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.

Off-duty trooper and armed citizen hailed as heroes after returning fire on In-N-Out gunman

Trump targets Biden-era billion-dollar Smithsonian budgets amid anti-‘woke’ push

Hero sheepdog becomes unlikely rescue partner after unexpected move aids first responders

Marco Rubio’s dream week off: ‘Watching every college football game’

An Answer to the Charge of the Supposed ‘Genocide’ in Gaza

Ohio Rep Marcy Kaptur hospitalized after car crash on way to church

Entire Squad endorses Abdul El-Sayed days before Michigan Democratic Senate primary

Trump Admin Putting Major Medical Association’s Billing Code ‘Monopoly’ Under The Microscope

Ohio GOP family feud explodes as Sen Bernie Moreno calls on Rep Max Miller to resign

Dem AG Travels to the Woke Temple in Search of Anti-Gun Law Firms

Egyptian Police Arrest Four Christians Who Complained About Being Beaten By Muslims

OpenAI Employees Dropped More Than $296K on Democrats While Republicans Got Nothing, Filings Show

Trump DHS chief under fire from conservatives after immigration speech ignites backlash

Bryan Kohberger’s former defense expert calls for death penalty, says investigators missed key evidence

Would-Be Burglar Picked The Wrong North Carolina House To Break Into

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.