New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

In order to facilitate such a box office feat, Disney decided to use their existing formula. There was already a Princess in the title of the book, after all. All the movie would need is a barrel-chested hero (enter Taylor Kitsch) and a cute creature that could be sold as a toy. That little dude is named Woola, the Martian equivalent of a puppy dog. Woola can run hundreds of miles an hour and drools all over the hero’s face. It is a formula that has worked in children’s entertainment since the early days of Hollywood. Alas, there is a reason why you did not have to buy your child a Woola toy this holiday season.

John Carter was a bust. It debuted to $30.2 million, a mediocre number for any action film. The performance looks so much worse when we factor in the budget. This special effects-intensive 3D release came with a price tag of $250 million to produce. And that wasn’t all. Since Disney wanted to launch a franchise and sell a lot of toys on the side, they spared no expense with regards to marketing. That was the field where studio execs presumed their prowess would carry the day. Another $100 million was invested in creating an opening weekend rush, a rush that never came.

The numbers speak for themselves, but I will add a little factual salt to the wound. The $30.2 million domestic debut was the 27th best of 2012. Films that debuted to higher totals include Magic Mike, The Vow, Think Like a Man, Ted and The Devil Inside. The same capital outlay could have provided a spectacular return on investment. While $350 million spent on John Carter only led to domestic revenue of $73.1 million, those five films would have returned $600 million (!). And oh by the way, Disney would have saved a quarter of a billion on the initial investment. The five titles in question cost $100 million combined to produce.

The “good” news for Disney is that John Carter has not been as big a bomb overseas. Its international total of $210 million stopped the bleeding…somewhat. International box office is always less lucrative for the distributor due to complicated tariffs and other additional expenses. The combined global tally of $282 million is nowhere near the box office revenue this film needed to turn a profit. And the toy sales were non-existent.

In the end, Disney was forced to bite the bullet and take a $200 million write-off. We should be honest about the fact that as a Fortune 100 company, this corporation expects to experience tumultuous financial waves from time to time. What is novel about John Carter is that this wound was self-inflicted. All of the signs were there that this movie would not sell. Buoyed by prior successes, Disney execs demonstrated hubris with their decision making. The failure of John Carter was total; it was also predictable.

Continued:       1       2