Box Office Mojo Criticized After Redesign That Includes a Paywall for Some Data

Box office analysts, critics and even a major filmmaker gave the thumbs-down Wednesday to a major redesign of Box Office Mojo that removed longtime options and moved some data to IMDBPro, parent company IMDb’s subscription service.

It’s the first major overhaul of the site since IMDb, a subsidiary of Amazon, purchased the website from creator Brandon Gray in 2008. The new version of the site significantly resembles IMDbPro, which is now prominently featured at the top of the webpage with the branding “Box Office Mojo by IMDbPro.” And according to the company, some information will be available only on IMDbPro, which costs $19.99 per month, or $149.99 for an annual membership.

Among the information now requiring a subscription are breakdowns of box office performance for various genres, and historical data for Hollywood studios; it’s not clear what else may be locked behind the paywall, but among the data removed entirely from the free site are the ability to search for an individual’s box office history by title, and box office history adjusted for inflation.

A statement from IMDb says that the redesign was “made in response to customer feedback and usage patterns, which will continue to inform future feature launches.”

Also Read: Laverne Cox on Representation, IMDb Birth Name Policy (Video)

But if the company expected applause, it was likely disappointed by the negative reaction online. Complaints were made about the site’s navigation, the removal of features such as inflation-adjusted figures, and the decision to move studio-specific release slates and compilations of each studio’s box office performances behind a paywall that requires an IMDbPro subscription to access.

“Um. How to put this? I do not care for the new design of Box Office Mojo,” “Baby Driver” director Edgar Wright said. “Please change back.”

“Wow – @boxofficemojo redesigned their site & stripped out most of the functions that allowed me to do deep dive stuff on #Charting,” Screenjunkies critic and producer Dan Murrell tweeted. “Stuff like estimated tickets sold, easy to find adjusted for inflation lists – GONE. It was amazing resource. Is this the cost of @IMDb partnership?”

“Box Office Mojo just torpedoed itself and essentially removed everything that made it a must-visit site just to drive up IMDB Pro subscriptions,” wrote Forbes box office reporter Scott Mendelson.

“@boxofficemojo please put your website back to the old format, the new design is awful,” Anthony D’Alessandro of Deadline said.

Also Read: IMDb's Revised Birth Name Policy Criticized by GLAAD and SAG-AFTRA

https://twitter.com/AnimatioNintend/status/1187151644435374083

“It is hard to overstate just how central and essential BOM is to the day-to-day lives of people in entertainment media and the film industry,” wrote BuzzFeed News reporter Adam B. Vary. “It’s clear that Amazon wants more people paying for IMDbPro, so they moved a ton of BOM data to that service. But in the process, they’ve seemingly erased a few major features that made the original BOM site so essential.”

While Wednesday’s overhaul marks the first major BOM redesign since the IMDB purchase, it’s not the first time the parent company has attempted to surprise users with huge changes. In 2014, Box Office Mojo unexpectedly disappeared from the Internet, with the site’s URL redirecting to IMDb’s box office page. After a massive backlash, the site was restored the next day without explanation from Amazon or IMDb.

30 Highest Grossing Animated Movies of All Time Worldwide

A look at top animated moneymakers as of May 2020, from "The Lion King" to "Zootopia." The numbers are not adjusted for inflation.
30. "The Incredibles" (2004)

Worldwide Gross: $633,019,734

In 2004, Brad Bird's first Pixar outing wowed audiences with complicated animated action scenes, cross-generational comedy and superhero mayhem.
Pixar Animation Studios
29. "Sing" (2016)

Worldwide Gross: $634,151,679

Illumination's animal-karaoke musical crooned its way onto the list.
28. "Moana" (2016)

Worldwide Gross: $643,331,111

Disney's Hawaii-set movie scored two Oscar nominations, for Best Animated Feature and Lin-Manuel Miranda's song "How Far I'll Go."

Disney
27. "Big Hero 6" (2014)

Worldwide Gross: $657,818,612

Disney's 2014 robot tale combined anime aesthetics, superhero action and Pixar's heart.
Disney Animation Studios
26. "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (2006)

Worldwide Gross: $660,940,780

Fox's 2006 prehistoric romp proved the success of the first was no fluke.
Twentieth Century Fox
25. "Kung Fu Panda 2" (2011)

Worldwide Gross: $665,692,281

With the franchise's skills proven, DreamWorks Animation gave the world another hit of comedy with this animated martial arts sequel in 2011.
Dreamworks Animation Studios
24. "Up" (2009)

Worldwide Gross: $735,099,082

The 2009 fan favorite demonstrated that original ideas with big emotions could make big money.
Pixar Animation Studios
23. "Monsters University" (2013)

Worldwide Gross: $744,229,437

Ten years after the release of "Monsters Inc," Pixar sent fans back to school in a 2013 prequel.
Pixar Animation Studios
22. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" (2012)

Worldwide Gross: $746,921,274

DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar" series kept the studio afloat with a string of breezy successes, including 2012's third installment.
Dreamworks Animation Studios
21. "Shrek Forever After" (2010)

Worldwide Gross: $752,600,867

The big green ogre's final chapter dropped in 2010.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
20. "Shrek the Third" (2007)

Worldwide Gross: $798,958,162

Made in 2007, this sequel proved there was still some gas left in this fantasy mash-up comedy franchise.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
19. "Coco" (2017)

Worldwide Gross: $807,082,196

Directed by Lee Unkrich, this animated film captured everyone's hearts and even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2018.
Disney/Pixar
18. "Inside Out" (2015)

Worldwide Gross: $857,611,174

Disney Pixar hit the home run again with this animated feature film about the emotions inside your head, starring Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader.
Disney/Pixar
17. "The Secret Life of Pets" (2016)

Worldwide Gross:$875,457,937

Universal/Illumination's story of dogs seeking out adventure while their owners are away charmed its way onto the list.
16. "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012)

Worldwide Gross: $877,244,782

Profits abound for this 2012 fourth installment in the chilly prehistoric franchise, followed just behind it's predecessor.
Twentieth Century Fox Animation
15."Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (2009)

Worldwide Gross: $888,805,671

While other films have made bigger waves in the States, international sales have always returned big money for Fox's "Ice Age" franchise, proven again by the 2009 entry.
Twentieth Century Fox Animation
14. "Shrek 2" (2004)

Worldwide Gross: $919,838,758

DreamWorks Animation proved to be worthy Pixar competition with its successful "Shrek" franchise.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
13. "Finding Nemo" (2003)

Worldwide Gross: $940,335,536

"Finding Nemo" was something of a second-wind for Pixar, solidifying the company's place as the titans of modern animation.
Pixar Studios
12. "The Lion King" (1994)

Worldwide Gross: $968,483,777

Can you feel the love tonight for this Disney animated classic?
Disney Animation Studios
11. "Despicable Me 2" (2013)

Worldwide Gross: $970,761,885

Illumination's sequel managed to make more money than its predecessor and put the upcoming "Minions" spin-off into motion.
Illumination Studios
10. "Zootopia" (2016)

Worldwide Gross: $1,023,784,195

Disney charmed audiences in 2016 with its cop thriller pairing a rookie rabbit cop and a wily fox informant.
Disney
9. "Finding Dory" (2016)

Worldwide Gross: $1,028,570,889

The sequel to "Finding Nemo" swam right back into audience's hearts.
Pixar
8. "Despicable Me 3" (2017)

Worldwide Gross: $1,034,799,409

Illumination's follow-up -- featuring Gru's blond-haired brother -- became the franchise's biggest grosser.
7. "Toy Story 3" (2010)

Worldwide Gross: $1,066,969,703

Built on Pixar's critical and commercial goodwill, the third installment in the mega-franchise brought in big profits.
Pixar Studios
6. "Toy Story 4" (2019)

Worldwide Gross: $1,073,394,593

Nearly two decades after the last film, Woody and Buzz and the gang returned for the top-grossing film in the series (not adjusted for inflation, that is).

Disney
5. "Minions" (2015)

Worldwide Gross: $1,159,398,397

The little yellow helpers crossed the $1 billion mark at the end of August, raking in more money then "Despicable Me" and "Despicable Me 2" for Universal Pictures.
Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment
4. "Incredibles 2" (2018)

Worldwide Gross: $1,242,805,359

The superpowered family sprung back into action a full 14 years after the original -- but far surpassed the original film's box office haul.

Disney/Pixar
3. "Frozen" (2013)

Worldwide Gross: $1,276,480,335

Disney's 2013 smash-hit takes the box office top spot. And then there was merchandising, video on demand and home video that audiences just couldn't let go...
Disney Animation Studios
2. "Frozen II" (2019)

Worldwide Gross: $1,450,026,933

Though it failed to garner an Oscar nom for Best Animated Feature, this sequel still managed to outgross its predecessor.
1. The Lion King (2019)

Worldwide Gross: $1,631,724,000

Whether the film is animated or live-action has been up for debate, the new "Lion King" was computer animated, so we're putting it on the list.
Disney