Superman Returns There's trouble in River City friends with SR's poor BO and so-so DVD sales

[Ita-KalEl]

LOL
A negative SR from LexLives, wat a novelty!
Dear lexLives/Educator, the numbers are not extraordinary but they are GOOD.
"So and So" only in your mind.
SR sold more than 5m of dvds in the US in less than a mounth. It is the #1 movie in the new formats. If you add the Ultimate Collection Numbers it outgrossed X-Men: The Last Stand. Overseas it sold more than BB and X-Men:TLS.
The president of the Warner Home video said that he'shappy with the result, escpecially of the ultimate box set.

And...Superman Returns is finally profitable. Every single t-shirt- dvd or toy that they are selling, it's generating profit. A good profit, dear LexLives, because SR will continue to sell in the next mounths. A the end of its run, SR will be more profitable than Batman Begins.

 

[AgentPat]

...Fox is right now trying to lure Singer away for the new X-Men prequel trilogy...

Wait.... "prequel" trilogy? What? Really?

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Wait.... "prequel" trilogy? What? Really?

No he's mistaken, they tried to get him back for X4

 

[FlawlessVictory]

Wait.... "prequel" trilogy? What? Really?

I'm still trying to figure this one out:

I work in a building with 6.000 people. The posters for FF 2 and Spidey 3 and the screensavers are up eveerywhere in cubicles. If you think that is not a powerful advertisement - and these are the folks who post of genre message boards - you have another thing coming.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Is there a link to these DVD sales figures ?

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Please stop starting threads like this, you are making other people, like myself, with legit gripes about the movie and observations about it's boxoffice and DVD sales look bad.

The movie wasn't a bomb and it wasn't a raving success, haven't people ever heard of the middle ground? Seesh. I know this is a nerd website and people get heated and just ignore the facts in favor of their feelings but thats a very dumb thing to do, because no matter how much you loved or hated the film, accroding to Warner Brothers, a second one is around the corner with the same director, a lower budget and I assume the studios foot is going to be on the directors neck to deliver a *coughbettercough* more exciting picture.

The End.

P.S.

Okay haters we get it! you hate people for going to see what they want to see. You hate those dumb ole Spider-Man and Pirate movies for stealing your favorite movie's boxoffice. People are dumb and icky for wanting to be entertained. For Shame American public! FOR SHAME!

 

[Showtime]

The movie wasn't a bomb and it wasn't a raving success, haven't people ever heard of the middle ground? Seesh. I know this is a nerd website and people get heated and just ignore the facts in favor of their feelings but thats a very dumb thing to do, because no matter how much you loved or hated the film, accroding to Warner Brothers, a second one is around the corner with the same director, a lower budget and I assume the studios foot is going to be on the directors neck to deliver a *coughbettercough* more exciting picture.

I could kiss you...:heart:

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I could kiss you...:heart:

Well...it's the truth. I'm so faraway from being a fan of SR but I don't agree with lying and telling half truths to prove a point. Fact is I understand the fans of SR's position. You liked/loved the film, wanted a sequel and now you're going to get one. I won't be seeing it in theaters but I'm just one very disappointed person. I'm not delusional enough to believe that my opinion of the film will somehow prompt WB to say "A 22 year old girl in Ohio didn't like our movie! Time to fire Singer and restart the franchise." Honestly people on these boards bulid themselves up way too much.

 

[Brainiac 2009]

The numbers are out and, as some of us predicted, SR did just so-so in DVD sales. Coming no where near BB's almost 7 million units sold. Less than X3 and in 16th place for the year - I predicted 16, 17 or 18. Not tooting my horn (like I would never do that) - but it was obvious this film did not appeal to audiences and would not do robust DVD numbers.

The BO was a bigger disappointment to be sure. So too sales of the video game and toys.

To be honest, is this the foundation that makes for a successful sequel? Successful as in the BO which is all that matters to WB.

Cause, if a Singer sequel goes forward and does just so-so - even slightly better than SR - this franchise is dead for good.

Is that a risk you want to take? Do you have "faith in Singer"? Do you want more screen time for the kid? Maybe superpowers as has been rumored? Or do you want a Kal-centric film - is it so "out there" to want that? And am I a "hater" for wanting a film about Supes - and not Jason?!

You all need to think hard about this. I have. The Singer continuity with its total mis-characterization of Superman - the kid is just a symptom of a much bigger problem - is a failed concept that will, I guarantee you, fail in a sequel too.

Then where will we fans be? Up the creek - for good. The title of this thread is a "take off", but the seriousness of the matter can no longer be denied. Audiences did not embrace SR, no matter the format.

To put it bluntly - the SR "team" from Singer to the writers to the actors and the PR folks failed to deliver. Why would WB, or any studio for that matter, bring them back for a redux? Would you if it were your life savings you were betting on this riverboat gamble - which is, at best, what a sequel would be?

Its crunch time folks. Your choice a final Singer produced Superman film in 3 years and nada for 2 or 3 decades after or a halt to the Singer continuity and, in 6 or 7 years a re-boot. With a chance of 3 films - cause ain't no way Singer is gonna get a third film. Routh was prophetic on that at the DVD launch - he said he always wanted to make two films as Superman. A Freudian slip? Maybe, but who really knows - this project has been star-crosssed from day one.

I have created a blog in an attempt to do something about this. Will post a link if enough are interested.

Heres a book that may help you:

 

[Showtime]

Well...it's the truth. I'm so faraway from being a fan of SR but I don't agree with lying and telling half truths to prove a point. Fact is I understand the fans of SR's position. You liked/loved the film, wanted a sequel and now you're going to get one. I won't be seeing it in theaters but I'm just one very disappointed person. I'm not delusional enough to believe that my opinion of the film will somehow prompt WB to say "A 22 year old girl in Ohio didn't like our movie! Time to fire Singer and restart the franchise." Honestly people on these boards bulid themselves up way too much.

Very impressed by your outlook. I feel the same way.

 

[X Knight]

great post I SEE SPIDEY. very reasonable outlook.......

While I was certainly disappointed with SR, I've decided not to fret about it anymore. Instead, I'll just view it as another Elseworld / What If take on the character, which essentially a comic book movie is. It's just one that I don't really care for; therefore, I'm not that enthusiastic for any sequels.

But, that's ok, there are still plenty of other mediums through which I can enjoy the character ( comics, Lois and Clark, Smallville, Animated Series, etc. ).

As long as they don't try to write the events of SR into the official comic canon, I'll be fine...........I'll survive.........my advanced, super human, mega nifty healing factor will take care of everything....

And, who knows, maybe, in time, my interest in Superman will wane, and I will once again embrace the darkness.....and the mantle of the BAT!

 

[GreenKToo]

i'm gonna wait and see what kinda info we get on the sequel first, before I decide if I like the direction its going..To me, it hinges on wheather or not they lighten the suit colors up some, a brighter feel to the film overall, and who the supervillian is.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey there!

Please stop starting threads like this, you are making other people, like myself, with legit gripes about the movie and observations about it's boxoffice and DVD sales look bad.

The poor box office and poor dvd sales vindicate and reinforce gripes.

So when the apologists say "Well thats just your opinion" I can say, well looking at the box office (and now the dvd sales) its the opinion of a lot of people.

The movie wasn't a bomb and it wasn't a raving success, haven't people ever heard of the middle ground? Seesh.

The movie did not turn a profit from the box office - therefore it was a bomb. You might call it a moderate bomb, but a bomb is a bomb.

Just accept it and lets move on.

I know this is a nerd website and people get heated and just ignore the facts in favor of their feelings but thats a very dumb thing to do, because no matter how much you loved or hated the film, accroding to Warner Brothers, a second one is around the corner with the same director,

Thats Warner Bros. official stance but with the poor dvd sales on top of the already terrible box office figures you never know what the future might bring.

a lower budget

Thanks to Singer's incompetence, even if he gets ditched the budget for the next movie will be limited.

and I assume the studios foot is going to be on the directors neck to deliver a *coughbettercough* more exciting picture.

Of course, even Warner can't be stupid enough to make the same mistakes twice...can they?

Okay haters we get it! you hate people for going to see what they want to see. You hate those dumb ole Spider-Man and Pirate movies for stealing your favorite movie's boxoffice. People are dumb and icky for wanting to be entertained. For Shame American public! FOR SHAME!

I think this paragraph has haters and apologists confused.

 

[Freddy_Krueger]

Hey there!



The poor box office and poor dvd sales vindicate and reinforce gripes.

If SR's DVD sales are poor, then Batman Begins' must have been pretty bad as well. Hey, maybe they'll cancel The Dark Knight now!

The numbers were strong. They weren't spectacular, they're weren't abysmal, they were strong. How anyone can say that $100 million sans the Ultimate Set or the rentals is bad, I'll never understand.

 

[Kid_Kaos]

If SR's DVD sales are poor, then Batman Begins' must have been pretty bad as well. Hey, maybe they'll cancel The Dark Knight now!

The numbers were strong. They weren't spectacular, they're weren't abysmal, they were strong. How anyone can say that $100 million sans the Ultimate Set or the rentals is bad, I'll never understand.

It's SUPERMAN! You can't compare Batman with him, if anyone, you can take Spider-Man because of his success over the last years. (If it will last is another question.)
And Superman has still the bigger marketing name. He's like Micky Mouse or Microsoft. BO numbers like that are disappointing on every level to say the least.
Batman, X-Men, Fantastic Four or any other comic heroes were never and will never be in that league => lesser expectations from the studios

Batman Begins only made profit because of it's lower budget and it appealed to many people, especially after the DVD hit. It's a well done story and revived the terrible franchise it once was burried in.

So what about Superman 3+4? =>
Superman was allways a big hit on tv and, even after the terrible S4 movie, did big numbers (whether in ratings or dvd sales) with 2 more tv shows anyone not living under a rock saw at least once. The public wants Superman, they just don't like Singer's take on him.

Singer choose the part of the Superman franchise that was the least appealing one instead of making an update and present the characters like the tv shows already did. It's stupid marketing to just ignore what people know now and watch(ed) every week on tv. And for the billionst time: Clark IS better as main character, with Superman being just a public symbol. It allows for better writing and more depth, period. Alienating Superman to a level like Donner or Singer did is just plain wrong. The comics failed with it after MARVEL hit the stands with their characters and the movies failed with it because there was nothing left to tell other than have Superman doing "super" things. And they couldn't or wouldn't deliver that, given the time and level of FX. Superman 3 would've needed to have more superheros or alien villains in it to keep it interesting. Clark has no meaning in those movies, they tried it in S3 but didn't know how to handle it right.

Pre-Crisis is dead. Superman needs a makeover like the last 2 tv shows successfully did it. Going back in time and doing outdated takes on the character serves nobody.

 

[LL2K2]

The movie did not turn a profit from the box office - therefore it was a bomb. You might call it a moderate bomb, but a bomb is a bomb.

I don't think so. It was disappointing, but nowhere near a bomb. If the film, with an OFFICIAL budget of $209 million (source: Hollywood Reporter interview with Alan Horn), had made only $100 million domestically, that would be a bomb.

Poseidon, which cost a reported $160 million and made only $60 million domestically, was a bomb. Superman Returns, which cost $209 million and made $200 million here, is disappointing, but not a bomb.

 

[Freddy_Krueger]

It's SUPERMAN! You can't compare Batman with him, if anyone, you can take Spider-Man because of his success over the last years. (If it will last is another question.)
And Superman has still the bigger marketing name. He's like Micky Mouse or Microsoft. BO numbers like that are disappointing on every level to say the least.
Batman, X-Men, Fantastic Four or any other comic heroes were never and will never be in that league => lesser expectations from the studios

You're kidding, right? Batman is one of the most popular comic book heroes of all time. He's DC's number two character. A comparison between Batman and Superman is way more apt than a comparison between Superman and the Fantastic Four.

 

[lexlives]

Hey there!



The poor box office and poor dvd sales vindicate and reinforce gripes.

So when the apologists say "Well thats just your opinion" I can say, well looking at the box office (and now the dvd sales) its the opinion of a lot of people.



The movie did not turn a profit from the box office - therefore it was a bomb. You might call it a moderate bomb, but a bomb is a bomb.

Just accept it and lets move on.



Thats Warner Bros. official stance but with the poor dvd sales on top of the already terrible box office figures you never know what the future might bring.



Thanks to Singer's incompetence, even if he gets ditched the budget for the next movie will be limited.



Of course, even Warner can't be stupid enough to make the same mistakes twice...can they?



I think this paragraph has haters and apologists confused.

I agree about the official stance of WB - with the DVD sales poor as you commented (I'd call them so-so as in neither good nor bad but in the middle) and during a huge year for DVD purchases we don't know how this will end. The Singer/WB "dance" will be interesting to watch over the next several months. I think we will know by ShoWest in mid-March if Singer will or will not get another chance.

 

[lexlives]

Wait.... "prequel" trilogy? What? Really?

The new X-Men series will be a prequel. Sort of starting from the origin.

Some are calling it X4, but it is not a follow-up to X3.

One reason they are doing this is the actors have gotten so expensive if they had continued from 3 to 4.

So the new prequel series which FOX hopes will be a tilogy won't feature Hugh Jackman as Wolverine or some of the other big-name and very expensive stars from X3.

New actors and some new X-Men characters.

That will lower cast cost a lot and allow the budget increase for "X4" to go to FX and not salaries. X3 was budgeted at 210 million so look for a nice jump for the first prequel as X3 was a huge success.

With Jackman going off into a potential string of Wolverine films it could well be we won't see a Wolverine character in the new prequel trilogy as they could well be putting out films in both these franchises concurrently over perhaps the next decade.

FOX is trying to lure Singer back to the new trology. Lots of money - much larger budget than an SR squel and not the stress factor. Singer will be under the gun for several years if they go ahead with an SR sequel and frankly why anyone would want to put themselves in that pressure cooker is beyond me.

I would not be surprised to wake up one morning in the next few months and learn that Singer has decided to go back to the X-Men.

 

[Maze]

very interesting scoop on the Xmen

Can you give us a link or two which contadict Halle Berry speech pleading for an X4 at people choice awards?

there is no definite plan for an X4 yet.

stop spreading lies.

 

[Maze]

Please stop starting threads like this, you are making other people, like myself, with legit gripes about the movie and observations about it's boxoffice and DVD sales look bad.

The movie wasn't a bomb and it wasn't a raving success, haven't people ever heard of the middle ground? Seesh. I know this is a nerd website and people get heated and just ignore the facts in favor of their feelings but thats a very dumb thing to do, because no matter how much you loved or hated the film, accroding to Warner Brothers, a second one is around the corner with the same director, a lower budget and I assume the studios foot is going to be on the directors neck to deliver a *coughbettercough* more exciting picture.

The End.

P.S.

Okay haters we get it! you hate people for going to see what they want to see. You hate those dumb ole Spider-Man and Pirate movies for stealing your favorite movie's boxoffice. People are dumb and icky for wanting to be entertained. For Shame American public! FOR SHAME!

And lady , what a post

if more people could be as objective ..

 

[Hunter Rider]

very interesting scoop on the Xmen

Can you give us a link or two which contadict Halle Berry speech pleading for an X4 at people choice awards?

Halle said that ? i thought they were all done with it

 

[Maze]

Halle said that ? i thought they were all done with it

That's what i believed too ..

“Thank you to you. I had no idea you guys loved Storm so much! Wow, thank you, thank you. And I want to thank Tom Rothman for allowing me to play Storm, and Brett Ratner for allowing Storm to finally use her cape and fly this year.

But I have something to ask you guys…you guys really love X-Men? Ok, here’s what you have to do. Write letters…if every one of you in this building who love X-Men and want to see X-Men 4, write a letter to Tom Rothman at Fox, and tell him so. And you will get another one, and I’ll be there too.”

 

[lexlives]

Halle said that ? i thought they were all done with it

Jackman certainly is - he will carry on alone as Wolverine. Probably for 2009 as he won't be available to start shooting Wolverine till 2008.

 

[Maze]

link about the show:

http://fadedyouth.blogspot.com/2007/01/33rd-annual-peoples-choice_116840575388472761.html