Yes, despite technically generating a small profit, Disney's 2007 animated sci-fi film Meet the Robinsons is widely considered a major flop within the film industry.
Understanding a Film's Financial Success
While Meet the Robinsons garnered positive reviews upon its release, its financial performance tells a more complex story than a simple profit-and-loss statement against its production budget. The term "flop" in Hollywood often encompasses more than just failing to recoup production costs; it also accounts for marketing, distribution expenses, and the studio's overall revenue expectations for a major animated feature.
Production vs. Overall Costs
Meet the Robinsons was an ambitious project with a reported production budget of $150 million. Although the film technically turned a profit of $19 million against this specific production cost, this slim margin was insufficient to cover the extensive additional expenses involved in bringing a film to a global audience. These typically include:
- Marketing and Advertising: Campaigns to promote the film can often cost tens of millions, sometimes even exceeding the production budget itself.
- Distribution Costs: Expenses for physically distributing the film to theaters worldwide, including prints, shipping, and administrative fees.
- Exhibitor Share: A significant portion of box office revenue goes directly to the movie theaters.
Given these substantial overheads, a $19 million profit on a $150 million production budget indicates that the film likely incurred a significant overall financial loss for Disney.
Key Financial Snapshot
To illustrate the numbers that contribute to its "flop" designation, here's a brief overview:
| Metric | Amount (USD) | Amount (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Reported Budget | $150 million | £77 million |
| Technical Profit | $19 million | £9 million |
This small technical profit, when viewed against the total investment required for a film of this scale, signifies a poor return on investment from the studio's perspective. Major animated features from Disney are typically expected to generate hundreds of millions in profit to be deemed successful, making the outcome for Meet the Robinsons a considerable disappointment.
