Predicting the Movie Hits and Bombs of 2016

There's nothing inherently wrong with the notion of a prequel. Exhibit A - Better Call Saul. It's all down to the competence of the writers/producers.

As a nondiscerning moviegoer, I didn't much care for Finding Nemo, but I can see how young kids would enjoy it.

 

Wrong thread - this is for 2016 releases!

BTW, I think "Spotlight" was neither a hit nor a bomb. No, it didn't make money - US gross of $23 million - but it's not a movie that was ever likely to bring in big bucks.

It only got a semi-limited release, so IMO, $23 million is respectable for a movie like that...

 

Scott is 100% correct: they don't make sequels for bombs. Often, movies do far more business out of the U.S., so a relatively-small movie might still generate three or four sequels just because of the foreign market.

Disney spent more than $4 billion buying Lucasfilm, so I can understand why they would try to release some kind of Star Wars-related film every year to make that investment pay off. I understand their thinking: every 2 years, we'll have a new adventure with the main cast; every other year, we'll have a spin-off movie dealing with related characters or earlier stories outside of the main mythology.

I liked the idea that the new movie will incorporate the "who and how" the plans for the Death Star in Episode 4 were stolen and put into R2-D2. No doubt, the agents responsible for doing that all died in this effort against the Empire, so this could be a pretty interesting story. Unless, of course, it's just a cheap attempt to cash-in on a brand and it sucks.

 

Sure, they do. There are horror franchises that go on and on and on, even though the movies made little money.

If the movies are cheap to shoot, they keep making 'em for a very limited audience...

 

If a movie makes a little money it's in the black and by definition not a bomb. That's why they keep making the Friday The 13th movies- they always turn a profit and they're cheap to make.

If a movie doesn't make a profit after they factor in marketing and worldwide sales, then you get no sequel.

 

I knew someone would come up with an exception!

Usually though prequels are more desperate. "We are dying to milk more money out of these characters but there's no way to do a sequel." There's rarely a good reason to do one artistically.

 

I think this is true. There are cases as with Starship Troopers, where the initial movie was a disappointment, but it did exceptionally well on home video and on cable... so they did a couple of sequels.

 

Suicide Squad ~Trailer looks meh.
Flop methinks.

 

Dawn Of Justice.
Looks promising. Can't see it failing at the box office. Just hope it entertains (me). Trailer 'the one I seen, not giving any goodies away, so jury is out.Pointy finger ready.

 

The Huntsman.
Killing a whale.
Pass.
I know it's a period film.
And whale meat was a edible source.also oil, candles.
But, no too cruel for this koala bear.

 

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March) Hit (just about )
Captain America: Civil War (May) mega hit
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (November) meh/me. Hit ?No
Finding Dory (June) Do ok
The Jungle Book (April) Do ok
X-Men: Apocalypse (May) hit
Alice Through the Looking Glass (May) Do ok ..DVD purchase
Independence Day: Resurgence (June)
Bomb
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (December) hit i suppose.
Suicide Squad (August) Trailer sucked.
Warcraft (June) Hope this is a hit for Duncan Jones.
Doctor Strange (November) hit not mega though.
Pete's Dragon (August) Do ok.

 

Variety posted a list of what it considers "anticipated" movies of 2016.

http://variety.com/gallery/most-anticipated-movies-2016/#!1/13-hours/

 

There's not a single film on that list that is interesting to me or that I'll go see... not a one.

On the other hand, Shane Black's The Nice Guys looks a hoot, Black is old-school all the way and always worth a gander.

Of the big releases this year, anyone care to make a prediction on the new Bourne film this summer, either to quality or performance? I consider the trilogy a near-perfect one that ended both how and when it should, so I have qualms about a new installment, but Paul Greengrass is a dynamite filmmaker and I really don't believe he would have returned to Bourne unless they had a good idea...

 

Black's Predator III should be guts, spunk and moxie.

 

I'll see Captain America and X-Men, but I'm kinda yawning at everything else -- too much "been there/done that." I'd only see Batman/Superman if I could get into a free screening.

 

Even then I'd only go if the reviews are decent. I'll never get the hours back from the first one.

 

You've got a good point. But I gotta say, it's clear to me they're going out of their way to force a sense of humor in the new one (with the one-liner about Wonder Woman). I don't dig the dark look and the muttering Batman, though.

 

I'm guardedly optimistic about "B v S". I really didn't like "Man of Steel" and wish someone other than Snyder directed "B v S", but I think they're gonna learn from some of their mistakes...

At least the presence of Batman means a "dark look" makes some sense!

 

sometimes I really enjoy them to find the back story...

 

Really? The audience snickered at it at TFA screening I was at. Not a good sign.

Aren't we done with these tedious comic book movies, yet?

The Rescuers is Citizen Kane compared to Pete's Dragon. I can't believe Dragon even merits a remake. Are they really that hard up for ideas in Hollywood?

Rogue One is the big x-factor in next year's box office. Star Wars is atomic hot right now, and the film has an inherent advantage as it's only an offshoot of the established story arc - they can do pretty much anything in the film (kill off their characters as-needed, show other parts of the galaxy, be darker or lighter than the main arc would ever allow) and get away with it. If the script is any good, Rogue One could be a monster.

 

No signs of burnout yet at the box office. Marvel will continue to pump them out for a while yet.

 

Anecdotal on both our sides, but yes, the audience with whom I saw "Force Awakens" showed a good reaction to the "Superman v Batman" trailer. People cheered when Wonder Woman appeared...

"Pete's Dragon" seems to have an audience of folks who love it. I've gotten lots of e-mails over the years from readers of my site who're mad I criticized it!

 

I think Rogue One is going to confuse a lot of the non hardcore Star Wars fans. A spin off movie telling a tale of spy's wedged in between 3 and 4. Sally Soccermom from Kansas may not rush out to see this one.

 

Exactly how I feel. Having a spin off film every other year will dilute the series IMO.

 

Given the success of TFA, I don't think they'll have any trouble attracting audiences to a film with the Star Wars name in the title, provided it's halfway decent.

I dunno - these comic book films feel like a non-stop onslaught, but that hasn't seemed to have hurt their box office much...