Morbius Vs. Minions: How Do Memes Affect A Film's Success?

gamerant.com:

Across the massive corporate bulk of Sony and its endless army of well-paid professionals, a single question burns its way through every myopic discussion of marketing trends. Producers, wealthy financiers, and would-be tastemakers are tearing their hair demanding to know why their movie's overwhelming memetic potential didn't translate to box office success. Things have only gotten worse now that they have a perfect example of how it should've gone.

Sony's latest entry in their underwhelming Spider-Man cinematic universe was a mild box-office disappointment that would've been negligible had they not doubled down. In its current state, the film is the laughingstock of the superhero movie craze. Meme culture, however, has moved on to a new target and aided in its meteoric rise.

It's Morbin' Time: How Morbius Became A Meme

Those who pay attention to the ebbs and flows of social media meme culture have likely already heard this story. The new cinematic center of attention for this demographic is Minions: The Rise of Gru, the fifth entry in the Despicable Me franchise and the sequel to 2015's Minions. The film was delayed for two years by the pandemic, but marketing for its release never died down. One could argue marketing for the franchise is one of the most ubiquitous cultural images on Earth, with the eponymous Minions appearing on every conceivable product. The memetic reaction, however, has been a bit more unpredictable.

The current trend surrounding Minions entreats swarms of gen-z TikTok fans to don their finest suits and see the film in theaters. While most of these debonair youths have been decent and civil, some have turned their screening into an unhinged rave. Some theaters have resorted to banning well-dressed