2019: Worst summer movie season ever???

[BeastieRunner]

Ghostbusters 3 comes out next summer, July 2020. FYI.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

2017's summer had a lot of stinkers in there as well. So many franchise killers like Transformers The Last Knight, The Mummy, King Arthur, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Cars 4, Pirates, etc.

I think 2020 will even be worse for box office grosses. There won't be an Avengers in the summer, no Toy Story, no Spider-Man, no Lion King. Grim.

Yes, a lot of 2017's Summer schedule underperformed, but that's my point -- at least the studios were swinging for the fences with potential blockbusters.

This year, the studios aren't even trying.

No non-Disney/Marvel movie except for Hobbs & Shaw even has a prayer of going above $200 million domestic. A couple might hit in the $150 million range. Most of the others won't even get to $100 million. But the Summer season is when audience attendance is at its highest. This is the time when there should be a plethora of big blockbusters to choose from.

2019 box office is already tracking behind 2018, and I think it will fall further behind unless all the Disney stuff really performs spectacularly, which it might, but one studio can't and shouldn't carry the entire movie industry.

To me, this Summer's schedule feels like the fall doldrums in between Summer blockbuster season and Winter Oscarbait season where they just throw their second-rate crap out there.

[stargazer01]

Only curious in 'Dora' and 'Yesterday'

But I'm waiting for more reactions to see if they are worth it. I have loved Shazam and especially Aladdin this year.

[AJBopp]

There hasn't really been a summer movie season since at least Winter Soldier when studios demonstrated they could release blockbusters in April, February, early November....basically whenever they want to.

[Theleviathan]

If Endgame counts, it's hard for this summer to disappoint overall. If you're talking quantity? Then we have to let the next few weeks play out.

[Scott Taylor]

Sounds like an ok summer to me. I'll get to do more stuff other than watch movies!

[Robotman]

Warner Brothers really had 3-4 big budget films early in 2019.


- Shazam ($100 million)
- Pokemon : Detective Pikachu ($150 Million)
- Lego Movie 2 ($99 million)
- Godzilla : King of Monsters ($170 million)

Warners has to watch the bottom line basically and can't just throw movies on schedule after committing almost $500-600 million in budgets to 4 films as we see. Beyond Godzilla its a big gamble to approve films and hope to earn production budget back as we saw with WB this year.

Wow, besides Detective Pikachu they really aren’t having a stellar year for blockbusters. Godzilla and LEGO Movie 2 had disappointing box office numbers and Shazam did ok because of its relatively low budget for a superhero film.

[Vakanai]

No non-Disney/Marvel movie except for Hobbs & Shaw even has a prayer of going above $200 million domestic. A couple might hit in the $150 million range. Most of the others won't even get to $100 million. But the Summer season is when audience attendance is at its highest. This is the time when there should be a plethora of big blockbusters to choose from.

Is domestic box office success the end all be all sign of quality and good movies here? Really? Great movies flop sometimes, and bad movies make bank sometimes. Profit really shouldn't be part of the discussion on whether this is a good or bad season.

[AJBopp]

Is domestic box office success the end all be all sign of quality and good movies here? Really? Great movies flop sometimes, and bad movies make bank sometimes. Profit really shouldn't be part of the discussion on whether this is a good or bad season.

I think historically the summer movie season is generally defined by popularity, not by quality.

[Vakanai]

I think historically the summer movie season is generally defined by popularity, not by quality.

Yeah, by the guys in suits. I don't know, as a huge Godzilla fan who just got a film I had a blast watching, I can't exactly say it's a bad summer just because said film is flopping domestically for whatever reason.

[AJBopp]

Yeah, by the guys in suits. I don't know, as a huge Godzilla fan who just got a film I had a blast watching, I can't exactly say it's a bad summer just because said film is flopping domestically for whatever reason.

Eh, by pretty much everyone. A big summer movie schedule is by definition one where a lot of people spend a lot of time at the movie theatre. Doesn't mean there are no enjoyable movies.

[Vakanai]

Eh, by pretty much everyone. A big summer movie schedule is by definition one where a lot of people spend a lot of time at the movie theatre. Doesn't mean there are no enjoyable movies.

I still loved a movie that underperformed, I don't really know what more you want from me here. Maybe, "It is indeed a shitty season despite my love of some of what came out this season"? Does that do it for you?

[AJBopp]

I still loved a movie that underperformed, I don't really know what more you want from me here. Maybe, "It is indeed a shitty season despite my love of some of what came out this season"? Does that do it for you?

Just pointing out what a big summer movie season is. Has nothing to do with any individual person's likes or dislikes.

[TriggerWarning]

Will go see Dark Phoenix this weekend. Looking at the upcoming movies it may well be the last movie I see til fall or later. I'll eventually see Spider Man but will probably wait for Redbox just like I did with Homecoming as I can't stand Tom Holland and the way Spidey is being portrayed in the MCU.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Wow, besides Detective Pikachu they really aren’t having a stellar year for blockbusters. Godzilla and LEGO Movie 2 had disappointing box office numbers and Shazam did ok because of its relatively low budget for a superhero film.

Detective Pikachu did better outside the North American box office for sure. But in terms of a film that seemingly did the best of all those listed...its likely Shazam which did $363+ million worldwide on a cheaper $50 million less budget and earned $39+ million more in North America . I'm sure if you told a Warners executives during 2018 while filming these that Shazam would turn more of a profit in North America than the others listed they would have laughed and said no way.

Because Pokemon , Lego and even Godzilla had more "name" value as properties. Its amazing really.