Muppets Most Wanted Box Office Numbers

[minor muppetz]

I'd agree with you if there wasn't a movie 3 years before hand. Remember what kid movie competition this film had. Peabody and Sherman: An even less accessible cartoon series that's over 60 years old, and a backup segment.

I don't know if Rocky and Bullwinkle was less accessible than The Muppet Show. In the past two decades, Rocky and Bullwinkle reruns have aired longer than The Muppet Show reruns. Though I don't know when the last time that shows reruns have been on (last I saw the show on TV was in 2008, I think on WGN). Additionally, that whole series has been available on DVD for years (though there had been a long gap between the releases of seasons three and four... Just like with The Muppet Show), plus there had been a number of single-disc "best of" collections (of course, whoever releases Bullwinkle on video doesn't have to worry about music rights).

Of course, while the show had been popular on video and in reruns, Rocky and Bullwinkle have done a lot less than The Muppets. There's been more Muppet movies (only one of the four Bullwinkle-related films has been successful), there was never a second Bullwinkle series or specials starring the characters (though there were a few attempts that didn't make it to animation), and I think Muppet merchandise is more widely available than Bullwinkle merchandise (even when there's not much Muppet merchandise available). Though the only time I remember seeing a lot of (non-video) Bullwinkle merchandise in stores was when the Bullwinkle movie came out.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I'm not that surprised Peabody is doing better. It's the usual CGI cartoon that's huge right now. Same with Frozen. People aren't searching for creativity here. They're just drawn to the familiar. The Muppets aren't familiar.

 

[JonnyBMuppetMan]

It had significantly less marketing, absolutely no merchandise, retro or otherwise...

At the books stores I've been at, I've actually seen quite a few picture books based on the Peabody and Sherman movie in past month or so. Wal-Mart is also selling two DVD volumes of the original cartoons. Kind of makes you think Disney should be doing something like that with the Muppet Show. Hmmm...

 

[CensoredAlso]

Wal-Mart is also selling two DVD volumes of the original cartoons. Kind of makes you think Disney should be doing something like that with the Muppet Show. Hmmm...

Bingo. It doesn't pay to distance yourself from your best works.

 

[Drtooth]

At the books stores I've been at, I've actually seen quite a few picture books based on the Peabody and Sherman movie in past month or so. Wal-Mart is also selling two DVD volumes of the original cartoons. Kind of makes you think Disney should be doing something like that. Hmmm...

While I have to complain about the lack of Muppet Merchandise, though they did do much better this time... Peabody and Sherman's merchandising is like this... a couple kid's novelizations, a Happy Meal promotion, those two DVD's, and the only toy related merchandise outside of the kid's meals? Funko Pop classic Peabody, Sherman, Rocky and Bullwinkle. Even Croods had a toy line, albeit a hard to find one. To put it in the perspective of the Muppets, they have some spotty clothing, plush toys, cereal boxes, yogurt, Pez (with a new Fozzie)... not quite enough for my tastes, but more than Peabody and Sherman got. Minus the fact that Disney dropped the ball on not releasing any special Muppet movies (other than the 2 Blu releases) or TV shows/specials to tie into the film.

Now comparing Peabody and Sherman to the Rocky and Bullwinkle movie... there were ample amounts of bendy toys and plush and quite a lot more kid's novelizations and books (including Joke Books and novelizations of episodes). Of course, that movie flopped and the merchandise went on deep discount, but at least we got something out of it.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Wait wait wait...did the Muppets do a tv show?

 

[beaker]

It's obvious that the Muppets are a labor of love. Celebrities, Disney heads, and creative Hollywood people love the Muppets even if the Walmartian Americans are not into the Muppets. I think the people in charge will continue to make and push Muppet productions because they're fans.

I'm not that surprised Peabody is doing better. It's the usual CGI cartoon that's huge right now. Same with Frozen. People aren't searching for creativity here. They're just drawn to the familiar. The Muppets aren't familiar.

Spot on. I know I've said it before, but as much as The Muppets is what this touch screen app, computer animation/vfx obsessed society needs...maybe society doesn't deserve the Muppets. The Muppets appeal to special people. It's not a mass appreciation like Pixar films or Star Wars. It's smart humor that's also a rare kind of innocence that while pure isn't bland or easily defined. The Muppets are for weirdos, as Rizzo would attest. A lot of society is not tolerant of being different.

 

[beaker]

Wait wait wait...did the Muppets do a tv show?

From what I hear, several tv shows! Though Disney refuses to ever release them or tv specials on the home market, save for the first few seasons of the original Muppet Show

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Like I said their just not as appericated here as opposed to abroad. I mean Jim couldn't even get TMS aired here for crying out loud. In some ways not many things have changed in 30 years.

 

[Drtooth]

From what I hear, several tv shows! Though Disney refuses to ever release them or tv specials on the home market, save for the first few seasons of the original Muppet Show

Disney hates releasing ANYTHING that isn't a movie. Even their current TV shows. You would have thought that Toy Story 3 was important and big enough to release Buzz Lightyear of Star Command on any capacity. Nope. And they didn't have to clear any music rights for that one either. Ducktales may have gotten a shiny new video game remake, but the last of the TV series never got finished on their bare bones, "oh well, at least it's something" DVD's. And even their current hits like Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Avengers Assemble... they refuse to release any of them on season or half season sets. We get crappy, incomplete, out of order episodes. That's it.

So the fact we even got the first 3 seasons of TMS at all is a boon. Now if it is indeed music copyrighting that's to blame for the (lost count of how many years) absence of the DVD's...yes. That's beyond Disney's control and the fault of the draconian musical rights system designed by miserly music producers that buy up song rights for the sake of owning them and making money off of them. But if it's Disney's on again, off again cold feet, then they only have themselves to blame for the weak opening.

Spot on. I know I've said it before, but as much as The Muppets is what this touch screen app, computer animation/vfx obsessed society needs...maybe society doesn't deserve the Muppets. The Muppets appeal to special people. It's not a mass appreciation like Pixar films or Star Wars. It's smart humor that's also a rare kind of innocence that while pure isn't bland or easily defined. The Muppets are for weirdos, as Rizzo would attest. A lot of society is not tolerant of being different.

You know, I kinda refuse to believe the characters are that obscure and inaccessible. People still buy Muppet movies for their kids. People know who Kermit is. The Muppets have a brand strength that's not extremely huge, but it's there. It's like those who would see this film are waiting till it comes out on home video. Either that or they're actually dumb enough to avoid this movie because Jason Segal isn't in it. The irony of "OOOH! Jason Segal saved The Muppets! he's the savior of our favorite thing! What? He's not in this one? I'm not seeing it and letting it fail" is lost on them.

However, my beef isn't that CGI films exist. My beef is that when there's no other kid's film available except for one righteous piece of trash like Alpha and Omega, The Nut Job, and Gnomeo and Juliet, they make "get the kids out of the house" money. MMW does have that one kid's movie as competition, a strong competition... so that means, while in addition to the general movie going public not being energized to see this, they just aren't taking their kids out to see movies this week.