Rise of the Silver Surfer BOX OFFICE Discussion

[Bishop2]

You're right, no one wanted an Elektra movie. The Surfer is different. There are people that want a Surfer movie. Especially after the FF2 credit scene.

The big difference is that Daredevil made enough that an Elektra film produced for relatively cheap might have been profitable. There's no way in hell a Surfer movie could be cheap. Silver dude flies through space, possibly see his origin on an alien world... yeah, this is gonna be costly.

 

[Spider-Fan]

The big difference is that Daredevil made enough that an Elektra film produced for relatively cheap might have been profitable. There's no way in hell a Surfer movie could be cheap. Silver dude flies through space, possibly see his origin on an alien world... yeah, this is gonna be costly.

It won't be cheap, but I think it can be done for about 100 mil.

The thing is, you need to find the right audience and not put the movie in a crowded time of year where it will be forgot. Making it awesome would certainly help (face it, Elektra's quality didn't help its BO gross).

 

[Bishop2]

It won't be cheap, but I think it can be done for about 100 mil.

The thing is, you need to find the right audience and not put the movie in a crowded time of year where it will be forgot. Making it awesome would certainly help (face it, Elektra's quality didn't help its BO gross).

In regards to the "crowded time of year" though... You'd think that putting it in January should've helped them out. January is full of crap, you know. Of course, maybe people knew that and figured out that it was probably crap...

 

[Spider-Fan]

In regards to the "crowded time of year" though... You'd think that putting it in January should've helped them out. January is full of crap, you know. Of course, maybe people knew that and figured out that it was probably crap...

Winter. November or December would have been better. August would have worked, too.

 

[Advanced Dark]

August sucks usually but it would have been better than this overcrowded Summer. The thing is they have to position it so they can release the DVD at a good time and they also have to factor in toy sales which generally sell better around a movies release as well as the higher amount of toy sales May-July. Just the way it is. One offsets the other.

 

[THOR]

A Silver Surfer movie aimed at the SCI-Fi crowd as well as the comic guys could be a hit for the studio. The trick is to play up the love angle with Shalla-Bal so that the girls also want to see the film. Nothing girls love more than a doomed love story!:heart: If they could make 300 for $60M, then there is no reason they couldn't make the Surfer film for about the same kind of money. No stars, just a good film. Now Wolverine will be a bigger hit than any other X-men movie, simply because it will cost around $60M as well to make. It should do at least $150M-$160M domestic.....if it's good.

 

[Bishop2]

I'm sure many of you have seen this already...

the "Shortpacked!" comic titled "There's no redeeming the concept."

This was made based on the TRAILERS, mind you. Before the movie came out. David Willis, the artist, said that he felt obligated, as a comic book fan, to see the movie... yet he felt that a silver naked dude on a surfboard really couldn't work outside of comic books.

When he saw it, he later said that "They pulled it off as well as they probably could, but... still" and left it at that.

I have to wonder: If this is what a guy who actually read and is familiar with the comics thought, how do you think MAINSTREAM AUDIENCES felt? Did they look at this and see "Naked silver guy on a surfboard - that's completely ridiculous" and write it off?

 

[Kelly]

I'm sure many of you have seen this already...

the "Shortpacked!" comic titled "There's no redeeming the concept."

This was made based on the TRAILERS, mind you. Before the movie came out. David Willis, the artist, said that he felt obligated, as a comic book fan, to see the movie... yet he felt that a silver naked dude on a surfboard really couldn't work outside of comic books.

When he saw it, he later said that "They pulled it off as well as they probably could, but... still" and left it at that.

I have to wonder: If this is what a guy who actually read and is familiar with the comics thought, how do you think MAINSTREAM AUDIENCES felt? Did they look at this and see "Naked silver guy on a surfboard - that's completely ridiculous" and write it off?

As far as my family is concerned, yeah, thats exactly their view......I WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE THIS ONE.....All enjoyed the first one, and some loved it.......but not this one....and that could be their sentiments exactly.

 

[GL's Light]

August sucks usually.

All of August used to suck, but the heightened summer box office has now extended into the first two weeks.

 

[chaseter]

^^Maybe it was because his silver package was clearly visible in the tunnel chase.

 

[Kelly]

All of August used to suck, but the heightened summer box office has now extended into the first two weeks.

In the state of Texas, can't speak for other states....the summer has been extended until the end of August......whereas we were starting school in some areas as early as the 2nd Monday in August....that will help in this area....but then again, the first FF movie, and this one both have done well in the Houston area......it is still on quite a few screens for this weekend......


Just checked the theatres nearest me...still has it on 3 screens, and the other has it on 4 screens, both are Cinemark theatres....on average alittle further most have it on at least 2 screens...

 

[Malus]

The big difference is that Daredevil made enough that an Elektra film produced for relatively cheap might have been profitable. There's no way in hell a Surfer movie could be cheap. Silver dude flies through space, possibly see his origin on an alien world... yeah, this is gonna be costly.

If they follow the comics...
Then the Surfer would be marooned here on Earth as he was in every subsequent Lee/Kirby story and for the entire run of his first series by Stan Lee & Jogn Buscema. He was bound to Earth for over 20 years of continuity and there were a good number of interesting Surfer stories in that time. The Surfer was a sociological "fish out of water" during that period, and the stories often revolved around his seeing our society through a true outsider's eyes. There was some good stuff, really.

I'm all for a "prequel" showing his life on Zen-La and how he became the Surfer, or for cosmic adventures taking place after FF2, but yeah, I think that would cost a LOT of money and I don't think the box office potential is that certain.

So I'm betting Fox will play it safe and give us a terrestrial Surfer spin-off.
Which, as the dozens of Lee/Kirby & Lee/Buscema stories showed already, does not have to be a bad thing.

It doesn't have to be another Elektra.
All that's needed is a good story, a good director and for Fox to let qualified people do their damn jobs.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Avi @ Arad Productions already said they're doing a Surfer origin film.

 

[Malus]

Avi @ Arad Productions already said they're doing a Surfer origin film.

Well here's hoping they get it right.

I thought Arad was gone..?

 

[Bishop2]

Well here's hoping they get it right.

I thought Arad was gone..?

He left Marvel Studios. He runs his own Arad Productions now, though, which are still doing some Marvel films, so this could be possible.

Where did he say that?

 

[FCEEVIPER]

That comic strip is funny.

^That Surfer movie will be a hard pill to swallow for the GA. I feel.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

August sucks usually but it would have been better than this overcrowded Summer. The thing is they have to position it so they can release the DVD at a good time and they also have to factor in toy sales which generally sell better around a movies release as well as the higher amount of toy sales May-July. Just the way it is. One offsets the other.

I thought Toy sales were highest around the holidays? or at least thats what they used to tell me when I was a clerk at Toys r Us

 

[Malus]

That comic strip is funny.

^That Surfer movie will be a hard pill to swallow for the GA. I feel.

It is funny.
And I have to agree, maybe as a comics reader I couldn't see this from the general public's point of view.

Dang, maybe he should have had the little Speedo like he had in the comics for a while.

 

[Iron Man's Dad]

If they do Surfer as a spin-off, they will once again be met with Elektra results. Bad idea.

Not sure why FOX is keen on doing all of these spin-offs, but there really is no demand for them. No one REALLY wants to see a Wolverine or Magneto film. No one wanted an Elektra film either. The solo comic series for some of these characters are a good indication of interest (or lack of) as well. Yet they keep pushing these subpar movies out, getting poor reviews and sales anyway. What's wrong with them???

They screwed the pooch with this franchise though--it really could've been their new Star Warslike franchise. But there is still hope--IF they take what has happened seriously and start making good decisions. I think the WOM on this sequel is good enough to bring audiences back again, but FOX has to stop clutching pennies and just do the damn thing right ALL THE WAY.

I think that statement says it all.

I believe that this is the primary reason that the box-office wasn't better for this movie. With the potential of this story they could have had a great movie instead of a passable one. I would have traded the whole "Doom stealing the Surfer's power" plot for the confrontation with Galactus anyday, that's what I wanted to see when I first heard about this movie. Once the decision was made not to include the Big G, in my opinion, they should have abandoned this whole plot and gone for a different villian.

Do it once and do it right or don't do it at all.

Looking back through the IMDB, Fox hasn't made many good movies since the mid 80's. I don't know what happened during that time but looking at the list it just seems the overall quality went downhill.

My $.02.

IMD

 

[GL's Light]

Tuesday actuals are in, a little better than the earlier estimate:

$ 2,209,632 (- 7.1%) for a total of $ 102,050,188.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

Well at least we've finally hit $100M.

 

[Bishop2]

You know, Fox did a stupid thing when they made the new Die Hard PG-13, because now it's much more likely to cannibalize the potential earnings of RotSS this weekend.

 

[Excel]

You know, Fox did a stupid thing when they made the new Die Hard PG-13, because now it's much more likely to cannibalize the potential earnings of RotSS this weekend.

its the same studio. they dont give a damn. at this point i am sure they have accepted ffs dissappointment and are now focusing on die hard which poeple seem to actually REALLLLY REALLLLLLY like.

 

[Bishop2]

its the same studio. they dont give a damn. at this point i am sure they have accepted ffs dissappointment and are now focusing on die hard which poeple seem to actually REALLLLY REALLLLLLY like.

Same studio, but not the same producers. Some people are getting screwed. Including one of their franchises, the one that's far more likely to have a potential future.

 

[FCEEVIPER]

its the same studio. they dont give a damn. at this point i am sure they have accepted ffs dissappointment and are now focusing on die hard which poeple seem to actually REALLLLY REALLLLLLY like.

It looks like that's the way the ball is bouncing for the studio.

Die Hard does look promising though.