Moana Moans While Odyssey Delivers - Weeks 11 & 12

 

Let’s start with the real news… Director (and writer!) Christopher Nolan has done it again. The Odyssey isn’t just an epic movie, it’s an epic smash. In a world where Hollywood wants to bring back 80’s toys to sell movies in the 21st century, this guy brings out 600 page books on the father of the atomic bomb and a guy in desperate need of Apple Maps and movie fans come flocking. His latest films’ mixture of high-art and pop culture appeal feels like something that hasn’t been achieved since The Godfather. 

As such, The Odyssey sailed away with a $123.5 million maiden voyage. While this gross may seem lower than other blockbusters, fans specifically are trying to see this film in IMAX theaters and would rather wait then to see it on smaller screens. Case in point, its Monday screenings were $20 million and the next closest film, Moana, made $2 million on that same day. Clearly, folks are still coming out to see this movie in droves. 

This is also a $40 million larger opening than Oppenheimer which went on to gross $330 million, so cinephiles and theater owners both have a lot to be happy about.

Meanwhile, the coin toss on whether a live-action remake works or not continues. It worked for Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon. It didn’t work for Snow White, Dumbo (I seriously forgot that even came out!), and now Moana. The revival of a ten-year old film debuted with $43 million which is even less than Dumbo’s (again, had no idea) $44 million start in 2019. 

For a movie based on a property that is the highest streamed movie in the history of Disney+, it’s just a crazy combination of what went wrong. Too soon? Too same? Too Rock? Who knows. Its 58% drop in week 2 shows that this will be available on Disney+ soon and even then it will probably be watched less than the original Moana. 

 

The Top Five If Today Was Labor Day:

#1. Toy Story 5 - $430 million

#2. Obsession - $258 million

#3. The Devil Wears Prada 2 - $221 million

#4. Backrooms - $196 million

#5. The Mandalorian and Grogu - $178 million