Broderick Schwinghammer

Creator and Writer of The Price of Admission, where I blog about the box office because I think about it constantly. Take a look:

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

In fairness, Moana does come out this coming weekend, and even if it severely underperforms, it'll still probably have a relatively big opening. Evil Dead Burn is also on tap, and The Invite looks like it's picking up steam as it goes wide. Gail Daughtery also sounds fun 👍

[Joseph Kahn @JosephKahn]

Are there really only two big blockbusters left for the summer? The Odyssey and Spider-man? Bruh.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@rachel_reviews @vetzmovies I don't know, it was relatively prominent in the trailers. Still, you're right about the latter. That was likely a much bigger factor.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@rachel_reviews @vetzmovies I think it's a mix. Based on what is really breaking out this year, centering the movie around Old Hollywood probably didn't help it, but it's also the third Minions movie (and seventh overall for Despicable Me, no less) and might just not have that kind of longevity.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@edwardbrgr And, to be fair (even if taken with a grain of salt), the word from CinemaCon was that the movie looked really good, and that Paramount considered releasing it this December, but chose January to avoid 'Doomsday' and 'Dune 3'.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@edwardbrgr I get the stigma with January release, but I think (sight unseen) that it has more to do with releasing the film over MLK weekend than it being low quality. MLK weekend has historically been a rock-solid launching pad for a lot of movies, including those with largely black casts.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@comicaccuracy I think you're right about fatigue (it's the 3rd Minions movie in an overall franchise that has 7 entries), but I also think a notable part of it is taking a very youth-skewing franchise and centering the film around Old Hollywood, which the target audience isn't as familiar with

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@DrStorm44 I imagine Disney would justify it as a way of maintaining brand awareness and keeping Moana popular. Hopefully the live action versus doesn't tarnish the brand.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

I don't really see this being the case, but even if it was, I think the easier way to do this would be for Disney to invest more in anime. The target audience for anime not only leans a bit more male and non-white, but also younger too, which is another problem for Disney lately.

[Geeks + Gamers @GeeksGamersCom]

Disney Eyeing Lionsgate Acquisition to Win Back Male & Family Audiences?

"Disney, realizing that it desperately needs the return of the audience who used to show up to Star Wars films, Marvel, and the Pixar/Disney animations of old, sees a potential acquisition of Lionsgate as a means of slowly winning back those it turned off."

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

We have to see how the 5-day opening plays out, but in light of the fact that several of this year's major theatrical hits are hits because they are aimed at younger audiences, it's intriguing that the Minions movie that specifically references Old Hollywood is grossing less.

[Luiz Fernando @Luiz_Fernando_J]

The #Minions take #ToyStory5 down of #1 at US #BoxOffice, as #MinionsAndMonsters grossed solid 14.2M on WED Opening Day.
Although solid for animations debuting on WED, that’s also the lowest Op day for the franchise, and a far cry below #DespicableMe4’s 27.2M WED debut back in 2024.
But it’s also the first #Minions film to debut on WED, which was traditionally a #DespicableMe release day.

With WOM not as great as the other instalments and #IndependenceDay falling on SAT (what makes SAT grosses lower than it usually would be) a 70M-80M 5-day long holiday opening could be in the cards.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@EpcotEnthusiast Artistically, I feel lile they can come up with something. The ocean is vast, there are other islands they can explore, and the mythology angle they take in Moana 2 seems like rock solid set up for something interesting.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@EpcotEnthusiast For what it's worth, the direct-to-video comparison is apt since Moana 2 was cobbled together from an in-production TV show. I imagine a third movie will have a much stronger story since they're developing it as a movie from the ground up.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@AKlay19 I haven't seen it yet, but if the movie is aiming higher artistically than the other Minions films with its classic film references, and if those references are getting in the way of the Minion shenanigans, then maybe core fans feel like they're not getting everything they want.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@ATRightMovies Can You Ever Forgive Me? (dir. Marielle Heller)

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@jakebackpack Might I suggest, 'The Founder'?

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@pixelpreaching Late Spring!

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@CraftyAdrian360 I didn't love the aliens either, but I think that the fact that they are so tonally disconnected from the rest of the trailer didn't help. I figure they will be better woven into the actual film.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@quinde_jeffrey I imagine it's because there isn't much to say about Illumination movies in general. They have their flaws, but are generally received well (or at least uncontroversially), without much fanfare. There just isn't to discuss, be it design-wise or overall.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@ianamurray You're right, it's not, but it's his first theatrically released animated film, so Universal probably thinks they can use that to give it more caché with general audiences. Entergalactic was a Netflix release with little promotion, so I imagine most don't even know about it.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

@Great_Katzby I've said this a few times, but the promotional material they've put out so far for the film feels, to me, like it's evoking a Pixar movie. It makes me think they're really confident in what they have.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

Unrelated, no one has to like Illumination. If their style is not your thing, it's not your thing, and that's cool, more power to you. I do feel, however, that people have started to be negative towards the studio's projects on principle, which I find kind of trite.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

Am I crazy, or does this teaser feel like it's made to evoke a Pixar movie? Aliens at the end aside, it feels like Illumination might be aiming a bit higher artistically with this one. I don't even dislike Illumination movies, but that's cool to me 👍

[DiscussingFilm @DiscussingFilm]

First trailer for Illumination's ‘NOT ALONE’, starring Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez.

The rom-com follows a mechanic & astronaut who hide 3 aliens that come to Earth for safety.

In theaters April 16, 2027.

[Broderick Schwinghammer @brodihammer]

Also, box-office-brained observation, the April release date is interesting to me. Most Illumination movies tend to come out in early July or around Christmas. April releases have gone to Mario movies as of late so, to me, this date suggests a lot of confidence in the film.