The Four Color Media Monitor

ICV2 reported that the movie box office is already suffering badly due to the Coronavirua outbreak, and it's taken its toll on Disney's PC-laden Onward, knocking it further downward despite its still being in a top rank:

The number one film for the second weekend in a row is Pixar’s Onward, which sank 78% in its second frame, a record drop for a Pixar film. Onward’s path to profitability was always going to be difficult given the film’s enormous cost, but the coronavirus has crippled the “legs” of the well-reviewed Onward, which received an “A” CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences. Now the film’s muted opening, attributed to the fact that it is an original story, certainly didn’t bode well, but the unfortunate films in theaters now are at the mercy of societal forces well beyond their control. With just $60.3 million domestic and $101.4 million worldwide after 12-days Onward is on a path to become Pixar’s biggest money loser yet.

I guess this is the punishment they get for going woketard, but ICV2 obviously won't admit it. Just like they won't admit most "reviewers" are so tilted, they're praising it deliberately for its propaganda angles. They're taking everything out of context by calling it "original", which is hardly the problem. It's the "woke" agenda that is.

In comics films, if there's anything that's suffered, it's the new adaptation of Bloodshot, which, though not an overly expensive movie, is flopping all the same. But, this does tell some interesting details about the approach to its making:

Close behind in third place was the Vin Diesel-starring Bloodshot, which opened with $9.3 million. Originally planned as the first film in a series based on characters from the Valiant Comic Universe, Bloodshot actually opened about where analysts predicted--a tribute to the hardiness of fans of comic book movies. Audiences gave Bloodshot a “B” CinemaScore, a much better grade than the critics polled by Rotten Tomatoes, who gave the film just a 31% positive rating.

The problem for Bloodshot is the film’s $45 million cost, which is low for a superhero film, and in ordinary circumstances wouldn’t be that much of a problem, especially given Vin Diesel’s popularity overseas, which is largely due to his work in the Fast & Furious movies (Diesel’s Last Witch Hunter earned 82% of its worldwide total outside the U.S., and much of that in China). But with theaters shuttered in The Middle Kingdom, Bloodshot’s run to any sort of profitability becomes much more difficult.

This could sum up the very problem with how the Valiant properties were revived nearly a decade ago: it wasn't for artistic merit per se, but rather, to set up groundswork for movies and TV. Much like what's happening with a lot of other comic creations. And now the chickens have come home to roost.

Now, here's more news from Breitbart, announcing that a movie mentioned in the above article is among several the Disney Corp's postponing:

With most of Hollywood’s March and April releases already postponed, the Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday also cleared out its May releases as well, including Marvel’s “Black Widow.” [...]

The Walt Disney Co. also indefinitely postponed “Black Widow,” which had been set to open May 1. Marvel movies have for years been the regular kickoff to the summer movie going season. The company also put off the releases of “David Copperfield" (May 8) and “The Woman in the Window” (May 15).

With movie theaters almost entirely closing, there'd be no point in releasing it, but what if it turns out to be laced with SJW themes just like Onward? Seeing comments in some parts of the web about how most are discouraged from continuing with Marvel movies after Avengers 4, it's possible they'll be discouraged from this as well, if and whenever it does debut.

Labels: animation, indie publishers, marvel comics, msm propaganda, politics, sales