Dear WB, your supposed 2009 blockbusters continue to fail...

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Both Superman Returns and Terminator: Salvation were $200+ million films, and yet the latter will gross $125-$130 million tops while the former was able to churn out $200 million.

Again at the end of the day, it makes Returns' box-office numbers look better than how many wrote it off back in '06 - especially compared to Salvation (which is increasingly looking to be placed in the "flop" category) and Watchmen.

I'm going to disagree with you that this makes SR's gross look better. Yes, the critics loved SR but it's obvious if you just talk to people that the audience did not for the most part love SR. There are obviously many reasons that a direct sequel will not be forthcoming but I can't help but to believe that the only okay DVD sales and the lack of excitement for the sequel from the big chunk of moviegoers that went "eh" contributed to the fact that we obviously aren't getting a direct sequel.

 

[KalMart]

On the bright side though....it all but forces the next Superman movie to start fresh and finally redefine the franchise for the here and now, and near future to come. You can call it a formula, but it's hard to argue how it benefitted Bond, Trek, and Batman. Despite Superman's pop-culture 'legacy', you could only go so far on veteran credit....especially in such a highly-competitive arena. After all's said and done, I see this as just the kind of 'gut-check' that the Superman movie franchise needed, and could only be clear with a failure like this....not so much a complete failure/flop monetarily, but a 'failure to launch', so to speak. Time for a new rocket.

 

[El Payaso]

I never thought Watchmen would make a huge gross because the story itself isn't exactly accessible to those who aren't already comic fans.

I agree. And I think the same about SR: It was difficult for SR to make huge numbers in 2006 because the movie itself isn't exactly accessible to those who aren't already Donner movies fans.

 

[KalMart]

I agree. And I think the same about SR: It was difficult for SR to make huge numbers in 2006 because the movie itself isn't exactly accessible to those who aren't already Donner movies fans.

Agreed, that was a big part of it. But even though I loved the Donner movie, I didn't necessarily want to see parts of it again in a new movie, so it kinda' hurt it for THIS Donner fan.

 

[stargazer]

I understand your point, but at least it shows that the franchise is still strong enough to deserve another chance. Despite all a Superman movie is a sure bet while a lot of new franchise (GL included) can be a jump into the dark.

You are right when you talk about the TDK's gross, nevertheless some one could think that TDK is a sequel of a movie that made less than SR worldwide.

Exactly.

And people say that BB sold extremely well on dvd but they never show links to prove it.. The numbers don't show how much it sold WHEN it first came out either.. anyone has links of this, please? I'm sure the film has sold a lot more dvds by now thanks in big part to the huge success of TDK, but I'd like to know from way before that.

I agree. And I think the same about SR: It was difficult for SR to make huge numbers in 2006 because the movie itself isn't exactly accessible to those who aren't already Donner movies fans.

I disagree. I know people who weren't exactly Donner movies fans and they liked SR. Sorry, payasito but it's true.

There is nothing wrong with the Donner/Singer universes, people only wanted more action, superfights, new supervillains, imo, and that could have been done in a sequel, but WB are.... yeah.

 

[SuperDaniel]

I never thought Watchmen would make a huge gross because the story itself isn't exactly accessible to those who aren't already comic fans. And especially if it was going to be done 'faithfully', it would also highlight that inaccessibility. As it stands, it probably works better for those who already liked the comic, rather than those who are being introduced to the story for the first time or who are less familiar.....and the latter is very important when it comes to box-office returns. You didn't have to be a comic fan to really enjoy BB/TDK or Iron Man....but I think Watchmen required more inherent appreciation of its source material to really work well.

I agree.

 

[SuperDaniel]

I agree. And I think the same about SR: It was difficult for SR to make huge numbers in 2006 because the movie itself isn't exactly accessible to those who aren't already Donner movies fans.

That's not true. I'm a HUGE fan of Donner's Superman and hated Superman Returns. Lets not get into this again.

SR sucked as a story plain and simple. It wasn't fun. It wasn't original. It added nothing special.

 

[Showtime]

Good to see you guys can't refrain from the same old tired arguments in every thread.