Zootopia beats The Avengers at the box office, four years after its original theatrical debut. As most are undoubtedly aware of by now, the theatrical marketplace has taken a major hit this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. There haven't been any new, wide theatrical releases since March, which was when things started to take a real turn for the worse. To help slow the spread of COVID-19, movie theaters around the world closed, and studios were forced to delay several upcoming tentpoles.
A few months after the initial shutdowns, movie theaters are attempting to reopen and jumpstart business, but there still aren't any new films scheduled to come out until August (and it's far from a guarantee that will actually happen). As a result, theaters have resorted to screening classic titles, giving viewers the opportunity to see older movies on the big screen again. Last week, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park topped the box office 27 years after its premiere, and now more older films are going head-to-head.
Per Deadline, Zootopia topped the charts this past weekend with $280,000. That narrowly beat The Avengers' $260,000 for the #1 position. Zootopia increased its domestic haul to $341.5 million.
Both Zootopia and The Avengers rank among the biggest box office hits of the past decade; the latter grossed $1.5 billion worldwide, while the former earned $1.02 billion. Given how much of a commercial draw they were years ago, they're logical choices for theaters looking to generate some revenue. Zootopia is a fun family film for those looking for a day out, while The Avengers is big-budget spectacle meant to be seen on the biggest of screens. However, obviously both are available to watch at home on various platforms (including Disney+), and with COVID-19 cases spiking across the country, it's questionable how appealing the allure of seeing something like The Avengers in a theater really is. That said, they clearly got some people to venture outside, so this practice will likely stay in place.
Like most businesses, movie theaters are trying to do the best they can in an unfortunate situation. Theaters reportedly will lose $31 billion this year, so it's understandable they're attempting to scrounge up anything available while they're allowed to open. Of course, the numbers Zootopia and The Avengers posted are a far cry from what theaters are used to seeing during the lucrative summer months. The only thing that could really serve as a boon for theaters is a new blockbuster like Tenet or Mulan, but it's unknown when studios will feel confident to release them. For now, theater owners will have to make do with showing older tentpoles.
Source: Deadline