Marketing Fees will raise the need for higher box office...
https://archive.vn/20200703203216/https ... 234693356/ "Film executives privately estimate that pushing “Mulan” or “Tenet” a few weeks at a time could amount to losing $200,000 to $400,000 in marketing fees — essentially negligible costs for a major studio in the grand scheme of unveiling a new movie. Depending on various factors, that number could increase to just under $5 million if they are delayed again without sufficient notice. That’s because the bulk of a film’s promotional and advertising efforts run in the two weeks prior to its release. So far, the release date changes have fallen outside that window.
Marketing a tentpole movie, which often carry production budgets between $100 million to $200 million, is an expensive proposition in any climate. It includes everything from 30-second TV commercials and billboards to splashy, star-studded premieres that routinely shut down Hollywood Boulevard. Studios begin executing those endeavors around six weeks before a movie is set to release — sometimes earlier during a competitive time of year like summer moviegoing season."
Both “Mulan” and “Tenet” were in a worse spot than Ghostbusters: Afterlife is currently, but Sony probably burned $50 million so far on marketing fees as I remember the trailer showing up on entertainment shows and whatnot. All that pretty much is a loss at this point as the film's promotion will itself need a reboot. No fault to anyone, it just is how it is.
As already noted, Dan says its budget was under $50 back in May. So right now they might reasonably release it with costs of $250 to $300 counting in marketing. I'm assuming marketing costs will be $150 to $200. It has to make double of all that to be viewed as a success. So $500 to $550. Good luck trying to do that in March. I honestly can't see Sony being able to release this til they got a good distance away from the Pandemic. That likely won't happen.
So far Sony made the right choice throwing it back a 9 months, knowing it be a pretty tall order to promote it and release it during the pandemic. Sony would be wise to push it back atleast 4 or 5 months longer or even as a film for October next year. All predictions I've read were clearly thinking this be over by August. It is not and looking to now be a issue up til December, and then it will start to go down. Doubt it will be that positive, but you gotta have a bit of hope with all these lemons. Ultimately, delaying it is a better move than taking a loss. Taking a loss is pretty much kills any hope for a sequel to the spin-off film.