X-Men: Dark Phoenix film

[Coal Tiger]

Yeah, Disney is making way for Toy Story.

But it’s not really surprising when you considering that the tracking data showed that people were more aware of Rocketman coming out than Dark Phoenix. Fox’s marketing campaign for this film was almost nonexistent as the result of the merger, changing the dates after the trailer dropped, and putting it in June was the killing blow. I have actually seen many people on social media saying “there was a new X-Men movie” and “I didn’t know when this was coming out” a week after it came out...

If this wasn’t for Disney’s last minute marketing push this movie would have done a lot worse.

Maybe people would have been more aware of it if "X-Men" was in the title.

[Theleviathan]

Maybe people would have been more aware of it if "X-Men" was in the title.

Or it would've reminded people how most of the dollars they've spent at the theaters for X-men was flushed money the last decade or so. Especially with Apocalypse.

[WallStreeter]

Maybe he just doesn't see it that way.



What "other things?"

No more Dark Phoenix stories, or Jean gong crazy stories. Just write her as a powerful, competent, cosmic hero.

[Stormrocks]

Yeah, Disney is making way for Toy Story.

But it’s not really surprising when you considering that the tracking data showed that people were more aware of Rocketman coming out than Dark Phoenix. Fox’s marketing campaign for this film was almost nonexistent as the result of the merger, changing the dates after the trailer dropped, and putting it in June was the killing blow. I have actually seen many people on social media saying “there was a new X-Men movie” and “I didn’t know when this was coming out” a week after it came out...

If this wasn’t for Disney’s last minute marketing push this movie would have done a lot worse.

It's merciful for the movie itself and for the theaters that have to show it.

Theaters make agreements with the distributors which lay out the percentages each will get and a guaranteed number of weeks played. During that agreement phase they would have to agree on what happens if a movie tanks and how bad before they can back out on the guaranteed number of weeks. I am sure Fox negotiated with the theaters as if this was going to be a blockbuster. That means the theaters received a relatively small percentage in the first few weeks and more as time goes on. This movie had a pitiful opening weekend and had a staggering drop it's second week. My guess is that this is less of a decision by Fox Studios (a Disney brand) and more a decision by the theaters to play movies that will actually make them money.

[WebLurker]

No more Dark Phoenix stories, or Jean gong crazy stories. Just write her as a powerful, competent, cosmic hero.

That's kinda her only story (except for being the subject of a love triangle).

[Maestro 216]

Yeah, Disney is making way for Toy Story.

But it’s not really surprising when you considering that the tracking data showed that people were more aware of Rocketman coming out than Dark Phoenix. Fox’s marketing campaign for this film was almost nonexistent as the result of the merger, changing the dates after the trailer dropped, and putting it in June was the killing blow. I have actually seen many people on social media saying “there was a new X-Men movie” and “I didn’t know when this was coming out” a week after it came out...

If this wasn’t for Disney’s last minute marketing push this movie would have done a lot worse.

Worse? Jesus
...

[juan678]

After/Before

[juan678]

[juan678]

conceptual art Dark Phoenix 1 version/ Captain Marvel

[Grey]

I just saw DP today. Considering that my little town has really low cost matinees, I thought it was worth the money. I liked it better than X-3 anyway even if it was completely humorless. I think part of the problem was that it was rushed, and although it should pull on your heartstrings it doesn't. Jean's reason for her sacrifice falls flat because they never bothered to really build up the relationship between Xavier and Jean, or Jean with her other team members. Then there is the presence of Mystique as their team leader instead of Scott, and also Magneto. I hope they release the extended version because there was definitely a feeling of missing elements.

Question, I don't remember the D'bari as an alien species in the Marvel Universe. Did they pull these from somewhere or make them up? I have to ask myself if they were going to bring in aliens, why not the Shi'ar from the original story. Given the budget of this movie they could have done better, although it's obvious this movie was far below some of the MCU budgets.

Also, rather than using other known mutants, they throw in a few unknowns. Are there not enough mutants in the X-books that they could have used characters that we would recognize.

Favorite parts: The scene with Dazzler was fun, good action scenes, especially Kurt's fight scenes. Space scene was okay but the Blackbird seemed so much smaller than in other movies.

I saw a lot of reviews ripping the movie for lack of comic accuracy that also asked who the d’bari are. I find it ironic.

Sure their role isn’t the same but still.

[ExodusCloak]

This all sounds very bizzare. Dark Phoenix was heavily advertised in Ireland. Well in advance, it was hard not to see an advertisement for it. Was it the US marketing team that got fired then?

[Divine Spark]

they never bothered to really build up the relationship between Xavier and Jean

They actually did build it up a bit in Apocalypse. It established Jean’s fear of losing control and hurting someone, which makes you understand why Xavier wiped the memory of her of her accidentally killing her mother. It also establishes Xavier having utterly and complete faith in her eventual controlling her powers.



Apocalypse has many problems but it does help give this film a bit of weight.

[Phoenixx9]

No more Dark Phoenix stories, or Jean gong crazy stories. Just write her as a powerful, competent, cosmic hero.

Very much agree.

Just came back from seeing it 2nd time. This audience enjoyed the movie. While I would have made the movie different, more along the comic version, I again still really enjoyed it.

Jean is alive out there in space just waiting for Disney to continue her flight.

[Divine Spark]

Very much agree.

Just came back from seeing it 2nd time. This audience enjoyed the movie. While I would have made the movie different, more along the comic version, I again still really enjoyed it.

Jean is alive out there in space just waiting for Disney to continue her flight.

Where do you live?

Yeah, the film seems to improve on repeated viewings based on what I’ve seen(including myself).

[Divine Spark]

This all sounds very bizzare. Dark Phoenix was heavily advertised in Ireland. Well in advance, it was hard not to see an advertisement for it. Was it the US marketing team that got fired then?

According to Deadline there were issues with domestic marketing before the merger even happened.

This leads us to the mishap of Fox marketing. With the Disney-Fox merger looming, we understand they’ve been a mess, distracted, with a revolving door of execs. We heard this around the time that Alita came out, that the filmmakers were dealing with different people in different marketing meetings. Some folks inform us that ever since Marc Weinstock left Fox as the head of domestic marketing in November 2016 (he’s now over at Paramount), the studio has been challenged to event-ize their slate (i.e. War of the Planet of the Apes, Alita, Dark Phoenix, and even Widows, which played well with audiences. However, give credit where credit is due — Bohemian Rhapsody was a magnificent swan song for the studio).

I understand in meetings, some marketing execs didn’t even realize the release date changes on Dark Phoenix, and weren’t cognizant of the fact that the film was opening up against another franchise this weekend (i.e. Secret Life of Pets 2). Says one source, “They never brought it up in meetings that we were on the same date.” Another bashed the marketing materials: “Sophie Turner is a beautiful actress, and they never showed that in any of the marketing materials. Instead, they made her look like a zombie.”

Once the merger happened, there was little for Disney to do. Materials were already up at CinemaCon at the beginning of April days after the merger. We hear Disney tried to push Dark Phoenix through its vertical integration, i.e. Disney Channel, but they didn’t have enough time and were inheriting a film that already had bad buzz with its reshoots and release date changes.