The Summer's Biggest Bomb.... (1 Viewer)

[Ray Chuang]

Brian, you wrote:

It is near impossible for a Studio movie to lose money. While it is easy to track a movie by the box office and then claim it lost money, this is not true. You really have to factor in all the ways the movie is sold.

A great example of this is Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The movie only took in US$84 million last summer, but the movie did finally become profitable thanks to the best-selling DVD release (especially the awesome two-disc Collector's Edition ).

 

[Tino]

Hey, even Waterworld which reportedly cost $175 million, turned a profit!

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

If it looks like a stinker, and it smells like a stinker, what is it?

Well, the buzz on Titanic was mixed considering all the delays it had experienced. Not that I think Gangs of New York is going to do those kind of numbers...

 

[Paul_D]

Well, the buzz on Titanic was mixed considering all the delays it had experienced.

Titanic was unique in so many ways. Even though I really hope Gangs is a classic, release delays are a bad sign far more often than good. The fact that Scorsese has never truly made a bad film is kind of a plus point though.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Mixed is probably being kind, Mark. Seemed to me that most people were whispering that JC had a big-budget bomb on his hands. Kinda makes the BO story with it even more remarkable.

 

[Stevan Lay]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone know what was last year's official/unofficial B.O. turkey?

 

[Paul_D]

Final Fantasy?
Captain Corelli's Mandolin?
Evolution?

 

[todd s]

I think the studios can thank their lucky stars for dvd. It will allow most of these movies to recoup their investments and in some cases make money.
ps-I will admit to liking Scooby Doo. It was camp and I did not have high expectations. Plus Matthew Lillard nailed the Shaggy role and the chick that played Velma was hot.

 

[David Rogers]

Gonna chime in on the Titanic point; prior to release, every article or entetainment news mention of it basically said things to the effect of "bloated out-of-control production, fiasco, over budget" etc..

The funny thing is at about week 3 of Titanic's release the articles changed their tune *entirely* and started raving about "magnificant amazing masterpiece brilliant". I've always chuckled at the turnaround by so many entertainment reporters ... when your truth doesn't come to pass, change your truth and make sure most viewers/readers forget what you used to be saying.

 

[AllanN]

Enough - $68m - $39.1m

Who hooo!

I cant stand Jenifer Lopez.

Does anywone know where you can get numbers that include:

1. Domestic Box Office
2. Worldwide Box Office
3. Domestic VHS/DVD rental sales
4. Worldwide VCD/DVD rental sales
5. Pay-per-view
6. Domestic VHS/DVD Sales
7. Worldwide VCD/DVD Sales
8. Cable Rights
9. Broadcast Rights
10. Comic Book/Toy Line/Novel/Soundtrack Sales
11. Special Ultimate Director's Cut DVD Sales

 

[Tino]

Try www.boxofficemojo.com

 

[Nigel McN]

don't forget studios 'cook the books' so that films deliberately don't make a 'profit' (think about those marketing 'costs').
examples, Forrest Gump(Budget 55M World Box Office ~1Billion) & Schindlers list (Budget 25M World BoxOffice ~420M).
Numbers from IMDB

 

[andrew markworthy]

I think that perversely enough, Eight Legged Freaks is doing pretty well in the UK. So is MIB II. Incidentally, just what has this poor film done to raise people's wrath? It's not awful in the 'please let me be struck deaf dumb and blind so I can't experience any more of this crap' way that e.g. the Avengers was. As a way of letting your cortex have a rest for a couple of hours, there's a lot to be said for it.

As for Windtalkers, I nearly walked out of the preview.

 

[Paul_D]

As for Windtalkers, I nearly walked out of the preview.

I could just imagine someone rising indignantly and storming out of the theater because a trailer was so bad. It does look terrible doesn't it.

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

Quote:

Eh, right when I saw the MGM logo, I realized the movie was going to be awful.

 

[Tino]

I thought MIBII was OK. Hardly the disaster that some make it out to be.
Opinions on it vary of course, but IMO, it's a standard sequel, considering that the original wasn't that great to begin with.
But Windtalkers on the other hand is worse than any of you have heard!(opinion)

 

[Paul_D]

Cause we've waited five years for a sequel and it ended up being a total piece of crap?

That's exactly my point. I thought it was quite good! Thus my bafflement at those who're claiming to prefer a night of [insert random form of torture] to ever seeing it again etc.

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

Quote:

I'd rather sit through Sorority Boys again instead of seeing MIB2 again.

 

[Tino]

That's a tough one Matthew!
They are both so unbelievably bad on every level that I think I would have a difficult time choosing which one is worse.
These two films, along with The Messenger, are the worst films that I have seen in their respective years of release.
Ugh!

 

[andrew markworthy]

As a matter of interest, how much of the perceived 'failing' of MIB2 is down to the rewriting necessitated by 9/11 and having to remove references to the Twin Towers? If some of the blame can be laid there, then shouldn't we make some allowances?