Action-Adventure Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I think what we're seeing there is just the reality that family movies, unless it's a phenomenon like the Super Mario Bros. movie, kind of have an uphill battle these days. Between the cost of going to the movies, finding a sitter, etc...a trip to the movies for a family of 4 costs a lot and has to be a carefully considered decision. Especially with so much content readily available at home. So I'm not surprised to see a movie like this show some legs on the weekends as families trickle out to see it. Especially when this has a weirdly weak marketing push.

It's the lack of robust international support for the franchise that I think is hurting it most at the box office. This would've been right behind Wonka and Puss in Boots last year as 6th highest grossing family film domestically.

We'll see but I really wouldn't be surprised to see a sequel greenlit. Again, they can more quickly recoup money by licensing it from streaming since Sony doesn't have a streaming service. A movie like this is also filled with product placements/cross promotions which probably pads things a bit too. I just think this is more of a "let's see what lessons we can learn moving forward" situation vs. "shut the whole thing down and forget it ever happened".

It's looking like it will at least match Afterlife internationally, it's just domestic where it's coming up shorter.

I think a sequel could happen with a lower budget if Reitman pushes for it as he seems to have a bit of pull at Sony.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Hope it does well on digital. WW it will probably end up around the same as the first movie. But with this FE having a higher budget Sony probably wants a bit more in the coffers.

Really hope we get another movie. And Reitman needs to be in the director chair next time.

 

[Drizzle]

Off the bat I won't be surprised if they close the door on the franchise after Frozen Empire underperformed. However, it's Sony and they've made far crazier decisions so if they're desperately hurting for franchises I could also see them doing one more to round out a trilogy for the Spengler family and Rudd with at least a few of the OG cast in tow, preferably directed by Jason Reitman. Also hypothetically if another one were to happen, my suggestion would be to get an A-lister or someone interesting to play the villain. If they think outside the box a bit they could give us a villain better than Gozer.

 

[DyeLorean]

Off the bat I won't be surprised if they close the door on the franchise after Frozen Empire underperformed. However, it's Sony and they've made far crazier decisions so if they're desperately hurting for franchises I could also see them doing one more to round out a trilogy for the Spengler family and Rudd with at least a few of the OG cast in tow, preferably directed by Jason Reitman. Also hypothetically if another one were to happen, my suggestion would be to get an A-lister or someone interesting to play the villain. If they think outside the box a bit they could give us a villain better than Gozer.

I don't know, they've built an entire company named Ghost Corps.
Frozen Empire wasn't an outright disaster. I think they're gonna try one more sequel.

 

[Spider-Fan]

If they do, they gotta lower the budget. Maybe by as much as half.

 

[psylockolussus]

I just saw this and it wasn't very good.

I think Sony kinda have outdone themselves by releasing 3 movies for Ghostbusters under 8 to 9 years, especially this isn't really a lucrative brand to begin with (box office wise). But its also been 3 films that range from okay to meh, which makes me wonder how long Sony will commit to releasing Ghostbusters movies when they aren't very good and interesting. Frozen Empire was just a snow ball of meh. They have a large amount of cast members that didn't really do a lot except do the "Ghostbuster" pose. The actor from Eternals had a terrible role. And the "Frozen" villain was nothing to write about.

Terrible movie.

 

[Erik20]

I really didn't like this unfortunately. It seemed like they wanted to make a family/kids movie, but at the same time also something that's close to the original. I just don't get what they were going for. Phoebe is basically the lead, which doesn't work for me. Ghostbusters was never about kids. But if you want to make a "teen Ghostbusters" movie, then just do that all the way.

Also I knew the story wasn't going to be great when the guy just happened to bring Ray the evil artifact... I was getting Wonder Woman 1984 vibes... And I don't know why Finn's character and his friend(?) Lucky were in this movie. They're just there... It's all just a huge step down from Afterlife, the movie doesn't have that same charm. Even seeing the old cast back again couldn't save this for me.

If they do end up making a third one, I would say keep Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon, get rid of the kids.

 

[blueharvest]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795158938406559865

 

[Cap2024]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795158938406559865

So double (although not 2.5) on top of corporate partnerships (these were everywhere on buildings during the opening car chase (not as easy to spot as Walmart’s in the first one, but still there)) and merchandising.

Hopefully that will be enough to keep going forward in some way. 🤞

 

[Sithborg]

Still amazingly hilarious that 2016 still has done better overall than the reboot. Both times.

 

[Cap2024]

Still amazingly hilarious that 2016 still has done better overall than the reboot. Both times.

In terms of higher total, 2016 has.

In terms of earning more, it actually hasn’t.

Discrepancy comes in due to budget.

2016 had a 144 mil budget and made 229 mil worldwide (less than double). If it had a budget more in line with Afterlife and Frozen Empire, it would have.

What they need to do is go back to that Afterlife budget range (75). If this one stuck by that it would be in a much better position.

(I actually wonder if they could have kept that 2016 series up since I think - might be wrong - one major difference between that and Afterlife is many leads in 2016 were big name adult actors which had to have been costly and partly why the budget got halved)

 

[Mani-Man]

So double (although not 2.5) on top of corporate partnerships (these were everywhere on buildings during the opening car chase (not as easy to spot as Walmart’s in the first one, but still there)) and merchandising.

Hopefully that will be enough to keep going forward in some way. 🤞

It sucks that we kind of have to keep an eye on how much this stuff makes.
Like, i enjoyed the Movie...that should be enough, but isnt.

Gotta keep an eye on the box office etc because if that is not high enough, we dont get another one or worse, they put everything for the franchise on hold.

But i want them to keep doing Ghostbusters stuff.
Be it movies, merchandise etc.

 

[DarkKnight88]

(I actually wonder if they could have kept that 2016 series up since I think - might be wrong - one major difference between that and Afterlife is many leads in 2016 were big name adult actors which had to have been costly and partly why the budget got halved)

This.

I’m actually more amazed how well Afterlife did considering it had zero star power except for a supporting role with Paul Rudd.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I think for the next movie to keep the budget in check they could a villain with a more human form. The villain here needed a lot of CGI and other effects to be brought to life. I thought the Garraka was awesome personally but for the next movie we could have a villain similar to Viggo who doesnt need all that CGI.

 

[BatLobster]

Still amazingly hilarious that 2016 still has done better overall than the reboot. Both times.

That's not how profitability works, not to mention whatever brand damage that movie caused.

 

[DyeLorean]

Yeah, there are ways to keep the budget low. This isn't a franchise that requires Avengers-level special effects. I wouldn't want that either.

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

I think for the next movie to keep the budget in check they could a villain with a more human form. The villain here needed a lot of CGI and other effects to be brought to life. I thought the Garraka was awesome personally but for the next movie we could have a villain similar to Viggo who doesnt need all that CGI.

Did Garraka even have enough screen time to affect the budget?

 

[Cap2024]

Did Garraka even have enough screen time to affect the budget?

It wasn’t just Garraka as a character - the entire NYC freezing over sequence is what likely cost a lot.

In that alone you have the weather radically changing, the ground becoming ice, ice poking out from the ground while many extras flee for their lives, ghosts breaking out of containment, etc.

The other major expensive sequence - the opening car chase through NYC. There you have many extras, a lot of damage being caused to breakable objects they had to secure, cgi effects to make the ghost and trap look real, etc.

While these are quick sequences, there was a lot of work that had to go into them on both a computer and practical effects level that couldn’t have been cheap.

There was also the library lion, but I can’t imagine that costing a lot since it’s less than a minute I think.

The cast also expanded, but I don’t think Patton nor Kumail could have made that much of a difference on the budget especially Patton considering it was more a cameo. Actors also may have asked for more, but unsure on that front.

Thus, if I was to guess - it was the NYC freezes over and opening car chase that really boosted the budget as both sequences looked really expensive.

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

I was asking specifically about that character, not the special effects of the entire movie.

 

[DarkKnight]

I sadly never got the chance to go see this in theater due to my busy schedule. So, I'll be purchasing a blue ray copy to go into my collection and looking forward to my viewing.

 

[Cap2024]

I was asking specifically about that character, not the special effects of the entire movie.

I intended to just answer that but then expanded, but yeah - not the character himself, rather the effects he caused if that makes sense. Since - as said - it was just his attack on NYC (so indirectly him) and the car chase that I can see really boosting the budget.

 

[henzINNIT]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1795158938406559865

Seeing these posters after the film just reminds me how bizarre it is that the characters A.) Never actually wear these new suits & B.) Never actually venture outside into frozen New York. The film faffs about doing nothing and then rushes through a climax.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I was asking specifically about that character, not the special effects of the entire movie.

Yeah as @Cap2024 said. It was not only the effects of the character himself but also what he could do. Throw in the other Ghosts etc all of whom needed CGI on some level, it all adds up.

Throw in 1 villain with a couple of henchmen for the sequel and leave it at that. Keep the budget down and hopefully we get another.

I did really like Garrokka though.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I liked Garrokka. He looked suitably scary and ice powers are cool. I just think the movie itself needed to focus more on say 2 or 3 plot lines and dump the rest. Biggest issue with the film is its got too much going on so everything feels rushed and underwhelming