State of the Franchise: Monsters, Inc./Monsters University
By Jay Barney
July 17, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
The answer is in the eye of the beholder.
This summer, however, studios have given us a number of “part twos”. They have produced flicks that carry on stories from previous films. In some cases, this is exactly what fans want. In other instances, it’s a roll of the dice.
Grab a coffee, sit back, and enjoy the periodic discussion about which of this summer’s sequels may be expanding into the franchise territory.
Monsters, Inc. (2001) - 8/10
Late in 2001, Disney and Pixar released the animated film Monsters, Inc. It came on the success of previous mega hits like Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), and Toy Story 2 (1999). These are great movies; some enjoy near classic status. On a rainy day, any parent would feel comfortable putting them in the DVD player and grabbing a couple hours of personal time. They are child friendly, boast amazing animation, feature lovable characters, and entertain the kids. What more could a parent ask for?
On the surface, Monsters, Inc. was a bit of a risk. Would mothers and fathers embrace a project where the storyline had creatures scaring children? The Toy Story films were almost no brainers. Toys coming to life? Money in the bank. And Bugs? What kid isn’t fascinated by them at some point? But monsters terrifying our children in their beds? It was instantly a hit and joined the ranks of Pixar and Disney’s superior animation.
The scheduling was pretty much a master stroke as it was released just after Halloween. The choices around late October usually feature some hack and slash (Thir13en Ghosts and From Hell were in the top ten at the time), but a family film centered on scary creatures was perfect scheduling. It was only a few weekends away from the coveted Thanksgiving holiday, where almost all options experience strong holds. Sure, it was nearly two months away from Christmas and some of the most profitable days of the year, but a good film with solid legs can make significant coin at the end of the December.
Monsters, Inc. surpassed even the wildest expectations. During the first week of November it opened to a strong $62 million. One of the true tests of a blockbuster is how well it performs over its second frame, and it was a beast. The animated juggernaut easily beat out two new openers, grabbed another $45 million, and experienced a very slight drop of 27%. Harry Potter arrived on screens in week three, but Monsters, Inc. was running on all cylinders throughout the holidays. Over the Thanksgiving frame, it made another $25 million and brought in more money than it had the previous weekend. On top of that, it outpaced three openers. Through most of December it experienced drops of only 25%. Between Christmas and New Years it lost screens but enjoyed the holiday bump and made even more money. It wasn’t until week 11 that it dropped out of the top ten.
When all was said and done it pulled in $289 million within the United States. The international numbers were almost as good. Sulley and Mike Wazowski were a global phenomenon, grabbing well over half a billion dollars in box office receipts. That is remarkable for a film today, let alone one released well over a decade ago.
The reasons for the shine were obvious. The animation, which featured colors as bright as Easter eggs and rainbows, was eye popping. The voices involved were top notch, surprising everyone with their delivery and precision. Billy Crystal was fabulous as the one eyed Mike Wazowski; John Goodman was excellent as the wookiee-like Sulley. Steve Buscemi was exceedingly villainous as the centipede/snake hybrid, Randall Boggs. The story, which centers around corporate behavior, delivers a nice message, too.
Monsters, Inc. was one of the box office success stories of 2001. The reported budget was in the $115 million range, but Pixar and Disney easily recouped their investment. They made money, delivered a near flawless piece of entertainment, and left fans wanting more.
Monsters University (2013) - 8/10
The sequel to the smash hit took over a decade to come together. As early as 2005 there were rumors of bringing everyone back , but Disney and Pixar had some things to work out. It’s about time they did, as this will be another fine addition to the family film library.
The studio took the curious route of putting their energy into a prequel, which tells the story of all of the major characters coming together. This may have been a gamble as far as the overall story arc goes, but it was less of a risk considering fans could see younger versions of the characters they loved. The globular looking Mike has lofty desires of entering scare school, and he must study like the dickens to make his dream come true. His exploits and his attention to academics are very comical. The writers throw in a few interesting twists which help the story unfold. A neat little nugget of back story has Randall Boggs as Mike’s original roommate. Sulley really doesn’t care about his schooling, as he has natural abilities that help him scare kids anyway. He comes across as the gifted athlete/poor student type of character exceptionally well. Everything comes together when an accident nearly gets them thrown out of the scare program. Sulley and Mike must rely on one another, and have to befriend a few other likable misfits to prove themselves.
One of the reasons the first movie was so popular was the eye popping animation. Monsters University matches the visual creativity of the original, which is no small accomplishment. Parents are tickled as their children are captivated by creatures of every shape and size. Kids are mesmerized by every color in the crayon box. There are literally some scenes with more blast and brightness than the shelves in a candy store.
Monsters University was released on June 21st of this year and is performing very well. In its first weekend it easily took down the previous week’s blockbuster, Man of Steel, and outperformed the surprising World War Z. The initial numbers were large enough to give it the fifth largest opening of the year with $82 million. Sulley and Mike’s second frame garnered another $45 million. Going into July 4th, the competition was going to be stiff with the arrival of Despicable Me 2. However, as the weekdays leading up to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday panned out, Monsters University was still pulling in over $5 million a day.
The holiday worked as a cushion of sorts and despite the appearance of a rival kid’s film, Monsters performed just fine. By the end of the holiday frame it had crossed the $200 million mark, and internationally it had produced another $129 million. The cumulative budget was quite high, approaching $270 million, but it is far from the end of its run. The final numbers are still in play, but this was a good investment for the mouse house and Pixar.
This means that somewhere down the road, studio execs will take a look at profitability numbers and wonder which potential endeavors can bring home the bacon. They will study the calendar makeup, the creative choices of the competition, and decide which future projects are worth funding.
Do two Monsters entries warrant the franchise label?
Reviewing the long term release schedule may help answer that question a bit more. How To Train Your Dragon already has two sequels slated, and the second film hasn’t even hit theaters yet. The same with Smurfs. Tom Hanks is talking about Toy Story IV. As we peer further into the future, as we look deeper into the box office crystal ball, we see studios already locking up release dates for “untitled projects”. If you read far enough, you will notice that Disney has a number of these eyebrow raising ventures slated, but not defined.
Will there be a third Monsters film? Will this become a true franchise? Globally, Monsters, Inc. made $562 million in 2001. Monsters University has already made $400 million and counting in 2013.
Look at the long term release schedule, examine the amount of money involved.
Will we see Mike and Sulley again?
Do the math.