn't happy with what the franchise had become. I think this film is a few things for the company. A way to introduce to the world that Pooh isn't just for children under the age of 5, a way to re-boot the franchise as a whole, and an affordable way to keep hand drawn animation in the works and in the public eye.

This film will make the company money, although I doubt it will ever become number 1 at the box office. However, if it does gain some nice reviews I bet it'll turn some heads.

[BwayJ]

This movie only has a budget of $35 million, right? If so, then I don't think it would take too much for it to earn its money back (at least internationally speaking).

[Flanger-Hanger]

If Lasseter wanted to change public perception about Pooh, why wouldn't a 25 minute featurette work just as well if not better? You could tie it in with a much more anticipated release and probably get more people's attention because they're not specifically seeking out Pooh related entertainment.

With a feature length film you have to convince the public that paying $8 (the average ticket price lets say) to see 70 minutes or so of Pooh is worth their time. That seems like a poor idea to me because Disney has spent years making Pooh media specifically for the 6 and under set and I doubt any one feature is going to change everyone's opinion. It will take time for the "franchise" to change direction and putting effort into a feature right away seems like a bit much to me.

I also know this isn't meant to be a blockbuster, but spending $35 million on something that may not even make $100 million (or $90 or $80) worldwide doesn't sound like sound business logic either.

[BrandonH]

If they put the right teaser trailer with Toy Story 3 for Pooh, then audiences might sit up and take notice. There is no reason that another great Pooh movie aimed at all ages cannot be made. They just have to convince the public of that, and a properly managed marketing campaign can do just that.

[disneyboy20022]

If they put the right teaser trailer with Toy Story 3 for Pooh, then audiences might sit up and take notice. There is no reason that another great Pooh movie aimed at all ages cannot be made. They just have to convince the public of that, and a properly managed marketing campaign can do just that.

Hopefully they don't combine this Picture




with this button

[toonaspie]

What's the story?!

I hate when these animated feature projects will give you a date and a title but they wont give you an exact premise or an idea as to what this Pooh film will really be about!

[DisneyJedi]

If they put the right teaser trailer with Toy Story 3 for Pooh, then audiences might sit up and take notice. There is no reason that another great Pooh movie aimed at all ages cannot be made. They just have to convince the public of that, and a properly managed marketing campaign can do just that.

Hopefully they don't combine this Picture




with this button

They'd better not!

[REINIER]

Is it just me or am I the only one that thinks that Pooh is nice but
70 minutes of our honeyluvvin bear is just too much to take in

I mean, I know this will probably be made up out of combined segments, multiple stories...
but so far the only one (next to the original) that past mustard with me was ''tigger movie"
(half decent at that!)

I wonder what merchandising scheme Disney will come up with..
Over the years we have seen so many Pooh ''crap'' already it would be nice to see some worthy products.

But hey, that's just me

[REINIER]

I don't know if anybody's seen this...



Notice the new cutsie little bear





One must assume seeing this is a new upcoming calendar that this will be the portrayal of the hundred acre wood..

Now, I don't want to be a critic, but...

I don't see much difference in this picture compared to other dt-dvd sequels...

Then again, just a few frames

[Old Fish Tale]

Those aren't film stills...