Box Office : How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

I mean, the former has no shortage of winning formulas! Take a look at these:
-LEGO franchise
-Batman movie
-IMAX release
-3D release
-Critical acclaim

And yet it's losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'? A film that has NONE OF THOSE???!!!!

Oh, jeez... I'm starting to hate Marvel even more now...

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Well, you see, as I noted when the first one had a huge opening weekend, there are these things called women and, shockingly, they actually make up 54% of the moviegoing public... and for some of them, 50 shades is far bigger than a toy franchise about a guy in tights that plays at theaters with ramped up prices. The bigger question is why would anyone think a movie that didn't appeal to a demographic that makes up the majority of moviegoers and that isn't based on a series of books that sold over 125m copies and counting despite terrible reviews would automatically do better without a fight - especially a movie from a studio that seems to have gone all-out to make the initials DC stand for Definitely Crap in one of the most prolonged and relentless bouts of brand tarnishing on record.


"Security - release the badgers."

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

I don't think the part about the bad reviews for the past couple of DC movies is particularly valid when not only does the Fifty Shades franchise get really bad reviews (as you acknowledged), but there's also fact that The Lego Batman Movie has nothing to do with the other DC films, has good reviews, and is a spin-off of an extremely well-received and massively successful film based on a very popular toy brand.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

The fact that the DC brand has been dropping turd after turd after turd for years is what does the damage. Just as terrible reviews didn't stop BvS from opening huge, good reviews aren't going to impact on a franchise audiences have started to lose faith in (and let's not forget this is a kiddie flick sending up a character some fanboys insist is mature, intelligent and no laughing matter while some others think this film is endemic of the studio's contempt for the character). By contrast 50 Shades delivers exactly what the fans want, reflected in the higher exit poll scores the second one got.

Both are following badly received hits (and BvS is probably more of a factor because it's more recent: like it or not, this is another Warners DC Batflick) that dropped like a stone in their second week and both are opening lower. It's going to be WOM not reviews that will count here. And for opening weekend it's yet another example of the boys underestimating a motivated and passionate female fanbase.


"Security - release the badgers."

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

While there are always exceptions, people in general are more likely to associate 'The Lego Batman Movie' with the precious Lego movie, than with anything involving the DCEU. That's why the film managed to avoid receiving any kind of negative buzz prior to its release.

In any case, 'The Lego Batman Movie' is still expected to finish at number 1, and it's definitely not going to be as front-loaded as 'Fifty shades' anyway.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

*previous

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Lego Batman Movie seems to be seen as more of a followup to the lego movie (terrific WOM and a solid opening with terrific legs) than BVS (exact opposite).

So this really should have done better, even with 50 shades darker against it.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

It's the fourth Batman movie in just ten months. It's inevitable Batfatigue would set in, especially after three bad ones.


"Security - release the badgers."

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Calling SS a Batman movie is a bit of a stretch. Batman was barely in the film. You could argue that the original Lego Movie was more of a Batman movie, given that he was actually a supporting character in that film, while in SS, he was a glorified cameo.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

It still makes it the fourth film to feature Batman (and the third to feature the Joker) in ten months. You can't flood the market like that and expect grosses to rise even if you're following good films. Look at how much Rogue One dropped when it was the first SW film in a year rather than the 2-3 years pattern Lucas adopted. Its's no longer an event.


"Security - release the badgers."

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

SS is still batman related thanks to harley quinn.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

True but i thought the different tone would have helped.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

50 Shades trilogy sold over 125 million book, that is more than Twilight, Hungers Games and others major franchise, it is one of the biggest world phenomenon of the 2010's after all.


The first Lego movie and the movie being about legos was a good draw, but as a story telling device to tell other story and in the context of already have been done in the past it is not has appealing.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

I would imagine that part of the reason 'The Lego Batman Movie' isn't doing quite as well as its predecessor is that the novelty of a movie about Lego has settled down a bit.

I suppose it's also possible that some people might refuse to see the movie because of BvS and SS (despite not technically being part of the same franchise as those films) but I don't think there's a particularly significant number of people like that.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?


I would imagine that part of the reason 'The Lego Batman Movie' isn't doing quite as well as its predecessor is that the novelty of a movie about Lego has settled down a bit.


It could be a franchise like The Muppets, that always sees a first film take critics by pleasant surprise and do well (The Muppet Movie, Christmas Carol, The Muppets), the second disappoint despite a bigger budget (Great Muppet Caper, Treasure Island, Most wanted) and the third outright flop (Take Manhattan, Muppets in Space, The Muppets TV show). Not every franchise can build, especially when seen as a novelty, and the Lego Ninjago Movie may fall into the same pattern. The marketing for Lego Batman has been great, but there's still the impression in many people's minds that this is a TV sketch dragged out to feature length that will need positive WOM to change.


I suppose it's also possible that some people might refuse to see the movie because of BvS and SS (despite not technically being part of the same franchise as those films) but I don't think there's a particularly significant number of people like that.


I think it's definitely a factor. Batman Begins had great reviews, yet ranks as only the seventh highest grossing Batflick domestically inflation-adjusted because it had to lift the curse of the Schumacher films. This is the fourth film to feature Batman in just ten months and is coming after three bad Batflicks (I'm including the Killing joke as well), which has to wear down brand confidence as well as flooding the market.

Add to that The Lego Movie grossed considerably less ($102m less in fact) than the first 50 Shades: $469m WW to $571m thanks to a massively stronger overseas performance. People seriously underestimate the power of the Shades brand and the power of the female audience.


"Security - release the badgers."

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Kind of how grown ups 2 beat out pacific rim despite horrible reviews.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

I'd kind of wait and see how the actual Lego Movie sequel performs. If we look at Batman purely as a spinoff, then it actually shows a lot of strength of the brand, considering that spinoffs are considered lucky if they can even make 60% of the original. At the very least this didn't go the way of Penguins of Madagascar.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Eh, Lego Batman will still make more once the weekend is over. Fifty Shades was just #1 on Friday largely because of the female audience.


"You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway". - Walt Disney

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?


Lego Batman will still make more once the weekend is over.


I imagine it will domestic, and 50 shades will make more in total this weekend, pretty much as espected (batman is specially big in the US I think and 50 shades more an Europe title, the first 50 shades made more in Europe than Avengers did in 2012)

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

LEGO BATMAN needed more sex.

Proud member of the Pro-film Anti-digital Society (PFADS).

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

According to the weekend estimates, it looks like The Lego Batman Movie is going to ultimately come out on top for the weekend, although this was a tighter race than what was initially expected.

Still, The Lego Batman Movie is bound to have better legs in the long run, and it didn't experience as big a drop from its predecessor as Fifty Shades Darker did, so there's that.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Good news is that lego batman is still winning over 50 shades darker for the weekend.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Not only that, but assuming that Fifty Shades Darker has similar legs to its predecessor, it'll fall short of making $100 million domestically. Of course, that likely won't stop them from making another one.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

Thats actually being filmed right now and will open 1 year from now.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

So long as the budgets remain as consistently modest, they can keep making these things forever.

Skipping page long posts for over a year now.

Yet 50 Shades wipes the floor with Lego WW

- if the early numbers are correct: Lego Batman $92.635m, 50 Shades $146.897m.


"Security - release the badgers."

Re: Yet 50 Shades wipes the floor with Lego WW

UGHHHH!!!!

Re: Yet 50 Shades wipes the floor with Lego WW

Hi Trevor,one thing that I find most interesting about the numbers,is that despite Lego Batman being aimed at the family market,the (soft) R 50 Shades is giving it a real run for its money. Seeing the trailer for LegBat on Fri,I felt that it looked like a fun flick...but did roll my eyes at "another" Batman movie.

Re: How come 'The LEGO Batman Movie' is losing to 'Fifty Shades Darker'?

And lego batman was down nearly 3 million in actuals while 50 shades barely changed.
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