From OH BOY IT NEVER ENDS:
Ryan Scott (FILM) has finally noticed
what everyone else has: There are no efforts by the studios to fill
August and September. This is their fault, he's right. They should
have planned better. This is from his article:
2021
had some big breakout hits, but most of them were superhero movies like
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and "Venom: Let There Be
Carnage." Heck, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" even made the vast majority of
its money in 2022 since it came out in December of last year. :ast year
had few unexpected hits while every single Warner Bros. movie went to
HBO Max the same day it hit theaters. It was a step in the right
direction, but far from a return to normal.
Meanwhile, 2022 has seen hits not connected to franchises: "The Lost City," "The Black Phone," "RRR," "Everything Everywhere All At Once," and
"Elvis." But those movies weren't being counted on as the only games in
town. At the same time, expected franchise hits like "The Batman,"
"Minions: The Rise of Gru," and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" were doing their
thing, along with the aforementioned hit blockbusters. "Maverick" has
led the way with more than $1.4 billion globally, but it hasn't been
operating alone.
Many
of the other breakout hits that weren't franchise-based were kind of
secondary to the steak and potatoes hits that were being supplied to
theaters. Now? It's only side dishes like "Dragon Ball Super: Super
Hero." I think it's great that anime has found a foothold at the box
office in North America, but movies like that alone can't carry theaters
alone. Granted, it's not the fault of Sony that "Bullet Train" didn't
break out as big as they hoped, nor is it Universal's fault that "Beast" wasn't a bigger hit.
The relative disappointment of films like that, as well as "DC League
of Super-Pets," has only served to further highlight the issue.
That's
where I strongly disagree with him. It is SONY's fault that BULLET
TRAIN didn't break out. Brad Pitt has been around forever. He does not
sell tickets. Pair him with Angelina or Leo and he's got a hit. Make
him a star and the movie either bombs or struggles -- MEET JOE BLACK,
SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, etc, etc. He hasn't really carried a hit. And
that's back when he had his looks. His face sags and not even all the
make up they piled on him for the cover of GQ that came in the office
mail yesterday makes him look better.
If
they'd given Sandra a real part -- not a voice over for 2/3 of the film
-- it could have done better. As it is, it's Brad's movie and I'm
failing to see why anyone would invest $100 million in a Brad film after
so many flops and on top of that the fact that he's lost his looks.
Go through his he's part of an ensemble --
Shia
LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña. INTERVIEW WITH A V15 biggest money makers,
if you doubt me. 12 YEARS A SLAVE? He's got a bit part. That's
number 15, we're working our way up to number one. Sandra Bullock's THE
LOST CITY -- he's got a bit part. FURY,
AMPIRE -- Tom
Cruise is the star. OCEAN'S 13 -- ensemble. Quentin Tarantino's
INGLORIUS BASTARDS -- ensemble (and Tarantion is the star of any
Tarantino directed film). Will Ferrell's MEGAMIND is (a) animated and
(b) Will's picture. David Fincher's SEVEN.
It's the director's picture and Brad's part of ensemble led by Morgan
Freeman which also includes Kevin Spacey and Gwyneth Paltrow. THE
CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON -- Brad co-stars with Cate Blanchette,
Taraji P Henson and Tilda Swinton and, the real star, director David
Fincher. OCEAN'S 12 ensemble. Tarantino's ONCE UPON A TIME (Tarantino's
film, then Leo's film, Brad -- already looking tired and old -- didn't
add anything). OCEAN'S 11 -- ensemble. TROY -- ensemble cast that
included Eric Banna, Orlando Bloom, Rose Byrne and Pater O'Toole.
Angelina Jolie's smash MR. AND MRS. SMITH -- part of a trio of action
films Angelina carried to the top of the box office (see WANTED and
SALT). Then there's WORLD WAR Z and there are other actors in it but
this was a zombie movie and that's what sold tickets.
His bombs are too many list. We noted two but there's also KILLING ME SOFTLY, SPY GAME, MONEYBALL, ALLIED, FIGHT CLUB,
He's
not a star and they shouldn't have mistaken him for one. Use him in a
small part back in his better days and you'd get 12 MONKEYS. But put
him in the lead and no one wants to see him.
Going out with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"