In March 2010, Disney released Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton. The film starred relative neewcomer Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, with a host of well-known actors in voice roles. The film went on to gross over $1 billion dollars back in 2010, so now we're getting a sequel. Most of the cast is returning, but Tim Burton is being replaced by James Bobin (The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted). Alice Through the Looking Glass is a big question mark box office wise. I mean, did anyone want a sequel to Alice in Wonderland?
Alice in Wonderland hit at the exact right time. The 3D craze was just beginning in early 2010. Alice in Wonderland was supposed to release in March 2009, but was pushed back to 2010. Tim Burton decided not to shoot with 3D camera, citing their high prices as the reason. Instead, the 2D prints were converted to 3D. While audiences were quick to figure out the difference between shooting in 3D (like Avatar, Hugo, and Gravity) and 3D conversion (Clash of the Titans, which flopped when it came out in April 2010), Alice in Wonderland came out right before audiences caught on. 3D was popular again, and it was exciting so Alice in Wonderland cashed in on the fad.
I'm sure that some of the box office gross was due to the Disney brand, and the novelty of live-action remakes of Disney animated classics. For sure the quality of these remakes is getting better (Cinderella and The Jungle Book being the best ones). All of the Disney remakes, and Oz: The Great and Powerful as well, have done really well. Disney is a powerful brand, and it carries much of the burden for its films when it comes to box office potential. But Alice in Wonderland was not a beloved movie. At the time, it got mixed reviews. The film scored a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 52 on Metacritic. The ultimate domestic box office take was $334 million, and over a billion worldwide. That's bonkers money, and I doubt Alice in Wonderland would have made that much in its original release date of March 2009.
Disney as a brand has a lot of goodwill, but Alice in Wonderland didn't gross a billion dollars off just the Disney name. Okay, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter are recognizable stars (if not total box office draws). However, not even Angelina Jolie, James Franco, Cate Blanchett, or Bill Murray could power their hits all the way to one billion dollars!
All of that is to say that I'm afraid that the studios have misunderstood the success of the Alice in Wonderland. It was an okay movie, with a bored director, an overqualified cast, and decent visuals that just happened to release right when people wanted more 3D. Of course, the March release date helped it a lot, since Alice in Wonderland opened months after Avatar and with little competition. I think perhaps putting the sequel in the same weekend slot might have been a benefit. But now we know that Zootopia ruled the month of March.
Alice Through the Looking Glass comes out May 27th weekend, and early reviews are pretty negative (22% on Rotten Tomatoes, 35 on Metacritic).The release date is long enough after the juggernaut that is Captain America: Civil War, but it's the same date as X-Men: Apocalypse. That's another sequel that's arriving with little fanfare. Neither film is expected to set the box office on fire. In fact, these sequels look like obligatory releases. That's especially true of Alice Through the Looking Glass. It's like a bunch of studio execs looked at the Alice in Wonderland numbers--and only the numbers--and thought the world wanted a sequel. But I think they overestimated the first one's popularity, and underestimated the 3D influence. 3D isn't a big deal anymore, and so I'm not sure Alice Through the Looking Glass can recapture the lightning in its bottle.
Like what you read? Please like my blog at Facebook.com/MathurMarquee. Also, follow me on Twitter @HippogriffRider. Agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments below!
I'm sure that some of the box office gross was due to the Disney brand, and the novelty of live-action remakes of Disney animated classics. For sure the quality of these remakes is getting better (Cinderella and The Jungle Book being the best ones). All of the Disney remakes, and Oz: The Great and Powerful as well, have done really well. Disney is a powerful brand, and it carries much of the burden for its films when it comes to box office potential. But Alice in Wonderland was not a beloved movie. At the time, it got mixed reviews. The film scored a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 52 on Metacritic. The ultimate domestic box office take was $334 million, and over a billion worldwide. That's bonkers money, and I doubt Alice in Wonderland would have made that much in its original release date of March 2009.
Disney as a brand has a lot of goodwill, but Alice in Wonderland didn't gross a billion dollars off just the Disney name. Okay, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter are recognizable stars (if not total box office draws). However, not even Angelina Jolie, James Franco, Cate Blanchett, or Bill Murray could power their hits all the way to one billion dollars!
Alice Through the Looking Glass comes out May 27th weekend, and early reviews are pretty negative (22% on Rotten Tomatoes, 35 on Metacritic).The release date is long enough after the juggernaut that is Captain America: Civil War, but it's the same date as X-Men: Apocalypse. That's another sequel that's arriving with little fanfare. Neither film is expected to set the box office on fire. In fact, these sequels look like obligatory releases. That's especially true of Alice Through the Looking Glass. It's like a bunch of studio execs looked at the Alice in Wonderland numbers--and only the numbers--and thought the world wanted a sequel. But I think they overestimated the first one's popularity, and underestimated the 3D influence. 3D isn't a big deal anymore, and so I'm not sure Alice Through the Looking Glass can recapture the lightning in its bottle.
Like what you read? Please like my blog at Facebook.com/MathurMarquee. Also, follow me on Twitter @HippogriffRider. Agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments below!
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