DVDizzy Forum

"Prince Caspian" is the 9th best-selling DVD of 2008.

http://theboxofficejunkie.com/2009/01/f ... -2008.html

Well damnit, Disney! What more do they need? They have three films in the top ten! If DVD was supposedly what Caspian was hinged on - then what were they hoping for, exactly? It to outshine The Dark Knight?

Exactly, this day and age companies don't, or shouldn't, base a film's performance strictly on box office gross. Dvd sales must be factored in to a film's overall performance, and w/PC being in the top 10 that speaks volumes. I for one didn't see PC in the theater, but knew I would buy it once it was released on dvd. I remember when the first Austin Powers came out in theaters and it did horrible, but word of mouth and VHS rental/sales were enough to get two sequels out there. I'm sure that's not the first/only example of a movie doing better on vhs/dvd, but it shows that box office gross can't be the only thing to look at any longer.

Of course Disney scheduling the film in a crappy spot comes to factor, but if they decide to go ahead w/the next film, i'm betting it will wind up released around the holidays like PC should have been.

I'm baffled as to why Disney would cancel this. The movie made a decent box-office at a horrible release time for the worst book in the series. And now that I know the DVD sales have been up there, the more I think there must have been a behind-the-scenes reasoning for the cancellation.

I really hope it is is just a publicity stunt.

chadhobbick wrote:Exactly, this day and age companies don't, or shouldn't, base a film's performance strictly on box office gross. Dvd sales must be factored in to a film's overall performance, and w/PC being in the top 10 that speaks volumes.

But Disney's not getting the full 100% of the home video sales. Any profit Prince Caspian makes on home video is more or less halved. Same with toy licencing or whatever. Plus Disney doesn't "own" Narnia, like they own and therefore can fully control Mickey, HSM, Hanna Montana, Wall-E or countless other Disney properties.

So Disney has a decision to make in these hard times. It can continue to support Narnia and reap some of the benefits, or it can promote and/or create its own property and gain 100% of the benefits.

I hope I would look forward to see the third Narnia film when it comes out next year, and it's not going to be made by Disney, it's going to be 20th Century-Fox instead, because Walden Media made a distribution deal, bar none. I've seen the first two Narnia films from Disney, I hope the third film will end up at Fox for this one.

Variety has an article up about how Walden is still determined to continue the series.

So it seems, according to that article, anyway, that Prince Caspian's box office wasn't as big a factor as we thought. I mean, I'm sure it played a significant role, but it looks like Disney's main problem was dealing with the creative input of Walden and C.S. Lewis' estate. The low box office gross just gave Disney the perfect excuse to cut their ties.

A part of me hopes Fox picks up this series, but I also know how infamous they are in micromanaging (which is why virtually every high-profile film from them ends up with a Director's Cut DVD). If Fox is willing to let Walden and the estate of C.S. Lewis do their own thing, then they have my blessing, and I hope this all blows up in Disney's face.

I suspected as much DisneyKid ever since the "news" (be it fact or rumour) that Caspian was pushed back so as not to interfere with The Water Horse. It's also clear from the reports circulating now, that it was Walden setting the budget of the movies, so one would expect Walden to be creatively as was as financially in control of the final films. Not something I expect Disney to be happy with.

Disney isn't really used to working with others. It has in the past (such as the Inspector Gadget movies) and most famously Pixar. But we all know how Pixar turned out...

I suspect the main reason for the Pixar buyout wasn't for the quality of the existing and future properties, but to fully own the rights to the properties. Certainly, merchandise sales and income was factored into the transaction price!

It's ironic that the only branch of Disney that did work well with others - Miramax - has since left Disney.

And remember, everybody said Eisner was the one who couldn't work with other people?

Disney already fully owned the rights to the pixar franchises. they were planing on making sequels to everything themselves when pixar had left.

Maybe so, but Pixar was still getting 50% of the money.

One of the main points I got out of the article is that Walden essentially blamed Disney for the poor release date choice of Prince Caspian. Also, they blamed themselves for going forward with PC as the 2nd movie. It seems there were hard feelings all around.

I just want the series to continue! and not suck...

kbehm29 wrote:One of the main points I got out of the article is that Walden essentially blamed Disney for the poor release date choice of Prince Caspian. Also, they blamed themselves for going forward with PC as the 2nd movie. It seems there were hard feelings all around.

I just want the series to continue! and not suck...

It was logical to have PC be the second movie. They need to get the ones with the kids in them done before they age too much since there isn't there much of a time difference between the books (in the regular world that is). It wouldn't be right to do one of the books in which none of the kids are in it (as kids that is) when there are books with the kids in it (as kids) that need to be done first.

This news is so sad. I'm so dissapointed in Disney for dropping Dawn Treader. I remember reading it as a child and loving it and was truly looking forward to the film.

So Disney put out their 2008 fiancial year-in-review. Here's all they had to say about Caspian:

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, based on C. S. Lewis’ beloved saga, brought in more than $400 million at the worldwide box office and was one of our top-selling DVDs at year’s end.

Link

roswellian wrote:This news is so sad. I'm so dissapointed in Disney for dropping Dawn Treader. I remember reading it as a child and loving it and was truly looking forward to the film.

Yea Disney REALLY screwed up on this one. Next to the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe...Dawn Treader was the movie most ppl I know were looking forward to. I hope someone else picks it up and makes Disney cry for abandoning it...

Things are getting very interesting...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big ... -hist.html

To sum it up, Fox (as we all know) has first dibs on the franchise due to their partnership with Walden Media. Apparently they've been thinking of acquiring the rights to the series even before Walden got involved back in 2002 or so. Should Fox decide to pass on the offer, though, both Sony and Warner Brothers have expressed interest in taking over. I have a feeling we're going to be hearing announcements made very soon. I'm hoping to God Fox declines and WB takes over. If Fox does decide to do it, I won't complain too loudly, though. I'll just be happy not to see this series die.

Hmm, I can't see Sony getting the Narnia franchise, it just doesn't seem like a good fit.

I'd definitely love for Warner to get it, but hope they don't give it the Harry Potter treatment on DVD. That would just be...ugh.

albert

I think it will be good and Disney will probably make it even better, cant wait to see it!

Fox has Narnia:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111799 ... id=13&cs=1

One month after Disney decided to pull the plug on co-financing the third movie in Walden Media's "Chronicles of Narnia" series, Walden has found a new partner in 20th Century Fox.

Fox, which was entitled to first crack at "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader" after Disney dropped out because of the shared Fox Walden marketing and distribution label, has made a commitment to develop the project. The two sides are still working out budget and script issues, but the hope is to shoot the film at the end of summer for a holiday 2010 release through the Fox Walden label.

They learnt their lesson. It's coming out during the holidays.

hmm, I was hoping Disney would reconsider. but at least now they can get to work. But what do you mean by "they have learnt their lesson"?