As it Turns Out, We Didn't Want Another Dan Brown Movie

[Marter]

As it Turns Out, We Didn't Want Another Dan Brown Movie

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Inferno drastically underperforms at the box office.

The newest adaptation of a The Da Vinci Code [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/dan+brown][/i], opened at ~$77 million. If you're able to do basic math, you'll note that this is a $31 million drop with each subsequent film. At that pace, a fourth film would lose $16 million, something that is impossible, but nonetheless very funny (to me).

One has to assume that this puts the franchise in - at the very least - a bit of jeopardy. Most likely, though, this is the end of these movies. We've had diminishing returns in terms of profit and, as far as I'm concerned, that's been echoed in the quality of the films. Even with the international interest remaining somewhat strong, it seems very unlikely that a fourth movie ever gets made.

The Da Vinci Code was a flash-in-the-pan success, one that dominated conversations for a couple of years, but after it was over it was really over. It was a cultural phenomenon, but at this point in time isn't something that is often thought about.

The second movie did make money - especially from international markets - so perhaps it was worth at least attempting to turn a profit from the third one, but the experiment failed. We've moved on from Robert Langdon, and it's time for talented filmmakers like Tom Hanks [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/ron+howard] to put the character to rest.

Source: BoxOfficeMojo [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?view=main&yr=2016&wknd=44&p=.htm]

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[Darth Rosenberg]

These films have had bizarrely strong casts, and I feel those actors should band together and offer a public apology before swearing an oath to never allow a Dan Brown 'story' to filmed again...

...though that will mean we have no more Kermode reviews------or CinemaSins tearing them apart, so everything comes with a cost.

 

[RJ Dalton]

Oh, wow, it lost to a Medea film . . . that's gotta hurt.
Not that Dan Brown, the automatic purple-prose dispensing/controversy generating machine, doesn't deserve it, but still, ouch, man.

 

[MortalKomic]

I too find the possibility of a -16 million dollars gross for the next film amusing.

 

[Bedinsis]

Makes sense they would hope for the international release. I mean, the movies cover European history; odds are they prefer better over here.

Also makes sense that people would be over them. I like them fine, but the time I read them was a long time ago now. It makes sense that others would also be over them by now.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Sony is having a metric crap ton of bad luck with theatrical releases lately.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

This is all your fault, Parkinson. I bet the film would've passed $80 million if it hadn't been for your scathing review! See if Sony ever lets you screen another one of their films!

Sony is having a metric crap ton of bad luck with theatrical releases lately.

I think the key word here is "crap".

 

[Marter]

This is all your fault, Parkinson. I bet the film would've passed $80 million if it hadn't been for your scathing review! See if Sony ever lets you screen another one of their films!

My bad!

Although in all seriousness, I saw it with a general audience on Thursday night. SONY HAS NO INFLUENCE HERE!

 

[TheScorpion]

As it Turns Out, We Didn't Want Another Dan Brown Movie

That and it wasn't a really smart move releasing it on fucking Halloween where most audiences are more interested in horror movies than anything else. It's like they're asking for this franchise to die now.

 

[Kameburger]

I think Scavenger hunt movies have a certain amount of diminishing returns. A lot of it is because they're filled with little tidbits of historical trivia and hopefully are cleverly written, but I think when you start trying to repeat them one or two times, it becomes a bit more difficult to keep people interested and engaged. I mean how many complex church mysteries can their be? You can sort of believe it once or twice that a bad guy gets a little too carried away with some catholic symbolism, and the one guy who can stop them is a guy who is a one of a kind leading scholar on the subject, but twice or three times and you start thinking the bad guys would start wising up and moving away from the catholic theme a bit. I think the Bourne Movies have this problem, where the twist that brings Bourne back again and again, is never really that different from the last and ultimately means that each movie plays out exactly the same as the last. What if Bourne reluctantly teams up with the CIA to stop a terror threat for some reason?

I mean it reminds me of that joke from 30 Rock, where Jacks dad is fooled by the mother who fakes a heart attack and he says, "I'm a doctor, Giver her some room" and Jack replies "you're a doctor of History! In what emergency would you be necessary? If someone wanted to know whether the 60's was awesome or not?"

 

[Mr.Mattress]

Sony is having a metric crap ton of bad luck with theatrical releases lately.

I was about to say, beyond a few key releases, Sony is either making terrible movies, or is just failing to make money with decent or good movies. Combined with the fact that Sony is a terrible place to work at (according to those E-mail leaks), Sony could easily lose any prominence at the theatre and become the next Lionsgate Studios (meanwhile, the actual Lionsgate Studios is starting to become a contender, somewhat).

 

[Hawki]

Sony is having a metric crap ton of bad luck with theatrical releases lately.

I was about to say, beyond a few key releases, Sony is either making terrible movies, or is just failing to make money with decent or good movies. Combined with the fact that Sony is a terrible place to work at (according to those E-mail leaks), Sony could easily lose any prominence at the theatre and become the next Lionsgate Studios (meanwhile, the actual Lionsgate Studios is starting to become a contender, somewhat).

I'm aware that Sony is in a dubious state, but what's up with Lionsgate?

 

[Barbas]

(Snip).

How much would it cost for you to review the film that Inferno lost to in its second week?

 

[Kahani]

Already, the production budget was slashed in half compared to Angels&Demons. 75 mill vs 150 mill. So the expectations were lowered by half the usual blockbuster price.

And it made less than a third in its opening weekend. The previous film barely made enough to justify a sequel, and this film is doing even worse even given its smaller budget. It may not be a massive flop that loses them huge amounts of money, but Marter is likely correct that this will be the end of the franchise as far as films are concerned. Just look at the numbers you posted yourself:

Break even point should be lowered to around 225-270 just by this.
It's on track to make some 200-220 worldwide by the end of it's run

If it's lucky, it might just about break even. You're really not raining on anyone's parade by agreeing that it's far less successful than the previous films and unlikely to make anyone any money.

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

I'm more surprised that the film was made to begin with. It's been, what? Ten years since anyone cared about Dan Brown?

 

[Marter]

How much would it cost for you to review the film that Inferno lost to in its second week?

I was going to review it on actually Halloween day, but the distributor in Canada decided we weren't worthy, so it's still yet to be released here.

snip

While I don't agree with much of what you're saying (I think you're underestimating the marketing, and keep in mind that the studio receives a lower percentage of the international take), the bigger issue is not the amount of money it will gain/lose (it'll likely be negligible either way); it's the very strong decline in interest in the franchise. And with lackluster reviews across the board from both audiences and critics, Sony can only assume that the decline will continue. It might slow down a bit (it can't lose $16 million in its opening weekend because that's impossible - but under $10m would be likely), but it'll continue. It was a smart decision to budget this one much lower - but how much lower can you go and still have Hanks/Howard/semi-big-name co-stars? And still be a sightseeing tour?

I really can't see anyone taking the financial risk to do another one.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Brown was kind of destined to be pulp at best as that's all his books really are and now they've devolved into dull instead of a guilty pleasure. I'm just wondering why Tom Hanks keeps doing these as he's not a man in need of a paycheck.

 

[KoudelkaMorgan]

I had no need to see it having read the book. If you haven't, don't. It makes no sense to force drama on a situation that has already resolved itself before the book even starts. I mean seriously the anticlimax is real in that book, like worse than in The Village because at least you probably couldn't guess the twist from the trailer.