The Business: News, Rumours, Analysis, and More

[Trini]

Quote

According to sources, after the Coyote vs. Acme news broke last week, several filmmakers instructed reps to cancel meetings they had on the books with Warners. But now that Coyotemay ultimately find a new home, these filmmakers are taking a wait-and-see approach.

 

1 hour ago, AimingforYoko said:

I think word came through that if Zaslav, et al. kept pulling this shit, no one would work with them.

 

Well, of course. Who would want to work on an expensive, high profile project only to have it disappeared because the parent company needs a tax credit??

[scarynikki12]

2 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

I think word came through that if Zaslav, et al. kept pulling this shit, no one would work with them.

The Hollywood Reporter posted on Twitter that several filmmakers cancelled WB meetings after the movie was shelved so I think they* realized they needed to reverse course to try and salvage their reputation. Someone suggested the ad campaign should be "The movie Warner Bros didn't want you to see" which I think is brilliant though I don't expect it to happen.

*They being the board or whoever has the power to fire Zaslav. There was plenty of outcry when Batgirl and Scooby-Doo were shelved a year ago and he held firm so I bet he shrugged off this outrage. What he can't shrug off is making the people above him nervous and filmmakers cancelling meetings and the WB reputation taking a hit will do just that. 

[Kel Varnsen]

On 11/13/2023 at 10:12 PM, Trini said:

 

 

Well, of course. Who would want to work on an expensive, high profile project only to have it disappeared because the parent company needs a tax credit??

It would actually be kind of funny if some director came forward and said they liked working on movies that never get released. Because they still get paid, and with how much of movie fan culture is just complaining about everything they never have to worry about over the top complaints and nitpicking(or harassment depending on the property in the movie). Like right now people seem to think that Batgirl is the best super hero movie ever. But just based on WB's track record with DC characters, it probably isn't.

[NUguy514]

2 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Like right now people seem to think that Batgirl is the best super hero movie ever.

Wait, who thinks this?  I'm genuinely curious because I've not heard that at all; all I've heard is that it's not a terrible movie, which is damning with faint praise.

[Trini]

3 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

Wait, who thinks this? 

I'd love to know as well.

[Kel Varnsen]

3 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

Wait, who thinks this?  I'm genuinely curious because I've not heard that at all; all I've heard is that it's not a terrible movie, which is damning with faint praise.

I don't know with the number of articles I have read about how it needs to be released and how it is a travesty that it isn't (even though movies get shelved all the time)it seems like people think it is going to be really good.

[NUguy514]

38 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I don't know with the number of articles I have read about how it needs to be released and how it is a travesty that it isn't (even though movies get shelved all the time)it seems like people think it is going to be really good.

No, that has nothing to do with the quality of the film.  The outrage is because David Zaslav/the powers-that-be at WB went all in on The Flash, even knowing that screenings weren't that enthusiastic and that Ezra Miller is a criminal and a sociopath, because it's centered on a male character and shelved Batgirl because it's centered on a female character.  The party line is that The Flash cost too much not to release and that Batgirl was only supposed to be released on HBO Max (and Zaslav is actively trying to destroy HBO), but the truth is that the misogynistic pricks thought the quality of either film was immaterial because the former would do bonkers business because it's male-centric and the latter would bomb because female-centric movies are horrible for business and just so gross (see Barbie for proof!).

Of course, The Flash ended up being one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time, so there was some karmic justice in the end.  Should Batgirl even be released, it might or might not do well at the box office (it does seem like we've reached our collective saturation point with superhero movies, to a large extent), but it wouldn't lose close to as much money as The Flash did.

[scarynikki12]

Zaslav really let his asshat flag fly on shelving Batgirl. That tax break couldn't have been that much and it meant they couldn't lean into using future Oscar winner Brendan Frasier in the promotion. Shelving Scooby-Doo pissed even more people off and both stunts were a hint as to the future. But he really fucked up trying to shelve a Looney Tunes project. I guess he was the one person who never watched those shorts growing up and clearly doesn't know WB has owned them for the better part of a century. Multiple generations of Americans alone are VERY attached to Bugs and his pals. Many of us consider Ride Of The Valkyrie to be the Kill The Wabbit song. Going after Wile E Coyote was a bridge too far and watching the internet rally against him was a lot of fun.

The trades today are quoting Zaslav as being in favor of the pay increases being demanded by WGA and SAG when he learned about them last summer. First, bullshit. If he was in favor he could have spoken out or cut a separate deal with those guilds for Warner Bros and he allowed the studio to lose money instead. Second, this coming out in the midst of everyone ripping him apart for trying to shelve Looney Tunes screams damage control. No one is buying it and are instead sending him a hearty FUCK YOU.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

Wait, who thinks this?  I'm genuinely curious because I've not heard that at all; all I've heard is that it's not a terrible movie, which is damning with faint praise.

Nobody that I have seen. 

4 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

No, that has nothing to do with the quality of the film.  The outrage is because David Zaslav/the powers-that-be at WB went all in on The Flash, even knowing that screenings weren't that enthusiastic and that Ezra Miller is a criminal and a sociopath, because it's centered on a male character and shelved Batgirl because it's centered on a female character.

Exactly this. Plus WB and DC really tried to smear the Batgirl movie in a way that was extremely transparent and smelled of BS. Stories about how it tested poorly and saying that it would hurt the brand. I don’t think anyone expects it to be a masterpiece but putting down the quality of Batgirl while touting The Flash (which actually was extremely detrimental to the brand) as the greatest superhero movie just fueled the outrage. It was handled in a way that was so disrespectful to the film makers. 

[mariah23]

18 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Zaslav really let his asshat flag fly on shelving Batgirl. That tax break couldn't have been that much and it meant they couldn't lean into using future Oscar winner Brendan Frasier in the promotion. Shelving Scooby-Doo pissed even more people off and both stunts were a hint as to the future. But he really fucked up trying to shelve a Looney Tunes project. I guess he was the one person who never watched those shorts growing up and clearly doesn't know WB has owned them for the better part of a century. Multiple generations of Americans alone are VERY attached to Bugs and his pals. Many of us consider Ride Of The Valkyrie to be the Kill The Wabbit song. Going after Wile E Coyote was a bridge too far and watching the internet rally against him was a lot of fun.

The trades today are quoting Zaslav as being in favor of the pay increases being demanded by WGA and SAG when he learned about them last summer. First, bullshit. If he was in favor he could have spoken out or cut a separate deal with those guilds for Warner Bros and he allowed the studio to lose money instead. Second, this coming out in the midst of everyone ripping him apart for trying to shelve Looney Tunes screams damage control. No one is buying it and are instead sending him a hearty FUCK YOU.

Zaslav also let the license on post-1950 Looney Tunes on HBO Max expire in January.  So no What’s Opera Doc?, no Robin Hood Daffy, no Duck Amuck on Max.  I’m still pissed off.

[methodwriter85]

Hey, Rachel Zegler haters who said the new Hunger Games movie would flop because of her, y'all can go ahead and kiss her grits!

[Anduin]

2 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Hey, Rachel Zegler haters who said the new Hunger Games movie would flop because of her, y'all can go ahead and kiss her grits!

Why do people dislike her? From this very site, I gather that she has the nerve to be openly ambitious? I see that as just being a little more honest than most celebs. Nothing wrong with a little honesty.

[Spartan Girl]

People apparently took offense when she said that the original Snow White cartoon was dated and sexist—something that other people have said multiple times over the years, so why she got so much flack for it is beyond my understanding. They need to chill the f out.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Even if you want to argue that Rachel Zegler's points were kind of dumb and reductive... what about all the dudes out there who seemingly do nothing all day but say dumb and reductive things with impunity (Sean Penn, I'm looking at you)?!?

For the record, I disagree with Ms. Zegler that the prince in Snow White was a stalker... and that's it. That's all I'm saying about it. I'm not going to gnash my teeth about it, because while I have my flaws, I like to think I'm above snarling all day long about what some twenty-something has to say about a Disney movie. Get a grip, people.

 

[NUguy514]

My problem with Rachel Zegler is that she gave a terrible performance in West Side Story, but giving terrible performances hasn't stopped plenty of other actors from succeeding.  Hell, some of them even win Oscars for their terrible performances!

[JustHereForFood]

Yeah, I don't agree with everything she said about Snow White, especially considering she's supposed to promote the story and I though her way of inviting herself to the Oscars was cringy, but the reactions against her were very disproportionate to what she said. We have seen that before with some celebrities, for some reason more often with women.

But what should we expect, when some people are too lazy to get a job and prefer to make money by making videos or other stuff where they pretend to be offended and others who are just looking to find something to be offended by eat it all up?

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Anduin said:

Why do people dislike her? From this very site, I gather that she has the nerve to be openly ambitious? I see that as just being a little more honest than most celebs. Nothing wrong with a little honesty.

I think it’s two fold. Mainly, she pissed off the racists and incels for speaking her mind and publicly calling out problematic people like JK Rowling. That combined with her being openly ambitious and not tempering her remarks, the way more experienced actresses have been forced to learn, gave people with an agenda ammunition to paint her as ungrateful and arrogant. She hasn’t done anything bad or anything that many beloved men haven’t done but she’s a Latina woman so they attacked like rapid dogs. 

[Wiendish Fitch]

33 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

Yeah, I don't agree with everything she said about Snow White, especially considering she's supposed to promote the story and I though her way of inviting herself to the Oscars was cringy, but the reactions against her were very disproportionate to what she said. We have seen that before with some celebrities, for some reason more often with women.

But what should we expect, when some people are too lazy to get a job and prefer to make money by making videos or other stuff where they pretend to be offended and others who are just looking to find something to be offended by eat it all up?

I'm not even saying anyone has to like Rachel Zegler. You don't have to like anyone. 

What bothers me is how some people, to use the vernacular of the young 'uns, have made hating Rachel Zegler their entire personality. 

Meanwhile, let me remind you all that people like Woody Allen and Roman Polanski don't get even a sliver of the vitriol and hatred that Zegler has gotten (and most of us have known of her existence for barely 2 years). 

I personally hate the Disney live-action remakes, so I don't watch them. That's it. Others are free to follow (or not follow) this example. 

[Annber03]

36 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Meanwhile, let me remind you all that people like Woody Allen and Roman Polanski don't get even a sliver of the vitriol and hatred that Zegler has gotten (and most of us have known of her existence for barely 2 years). 

Yeah, with them people are always like, "Oh, just separate the art from the artist!" Funny how many of the people who say that can't seem to extend that same attitude to a woman like Ziegler. 

I don't know anything about her career, I've never seen her work, but yeah, she's as entitled to her opinions as anyone else, and the people who get so bent out of shape about women like her speaking their mind as they do...maybe try getting outside for a while and touching some grass, guys. 

[Anduin]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

I think it’s two fold. Mainly, she pissed off the racists and incels for speaking her mind and publicly calling out problematic people like JK Rowling. That combined with her being openly ambitious and not tempering her remarks, the way more experienced actresses have been forced to learn, gave people with an agenda ammunition to paint her as ungrateful and arrogant. She hasn’t done anything bad or anything that many beloved men haven’t done but she’s a Latina woman so they attacked like rapid dogs. 

Wow. I think I'm a fan now. So far I really like her opinions. Be nice if she does something I want to watch. Maybe one day. :)

[Spartan Girl]

20 minutes ago, Anduin said:

Wow. I think I'm a fan now. So far I really like her opinions. Be nice if she does something I want to watch. Maybe one day. :)

Personally I liked her very much in WSS and the new Hunger Games is said to be very good. And while I don’t really want a Snow White movie, I’ll watch it just to spite all those losers that need to get a life.

[Browncoat]

I thought she did a good job in both West Side Story and the new Hunger Games.    And, like you, @Spartan Girl, I'll go see Snow White to spite the haters.

[methodwriter85]

Yeah, in all honesty I wouldn't say I'm  Rachel Zegler's biggest fan, but the way people act, it's like she is the anti-Christ or something. It's really ridiculous.

Edited November 26, 2023 by methodwriter85

[Trini]

'Fast & Furious filmmakers fined after stuntman injured in fall' -- The incident happened in 2019 while filming FF9.

Quote

The makers of a Fast & Furious film have been fined £800,000 after a stuntman suffered brain damage during a staged fight scene.

Joe Watts was also left with a broken skull after he fell 25ft (8m) head-first on to the concrete ground.

The incident took place during the filming of Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga at Warner Brothers' studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, in July 2019.

A judge said Mr Watts was "fortunate to be alive".

During a stunt fight scene on a balcony, his safety line detached as he was thrown over the shoulder of another performer.

 

Deadline's reporting says the fine is equivalent to $1 million USD.

[BetterButter]

‘Home Alone,’ ‘Terminator 2,’ ‘Love & Basketball,’ ‘Desperately Seeking Susan,’ ‘Fame,’ ‘Apollo 13’ Enter National Film Registry

[kiddo82]

So Mean Girls had already made back it's budget.  There is still work to be done in order for it to be deemed profitable but this is obviously a huge first step.  I didn't care for Anyone But You--my love for Glenn Powell not withstanding--but it has reportedly grossed 83,000,000 off of a reported 25 million budget.  Also, it's estimated that Wonka has achieved profitability off of a reported 125 million dollar budget.  Add in that Barbie (145 million dollar budget) and Oppenheimer (100 million) were giant moneymakers.* Hopefully the studios will learn that a bloated budget doesn't necessarily equal big bucks and they should focus on making good movies that people like.  But they probably wont.

*Not that 100+ million dollar budget is anything to sneeze at, but it's nothing compared to the 200+ budgets of movies like The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and Dial Hand Soap, The Flash (which could have cost as much as 300!!), Mission Impossible 23:  Tom Cruise Runs Some More, etc.  And it's not that these movies don't bring in money, it's just not enough money to justify their budgets.  And fewer and fewer of them have enough legs these days.

Edited January 21 by kiddo82

[Anduin]

6 minutes ago, kiddo82 said:

*Not that 100+ million dollar budget is anything to sneeze at, but it's nothing compared to the 200+ budgets of movies like The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and Dial Hand Soap, The Flash (which could have cost as much as 300!!), Mission Impossible 23:  Tom Crusie Runs Some More, etc.  And it's not that these movies don't bring in money, it's just not enough money to justify their budgets.  And fewer and fewer of them have enough legs these days.

Dial Hand Soap?

[kiddo82]

1 hour ago, Anduin said:

Dial Hand Soap?

Sorry.  It's a bad word play on the title using the brand of soap called Dial.

 

 

Edited January 21 by kiddo82

[methodwriter85]

On 1/20/2024 at 9:48 PM, kiddo82 said:

So Mean Girls had already made back it's budget.  There is still work to be done in order for it to be deemed profitable but this is obviously a huge first step.  I didn't care for Anyone But You--my love for Glenn Powell not withstanding--but it has reportedly grossed 83,000,000 off of a reported 25 million budget.  Also, it's estimated that Wonka has achieved profitability off of a reported 125 million dollar budget.  Add in that Barbie (145 million dollar budget) and Oppenheimer (100 million) were giant moneymakers.* Hopefully the studios will learn that a bloated budget doesn't necessarily equal big bucks and they should focus on making good movies that people like.  But they probably wont.

*Not that 100+ million dollar budget is anything to sneeze at, but it's nothing compared to the 200+ budgets of movies like The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and Dial Hand Soap, The Flash (which could have cost as much as 300!!), Mission Impossible 23:  Tom Cruise Runs Some More, etc.  And it's not that these movies don't bring in money, it's just not enough money to justify their budgets.  And fewer and fewer of them have enough legs these days.

Barbie kept the budget down because a lot of the set was an actual practical set instead of CGI.

I thought that Lionsgate had a very smart approach when it came to making The Ballad of Snakes and Songbirds. They didn't use any name stars aside from Pete Dinklage and Viola Davis, they filmed overseas in Europe to get that European feel for the Capitol instead of building a bunch of sets, and the promotion was mostly on TikTok and Instagram. 

Edited January 23 by methodwriter85

[BetterButter]

IATSE Forewarns Strike Authorization Vote Ahead Of March Negotiations: “Not Interested In Extending This Agreement”

[scarynikki12]

This fucking guy needs to be stopped. I wonder if IATSE can incorporate safeguards against this shit in their negotiations? And doesn’t TAG have their own negotiations coming up? 
 

 

I was right!

 

[JustHereForFood]

Zaslav is the big villain DC movies were struggling to find.

[Spartan Girl]

That son of a bitch! They gave us hope only to snatch it away! Why?! Just….WHY?!

[Jaded]

Old privileged white men in positions of power who make dumb decisions....🙄

[scarynikki12]

2 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

That son of a bitch! They gave us hope only to snatch it away! Why?! Just….WHY?!

It was a PR move but it didn't work if today's anger is any indication.

[Anduin]

Since I don't think I've ever seen a technical thread, I suppose this goes here. Why is sound in modern movies so bad? Multiple reasons. Focus on the visuals, so the sound people are left out in the cold. Actors are now learning the wrong way to deliver.

As someone whose hearing has never been great, and not getting any better, this is really annoying. And it seems like there's no one in charge who cares enough to reverse the trend.