Boom or bust… or what?
Was this a good summer for movies? Having just started to catch up with the films of Summer ’06, it’s hard for me to say.
Little Miss Sunshine was my favorite; Pirates 2 made $400 million in domestic b.o. so that must say something — but maybe it’s the dearth of exciting product out there?
I looked to see how Steve Carell, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson fared. Last summer’s 40 Year Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers seem like high water marks in the humor arena, making the world safe for the R-rated buddy comedy once again. But how did follow-up efforts The Break-up; You, Me and Dupree; and Little Miss Sunshine do to move forward and enhance the careers of each?
And Snakes on a Plane proved that you have to have more than a clever title to make a hit movie.
Now that we are approaching Oscar season, films of higher quality and concern will soon eclipse the popcorn movies (which will always be my favorites) but before they do, let’s review and reassess. How are we doing? What’s needed? And mostly, how can we provide new material for future summers that will outpace what was produced this year? This is our mission!
So let’s hear from you.
P.S. This website will be re-launching soon with a new look, new features and new tools available for screenwriters. Stay tuned for some exciting changes. Coming soon.
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This year is hard to read. The only big surprises were dissappointments:
Snakes On a Plane — Yeah, it will probably make a profit, but this is no BWP or Sixth Sense or whatever. It’s nothing ‘bigger’ than what it is…it’s a horror hit. Low-budget, makes around 50mil, does well on DVD.
Superman – Great Reviews(I still don’t know why), terrific property, respected director…mediocre box office that will barely break even when all is said and done.
Lady in the Water — 41mil. Not surprising really…but…poor M. Night.
Then there are the scores of movies that just did nothing — Posiedon, Miami Vice, The Fast and the furious.
Comedy still is kicking butt — Talledega, Prada, Click, The Breakup all did over 100mil. They may not be R-rated…but still, comedy is making 100 mil without a huge budget or adapting comic books or novels or theme park rides. Any even the movies that didn’t quite make 100mil seem impressive — Scary Movie, Failure to Launch, Nacho Libre, You Me and Depre. Comedy seems like a good value bet.
Kids movies did ‘as expected’…no breakout hit, but Cars, Ice Age, etc. did what they were suppose to.
So, what does this mean to us? Hmm…well, I think this year is going to yield less of a spirit of ‘throw away the formula’ then last year. For spec writers, it seems like tent-pole flicks are out of our league. All the tentpoles are adaptations or sequels. So we need to focus on that 30mil comedy/horror/thriller like always. Nothing new there. Comedy needs to be star-driven, horror need to be cheap and take itself somewhat seriously.
I do feel like there is reason to be optimistic:
1. While film seems to be in its doldrums, I think TV feels as innovative as ever. 24, Grey’s anatomy, Battlestar Galactica, Desperate Housewives, The Shield, Sopranos, Deadwood, Entourage, The Office, Veronica Mars, Lost — look how diverse and original this slate is. I think TV is where the originality is right now.
2. I think some stars are being taken down, with the cancellation of Used Men, Tom Cruise’s troubles, etc. I wonder if this signals a change where the star-driven market gives way to a more story-driven one.
3. Downloading content is here. In 1 to 2 years we will be downloading original content. Yahoo, Google, etc…we’ll be acting like Studios. Developing content such as ongoing series and one-off films that can be downloaded to your Home theater — more opps to sell!
On the success of Pirates 2. Many people have said this, and I will say it again: In any series of movies, the success of part 2 is no indication of how good part 2 is but of how good people remember part 1 being. (Note: neither how good part 2 really is nor how good part 1 really was matters all that much.) So the question of how well people liked Pirates 2 will be answered next summer.
Little Miss Sunshine was definitely my favorite and I knew it would be yours too. (Clearly) I’ve been reading your book since I’ve been working on my own SP and recognized it was practically a perfect movie: Low budget, easily beat out, and was cast well. It was like the writer had read your book and followed it to the letter. I love your formula. I was an English major in college and there is nothing more refreshing than being able to recognize an author’s clear use of a beautiful and succint outline.
Jamie: remember to add “The Wire” to your television list . . . it’s back and I can’t wait!