The END of the DC movie franchaises may be upon us...

[Addendum]

That's why I'm glad I don't go along with everyone else.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Nolan will continue with Batman.

But I doubt WB would take chances on lesser heroes if Superman doesnt sell.

And about Goyer and Whedon, it wouldnt be the first time WB threw out scripts in production.

Look at how many scripts were scrapped for Superman over the past decade and longer.

True about the scripts, but Goyer and Whedon and Nolan all seem like the passionate type. They are willing to stay close to the characters and mythos and hold back their own vision (most of which syncs up pretty nicely with the character anyway).

Plus i think DC should take the chance on lesser heroes. Characters like Question and Jonah Hex and other non-convential superhero properties could do very well in the market. I feel that is why Blade did so well (better than expected anyway).

 

[ShadowBoxing]

They'll make the movies if they think they have a solid script to sell. If Batman and Robin couldn't end the Batman franchise for good (let alone the superhero franchise), then a quality albeit a bit lacking film like Superman won't end these other films.

 

[Kane]

True about the scripts, but Goyer and Whedon and Nolan all seem like the passionate type. They are willing to stay close to the characters and mythos and hold back their own vision (most of which syncs up pretty nicely with the character anyway).

Whedon is removing the star spangled panties and making up his own villian. I think he may be doing a Smallville-like updated take on WW. His script was already rejected by WB once and send back for revisions.

Plus i think DC should take the chance on lesser heroes. Characters like Question and Jonah Hex and other non-convential superhero properties could do very well in the market. I feel that is why Blade did so well (better than expected anyway).

I wish WB would, but realistically.... I dont see it happening. All they care about is their precious money.

 

[dave_peeps]

I think Flash and Wonder Woman will get greenlit eventually regardless of how SR does at the box office. Green Lantern is another story. G.L. would require a large budget to be done right. Lot special effects. I dont think we will see the Emerald Knight onscreen anytime soon. SR looked great.......the story was horrible.

 

[IAmHe9]

Dude, don't worry about it. Superman Returns made 32 million in its first three days, plus 52 million as of now. That's about 84 million. By the end of July 4th, the film will probably be into the 100s. Didn't the film cost 185 million to make? If the movie does gross 100 million by July 4th, that'll already be more than halfway to a profit. Consider the good reviews it's getting, and the fact that it'll probably do well in the DVD market, and I'm sure that when all is said and done, a month or two after the DVD is released (sometime in September) that the film will have made a profit. I hope.

 

[BrianWilly]

Wow, don't you all think you're overreacting a bit? "The end of the DC movie franchises?" Way to be overdramatic.

Superman isn't a financial disappointment at all; it's performing quite solidly. It already beat Batman's first weekend numbers. It didn't beat Spider-Man 2, but considering that Spider-Man 2 set the bar impossibly high, that's hardly saying much. Was it estimated to perform better? Perhaps. But it's not as if the movie's flopped or performing abysmally or something, geez.

 

[Ben Breeck]

Whedon is removing the star spangled panties and making up his own villian. I think he may be doing a Smallville-like updated take on WW. His script was already rejected by WB once and send back for revisions.

If the star spangled panties go, they had better not be replaced with something that makes her look like Xena.

And as for her villains, she has everything from Greek monsters and gods, to unscrupulous corporate executives, to a lady who combines the looks and backstory of Sheena Queen of the Jungle with the worst personality traits of Idi Amin Dada and Mobutu Sese Seko, to Neo-Nazis. If Joss can't find a character worth a butt-kicking among them, he's nowhere near as smart as I thought he was.

I mean, it's not as if Joss is working with Pantha, Vixen, or Drumroll.

 

[Kane]

Wow, don't you all think you're overreacting a bit? "The end of the DC movie franchises?" Way to be overdramatic.

Superman isn't a financial disappointment at all; it's performing quite solidly. It already beat Batman's first weekend numbers. It didn't beat Spider-Man 2, but considering that Spider-Man 2 set the bar impossibly high, that's hardly saying much. Was it estimated to perform better? Perhaps. But it's not as if the movie's flopped or performing abysmally or something, geez.

No trust me.

Its in the realm of possibilities and I never said it would be definative that SR would bomb. Im just thinking about the possibility of it.

Like Perry White said............"Always be prepared"

Superman is Dead. Superman Lives.

 

[Kane]

Personally I want it to soar high. I loved the film.... but sadly today's audience prefers cartoony crap like Fantastic Four than mature films with dignity.

 

[IAmHe9]

Superman is far outperforming F4.

 

[zer00]

Superman Returns a finnancial disaster? Hardly, it's still performing solid. The date change might have hurt it more than helped actually. How many times I got people confused seeing things that said 30th then 28th. It's already picked up.

It's not the movies. It the regular audiences these days. Put it to you like this, King Kong does poorly at the BO(it didn't bomb, just poorly) Date Movie makes a **** load of money while everyone was dumping on it. What does that tell you? Regardless of SR being the best comic film I have ever personally seen. I'm sorry if it didn't make a billion dollars in 2 days. But in this day and age you can't tell. Regardless of getting excellent reviews or being hyped. It's the audiences that will probably wait for the DVD.

I write that while praying Whedon's WW movie never makes it off the ground fyi

 

[Kane]

Ya I prefer quality over box office gross....and the film was quality

But it all depends how WB sees it I guess.

 

[Denny67]

Dude, don't worry about it. Superman Returns made 32 million in its first three days, plus 52 million as of now. That's about 84 million. By the end of July 4th, the film will probably be into the 100s. Didn't the film cost 185 million to make? If the movie does gross 100 million by July 4th, that'll already be more than halfway to a profit. Consider the good reviews it's getting, and the fact that it'll probably do well in the DVD market, and I'm sure that when all is said and done, a month or two after the DVD is released (sometime in September) that the film will have made a profit. I hope.

I was bale to find this oneline:

According to The Numbers.com, Bryan Singer was quoted as saying the budget for Superman Returns was $250 million in late 2004. He has since denied that figure.Pamela McClintock writes in Variety, Warner Bros. has unofficially put the budget at $184 million, "factoring in tax breaks offered in Australia." She further points out that without the Australian tax break of 12%, the budget would be "easily north of $200 million".

Just so everyone is on the same page.

 

[thedarks0ldier]

Maybe DC should realese movies sooner. like around May

 

[LostSon88]

bump

 

[CConn]

I was bale to find this oneline:



Just so everyone is on the same page.

That makes me feel a little bit better. I'm still confident SR will reach my predicted box office of $250 million, and with a budget of $184 mil, that should be plenty to warrent a sequel.

Happy smiley for CConn!

 

[boywonder13]

THe sequel to Batman Begins has the poetnetial to really do better than Spider-Man 2 business.......

We also have Whendon's Wonder Woman and other DC proejcts due out in '08, 09 or 10 or after this decade. DC has so many more chartacters to make movies out of and they wont stop if one does bad.

 

[Kane]

They would if Superman fails, hes the biggest...next to Bats.

I dont think WW will do that great either. Female superhero films have proven to sell well.

 

[CConn]

Female superhero films have also been utter crap.

In any case, yeah they would if Superman failed. But while it's opening has been rather mediocre, it hasn't. Not yet, at least.

 

[BrianWilly]

Considering that SR is "the largest five-day opening in Warner history," I highly doubt that they're disappointed. In fact, they outright said that they weren't.

"Any time you can break $100 million in your first week, you're in an elite club," says Dan Fellman, distribution chief for Warner Bros. "People can get carried away with expectations. We're blown away."

Mediocre? Hardly.

 

[Lestat74]

In response to Aethea's post....

I really don't think any deviation from the comics can be a factor in whether a comic book based film is a hit or not, especially when you are talking about really, really minor things like how his costume neckline is in comparison. The only people who care about that kind of stuff is Geekdom....I'm sorry to break it to you. Those several hundred thousand of us are NOTHING in comparison to the millions of average citizens who only know these characters from movies and TV. What does the average person know about Superman? They know the movies...they know Smallville, they know Lois & Clark. I mean, I haven't heard one single person outside of internet geekdom say they aren't seeing the movie because they didn't like the costume neckline. I mean...c'mon now. And Darkseid? Yeah, I love him....but NO ONE outside of geekdom knows who the F**K he is.

And about the movie Deviating from the DC Comics? Sure it does. But every single Superman adaptation has deviated somewhat...it's the nature of the beast. Also, when It comes to comic adaptations, the Tail ALWAYS wags the dog; The comics always pick up what the media adaptations change to the Mythos. When Superman: The Movie came out and hit big, not too many years later DC re-worked Superman to make him more like the movie cuz that's now what everyone knew as Superman ( For example: Krypton became a barren crytaline world, Clark was not Superboy in Smallville, etc. Even the Fan favorite "CEO Of LexCorp" Lex Luthor came about because Marv Wolfman and John Byrne, the guys who re-vamped Superman, liked the Gene Hackman Lex and wondered where a genius like him originally got all that money from. Even know, the changes brought about by Smallville in the Lex/Superman relationship are being reflected by the comics continuity. Like I said...the Tail Wags the Dog. So those of you who have seen Superman Returns should not be at all surprised if she makes a special announcment to Clark very, Very soon.

Now as for Wonder Woman, if Superman really does tank...then all bets are off. I could see Warners cancelling it outright frankly, which really would piss me off as I'm a huge Wonder Woman fan and a Huge Joss Whedon fan. Still, Warner HAS to not have nearly the same expectations for Wonder Woman. She's female character, and they have had notoriously bad luck in this genre. They probably hope it does as well as the first Charlie's Angels and Tomb Raider flicks, which each made around $130 Million or so. So it will have a FAR smaller budget than Batman and Superman, so it will be less of a risk.

If Superman Returns makes at least $200 Million, I think the other DC films will be safe, although they will have reduced budgets. But's it's not the money you spend, it's whatchya do with it. So what are you all waiting for?? Go see Superman again, and tell your friends to do the same...Dammit, I wanna see Wondy and Flash and The Watchmen and Green Lantern! ( Just NO Jack Black please! ) So anyways, that's my opinion.

 

[dpm07]

Considering that SR is "the largest five-day opening in Warner history," I highly doubt that they're disappointed. In fact, they outright said that they weren't.

Mediocre? Hardly.

You do realize they aren't going to come out and say that they're disappointed? This is WB after all. They'll put whatever positive spin control can can.

The movie didn't do well over a 5-Day haul.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/5day.htm

Now with POTC 2 coming out this next week, it is likely to drop even further. This movie was a gamble the way Singer did it, and it's a gamble that's really shown Singer's arrogance and ego, as well as failure to look at other sources than the Donner film.

 

[Lestat74]

"You do realize they aren't going to come out and say that they're disappointed? This is WB after all. They'll put whatever positive spin control can can."

I'm sure they were more than a bit dissapointed with Batman Begins opening weekend last year as well, no matter what they said. But they knew they had a quality film on their hands, so they stood behind it...and everything turned out all right. Hopefully it will be the same with Superman.

 

[BrianWilly]

You do realize they aren't going to come out and say that they're disappointed? This is WB after all. They'll put whatever positive spin control can can.

The movie didn't do well over a 5-Day haul.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/5day.htm

Now with POTC 2 coming out this next week, it is likely to drop even further. This movie was a gamble the way Singer did it, and it's a gamble that's really shown Singer's arrogance and ego, as well as failure to look at other sources than the Donner film.

Gee, you couldn't possibly be biased against the movie or anything, could you?

The movie performed well and is still making a lot of money. It's amongst the best releases that the company has ever had, and it's only the first weekend. Could it have done better? Of course. But to call it a failure is just ridiculous. Look at all the movies that it has outperformed. Batman Begins? Every single Pixar movie other than Finding Nemo? Frikkin' Lord of the Rings?? Were those all failures too?