Movies - TV
Why Lightyear Bombed At The Box Office, And What We Can Learn From It
By RYAN SCOTT
As of this writing, Pixar’s “Lightyear” has earned $155 million against a budget of $200 million which doesn’t include marketing. While it did face tough competition from "Minions: The Rise of Gru” and "Jurassic World Dominion," there are other reasons why Disney will not see a profit during the film’s theatrical run.
Marketing
As Tim Allen is synonymous with Buzz Lightyear some people were confused about Chris Evan’s version. Producer Galyn Susman tried to clear up the issue by saying, “So really we needed the toy in the 'Toy Story' universe to be its own thing. Tim Allen is Buzz Lightyear the toy. Chris Evans is Buzz Lightyear, the superhero from that movie that inspired the toy."
Controversies
While the absence of Allen may have angered some fans, another small controversy was the same-sex kiss in the film. It’s difficult to determine how this affected ticket sales, but there were certainly people who felt like it shouldn’t have been included in a family-friendly film, and the film was banned in countries like Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
“Free” Pixar
During the pandemic, Pixar movies like "Soul,” "Luca," and "Onward" were available on Disney+ for free, while customers had to pay $30 to see "Black Widow" and "Mulan" with Disney+ Premier Access. Due to this, customers may now associate Pixar with free streaming movies rather than paid movie theatre outings.
Future Releases
While the decision to release films straight to Disney+ had been a necessity during the pandemic, the unexpected underperformance of “Lightyear” is forcing Disney to learn some tough lessons. It also leaves a negative mark on Pixar’s storied 30-year legacy, and Disney will need to make some difficult decisions about future releases.