Saturday, October 30, 2010

The End of a Legacy this Halloween

It is Halloween time! And as usual, for movie watchers, it means the release of the latest instalment in the Saw series. While Paranormal Activity 2 had a strong showing last weekend earning $41 million at the US box-office, it is likely to be replaced at the top by the seventh and final movie in the Saw series. Horror movies rarely come in as a solitary package. When the original does well, it usually attains a loyal following that prompts the studios to keep the story running till the series finally dies a slow death. Generally devoid of any big stars, the budgets are kept tight and the return on investments remain healthy. The earliest horror movie series that come to mind are the classics of the 1970s, Exorcist and Omen series.

The Exorcist released in 1973 (and re-released in 2000) is one of the most successful horror movies till date earning $205 million at the US box-office and more than $400 million worldwide on a reported production budget of $12 million. The movie that dealt with the tale of Father Merrin's attempt to free a 12 year old from the clutches of a demon that had possessed her, won 2 Oscars and was nominated in 8 other categories. The film prompted four other sequels/prequels, though none of them have even come close to matching the success of the original. In 1976, Satan emerged again in the form of a child of an American Ambassador (played by Gregory Peck) in another classic, The Omen. The film was a critical and commercial success too and grossed about $50 million in US on a budget of only $2.8 million setting the stage for two more sequels that followed the path of Damien's emergence from childhood to youth and then to adulthood. The original movie that helped the notorious number 666 garner more attention, was remade and released in 2006. To be exact, on 06/06/06.

The 70's also saw the emergence of another low-budget popular franchise aptly titled Halloween. What started off in 1978 on a budget as low as one third of a million, the series subsequently saw the release of ten movies. The film series, started by John Carpenter, follows the tale of Michael Myers as he stalks and kills teenage babysitters on... yes, Halloween night! The original movie had seven sequels with Halloween: Resurrection released in 2002, and finally the series was rebooted and the original was remade and released in 2007. A sequel to the same followed in 2009. The franchise has collected almost $366 million in worldwide earnings on a total budget of $70 million. Quite a way to celebrate Halloween!

The list of long horror movie series does not just end there. A Nightmare on
Elm Street, released first in 1984 (and had Johnny Depp in his first theatrical appearance), has seen seven sequels to the original and subsequently a remake of the original in 2010, thus bringing the total to nine movies for the franchise. The remake remains the highest grosser of the series earning $117 million worldwide, though it had a much higher budget of $35 million, almost 20 times that of the original. Then there is the masked slasher Jason Voorhees, of the Friday the 13th franchise, who quite conveniently kills those that encroach the Camp Crystal Lake. First released in 1980, this franchise has nothing less than twelve movies in its repertoire, with production budgets not being more than $5 million for the first nine and each one providing steady returns. The franchise also saw a restart of the film series in 2009, that earned $92 million worldwide. Other famous spine-tingling series that come to mind are Texas Chain Saw Massacre series with six movies as part of its franchise, and Child's Play that made dolls look bad, with five movies.

While there might be a few more famous horror movies that make Halloween special indeed (not to forget the solitary greats like The Shining and Rosemary's Baby), the Saw series has managed to make its mark emphatically in this segment. Released each year close to Halloween time, Saw started off in 2004 on a production budget of a mere $1.2 million. The tale began with the famous opening scene of two men waking up at the opposite ends of a bathroom, chained to the pipes. Then followed the start of a labyrinth of games and tests, being outlined by the creepy Jigsaw, which kicked off a commercially successful franchise. The first movie grossed $103 million worldwide, its sequel released an year later did better with $153 million. The third movie remains the highest grosser of the franchise at $164 million. The films of the series have been made at low production budgets, not exceeding $11 million, and apart from the sixth movie, the previous five have earned more than $100 million in worldwide revenues. With a combined worldwide gross of $729 million from its six movies, the Saw franchise is easily one of the most successful in its genre! The final movie titled Saw 3D, the first one shot in 3D technology, will mark the end of the franchise and the legacy of Jigsaw. But come next Halloween, it could be the beginning of maybe another horror movie franchise... one never knows... till then... boo! Happy Halloween!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Time to feel the chills with Paranormal Activity 2

While Jackass 3D stole the show last weekend by posting the best weekend figures for an October release at $50 million, it is time for comedy now to take a back seat. Shift from humour to horror, all in a week! This weekend sees the release of a highly anticipated sequel to the 2007 surprise hit Paranormal Activity. The original movie had caused quite a sensation in the industry with its 'raw footage' style of camerawork wherein the creepy happenings in a house are caught by a video camera placed on a tripod. The movie of course invoked memories of the cult classic The Blair Witch Project.

The Blair Witch Project, released in 1999, was presented in the style of a documentary, following the adventure of three students who enter a mysterious forest to search about the local legend of the Blair Witch. The movie is reported to have been made on a production budget of as low as $0.6 million and went on to gross $248 million in worldwide revenues, reporting what could arguably be one of the best return on investments. The Blair Witch Project continues to have a strong following amongst horror-movie lovers till date. A sequel was eminent. But what followed in 2000, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, was a mere gentle breeze compared to the hurricane that the original was. Made on an increased budget of $15 million, the sequel earned only $48 million in worldwide revenues, almost one-fifth of its original.

Ten years since the release of The Blair Witch Project, another movie created a similar stir in the industry. Paranormal Activity was initially released at a Horror Movie Festival in 2007 and subsequently it reached the attention of people at DreamWorks who cut a deal with director, Oren Peli. While there were plans to direct a movie on similar lines with a higher budget, the same was later scrapped and Peli's original film (with some re-editing) was released in September 2009. Reportedly made on a production budget of a mere $15,000 (no use of 'millions', here), the movie earned rave reviews and $197 million worldwide. A mind-boggling return on investment! When you earn so much on such a low cost, it is likely that you are not going to simply sit still and bask in its glory. Sequels become imperative. And so here is Paranormal Activity 2, a movie that will continue to attempt to scare the most lion-hearted of men. The production budget has increased manifold to $3 million. Oren Peli has shifted to the role of producer. But the chills remain the same. If there were any doubts on whether the sequel would collapse like the sequel to The Blair Witch Project did, the same have been kept at bay by a strong response on the opening day. The movie has already collected $20 million on its first day of release, i.e. Friday. While the fall could be steep on account of the Fanboy Effect, the movie should have earned close to $50 million on its opening weekend. Enough to keep the producers happy! And maybe enough to set the stage for another sequel... and another chilling tale about 'ghosts in your closet'...

Saturday, October 16, 2010

The Year for Animation!

The year 2010 has been a great year for animated movies. And Megamind, releasing in the first week of November, could very well keep the run going. The dominance of the animated movies can be very well seen in the fact that, till date 4 animated movies have earned more than $200 million at the US box-office this year (out of a total of 8 movies that have achieved this feat). Compare this with only one movie in 2009 and two movies in 2008, and it is easy to see why animation studios have much to rejoice about. Animated movies have grown in stature and size over years, moving away from a traditional target audience of young adolescents to a more varied audience, comprising of anyone and everyone who enjoys listening to a good story. The so-called 'cartoon' flicks no longer deal on themes that only 5-year olds can relate to, but dwell into emotions felt by people all over the globe. And this year's big animation flicks have done exactly that... they have hit the perfect notes and spoken about camaraderie, love, courage and as always... adventure!

Toy Story 3 was one of the most anticipated films of the year considering the big boots it had to fill. The first movie of the series, Toy Story, released in 1995, had marked the beginning of the partnership between Pixar and Disney. And the response that it had garnered from fans and critics was overwhelming as it made Pixar a household name, earning $362 million worldwide. The sequel that followed four years later matched its predecessor in every aspect, earning $485 million worldwide and cementing Pixar's reputation in the animation industry. So when it came to 2010, people questioned 'How bigger can it get?' The answer was simple. $412 million at the US box-office alone, $1056 million worldwide, the biggest grosser animated movie of all-time... that is how big it has become! The adventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the crew have created a legacy... a legacy that even another Pixar film will find hard to touch. Toy Story 3 will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest animation movies of all-time!

While Toy Story 3 was made on a production budget of $200 million and had the name of Pixar behind it, another animated movie released a month later had little of such affluence to rely on. Made on a meagre production budget of $69 million, Despicable Me was not expected to run long in the theatres. The first film by a relatively new studio, Illumination Entertainment, currently co-owned by Universal Studios, Despicable Me however surprised many as it raced on to become the second-biggest animated movie of the year in the US. A tale of a supervillain and his bonding with three orphan girls, the movie's family-friendly tone brought in the movie-goers in plenty, and collected $247 million at the US box-office. The movie's worldwide collections have been relatively low at $383 million, but considering the low budget of the movie, it has earned enough to make its studio owners run merrily to the bank.

Just like the Toy Story series, the Shrek series has been one of the greatest animation movie series of all-time. Prior to Toy Story 3, it was Shrek 2 that had been the highest worldwide grosser amongst animated movies. The series that had started in 2001 and grown in leaps and bounds with its sequel, took a slight nosedive with the third movie of the series. Shrek Forever After, the fourth Shrek movie, had already been labeled as the final installment of the series. While it earned $238 million at the US box-office, the figures are the lowest amongst the movies in the Shrek series. Though many have suggested that it is time for the green colored ogre to make his exit, the worldwide collection figures however speak otherwise. The movie earned $732 million worldwide, which, despite being lower than Shrek 2 and Shrek The Third, reflects the global following that Shrek continues to enjoy. Shrek and his friends will definitely be missed!

Dreamworks Animation had two reasons to rejoice this year. While Shrek
Forever After brought in good returns to the studio, the joy was doubled with the success of How to Train Your Dragon, both critically and commercially. How to Train Your Dragon was the first of these four animated films to be released in the year and it is now expected to be the one to give Pixar's Toy Story 3 a tough competition at the Oscars. The movie spoke about a young Viking and his friendship with a dragon that changes the course of his life and the decisions that he takes. While the opening of the movie was the weakest amongst the top four animated films of the year, a strong word-of-mouth helped the bucks flow in, and gradually the movie crossed the $200 million mark, earning a total of $218 million in the US and $493 million worldwide. Will it be strong enough to pip Toy Story 3 for the Oscar... that remains to be seen!

Dreamworks has another shot at the box-office with Megamind opening in November. Another villain-centric story, the trailer is likeable and the voices of Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt also up the credibility of the movie. But independent of the fate of Megamind, it has been a wonderful year for animation movies in general and this raises the bar for all animation studios in the coming years to not only maintain high quality of animation work but also mix the storyline with the right amount of emotion along with humour. Kudos to them all, and looking forward to many more adventures to come!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Will the box-office be painted Red?

While The Social Network had a strong second weekend last time, there are a bunch of movies releasing in the US this week hoping to pull down the 'Facebook' inspired movie. And the action-packed Red would be one of the contenders. Starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman, the movie has quite an aging cast, which does draw parallels to The Expendables that has had a strong run at the box-office. A $100 million revenue collection at the US box-office for Red though appears bit of a stretch. It has been sometime for a Bruce Willis movie to cross that target - since 2007 to be precise, when Live Free or Die Hard piled in strong numbers, becoming the highest grossing of all Die Hard flicks ($384 million in worldwide collection).

Jackass 3D appears likely to provide a stiffer competition during the weekend. The third instalment of the Jackass series is unlikely to be in contention for any Oscars though that must be the last thing on the minds of the producers. This slapstick comedy movie would be looking to earn more than its predecessor that raked in $73 million in the US on a meagre production budget of $11 million. Solid return on investment! And finally there is Conviction starring two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank. Swank's last movie, Amelia, bombed at the US box-office. And this drama about a single mother studying law to defend her convicted brother, may not necessarily strike gold at the box-office. Hilary Swank is not known for any major blockbusters, though the movie may create another Oscar buzz for her. So a lot of variety to look forward to this weekend. Take your pick!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Superman's maker announced

A string of releases this weekend could not push past the combined force of '500 million friends'. The reference is of course to The Social Network, a loose story about the founders of Facebook, that continues to remain on the top of the US box office for the second week in a row. Katherine Heigl starrer Life As We Know It came in second, earning $14.6 million during the weekend. The big news of the past week though is the announcement of the new director for the next Superman movie - Zack Snyder. While his latest movie Legend of the Guardians fell to the fourth spot and has definitely not brought in the bucks the studio would have expected, Snyder has a past, albeit a short one, to fall back on. His directorial debut was the horror flick, Dawn of the Dead, released in 2004 that earned $102 million worldwide, and considering the limited budget of the movie, was a financial success. Snyder however really caught the attention of the public when he made 300 semi-clad men shout battle cries in the middle of the night with fury and defiance. 300 was released in 2007, and was a major success earning $457 million worldwide and making "We are Spartans!" a cult war cry. The year 2009 saw the release of the much awaited Watchmen, again based on a comic series. The movie however did not raise too much interest and could manage only $184 million in worldwide collection. Before he begins his work on the Superman movie, Snyder's Sucker Punch will be released on March 2011. Back to R-rated work, this action packed film has an interesting trailer doing the rounds. Despite how that goes, with the Superman movie, Snyder will not be able to get away easy. A lot is expected of this series, especially with Christopher Nolan at the realm of things. Snyder knows he has a tough battle at his hand. Anything short of greatness would be massacred by the fans. Will he be able to give the Man of Steel his due? I hope so. Let us wait and watch....

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

A long time ago, In a galaxy far far away...

If the title of this post makes your heart race and your mind reel back to the time when you first saw those yellow-colored lines slant away against a starry background, then the latest news about the greatest movie saga would have made you jump off your seat too. Star Wars.. the great Star Wars series is coming back on the big screen -- in 3D!! What started off as a tale about a young Jedi living on the planet Tatooine, went on to become on of the greates movies series ever in the history of film-making. Star Wars is and will always be more than just a movie series though. It is the tale of a different galaxy altogether, of different species, of a war of a different kind...

Released on May 25, 1977, Star Wars: A New Hope paved the path for the beginning of the original trilogy. The movie became an instant hit as words like 'Jedi' and 'Sith' formed part of the common man's language. The movie easily
broke the previous highest earnings at the US box-office held by Spielberg's Jaws and went on to earn a staggering $461 million (including earnings from subsequent re-releases). The movie currently stands at #4 on the all-time US box-office list. The Force remained with the series as the sequels that followed, viz. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in 1983, earned $290 million and $309 million respectively. As compared to the production budgets that movies nowadays start off with, the budgets that George Lucas and his team worked with appear peanuts - $66.5 million was the combined budget on which the entire trilogy was made!

16 years after the final battle between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker had concluded, George Lucas began another trilogy describing the beginnings of
the world's most popular villain - Darth Vader. In 1999, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was released amongst huge expectations and the movie was a phenomenal success. It earned $431 million in US (all-time #7) and grossed $924 million in worldwide revenues, the latter being the highest earnings amongst the Star Wars movies. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones released in 2002 and fell short in comparison earning $311 million in US. But the final movie of this amazing adventure, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, released in 2005, capped off a wonderful journey, grossing $380 million in US (all-time #12) and $849 million worldwide. The Star Wars saga now stands as the third-biggest movie series ever, only after James Bond and Harry Potter series!

And this does not end here. The series that has seen number of spin-offs into novels, animated series, theme parks, will be returning back to the big screen. In late September, it was annouced that the entire series would be returning in 3D. The experience would kick-off in chronological order this time, starting with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace that is slated for an early-2012 release. The other movies would follow, one each year. The 3D technology itself has grown by leaps and bounds over the years and this would surely make the 'new' Star Wars viewing an "outworldy experience"! May the Force be with You...