Written by Christopher Dang, Economic Development Research Intern | What is the Socioeconomic as well as economic impact of Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” blockbuster?
The wait is finally over! It has been nearly 14 years since the animated superhero family appeared in theatres and captivated audiences worldwide. Incredibles 2 took the theatres by storm in its opening weekend, smashing multiple box office records, while teaching invaluable lessons on the importance of family. Image Source: http://www.koimoi.com/reviews/incredibles-2-movie-review-doubles-the-nostalgia/
Incredibles 2 pulled in over $180 million domestically in its weekend debut, making it the highest earning animated film during opening weekend of all time, as well as the eighth highest earning film of all time. The film has been projected to pull in over $500 million domestically, which would earn the title of highest grossing animated film of all time. With its large weekend earnings, Incredibles 2 has already become the sixth highest grossing movie domestically in 2018.
The film has its dedicated fans globally as well. However, it is important to note that Incredibles 2’s global marker rollout is staggered with many countries such as China, France, Korea, and the UK not being able to see the film until weeks after. However, Incredibles 2 still managed to capture over a quarter of the international market, bringing in approximately $51.5 million its opening weekend.
Below is a list of international markets where Incredibles 2 gave Pixar its largest opening weekends:
- Mexico ($12.3 million)
- Australia ($7.7 million)
- Argentina ($3 million)
- Russia ($5.4 million)
The facts and figures of the film speaks for itself; Incredibles 2 is destined to be a monetary box office success. However, director Brad Bird never intended that Incredibles 2 be simply a ‘cash grab’.
When Bird was questioned as to why it took so long for Incredibles 2 to come out, his response made it clear the direction he wanted the film to take, “… so if it were a cash grab, we would not have taken fourteen years… it’s purely [that] we had a story to tell.”
Incredibles 2 is a film that is coated with humor that will have both a child and their grandma laughing and is rich with invaluable life lessons that people of all ages can learn from. Bird intended to have the film reflect the importance of a father’s participation in parenthood, as well as the significance of allowing women to express themselves in their work. In doing so, Incredibles 2 brings into question the traditional gender roles embedded in American culture.
In America, there has traditionally been the practice of having a stay-at-home mother and having a husband who is the ‘bread winner’. Being that the film takes place in the 1960s, where these roles were brought into question, Incredibles 2 challenges this traditional standard head first. The film simultaneously combats stereotypes and displays the overlooked struggles that come with being a stay-at-home parent by switching up the gender roles. Mr. Incredible, who is a big, strong man, thinks that staying at home with the kids will be a breeze, and urges his wife to go out and work. What he originally thought was going to be easy, quickly turns into a disaster for Mr. Incredible. The trials and tribulations that Mr. Incredible face while his wife is out fighting crime, further highlights Bird’s intention to deconstruct the false dichotomy between the stereotypical roles of a father and mother.
Lastly, if you haven’t already, go out and watch it, and of course, “Honey! Where is my super suit?!”
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