Jim on Film
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The problem with the Imax reissue is that the studio is limiting its box office gross. The theater can charge more money for each ticket, but most communities do not have an abundance of Imax theaters. In the large metropolitan area where I call home, the only Imax theater is in a distant suburb. For most of the area’s residents, it can be a good 30-40 minute drive, if not longer. And if the increased drive time (in bad winter road conditions) isn’t enough, tickets are three dollars more than regular theaters, which can really add up for a family of four or more. In addition to this, both of these films were reissued at the end of the busy holiday movie schedule, and considering the travel time and cost factors, it’s no wonder they were not high priorities for many filmgoers.

And if metropolitan areas do not have an abundance of Imax theaters, most communities don’t have one at all. The average family in Nowheresville, America cannot even think about paying money for the movie because there is no place to pay it. Every producer’s dream is to have their film showcased in many theaters, and by reissuing films to Imax theaters, Disney is severely limiting their ability to make money. According to Box Office Mojo, the 1997 reissue of The Little Mermaid opened in 2054 theaters, while the reissue of The Lion King opened in sixty-six. If Beauty and the Beast was able to make $25.5 million in sixty-eight Imax theaters, one must wonder what it could have done in over two thousand. So, in order to have the Imax release, not only does the studio have to spend a few million dollars to make needless alterations to ready the film for the large screen format, but the earning potential is severely limited.

In recent years, the studio has taken to releasing cheaply made animated features to theaters that have hurt the success of the films released by Walt Disney Feature Animation. According to Box Office Mojo, The Jungle Book 2 cost about $20 million to produce and another $20 million to market. The film grossed about $48 million, leaving a profit of about $8 million before video release, and yet the studio touted it as a success. According to the same source, Piglet’s Big Movie grossed about $23 million. Counting in about the same amount for production and marketing, the film lost $17 million dollars. While Return to Never Land fared better and The Tigger Movie likely fared worse, the fact remains that the studio has poured a lot of money into theatrical releases of these films without landing a true success. And the same can be said for Doug’s First Movie, Recess: School’s Out, and Teacher’s Pet (all of which likely lost money after marketing costs). Even if the studio spent $13 million in marketing a traditional wide reissue of Aladdin, it would likely gross a minimum of $25 million, not taking into consideration the mass of Aladdin products that could be manufactured to coincide with the release. Even the studio’s “lesser�? films, such as The Three Caballeros or Melody Time, would probably have fared better in reissues than many of these DTV movies. If making something on the cheap in hopes of reaping big profits is a great idea (which it really isn’t), then how much better is releasing something high in quality that has already been financed and won’t dilute the Disney tradition.

In order for this to happen, the studio would have to better stagger the video and DVD reissues of titles. Instead of re-releasing them every three years or so (which is what is happening with many of these movies), the studio would have to make them unavailable with a longer duration between releases. But the payoff potential would make it well worth the while. It would take little for Pocahontas, Hercules, The AristoCats, or Bambi to earn the studio an extra $20 million or more in theatrical gross alone. While $20 million may seem like pocket change compared to a $200 million DVD reissue, if the studio planned, it could get both amounts. It would be $20 million dollars the studio didn’t have before, making it worth the planning.

Disney has repeatedly tried to hit the same level of success as the Imax portion of Fantasia 2000’s release, but they have failed to think clearly about it. Fantasia 2000 was a continuation of one of Walt Disney’s most highly praised films and was an event because it had never been seen before. Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King are beloved classics with legions of fans, but they are beloved classics people have seen and can easily find copies of. Making an afternoon trip to the theater an uphill battle because of distance and cost hardly seems like a profitable idea. With the awkward reissue of The Little Mermaid, Disney has seen that a normal reissue can be very profitable. Fans can only hope that the studio will think clearly before once again dismissing the full profit-making potential of its greatest asset, its rich legacy of feature animation.

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-- Jim Miles

-- Posted February 5, 2004