Making a re-hash of movies
July 2, 2010
Inception is a big-budget gamble that bucks Hollywood's reliance on sequels and remakes, writes Donna Walker-Mitchell.
There's a new buzzword in Hollywood: sequelitis.
Hollywood studios have opted for the safe route in 2010, largely ignoring fresh ideas and original scripts by churning out big-budget sequels or films based on comics, mothballed TV shows or video games.
Midway into the all-important US summer box-office period, the strategy appears to have backfired, with summer revenues down 5 per cent to $US1.7 billion ($2 billion) compared with the same period last year.
Instead of creating risk-free hits with already built-in audiences, filmmakers seem to have failed to impress audiences.
Sequelitis, anyone?
Shrek Forever After and Sex and the City 2 were disappointing. The A-Team, a big-screen reboot of the 1980s TV series, was also below expectations, while the Megan Fox-Josh Brolin effort, Jonah Hex, based on a comic book, was a disaster, earning only $US9.1 million in its first two weeks in the US and Canada. The video game-inspired Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time also underwhelmed.
In coming months, familiar titles will hit cinemas: Predators, Marmaduke, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Step Up 3D, Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore and Nanny McPhee Returns.
Allowing for ticket-price inflation, the US's Memorial Day weekend, traditionally one of the year's biggest weekends at the box office, had the lowest total number of tickets sold in 17 years.
All of which has critics rightly asking: does Hollywood have any original ideas left?
Haven't I seen you somewhere before?
Predators
Starring Adrien Brody, Topher Grace and Laurence Fishburne, this joins previous films Predator (1987) and Predator 2 (1990). In Predators, Brody's character Royce is abducted by an alien and released on to an alien planet with seven other humans. In time for the film's US theatrical release in July, a video game for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad will be also be available.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
The infamous Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) returns 23 years after he first proclaimed that "greed is good". The film sequel is directed by Oliver Stone and Douglas said he would only return for the remake if he loved the script. Shia LaBeouf also stars as a young proprietary trader.
The Karate Kid
A remake of the 1984 film, this reboot stars Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. The theatrical trailer in the US had the song You're the Best playing in the background, the same song as in the original. A success at the box office, The Karate Kid has made $US129 million ($148 million) and counting.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A remake of the 1984 movie, this slasher stars Jackie Earle Haley, who reprises Robert Englund's best-known role as the disfigured Freddy Krueger (left), who murders victims while they are dreaming. Wes Craven, who created the original franchise, said he was disappointed there was a remake and that he was not approached to be a consultant on the film.
The A-Team
Costing $US110 million, this action film based on the 1980s TV show stars Jessica Biel, as well as Bradley Cooper and Liam Neeson. Respected US critic Roger Ebert described the film as "an incomprehensible mess".
Full article here:
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainm ... -20100701-zpvh.html
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Last edited by atomic3d at 2-7-2010 17:20 ]
