‘Woke’ films do not automatically ‘go broke’ at box office, new study finds

A new study has refuted the common claim from culture war instigators suggesting that films which engage in “woke” themes will automatically “go broke” at the box office.

Each year, a lucky handful of major, mainstream movies are inundated with predictions that they will flop commercially due to their inclusion of progressive themes, values or characters.

Most recently, Superman was hit by such claims after director James Gunn referred to the superhero as an immigrant, with even Dean Cain, former Superman actor, hitting back at Gunn’s characterisation of the crime fighter. Go broke, though? Not quite: Superman is one of this year’s highest earners at the box office.

Other films, including Barbie, Wicked, and Wakanda Forever were hit with similar claims, be it for their inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters or actors, their subtle political messaging, or their focus on race and identity. Each one was a box office smash; Barbie was 2023’s highest grossing movie.

Conversely, there are those hit with such “anti-woke” backlash that do struggle, particularly compared with the funds spent to make them. Disney’s live action Snow White and The Little Mermaid remakes, plus its Buzz Lightyear spin-off Lightyear, were all dubbed commercial disasters; each had been hounded by anti-woke warriors. Action films led by women, like The Marvels and 2019’s Charlie’s Angels, also failed to hit their assumed commercial heights in the face of backlash.

So, films that feature progressive or political messaging might sometimes “go broke”, but they might also soar. Essentially, that’s the outcome of a new study, conducted by film data researcher Stephen Follows.

For his research, which was presented this weekend at Zurich Film Festival, Follows considered more than 10,000 films and four million audience comments to examine whether there was any correlation between films that included themes considered “woke” by audiences and their success at the box office. 

Follows stresses that what constitutes “woke” themes is subjective, but he breaks the term into five categories: representation and diversity, identity politics, political and social messaging, canon and continuity changes, and cultural tone.

His study returned the verdict that the phrase “Go woke, go broke” has little concrete accuracy. Some of the movies he analysed, which featured so-called “woke” themes, saw profitability, while others did not. Similarly, some films which did not incite social commentary around “wokeness” saw commercial success, while others, less so.

Plus, on the contrary, Follows uncovered that some genres – namely horror, thriller, sports and music – may benefit from the inclusion of progressive themes. Oftentimes, such themes can strengthen a story, twist framing, heighten “underdog narratives” and add “emotional or moral weight” – think Knives Out: Glass Onion, Elton John’s biopic Rocketman, or Lady Gaga’s A Star Is Born.

That said, woke equals broke is “not without grains of truth,” Follows writes in his conclusion, stressing that context is paramount. 

“Budget level and genre shape how risky certain choices are. At the very top end, where hundreds of millions are invested and returns are scrutinised worldwide, overt or clumsy political messaging tends to be punished,” he explains.

There are numerous examples of movies that have “paid the price” of “heavy-handed moral lecturing,” Follows writes, while some movies that have changed “the perceived ‘contract’” of a character, or added historical inaccuracies, have also suffered at the box office after being called out by fans.

But, as the researcher points out, most of the time “a good story well told will overcome most reflexive objections”.

“The takeaway is not that filmmakers should avoid or embrace particular ideas,” he concludes, “but that success comes from handling them with authenticity and awareness of context.”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.