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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 3 sepTember 2019
Hollywood’s summer ends 2% down despite Disney dominance

By JAKE COYLE Summer ticket sales
Associated Press finished 2% behind last
NEW YORK (AP) — Never year, according to data
before has one studio so firm Comscore, a slight
dominated summer at the downturn that came
movies. The Walt Disney despite an unprecedented
Co. accounted for about display by Disney. The
half of all ticket sales in U.S. studio’s approximate $2.2
and Canada theaters on billion in domestic summer
the season, which came box office is greater than
to a close Sunday with that of all the major studios
the Gerard Butler action combined.
thriller “Angel Has Fallen” Summer, which for
topping the box office for Hollywood runs from the
the second weekend. first weekend in May to

In this July 14, 2019 file photo, director Jon Favreau poses for photographers upon arrival at the
‘Lion King’ European premiere in central London.
Associated Press
Labor Day, traditionally four years in Hollywood as with its August successes
ends with a whimper as its high-priced acquisitions (“Angel Has Fallen,” ‘’Scary
few new releases seek — Lucasfilm, Pixar, Marvel, Stories to Tell in the Dark”),
to draw audiences over and now Fox — have given the studio’s “John Wick:
the holiday weekend. the studio the intellectual Chapter 3 — Parabellum”
That was especially true property firepower for a was, with $170.9 million,
this weekend as nothing movie world increasingly one of the summer’s
new dented the top 10. focused on franchises. biggest successes. “For me
Lionsgate’s “Angel Has Only one original film this it’s important to dispel that
Fallen” came on top again summer ranked among audiences are only going
with an estimated $11.6 the top 10, and it came in to see Marvel and Pixar
million. The final numbers 10th. Quentin Tarantino’s and the big tentpole,”
on Hollywood’s summer “Once Upon a Time ... said David Spitz, president
didn’t add up to the in Hollywood” will have of domestic distribution
box-office bonanza that made an estimated $130.8 for Lionsgate. “Movies like
some predicted. Instead, million through Monday ‘Scary Stories’ and ‘Good
the main storyline on the domestically, plus sizable Boys’ and ‘Angel Has
summer came to be the ticket sales abroad. It, Fallen’ prove that there
yawning gap between along with “Spider-Man,” is an audience for that.
Disney and the rest of the helped lead Sony to its best ‘Good Boys’ was very
industry. Disney finalized summer since 2006 — but a encouraging because prior
its $71 billion acquisition of distant No. 2 to Disney. to that it was: ‘Comedies
20th Century Fox in March, Disney’s success has are dead. They’re just for
but it was the studio’s own been a welcome dose of streaming.’ And that’s not
offerings that propelled its reliability for theater owners the case.”
market dominance. in need of sure-hits amid Universal’s “Good Boys,”
Five of Disney’s films crossed widespread anxiety over the first R-rated comedy
$1 billion this summer, the rise of streaming. And to land No. 1 in more than
including the season’s it has prompted fears of three years, proved that
biggest hit, “The Lion King.” cultural monopoly. conventional wisdom is
It currently ranks seventh “For the industry, I think sometimes wrong. But
all-time globally with it’s a point of stress, to other acclaimed comedies
$1.56 billion in ticket sales. put it mildly. Other studios that were expected to
“Avengers: Endgame” are now strategizing pop — such as Amazon’s
($2.796 billion) opened in around Disney. That’s “Late Night,” United
late April, just before the what you have to do,” Artists’ “Booksmart” and
summer began. “Toy Story said Paul Dergarabedian, Lionsgate’s “Long Shot” —
4” and “Aladdin” both senior media analyst for didn’t.
easily cleared $1 billion. Comscore. “But lest we C o u n t e r p r o g r a m m i n g
The only non-Disney film in think Disney was the only often simply didn’t work.
the summer’s top four was game in town, there were And neither did gloomy-
Sony’s “Spider-Man: Far other studios that found looking critically panned
From Home,” and that film opportunities within the movies such as “Godzilla:
was produced by Disney’s calendar.” King of the Monsters”
Marvel Studios. Lionsgate was among and “Dark Phoenix.” They
Disney has been the those that eked out some were among the season’s
market leader for the last breathing room. Along biggest flops.q