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Blair Witch Project 3 Confirmed (1 Viewer)

Scott Weinberg

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I'll just stay with my stock answer, and hope I don't sound redundant: If a series is profitable, the studios will find some way to resurrect it. There are hundreds of examples of "dead series" that were magically brought back for another B.O. payday.
Jason X had a budget of $14 million. Unless New Line drops the ball and opts for a direct-to-video release, I'll make you a friendly wager that Jason X makes at least $14 million in domestic Box Office.
 

Brian Lawrence

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Jason X is all but guaranteed to tank in my opinion
Yeah right! You seem to be disregarding that fact that the average taste of movie-goers has plummeted since the last Friday the 13th movie was released. Mark my words, Jason X will make money. It won't break the 100 million mark or anything, But it will have a 12-15 million opening weekend and then promptly vanish after making about 30-35 mill.

You may not like that, But when a low budget horror flick with no name recognition that happens to be directed by a convicted pedar-ass, can haul in a decent cash take at the box-office, It's a safe bet that a new Friday the 13th film will be profittable.
 

Terrell

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Scott, I'm taking your 15 million dollar domestic take at face value. If that's correct, do you honestly consider 15 million dollars a good take? Even 100 million is not as good as it once was. Since no Friday the 13th has made 100 million domestically, that ought to tell you something. Correct me if I'm wrong on that. In my estimate, Jason X is going to have to make 50 million to make any money. But that's purely a guess. I don't even consider that a good take. The film probably cost 30+ million to make. As for world take, I don't think films like this make any money other than in the U.S. So I wouldn't count on world take.
 

Brett_B

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The biggest problem I have with Jason X is the fact that the series does not make sense at all anymore.
For one, what happened at the end of Part 8 (Jason Takes Manhattan)? He started out as a severly decaying corpse who was brought back to life with electricity. At the end of the movie, he was a perfectly healthy (I am guessing based on what was on the screen) young boy. So before I go on discussing Part 9, what the hell was the ending of 8 all about?
Now we go to Part 9 (Jason Goes to Hell) and he starts out as a corpse (human...or whatever) in adult form, forgetting what they showed at the end of part 8. He was blown to pieces except for his black heart, then we move into "The Hidden" (movie reference) mode. So, in essence, Jason did not have a human form at the end of Part 9 (or at least was not the "real" Jason).
Now we are to believe that he once again comes back in human form (so to speak) to wreak havoc in space????
 

Terrell

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Actually, according to the trailers, he is transformed into a super cyborg killer.:laugh: Not to mention, how did he wind up in space imbedded in a block of ice, a couple hundred years into the future. I'm sure they will give a simple, yet implausible explanation.
Brett, I agree. They don't even try to make this franchise reasonable and believable anymore. I didn't understand about the boy at the end of #8 either.
 

Scott Weinberg

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Jason X said:
American genre flicks play extremely well overseas. I bet Jason X would make some solid coin in Japan. Plus the foreign markets for movies like Jason X are like icing on the cake. If the movie can make $15-22 million in North American B.O., well then just about anything they make overseas (and all the aforementioned subisdiary income) is pure profit!
 

Terrell

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First of all, what are your sources for what these films cost? For one, I believe that Jason X cost more than your 15 million dollar estimate. As for 15 million dollars being a good take, you didn't answer my question. Yes, if it cost 14 million to make, which I don't know and I don't see a source, then yes, it barely made a profit. But that still is not a good take. But you also didn't figure in marketing and other costs.

As for PH, no it didn't have a good box office take, nor did I say it had. All I said was 100 million dollars isn't what it used to be. And that no Friday the 13th film ever made 100 million. However, I wasn't sure if one had and that's what I asked you to corret me on, since you seem to know what the movies cost and what they made.
 

Chuck Mayer

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Terrell,
I gotta roll in and say Scott is right on here. This movie probably cost very little to make (quick, name the star) and adverts won't be much more. Let's say it simply breaks even in domestic. It then will start to profit on Home Video, PLUS overseas (I imagine Jason is seen as something of an American icon;) ), PLUS TV rights, PLUS any toys they can squeeze out (and they can, look at any action figure magazine - YOU probably have an action figure you don't know about, everyone else does). It is very little risk, for reasonable expected gain. Not every Hollywood film is a summer blockbuster or Oscar hopeful. That's how movies get made. And thank God, because who in their right mind ever greenlit Fight Club? Great decision, but it certainly didn't look like a winner, even after it tubed on the screen (Actually, it was Bill Mechanic, who also helped to bring Titanic to the screen). They can't all be Tomb Raider and The Mummy Returns...
Take care,
Chuck
 

Terrell

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And thank God, because who in their right mind ever greenlit Fight Club
Well, I would agree with that statement, cause I hated the film. But that film was not so silly to greenlight. As it stands, my point is these films, regardless of turning a profit, don't make all that much. 15 measly million dollars doesn't necessarily warrant a sequel. There are far better things to bring to the big screen than this mess. This film, is taking up a screen that something a million times more worthwhile can be on. This franchise should have a fork put in it. It's gotten silly, and it's not even reasonable, as Brett said. They don't even try to make sense of it anymore. At least they tried to make some sense of it when the first few films came out. Now they don't even explain some things.
Oh well, I'm just ranting. I hope you guys enjoy the, erm....gulp, film.:D
 

Chuck Mayer

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Terrell,

What's up? Firstly, Fight Club was absolutely incredible IMO, and I am thankful it found backing in Hollywood. But that's not the point. I won't go see Jason X, but I am quite happy it's being made. If all Hollywood made was "look-at-me-and-my-budget" summer productions, it would be a sad world indeed. Some people love these gorefests, and I am happy they can see them. I would hate to think all we would get would be clones of The Majestic, Double Jeopardy, and even my sacred cow, LOTR. Variety is the spice of life. Maybe Jason X has a sharp script, written by an up-and-comer. If they didn't make it, we'd never know. To use your sacred cow, do you realize AOTC would fund at least 10 well-financed films telling real stories. But I am happy we are getting AOTC. Again, Variety, variety. Just because you (or I) aren't interested does not make it worthless.

Take care,

Chuck
 

Terrell

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Chuck, I'm not against variety. But we've had 9 different varietys of Friday the 13th, most of them bad. Erm, I better quit while I'm ahead.:)
As for Fight Club, I just hated it. Didn't like the subject material or the story. I also don't like Brad Pitt. Never thought he was any good. However, I really liked Seven and he was in that. I wasn't against it getting backing. Just didn't like it.
 

Romier S

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Well,
Firstly I am an absolute fan of schlock horror and I find them quite enjoyable. Second consider me one of the first to go see Jason X. Is it going to make sense in the continuity of the series? Will it have a deep plot? Is it going to include super grade a actors? No to all those and I wouldn't have it any other way. If you are looking for any of those things in this type of movie honestly just quit now while your ahead.
I want to see Jason X because I know it will be a fun 85 minutes of bloody massacre and b movie goofiness. Its what I like to watch. Are my taste in movies lower than anybody elses? Do I care? NO!
I love Fight Club, Hedwig, Sexy Beast, Memento, Quills and all those other low key movies that are superbly acted and show what good movie making is just like allot of people here. With that said though there is always room for stuff like Jason X and Halloween 8 (which I will also see:)).
There are movies that are made with an attempt to be good but just end up being bad and unenjoyable to watch (Mummy Returns IMO). Then there are movies that are just made to be bad on purpose (Jason X:)) but they end up being so bad they're good:). You have your Dead Alives, Halloween sequels, Freddy sequels, Jason, so forth so on. I love a good majority of them.
For those that say that Jason X wont make money you're likely to be suprised when its released. I agree with whomever said the movie wont make over 100 million but I guarentee it will make way past its budget.
As for Blair Witch 3. I'll go see it. I loved the first one and hated the second. I'll give the third a chance though. I think they should take the series in a bit of a diffferent direction though. I would love to see a movie made about the Rustin Parr murders. That could be very creepy if done right. At any rate I am happy to see the original creators back on board.
 

Terrell

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I would never expect it to have a deep plot or great acting. I never said otherwise. But even with a movie like this, I expect it to make sense and for them to at least try and explain some things that they just leave unexplainable or unreasonable.
Then there are movies that are just made to be bad on purpose (Jason X) but they end up being so bad they're good.
Not sure I buy into that theory though Romier.:)
 

Scott Weinberg

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Jason X said:
As much as I love horror horror movies and the Friday flicks, I didn't have the time to research the respective budgets and profits for the entire series. Plus, that info is usually rather sketchy for movies 15 - 25 years old.
 

Nick Sievers

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First of all, what are your sources for what these films cost? For one, I believe that Jason X cost more than your 15 million dollar estimate.
Terrell,

According to imdb it is indeed 15 million for the budget. I also have no doubt that Jason X is going to make a profit. It has already made $2.7million US, and that was from Spain. US being the big market it should easily pass its budget/advertising.
 

Mark Pfeiffer

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All Jason X needs is one good weekend.

The reason all of the teen movies flooded theaters over the last few years is because they cost very little to make, so they didn't need long-term viability to turn profits. The up side, though, could be enormous. It's the reason we got Scary Movie 2 and will get Scary Movie 3. They cost comparatively nothing to produce and recoup that cost, or most of it, in the first weekend (re: Blair Witch 2).

Plus, there's the whole "branding" issue at work. Call it by another name and it might struggle. Call it another Friday the 13th film, and you already have a built in audience. I've seen enough posts on this forum from people who want the uncut films on DVD to assume that there's is easily enough interest to justify a $15 million production.

Blair Witch 3 sounds like a risky proposal, but then again, I doubt it will cost much to make. Throw in some PR hocus pocus about how this is the "real" sequel (if the original directors are involved), and they should probably be able to drum up enough business.
 

Romier S

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Not sure I buy into that theory though Romier.
You dont really have to Terell but I think its legitimate. As mentioned in my previous post lets take a look at a movie like Dead Alive. Its awful. Really the acting is laughable, the effects are horrid but the direction is solid. You cant honestly tell me Dead Alive was made to be good:). Yet I love the movie. As do a legion of fans out there. Peter Jackson made an uproariously funny and hokey horror flick with a plentiful amount of gore to spice it up.
Take a look at Ed Woods body of work. Again awful movies but damn are they fun to watch. As I said...some movies are just so bad they're good:D
I can't honestly sit here and say that all the Friday the 13th's were fun to watch or fall into that category. Every horror franchise has its black sheep (or sheeps) after all:)
 

Terrell

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I catually thought BW3 was less risky and more viable than Jason X. Having said that, I'll pass on it to. What I'd like to see is some different horror films made, some with some creativity. I'm all for horror films. I'm just sick of the usual suspects.

I wouldn't know Romier. I haven't seen it. The only Pete Jackson film I've seen is FOTR.
 

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