Disney Can Learn From ‘Elemental’
While Hollywood blockbusters like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Barbie, and Oppenheimer have grabbed headlines this year, as Disney looks to adjust its box office strategy, its not these hits that it should study, but Elemental.
The latest offering from Pixar opened to a disastrous first weekend, bringing in a studio record-breaking low of $29.6 million.
Elemental Makes A Comeback
While many box office observers and animation fans alike were quick to dismiss the film as another Pixar box-offie flop, something interesting happened- the film found its audience.
Although Elemental may not have brought in the numbers that Pixar was hoping for during its opening weekend, those who did go see the film loved it.
With word of mouth spreading, and good ratings on both Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore, family audiances slowly but surely came to see the film in theaters.
One movie-goer, 10-year-old Evan Benson, had this to say after seeing Elemental.
“I liked the movie. It was pretty cool. 8 out of 10”.
Aided by a prolonged rollout overseas, Elemental found its groove.
Disney Didn’t Give Up
Disney, to their credit, continued to support and advertise the film. The company’s faith was rewarded by week after week of strong box office numbers.
In Soth Korea for example, Elemental became the most successful Pixar release ever.
Last weekend, the 5th week the film has been in theaters, Elemental managed to gross another $24 million. When broken down, $5.8 million came from domestic theaters and $18.2 million internationally.
A Valuable Lesson Learned
Elemental’s total box office gross now stands at $356 million worldwide, a number that would have been unfathomable just days after its release.
While Disney and Pixar will still likely lose money on the film (it had a $200 million budget), perhaps the lessons learned from Elemental will be more valuable than a marginal profit.
By puting thier faith in an original film, and allowing it to find its audiance, Disney let Elemental transform from another disaster, to a ray of hope.
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