美国国家公共电台 NPR Disney Becomes First Studio To Cross $7 Billion Global Box Office

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: 

Disney has become the first Hollywood studio to sell more than $7 billion in tickets globally in one year. And 2016 isn't over yet. NPR's Andrew Limbong reports on how Disney did it.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR")

CLIFF EDWARDS: (Singing) When you wish upon a star...

ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE 1: It's a nice thought, but Disney didn't get rich by wishing. It was far-sighted business strategy that made "Captain America: Civil War" this year's most successful film. Moviegoers spent more than a billion dollars to watch Tony Stark 2 and Steve Rogers fight and moralize over power.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR")

CHRIS EVANS: (As Steve Rogers) The safest hands are still our own.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR: (As Tony Stark) If we don't do this now, it's going to be done to us later.

LIMBONG: And another billion to see a fish with memory issues in "Finding Dory."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "FINDING DORY")

ELLEN DEGENERES: (As Dory) Oh, no, how long do I have? I have to find my family.

ED O'NEILL: (As Hank) All right, now don't get hysterical 3. Uh-oh, not good.

DEGENERES: (As Dory) What? What is it? What happened?

LIMBONG: The movie that put them over the $7 billion mark, the recently opened "Rogue 4 One."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY")

ALISTAIR PETRIE: (As General Draven) Can you be trusted without your shackles 5?

FELICITY JONES: (As Jyn Erso) Let's just get this over with, shall we?

LIMBONG: Those three movies were made by Marvel 6, Pixar and Lucasfilm, all of which Disney owns. So no wonder they're making so much money. They beat the $6.89 billion record set by Universal last year. I can hear some of you now. It's all the same, big sequels and remakes.

MARK HUGHES: If you look at these films and they feel like they're just the same thing to you, then I think you're not looking deep enough and paying attention to the storytelling that's going on.

LIMBONG: Mark Hughes is a film critic and a writer for Forbes.

HUGHES: "Captain America: Civil War" is very much a continuation of Marvel's deconstruction of the whole idea of a national security state. If you look at "Zootopia" and all you see are talking animals...

LIMBONG: "Zootopia" also made a billion dollars, by the way.

HUGHES: ...Then you're missing the fact that this is a very strong commentary on racism 7 in society and on the ways that our prejudices can be swayed to go along with or to accept or to outright 8 participate in discrimination and persecution 9 of minorities and other groups.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ZOOTOPIA")

GINNIFER GOODWIN: (As Judy Hopps) You probably didn't know, but a bunny can call another bunny cute. But went other animals do it, it's a little...

NATE TORRENCE: (As Clawhauser) I am so sorry.

LIMBONG: Hughes says Disney is masterful at selling to different audiences worldwide.

HUGHES: They're able to look at the various target demographics, and they know that each of these properties has its own unique aspects that appeal to a variety of different viewers.

LIMBONG: We'll see if that strategy works when the fifth "Pirates Of The Caribbean" movie comes out next year. Andrew Limbong, NPR News.