>>283096258 (OP)
AoT probably wouldn't have broken records or gotten to KnY's level, and I think a lot more people would have been pissed after following the series for more than a decade and 80 episodes to have the ending gatekept as a movie like that. Whereas newer series are going the movie route earlier on so it's less of a last minute rugpull.
As it is the theatrical re-release of the final AoT episodes still made plenty of money and they got to do another merch push.
>>283097258
AoT hype peaked during the first cour of Seaon 4 which coincided with the manga ending, but started to decrease each time the remaining parts got delayed and you got "final season part 3 part 2 the final final part" bullshit dragged on for two years. If they somehow made all of season 4 into a couple movies and got them out quickly maybe they could have capitalized on the hype more, but not after all those delays and animeonlies just reading the end of the manga because they got tired of waiting.