What happened to the box office projections compared to the final cume?

[Savannah.T]

I just saw the final domestic total for that big fantasy movie and it’s way lower than all the early tracking suggested. I thought it was a lock to clear $400 million, but it barely scraped past $350. What happened between the projections and the actual final cume?

[JerryJM]

I followed it week by week and the early projections looked absurdly high. Then the legs just weren’t there and the final total surprised me in the opposite direction. It felt like a lot of hype around pre sales and hardcore fans, not enough casual moviegoers turning up on weekends.

[AlexanderT]

I went with a group opening weekend and the chatter was loud, but by Sunday the theater was noticeably thinner. Word of mouth wasn’t terrible, just not contagious.

[Mark78]

Maybe reviews didn’t tank, but they didn’t spark a big lift either. The timing and the holiday corridor meant other plans. I’m not sure if it’s the movie or the window that did the damage.

[Larry_H]

Do you think competition from other big releases that weekend pulled the crowd away, or did the marketing miss the right hook?