Hollywood’s Sequel Factory Churns Out Worrisome Duds This Summer

More than a month into the summer movie season, one thing has become clear: Many of Hollywood’s sequels, reboots and reimaginings are falling flat.

Some films have missed analysts’ forecasts by tens of millions of dollars. They include last weekend’s new releases — Walt Disney Co.’s “Dark Phoenix” and Universal Pictures’ “The Secret Life of Pets 2.” Though Paramount Pictures’ “Rocketman” topped studio forecasts, the Elton John biopic came in below outside estimates. Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla” sequel also missed industry projections.

So far, the shortfall hasn’t claimed any of the summer’s biggest tentpole films. And Eric Wold, an analyst at B. Riley FBR, still expects higher ticket sales through the balance of the year to deliver a record 2019. But the results also show that fans are getting pickier about the glut of sequels that Hollywood studios have force-fed movie moviegoers for years.

“Audiences are savvy enough to wait for the home market, especially with so many great streaming choices this summer,” said Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations Co. “That’s something Hollywood will be contending against for years to come.”

Sequels and reboots need to be more compelling to draw in fans, Bock said. “Many of them aren’t upping the ante or raising the stakes significantly enough,” he said.

Hollywood studios have turned movie serials, now dubbed franchises, into an art form — with film series built around comic-book figures, action-hero revivals and classic cartoon characters. And no one has been more successful at this task than Disney.

Detransitioners reveal how doctors pushed them toward life-altering treatment as teens

White House exposes ‘Transshipment Scam’ costing US up to $26B, points finger at China

Live bullet found aboard United flight forces passengers off plane for security sweep at Denver airport

Woke Colorado School District Teaches 5-Year-Olds Sexual Anatomy Using Images So Bad We Refuse to Post Them – By Age 7, It Gets Far Worse

Marco Rubio gets 68 new jobs in epic White House birthday gift inspired by viral meme

Watch: Bystander Appears to Capture New B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Flying Low Over Wichita

HHS warns Texas hospitals against denying life-saving care to newborn with disability

Exclusive: Oklahoma Police Chief Cancels City’s Flock Safety Contract After Citizens Raise Privacy Concerns

Gun rights groups capitalize after judge reverses decades-old restrictions: ‘Monumental’

Legal Expert: Don Lemon’s Legal Battle Could Have Devastating Unintended Consequences for Abortion Clinics

Watch: NBC Broadcasts Dead Air – Twice – As Literally Speechless Election Analyst Learns Results Are Missing from 5 of 9 USB Drives in Blue City

JD Vance and RFK Jr. Refer Hospitals and Clinics to DOJ in Response to ‘Wolves in White Coats’ Report

Mamdani’s luxury-home tax gets new life as appeals court lifts roadblock in homeowner fight

Fox News Poll: A Senate battle looms in Michigan

A Democratic senator wanted to ban super PACs in primaries. Now he’s benefiting from one

Second Place

But even Disney’s biggest hits aren’t doing quite as well as predicted. The Marvel finale “Avengers: Endgame” racked up $2.73 billion in box-office sales globally and looked likely to dethrone “Avatar” as the top-grossing movie of all time. Now — following a drop-off in attendance — it will have to settle for second place.

“It looks like ‘Avatar’ will hold onto the title,” Bock said, “unless Disney snaps their fingers and springs an alternate ending re-release in the near future.”

Bock cites a number of reasons for all of the misses. No one cared about the humans in “Godzilla,” he said, and “The Secret Life of Pets 2” didn’t “bring anything new to the table.”

Missing estimates in a debut weekend doesn’t necessarily mean a feature won’t be profitable. Movies like “Rocketman,” with smaller production budgets, are expected to make money.

‘Dark Phoenix’

“Dark Phoenix,” an X-Men film, is emerging as one of the summer’s bigger duds. It suffered from production and story problems, along with muddled marketing that left audiences confused by the trailer, Bock said. The film cost about $200 million to make, plus tens of millions more to market, suggesting it will have trouble turning a profit.