Successful Home Media Releases of Theatrical Flops

[Funcha]

My apologies if this isn't the right section for this discussion. I've been wondering recently how accurate it is for the studios and/or the general public to consider a film a flop, based on theatrical returns alone. For example, Blade Runner 2049 and Doctor Sleep did poorly in their theatrical releases and I think were considered financial losses for Warner Brothers. I'm not sure how well the various DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K and Streaming versions have sold for these, but let's say they sold gangbusters and at the very least recouped the costs to produce and market them.

Wouldn't it stand to reason that those movies should be considered successes then? I mean, I'd assume that any of the production companies or investors involved with funding these films would get a cut of the home sales. Is there something I'm missing here? The more I think about it, the more suspect it seems to me for the studios to ONLY consider the theatrical release when determining if a film is a flop.

[monwobbbo]

Originally Posted by Funcha

My apologies if this isn't the right section for this discussion. I've been wondering recently how accurate it is for the studios and/or the general public to consider a film a flop, based on theatrical returns alone. For example, Blade Runner 2049 and Doctor Sleep did poorly in their theatrical releases and I think were considered financial losses for Warner Brothers. I'm not sure how well the various DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K and Streaming versions have sold for these, but let's say they sold gangbusters and at the very least recouped the costs to produce and market them.

Wouldn't it stand to reason that those movies should be considered successes then? I mean, I'd assume that any of the production companies or investors involved with funding these films would get a cut of the home sales. Is there something I'm missing here? The more I think about it, the more suspect it seems to me for the studios to ONLY consider the theatrical release when determining if a film is a flop.

the money they make off of home video sales pales in comparison to the theater. also films that flop in the theater usually don't have big sales in homve video either. sure some movies have made enough to get out of the whole but not enough to make then into a hit.

the formula for success isn't obvious with movies. if you spend say $100 million to make a movie thn it has to make somewhere in the neighbor hood of $300 million to hit the break even point. tis has to do with finances and the fact that the budget money has to be tied up for usally a year or more

[meremortal]

Originally Posted by monwobbbo

the money they make off of home video sales pales in comparison to the theater. also films that flop in the theater usually don't have big sales in homve video either. sure some movies have made enough to get out of the whole but not enough to make then into a hit.

the formula for success isn't obvious with movies. if you spend say $100 million to make a movie thn it has to make somewhere in the neighbor hood of $300 million to hit the break even point. tis has to do with finances and the fact that the budget money has to be tied up for usally a year or more

It's pretty crazy that an entire week of combined physical media sales for dvd or blu is still often about on par with a lot of single movies' first weekend release at the theater.