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Thanks Matt - I may send that article to a few agents/producers who are dragging their feet with my script.
No sweat. The question really is: how far are they going to swing? Is Hollywood's version of originality not going to be all that original at all? Or will they, to compensate for the barrage of reboots/remakes/sequels, create an onslaught of incredibly original films?
Can't be bad though. That article says that Universal paid $1MM for an original comedy idea.
Now none of us will see that, because (a) we're not established writers and (b) we're not pitching to Universal. But all of this is good to hear nonetheless.
Yes, Mike, we know there are starving children in the fuckin' world. You keep reminding us. I wonder if Unicef will let me post my scripts on its website. Phil
Get over it, Phil. I deleted my post. Are you happy now?
Btw, do you realize with the money Americans spend on just ice cream alone each year, we could end world hunger?
No sweat. The question really is: how far are they going to swing? Is Hollywood's version of originality not going to be all that original at all? Or will they, to compensate for the barrage of reboots/remakes/sequels, create an onslaught of incredibly original films?
How far will they swing? I ask that myself all the time lately.
Just as an aside, We could've ended world hunger with Live Aid. Or Live 8. At least then Bono could go back to rocking and Geldof could shave off his 'interesting' facial hair.
We didn't. And they won't. Not yet.
Back on Planet HollyBollywood, Good work fella. Hope it's going well for all the grafters.
And to the bible studiers out there - here's an idea, just in case you get a bit bored of distracting those who type - get rich. Quick. And then go and feed those starving kids. And the hungry ones too.
Just an idea.
Oops. Macca's on the telly playing Live And Let Die. Gotta go folks.
Oh Hollywood. Indeed. I sometimes see wood in the morning. Oh shite, wrong board. I forgot where and when I was again.
Made me laugh. I like doing that. And drinking. Er, wrong board again.
Pinkberry made me giggle too. Will someone please Brisk me? Oh go on. Please. No? Ah well. A swift stroll round some other boards then a night on the tiles.
I do hope I don't fall asleep in the park again. That can get... messy.
Eveving All.
You kids pkay nice now. Be good.
I'm sure you shall. Remember, the blokes on those fancy bikes from Quadrophenia are watching. And so they should. Bless 'em.
There's been a lot of articles about an alleged "franchise fatigue" lately. As much as I want to believe this, I don't think the trend is going away. Greenlighting material with a pre-built audience will always be seen as a safer bet for those risking their millions and their jobs.
And despite some recent underperformers, let's not forget the other side of the coin. "Toy Story" (threequel) is about to do a killing at the box office. "Knight and Day" (original) is tracking very low right now. This could change, but right now it looks like a flop.
And despite some recent underperformers, let's not forget the other side of the coin. "Toy Story" (threequel) is about to do a killing at the box office. "Knight and Day" (original) is tracking very low right now. This could change, but right now it looks like a flop.
Pixar is a different breed altogether though. You can't really compare.
The adjustment that needs to be made has as much or more to do with seeking out original storytellers and giving them artistic freedom as it does with seeking out original premises. Of course attendance will be higher at a recognizable franchise than an original film if they're both made poorly. If Hollywood wants original ideas, they need to give people the freedom -- and money -- to express them.
Few of the all-time great films of the last fifty years were considered surefire hits while being made.
Agreed, but I doubt other studios' big wigs would admit that Pixar's model is so superior (artistically and commercially) that they're not worthy of comparison. I think that Toy's monster opening (which is huge even by Pixar's standards) will be widely regarded as another victiory of the franchise model.
But I can see why my example might appear troublesome. Perhaps I should have picked another franchise like Ironman. The sequel did pretty good business. And if you factor in merchandising and other revenue streams, this is still a gold mine.
On the flip side, early eastimates are pegging a 5.2M opening to Jonah Hex. An epic flop.
My point is that boxoffice numbers are contradictory to say the least. Right now, it seems to early to assume that some sort of *radical* change is coming any time soon.
(No surprise, considering that Alice in Wonderland passed the billion dollar mark)
Perhaps the industry might move into some sort of middle ground? Maybe the studios could embrace a more "balanced diet" in their future slates and add more original material without abandoning the current model? Here's hope.
Balance is fine. I grew up on Spiderman comics and I love that franchise (though I believe they've now gone and ruined it by canning everyone).
It's when Hollywood wants to pretend the sucky cartoon version of "The Hulk" never existed and a mere few years later they do what they should have done in the first place, which is turn it over to Edward Norton.
And remakes of classic movies are irritating. Set aside the Karate Kid for a moment because it's aimed at kids and teens, but what about "Pelham 1-2-3" Is that even necessary?
And I hear they're going to commit absolute sacrilege in my book by remaking "Slap Shot". Why? Does Hollywood realize that the writer Ned Dowd (who also played Ogelthorpe the super-goon) played alongside the Hansons and others in the movie in real life, and that most of the story was born from real events? How do you recapture that? And how do you recreate Paul Newman's performance?
On the flip side, early estimates are pegging a 5.2M opening to Jonah Hex. An epic flop.
Jonah Hex isn't doing well because the studios chose not to make a comic book adaptation of the title character, but a western in the same vein as Wild Wild West. The twin gatlin guns on the horse was ridiculous. Other non-period weapons only made it worse. And adding zombies only make it embarrassing. And why did they give that dance hall girl/prostitute oversized thumbs? What the fuck was that about?
Why does Hollywood have to reinvent the western genre? It was their bread and butter for decades.
I'll believe it when I see it. The majority of remakes are universally panned by critics and make a killing at the box office anyway. A lot of sequels tend to make even more money than their predecessors. The studios have found their working formula and don't care that The Karate Kid was a highlight of your childhood. Not if you still go see it opening weekend.
Well a (not so much) more recent example would be Animal House - anyone ever see the behind the scenes special on Biography?
First, no college wanted them after seeing the script. They finally lucked out with the University of Oregon. Then, when they were ready to shoot, the money men said "you have no box office draw" - i.e., no star. So someone knew Sutherland through a husband's cousin's uncle's butcher or whatever and they wrote a part for him on the fly.
The two things that made that movie successful were that Ramis and the other writers (i) insisted on the right cast and (ii) had unwavering faith that their script would be the greatest comedy in history.
They were damned close, if not right on the money.
Jonah Hex looked bad from the poster. Really was no surprise.
Tim Burton redesigning the sequel to Wizard of Oz? Interesting.
I guess it shows that Hollywood is running out of ideas. Really, it really isn't possible for film to go on forever. There will always be ideas, but Hollywood knows that sooner or later there has to be an ending.
My guess is, 20-30 years into the future, film will be less profitable and perhaps less admireable than it was.
What used to be a great thing is slowly crawling to a stop.
As I said, ideas come easy. It's how you create it and turn it into a film that is the hard bit.
What Am I Working On? Currently going back and forth with projects. (--) :
Reason why Rainforests are disappearing is because of all of the useless scripts Hollywood wants everyday.
I believe they do want original ideas....original ideas well told!
I've heard many people complain about this and they all seem to think THEIR story is original or unique and Hollywood is just stupid for not buying THEIR script. I've read a shitload of scripts, spec and produced and very seldom do I read something original. I would say that Killing On Carnival Row was original. Not my type of script, but definitely different and it's in production (I think)...
I have also talked to Hollywood people and tried to pitch to them (face to face) and I definitely believe they are looking for unique and original. Like I said, most writers just seem so convinced THEIR stories are fresh and new when they really are not. JMHO...
Production-wise, nothing seems to be happening with "Carnival" right now BUT the writer was recently hired to write "Clash of the Titans 2" which proves your original work can still be a writing sample that gets you noticed (even if it doesn't get produced).
"Carnival" didn't blow me away but the guy pretty much proved he's got talent, especially when it comes to "world building", so he does seem like a pretty good match to a fantasy-heavy project.
I believe they do want original ideas....original ideas well told!
I've heard many people complain about this and they all seem to think THEIR story is original or unique and Hollywood is just stupid for not buying THEIR script. I've read a shitload of scripts, spec and produced and very seldom do I read something original. I would say that Killing On Carnival Row was original. Not my type of script, but definitely different and it's in production (I think)...
I have also talked to Hollywood people and tried to pitch to them (face to face) and I definitely believe they are looking for unique and original. Like I said, most writers just seem so convinced THEIR stories are fresh and new when they really are not. JMHO...
I agree with you Pia...to an extent.
I don't like talking about "Hollywood" too much, partly because I don't work in that enviroment and partly because it's such a vast array of people and companies that it's probably impossible to say what they are after.
However, simply by looking at what they produce and release tells its own story.
What they mean by "original" seems to be something quite specific. Looking at the article at the beginning I think what they want is this:
"Reasonably fresh takes on well-established genres not based on exsting intellectual properties".
The original stories that are being vaunted there are a sci-fi comedy, 2 heist movies, an action-thriller and a teen comedy etc. They're not looking to re-invent the wheel here.
The heist movie sounds like fun...magicians using their skills to rob a bank. It's a fresh take on a very well-worn story...but at its core it's still probably going to be mechanically very similar to other stories in that vein.
That's not really a bad thing. I think audiences are comfortable with genre anyway.
I also agree with you about the lack of original stories. Since I started looking around for scripts I've come across a tiny number of ideas, let alone fully-developed stories, that were original. I think the influence of Hollywood on writers is so strong that it colours almost everything they touch...people write Hollywood-lite type scripts...they seem to pander to what they think Hollywood wants rather than just expressing themselves.
The screenwriting books also push a very rigid structure on people as well. Not just a script structure, but a structure of thought as well. New writers are kind of squeezed and pressed by their influences and by the manuals they all gravitate towards when starting into a thin, conformist line.
It's a shame because in a world where we now have the technology to let the world see our crazy stories and wild imaginations, everybody is just trying to lever themselves into one of the few jobs in Hollywood.
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Hollywood wants original ideas.
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