In the not-so-distant past, the
Lightning-fast feedback can also help a movie in a hurry, too.
At the same time negative Twitter and Facebook comments were muzzling Universal’s trash-talking teddy bear, “Max,” a family film about a heroic military dog, was getting an immediate boost from positive social media buzz and over-performing for Warner Bros. And last weekend, Pixar Animation’s “Inside Out” got a ton of momentum – and buzz accelerated by social media — from strong Thursday night and Friday showings and took off on Saturday.
In short, the same word of mouth that once affected the box office of movies over the course of weeks is now being felt almost immediately, forcing on-the-fly adjustments by
Also Read: Seth MacFarlane's 'Ted 2' Stomped by Dinos, Turned 'Inside Out' at Box Office
“The digital age we are living in creates these exponential shifts that you just can’t predict,” said Nick Carpou, Universal’s distribution chief. He had a front-row seat for this weekend’s buzz-fueled tumble of the “Ted” sequel and the recent explosion of another Universal movie, the blockbuster “Jurassic World.”
“When we got word about the sellouts in key theaters at prime times, I immediately got on the phone with exhibitors and asked them ‘are you watching this and responding?'” said Carpou about the dinosaur sequel’s opening day.
While
Also Read: 'Ted 2' Reviews: Critics Don't Get a High From Seth MacFarlane's 'Tone-Deaf' Sequel
“Ted 2,” which stars Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried and Morgan Freeman, had other problems. The concept of a talking teddy bear didn’t seem fresh this time around, and the critics didn’t like it either. But some of the buzz that followed its debut was, in typical Twitter fashion, pointed and nasty.
Ted 2 flopping at the box office is the actual perfect end to this incredible week.
— kateyrich (@kateyrich) June 27, 2015
Because that social media buzz doesn’t wait, the studios have had to alter their strategies to counter negative buzz, amplify the positive and, in general, keep up.
“You look at a studio like Disney, which for years didn’t comment about its films’ performance over a weekend, and now they’re feeding the media updates on Friday morning, afternoon and evening, telling us how the film is doing,” said Jeff Bock, senior analyst at Exhibitor Relations.
“They realize that people are going to start talking about their films immediately after they see them on Facebook or Twitter, and they want to get their positive word out just as quickly, and be part of the conversation about the film,” he said.
Also Read: Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried Get Cuddly at 'Ted 2' NYC Premiere (Photos)
Some films are more vulnerable — or able to be helped — by the instant feedback. Mature-skewing movies aren’t as impacted because older adults aren’t as active online, and the same goes for films aimed at kids.
But for movies like “Ted 2,” whose primary audience is the young adult, most active on Twitter, it can make a big difference — and fast.
42 Summer Movies on Our Radar: From 'Avengers,' 'Jurassic World' to 'Magic Mike XXL' (Photos)
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Marvel/Disney
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Alchemy
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IFC
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Roadside Attractions
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Warner Bros
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Relativity
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Warner Bros.
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Universal
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Twentieth Century Fox
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Disney
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Columbia Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox
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Warner Bros.
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HBO/Warner Bros.
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Twentieth Century Fox
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Blumhouse
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Legendary Pictures
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Fox Searchlight
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Open Road Films
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Disney/Pixar
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Universal Pictures
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Warner Bros
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Warner Bros
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EuropaCorp
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Warner Bros.
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Paramount
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Universal Pictures
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Relativity
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Focus Features
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Marvel/Disney
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Universal Pictures
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IFC
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Twentieth Century Fox
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Columbia Pictures
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The Weinstein Company
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Sony Classics
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Paramount
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A24
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Twentieth Century Fox
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Relativity
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Warner Bros
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Universal
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Twentieth Century Fox
