Black Adam

[jye4ever]

Very true. 99.9% of people outside the industry have ZERO idea how the revenue stream works.

The (basic) rule of thumb is you need to make 3 times your budget to break even. As Jye mentioned, P&A (print and advertising) is insane on these tentpole films, and the distributors DON"T own the theaters, so they (the theaters) have to take their cut - and only once the P&A is covered does the distributors/production see anything.

You could make a $1M film that got picked up by a major distributor, then they decide to spend another 30M on P&A, suddenly your film actually costs $31M. Thems, the harsh facts and the reason 99% of films DON'T make their money back - and the other reason why we don't have anything original anymore because the studios are so risk-adverse because they're all corporation driven without heads of studios having the ability to green light anything with board approval.

So if this thing has a genuine budget of $195, you're talking about nearly 600M before they can start dancing the jig.

Umm

There it is lol

 

[Mandible]

Well no ****... I work in a different industry. Captain Obvious here...

That wasn't a personal attack at you? I didn't quote you?

I just wanted to give people the (sad) reality of how this god-awful industry works, because everyone thinks it's sunshine and rainbows.

It ain't. It's full of some of the lowest forms of human existence that ruin everything because of egos, greed, agenda, or soulless corporate metrics.

"Most" of the creatives are amazing, inspiring, people, but the money people are human detritus

Not that I'm jaded or anything

 

[jye4ever]

Well no ****... I work in a different industry. Captain Obvious here...

No need to be offended didn’t seem like he attacked anyone he was just making a general statement, deep breath lol

 

[Hoody999]

Very true. 99.9% of people outside the industry have ZERO idea how the revenue stream works.

The (basic) rule of thumb is you need to make 3 times your budget to break even. As Jye mentioned, P&A (print and advertising) is insane on these tentpole films, and the distributors DON"T own the theaters, so they (the theaters) have to take their cut - and only once the P&A is covered does the distributors/production see anything.

You could make a $1M film that got picked up by a major distributor, then they decide to spend another 30M on P&A, suddenly your film actually costs $31M. Thems, the harsh facts and the reason 99% of films DON'T make their money back - and the other reason why we don't have anything original anymore because the studios are so risk-adverse because they're all corporation driven without heads of studios having the ability to green light anything without board approval.

So if this thing has a genuine budget of $195, you're talking about nearly 600M before they can start dancing the jig.

They need to use less conventional P&A and go more to social media to reduce those inflated costs. Social costs next to nothing, so I imagine those old rules of thumb are quickly becoming outdated.

Snyder used it to great effect doing it all himself with no help at all from WB for ZSJL.

 

[Mandible]

They need to use less conventional P&A and go more to social media to reduce those inflated costs. Social costs next to nothing, so I imagine those old rules of thumb are quickly becoming outdated.

Snyder used it to great effect doing it all himself with no help at all from WB for ZSJL.

Good point, but the distribution companies actually don't want to reduce their costs because that's where they hide all their inflated BS.

They tell you they spent 30M on P&A, produce a heap of papers with numbers on them to "prove it" and therefore you never see any backend residuals because you're constantly "in debt" to them. Hence why you see some people suing them; Peter Jackson had to take New Line over the Lord of the Rings, the investors had to take Village Roadshow over The Matrix.

People know they'll never see any backend and that's why they take such ridiculous pay cheques up front. You'd be surprised - even some of the biggest names have been shafted by these vultures. But most people shut their mouth and take it, because what are they going to do? Audit them? Nope. Too expensive, and they'll drag you into the ground for years (and potentially bankruptcy). They also know if you kick yup a fuss, you'll never get another gig again.

That's why the days of movies stars and name directors are dying. Everyone is just becoming a cog in the machine. And again, why their is zero originality, because there are no more auteurs with original voices.

There's a great video of Lucas and Redford talking at Sundance on Youtube about the realities of the industry.

 

[Hoody999]

Good point, but the distribution companies actually don't want to reduce their costs because that's where they hide all their inflated BS.

They tell you they spent 30M on P&A, produce a heap of papers with numbers on them to "prove it" and therefore you never see any backend residuals because you're constantly "in debt" to them. Hence why you see some people suing them; Peter Jackson had to take New Line over the Lord of the Rings, the investors had to take Village Roadshow over The Matrix.

People know they'll never see any backend and that's why they take such ridiculous pay cheques up front. You'd be surprised - even some of the biggest names have been shafted by these vultures. But most people shut their mouth and take it, because what are they going to do? Audit them? Nope. Too expensive, and they'll drag you into the ground for years (and potentially bankruptcy). They also know if you kick yup a fuss, you'll never get another gig again.

That's why the days of movies stars and name directors are dying. Everyone is just becoming a cog in the machine. And again, why their is zero originality, because there are no more auteurs with original voices.

There's a great video of Lucas and Redford talking at Sundance on Youtube about the realities of the industry.

Nice insight. And sad how money and greed of the few ruins the enjoyment of an age old form of entertainment for the many.

 

[TheBatman]

That wasn't a personal attack at you? I didn't quote you?

I just wanted to give people the (sad) reality of how this god-awful industry works, because everyone thinks it's sunshine and rainbows.

It ain't. It's full of some of the lowest forms of human existence that ruin everything because of egos, greed, agenda, or soulless corporate metrics.

"Most" of the creatives are amazing, inspiring, people, but the money people are human detritus

Not that I'm jaded or anything

So this movie is not even close to breaking even I take it.

 

[TheBatman]

No need to be offended didn’t seem like he attacked anyone he was just making a general statement, deep breath lol

My bad. Too much whiskey.

 

[Dave_W]

From the man himself...

Spoiler

[\SPOILER]

 

[Wor-Gar]

I was thinking back to all the great action movies of the past, and wondering if we'll even have "action" movies again that are not MCU/DCEU related or with "super" people in them?

 

[abake]

Well, we've had a good run with John Wick, and then Top Gun: Maverick...

 

[Mandible]

I was thinking back to all the great action movies of the past, and wondering if we'll even have "action" movies again that are not MCU/DCEU related or with "super" people in them?

Doubt it. Too much "toxic masculinity."

The only action ones being made now are fringe "low" budget things with old has-beens and Asian films. And most of the Asian ones are all overly choreographed fighting, not like the old John Woo that also has guns and were more vicious.

It's funny abake mentioned John Wick (one of the few that somehow slip through the cracks), because a friend and I were trying to remember the most recent successful (new IP) franchise, and we both thought that was probably it. A bit sad, because the first was nearly 10 years ago

 

[TheBatman]

You guys didnt like Nobody (2021) ?

 

[TheBatman]

Liam Neeson also doing a lot of action thrillers.

 

[Mandible]

You guys didnt like Nobody (2021) ?

Forgot about that one - that was a cracker. Hopefully it turns into a franchise. Budget was only 15-16 and it did somewhere around 60, so fingers crossed.

The Liam Neeson ones are getting bit thin though.

 

[davejames]

Yeah I loved the first Taken and Non-Stop, but not sure if any of his others are worth checking out.

 

[TheBatman]

They were more of the same. I thought they were worth a watch.

Its not bad like Nicholas Cage's action movies.

 

[Wor-Gar]

How old is Taken now...14 years? That's what I'm saying, got to go way back just to come up with a few. Pale repeats don't count.

Other than John Wick, we have... MCU/DCEU as our "movie heroes"...? Yuck!

 

[TheBatman]

Bring on Avatar 2

 

[Wor-Gar]

Sadly, it will be immensely refreshing after 3+ Marvel movies every summer for the last decade.