Showbiz Sandbox 333: Predicting The Biggest Box Office Flops of 2016

August 31, 2016

 Thumbnail

Much has been made about the decline in box office this summer, with franchise sequels underperforming and certain pricey movies failing to attract an audience. Kevin Lincoln, a senior editor at New York Magazine and Vulture, takes a look at this summer’s biggest flops and predicts which mega-budget releases might suffer a similar fate as we round out the year.

In China it might be more difficult to know which movies are box office disappointments or crowd favorites since online and mobile ticketing companies have been offering hefty subsidies to cinemagoers in their heated battle for market share. This means the gross of any release is almost always higher than what moviegoers actually paid to see it.

We’ll also dip back into audience figures from the recently completed Summer Olympics in Rio. This time however we have some data about viewership in Europe, Canada and elsewhere. To nobody’s surprise, more people streamed coverage online than ever before.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Netflix international subscribers will soon outnumber those in the United States, a changing of the guard at Twentieth Century Fox gets expedited and the late Prince’s home and music studio is set to become a museum.

Which Upcoming Movies Could Flop Harder Than Ben-Hur?
http://www.vulture.com/2016/08/bigger-flop-ben-hur.html

Little People, Big Woes in Hollywood: Low Pay, Degrading Jobs and a Tragic Death
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/little-people-actors-actresses-low-pay-degrading-jobs-tragedy-922261

Plagiarism Accusation Ignites Behind-the-Scenes Battle Over Costume Design
http://www.indiewire.com/2016/08/kristen-stewart-equals-movie-costume-design-credits-abby-osullivan-alana-morshead-1201718808/

comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of August 28, 2016
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-august-28-2016-300319092.html

Chinese Media Lobby Against Cinema Blackout Periods for Hollywood Films
https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/chinese-media-against-cinema-blackout-periods-1201845080/

Alibaba Pictures Loses $69 Million From Ticket Subsidies
http://variety.com/2016/biz/asia/ticket-subsidies-push-alibaba-pictures-into-loss-1201845400/

How Subsidies Distorted China’s “Record” February Box Office
https://celluloidjunkie.com/2015/03/05/subsidies-distorted-chinas-record-box-office-february/

Despite TV Ratings Drop, NBC Says the Rio Games Was Still a Financial Success
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-nbc-olympics-20160824-snap-story.html

The Great Canadian Ratings Report: Canadian Medals Boost CBC’s Olympic Fortunes
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-game/the-great-canadian-ratings-report–canadian-medals-boost-cbc-s-olympic-fortunes-211716141.html

Spaniards Choose Streaming and Mobile for Rio
http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2016082444065/spaniards-choose-streaming-and-mobile-for-rio.html

Olympics Gives Boost to PC-based Streaming
http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2016082644082/olympics-gives-boost-to-pc-based-streaming.html

55 Million Watch Olympics on Smartphones Across LATAM
http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2016082944099/55-million-watch-olympics-on-smartphones-across-latam.html

BookFilter: Slow Days, Fast Company
http://bookfilter.com/2015/12/07/slow-days-fast-company/

WME Acquires Literary Agency RWSG
https://variety.com/2016/biz/news/wme-buys-rwsg-1201842051/

Hollywood Agents Sharing Pirated Copies of CAA Book
https://variety.com/2016/biz/news/hollywood-agents-sharing-pirated-copies-of-caa-book-exclusive-1201843191/

CAA Partners Face Staff Anger Over Tell-All Book Revelations
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/caa-partners-face-staff-anger-922021

Victory: Google returns Dennis Cooper’s data
https://www.change.org/p/google-restore-dennis-cooper-s-blog-and-email/u/17677580

NBCUniversal Unveils New DreamWorks Annimation Senior Management
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbcuniversal-unveils-new-dreamworks-annimation-922057

DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg Seals $391 Million Payday After Comcast Buyout
https://variety.com/2016/biz/news/comcast-buyout-set-dreamworks-ceo-jeffrey-katzenberg-seals-391-million-payday-1201842397/

AFI Cancels ‘Birth of a Nation’ Screening, Nate Parker Q&A
https://variety.com/2016/film/news/afi-cancels-birth-of-a-nation-screening-nate-parker-qa-1201843429/

Penn State Alumni Pen Open Letter in Support of Nate Parker
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nate-parkers-classmates-release-statement-922851

‘Sausage Party’ Animators’ Pay Dispute Prompts Union Complaint
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sausage-party-animators-pay-dispute-922259

Majority of Netflix subscribers to be outside US by 2018
http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2016082344063/majority-of-netflix-subscribers-to-be-outside-us-by-2018.html

Prince’s Paisley Park Compound to Open as a Museum This Fall
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-prince-paisley-park-reopen-20160824-snap-story.html

Stacey Snider to Take Over as Fox Film Chief Sooner Than Expected
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-fox-stacey-snider-20160823-snap-story.html

Oscars: Controversy Erupts Over Brazilian Film ‘Aquarius’
http://variety.com/2016/film/in-contention/oscars-controversy-aquarius-brazil-1201845672/

Gene Wilder Dies at 83; Star of ‘Willy Wonka’ and ‘Young Frankenstein’
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/30/movies/gene-wilder-dead.html

Mexican Superstar Juan Gabriel Dies at 66
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/juan-gabriel-dead-mexican-superstar-923607

Rudy Van Gelder, Audio Engineer Who Helped Define Sound of Jazz on Record, Dies at 91
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/arts/music/rudy-van-gelder-audio-engineer-who-helped-define-sound-of-jazz-on-record-dies-at-91.html

Comments

Comments are closed.