The BFG (2016)

[milojthatch]

Wonder if this box office bomb will cause a(nother) dent in the relationship between Disney and Spielberg...

I certainly hope not.

Don't worry, Spielberg will still come back for Indy 5!

[estefan]

Wonder if this box office bomb will cause a(nother) dent in the relationship between Disney and Spielberg...

I certainly hope not.

Their partnership has already finished. After The Light Between Oceans, which is a holdover from the DreamWorks/Disney partnership is dumped on Labour Day weekend, DreamWorks's future films will now be released by Universal Pictures.

I predict Kubo and the Two Strings will suffer the same fate.

Laika's films tend to make about $50 million domestically and the same amount overseas (the exception is Coraline, which made $75 million domestic). I'm expecting the same grosses for Kubo, which is coming out the same time ParaNorman did four years ago. Laika's films don't cost much by modern animated film standards, so they're able to turn a profit and Focus Features has been more than pleased with their performances thus far.

As for The BFG, I think this was always going to be an international player more than a domestic one, though I think Disney should have been released it in October, so they could have given it their full and undivided attention, rather than during the summer where they also had Captain America, Finding Dory, Alice and Pete's Dragon to put their marketing muscle behind. I think we should wait to see how it does in other countries and its weekly legs before throwing the "flop" label around.

Historically, though, Roald Dahl adaptations don't tend to do well at the box-office. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the one exception. Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches and Fantastic Mr Fox all performed poorly on their initial releases, but they managed to gain cult followings on their video releases and from multiple television airings. I predict the same thing will happen to The BFG and twenty years from now, today's children will look back at it with a nostalgic fondness the same way the '90s generation remembers Matilda.

[Mickeyfan1990]

Wonder if this box office bomb will cause a(nother) dent in the relationship between Disney and Spielberg...

I certainly hope not.

Don't worry, Spielberg will still come back for Indy 5!

I almost forgot! Thanks!

All is not lost then.

[D82]

The CGI in this movie doesn't look too real to me either, but I think it will be worth seeing regardless of that. I haven't read the book or seen the animated film, but the story looks interesting to me and I usually like Steven Spielberg's films, so I think I'm going to see it.

Yeah, I'll probably end up seeig it just for Spielberg, its been a while since he's really done something like this. But I cant help but keep thinking why they could have just shot real poeple on blue/green screen for a much more convincing effect. And they even have the tech now to adjust proportion of live action footage should they want to play with things like height, weight and such.

In my opinion CGI is used too much nowadays. The special effects in some films from 20 years ago looked more believable to me than the effects in many films that are made today. The dinosaurs in the first Jurassic Park film, for example, where I think they used a combination of real models, stop motion and CGI, looked more real to me than the dinosaurs in Jurassic World. The CGI has improved over the years, and Weta, the company that worked on The BFG, is one of the best in its field, but usually you can easily tell which things are CGI in a film and which aren’t. I suppose they use only CGI now because it’s easier or faster that way, but I think that in many cases a combination of real elements and CGI, or for this particular film, real people shot on green screen as you said, would give better results. What I did like about how the film was made from the excerpts blackcauldron85 shared, is that Mark Rylance was on the set playing the giant alongside the girl who is Sophie. The performance of the young actress was surely benefited from that.

Im not surprised the movie isnt doing well. I havent seen it yet but it looks like a sweet, contemplative quiet family film, exactly the opposite of the majority of films aimed at kids these days that are successful.

I feared it wouldn’t be successful for the same reason you mentioned. I think they have made the same mistake they did with The Princess and the Frog. They promoted the film making it look like the new E.T. or a classic family film from the 80s or 90s, and that has probably appealed to the people who were children when those movies were released, but not to the new generations.

[blackcauldron85]

With the amazing The Secret Life of Pets out now, I feel that, unfortunately, The BFG's chances at the box office are over. Disney, you should have chosen a different release time.

[carolinakid]

With a title like The BFG, it was doomed from the start.

[D82]

The BFG is having more success in the UK than in the US:

'The BFG' beats 'Star Trek Beyond' to debut top of UK box office
http://www.screendaily.com/news/bfg-bea ... 05.article


I recently saw the film and I liked it. It’s not one of Spielberg’s best films, in my opinion, but it’s an imaginative and sweet film that seems kind of old-fashioned, but in a good way. The BFG and Sophie were both endearing characters and the actors behind them gave good performances. My biggest issue was that the pace was a bit slow at times. Usually I don’t have a problem with slow-paced movies, like Studio Ghibli films for example, but in this case the story probably could have been told in less time. Regardless of that, I would recommend the film to anyone who likes this kind of fantasy films.

[DisneyEra]

The BFG has a $140+ million budget & has only grossed $72 worldwide! Thank goodness Disney has Marvel/Star Wars cause this would be a disaster for them if not

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bfg.htm

[Mickeyfan1990]

DVD/Blu-ray date confirmed for 12/6!!!:
http://videoeta.com/movie/products.html?id=180588

UPDATE: Amazon also confirms the date and press release from DVD News Flash!:

"BURBANK, Calif., Sept. 23, 2016 — This month, the world celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roald Dahl, beloved children’s author of family favorites like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Matilda” and Dahl’s personal favorite, “The BFG,” as well as World Dream Day, an annual event honoring “the dreamer, visionary and innovator in all of us.” It seems a fitting time to announce the in-home release of “The BFG,” Disney’s fantasy adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, on Dec. 6 on Digital HD, Blu-ray™, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand.

As dreamers around the globe gear up for Sunday’s World Dream Day, an annual holiday honoring “the dreamer, visionary and innovator in all of us,” it seems a fitting time to announce the in-home release of “The BFG,” Disney’s fantasy adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring a dream-collecting Big Friendly Giant. This heartwarming tale for the whole family arrives home for the holidays on Dec. 6 on Digital HD, Blu-ray™, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand.

“The BFG” unites the talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg – to bring to life the classic tale of a courageous little girl named Sophie (newcomer Ruby Barnhill) and a gentle and charming Big Friendly Giant (Oscar®-winner Mark Rylance) who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. Spielberg employs a new, hybrid style of filmmaking blending live-action and performance-capture techniques, resulting in genuine, heartfelt performances and super-photorealistic animation.

Families and fans will be swept away by this spectacular adventure and delight in extensive bonus features, including a behind-the-scenes look at the making of “The BFG” hosted by Ruby Barnhill and featuring Steven Spielberg; a charming, all-new short; a fun and whimsical tutorial on the Big Friendly Giant’s unique language of Gobblefunk; a touching tribute to screenwriter Melissa Mathison (“E.T. the Extraterrestrial,” “The Black Stallion”); and more.

Spielberg’s directorial debut with The Walt Disney Studios was a labor of love, as he’s been a fan of Dahl’s for years. In fact, he read “The BFG” to his own children when they were younger. According to Spielberg, “It’s a story about friendship; it’s a story about loyalty and protecting your friends; and it’s a story that shows that even a little girl can help a big giant solve his biggest problems.” “The BFG” is a Golden Phizzwizard* come true for Spielberg, Dahl fans and audiences around the world.

Bonus features include**:

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:
- Bringing “The BFG” to Life – Ruby Barnhill (Sophie) hosts a phizz-whizzing journey through the making of “The BFG.” This behind-the-scenes documentary details the film’s progression through interviews with Roald Dahl’s daughter Lucy Dahl, screenwriter Melissa Mathison, executive producers Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Kristie Macosko Krieger, and numerous members of the talented cast and crew.

- The Big Friendly Giant and Me – Sophie wasn’t the first “bean” in Giant Country—many illustrations were created as if drawn by a little boy who was there long before Sophie. This charming, in-world short will bring the drawings to life with animation and narration, recounting the friendship and the dreams shared between the boy and the Big Friendly Giant.

- Gobblefunk: The Wonderful Words of The BFG – A whoopsey-splunkers tutorial on the meaning of the gloriumptious gobblefunk in “The BFG.”

Giants 101 – Jemaine Clement (Fleshlumpeater) and Bill Hader (Bloodbottler) introduce us to the loathsome giants in “The BFG,” along with movement choreographer/motion capture performer Terry Notary, who collaborated with the actors and Director Steven Spielberg prior to filming to develop their movements and character traits.

- Melissa Mathison: A Tribute – An homage to Melissa Mathison, the extraordinary, Oscar®-nominated screenwriter of “The BFG” and “E.T.,” whose talent and heart were as immense as the giants in “The BFG.”

DIGITAL/VOD:
- John Williams: Scoring A Dream – A journey through the film’s concept art and memorable moments, interwoven with the sights and sounds of legendary composer John William’s scoring session.

DVD:
- Gobblefunk: The Wonderful Words of The BFG and Melissa Mathison: A Tribute

Disney and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Walden Media, present the fantasy adventure film “The BFG,” the first-ever motion picture adaptation of Roald Dahl’s resonant tale of childhood, the magic of dreams and the extraordinary friendship between a young girl and a big friendly giant. Directed by three-time Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, the film reunites the director with his Oscar®-nominated collaborator on “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” Melissa Mathison, who adapted the children’s author’s timeless adventure for the big screen. “The BFG” is produced by Spielberg, p.g.a., Frank Marshall, p.g.a., and Sam Mercer, p.g.a., with Kathleen Kennedy, John Madden, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Michael Siegel serving as executive producers.

The film stars three-time Tony Award®, two-time Olivier Award and Oscar® winner Mark Rylance as the Big Friendly Giant; newcomer Ruby Barnhill as Sophie, the orphan who befriends him and is swept into a world of rampaging giants; Penelope Wilton as The Queen; Jemaine Clement as Fleshlumpeater, the most fearsome giant from Giant Country; Rebecca Hall as Mary, The Queen’s handmaid; Rafe Spall as Mr. Tibbs, The Queen’s butler; and Bill Hader as Bloodbottler, another unruly giant from Giant Country.

The creative team is comprised of some of Spielberg’s longtime collaborators, including: two-time Oscar®-winning director of photography Janusz Kaminski; two-time Oscar-winning production designer Rick Carter; three time Oscar-winning editor Michael Kahn, A.C.E.; and Oscar-nominated costume designer Joanna Johnston, with legendary five-time Oscar winner John Williams composing his 24th score for a Spielberg-directed film.

Joining them is two-time Oscar® winner Robert Stromberg as production designer and four-time Oscar winner Joe Letteri from Weta Digital, the visual effects company founded by Peter Jackson, as senior visual effects supervisor.
DISC SPECIFICATIONS:
Product SKUs: Digital HD/SD, Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray+DVD+Digital Copy),
Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and Video On-Demand SD/HD
Feature Run Time: Approximately 117 minutes
Rating: PG in U.S., PG in CE, and G in CF
Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / Widescreen 2.39:1
DVD Feature Film = Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA & 2.0 Descriptive Audio,
Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
DVD = English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks,
English 2.0 Descriptive Audio
Languages/Subtitles: Blu-ray = English SDH, Spanish and French
DVD = English SDH, Spanish and French:

[D82]

Sneak peek at some of the extras on the Blu-ray:

The BFG | Letters From Walt
The BFG | Lofty Ambitions
The BFG | Waiting For Dreams
The BFG | Finding Sophie
The BFG | Whizzpopping
The BFG | The Queen
The BFG | Creating The Giants


And three new clips:

The BFG | Frobscottle
The BFG | Meeting The Queen
The BFG | Prefer Tea