The Series is threatened.

QA48 said:
Actually It did reach $300M worldwide. The marketing team on this one really blew it. I think word of mouth from the fans and non-fans didn't help either.
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yes $300M worldwide, i'm referring to Golden Compass's international gross of $300M. International means gross outside the US. Will Caspian gross that much internationally? Base on the trend, I highly doubt it. I cry I cry
 
Prince Caspian was so great

I can´t support the flop, for me this movie is the best I have seen this year.
I see the rest of the people think otherwise, as always.
I like this one more than the other big blockbuster movies ( I wasn´t interested to see Indiana Jones 4, and I didn´t see the movie in theaters)

Well, should I care?
I love those movie considered flop.

At least I hope they do The Voyage of the Dawn Treader!!
 
Those figures

I just wonder sometimes just how accurate all those figures people bandy about tend to be and just how much they actually mean.
Based on what I can gather from various websites
1) The figure of 500 million dollars originates from a statement from a Disney exec about the time the film opened and is the TOTAL amount they expected to make in box-office receipts and not the break-even point. This was later dropped to 450 million.
2)The production budget was probably in the region of 200 million though studio PR departments are notorious for either inflating or reducing the reported budget depending on in-studio politics or other agendas (and remember, Hollywood likes directors who bring in movies UNDER budget). The best guess for the advertising budget is around 50 million.
3)Currently, the global box-office returns seem to be running at about 320 million global and we still have several months to run before it closes everywhere, it seems reasonable to assume that by `the time the fat lady sings` it might be somewhere between 350 and 400 million.
So. with a rough total to make of say 250 million, then its already 70 million `in the black`.
4)Its becoming more and more obvious except to the more die hard Hollywood pundits that for most movies the real profits are being made on the long term DVD sales, both direct and indirect.
I wonder if anybody has even thought to factor in any increase in sales for TLTWATW since `Caspian` opened?
 
Disney screwed it up.
1st the advertising of the movie was terrible. Nobody undestood about it. Disney must see what Lucas is doing about oldschool 3d animation, not to mention the Harry Potter strategy of constant leaks.
2nd the strategy of slowly releasing the movie was ridiculous. The buzz was in the USA, but it died and the movie was still not released elsewhere. By that time new hits came and the leaks of the new Clone Wars and Harry Potter movies stole the thunder.
3rd if they targeted 500 million dollars, I think that they are not out of reach. 400 should be possible. The movie is two weeks old in Europe, do not forget this. It was released TODAY in my country.
4th DVD's are more important and I see this movie a hot option for TV stations nin a few years.
5th fantasy sells better on holidays AND is not so hot recently. Caspian is still a solid performer.
Finally, about the series, I can't see the whole saga turned into movies, because the prequel and the Bree book are as action-packed as LWW and PC and book 7 is too grim.
But it is way to early to write off the series.
 
Tweetsie said:
Point is, I can't tell if Disney didn't advertise coz they felt PC would fail or they felt it could suceed w/out advertising. Or did Walden Media ASK Disney to advertise less for them, because they didn't want Narnia as attached to Disney as it is... I have no idea.
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Mrs. Pevensie said:
That is a good point...i never considered that maybe Disney thought PC would just do good on it's own...since it is under the category of huge epic series. Maybe they thought that there was enough of a fan base that they didn't really need to advertise it.
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Well, for starters when one looks at what Disney has put out in things like That's So Raven (a series about a psychic girl), Wizzards of Waverly Place, Twitches 1 and 2, and Halloween Town 1 and 2 it doesn't take a genius to figure out that there are people at Disney in favor of the occult. These aren't all released or played just during October either...it's a year round sort of thing. The public very much sees the Narnia series as Christian despite efforts to promote it as something else. I wasn't shocked by Disney's actions there at all. They care about making money off the series. No more, no less.

PrinceOfTheWest said:
You can try, but it would be a case of amateurs trying to advise experts within the movie industry. Besides, there are probably all manner of factors in play that we have no idea about. I think it would be more fruitful to advise them to stick to the stories more scrupulously, and not mess with characters. Then they'd have a guaranteed fan base who would be happy to spend more and more on their productions. If they keep going on the path they are, they'll alienate them.
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Agreed. And they have alienated several fans of the series, particularly those of us who have been fans for several decades. Granted they've alienated several younger fans as well. If people love the books I don't see how they can't struggle with bits of the films thus far on some level. But, that's just me.

inkspot said:
I don't think anyone wants the movies to be "word for word" from the books -- we liked a lot of the additions to both LWW and PC. What we object to is trampling on the spirit of the books and adding things that would have CS Lewis turning in his grave ...
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I'll settle for the spirit of the characters and films, but I'd prefer closer to the word for word like the BBC series was. At least we know one Narnia series got the scripts right...even if it's one of the only things they got right. However, I don't think we'll even get the spirit of all of the characters....several were lost in PC.

PrinceOfTheWest said:
For my part, I've no particular interest in seeing the movies succeed. As I mentioned in some threads discussing Lion, I don't buy into this cultural mythology that the best possible thing that could happen to books is to be made into movies. Some books have been terribly mutilated in the transition (e.g. Jackson's Lord of the Rings, and the production of Little Women a few years back that was nothing more than a feminist screed.) I'll applaud the movies to the degree that they properly reflect and respect the spirit of the books. If they violate them, I will not only not support the movies, I will oppose them. Whether the movie franchise succeeds is no skin off my nose; in fact, if they don't do justice to the books, I hope they fail.
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Agreed my friend! I'm not so into Lord of the Rings, so I don't follow the films there and can't comment much on them.

inkspot said:
Unlike PoTW I loved PJ's LOTR, so no comparison there. But like PoTW I do not care if the movies succeed, if they are not going to be true versions of the books we love. I would rather they made no more of them than to continue in this vein of making them stray further and further from the intent of the stories.



I don't think the changes from the book are the reason PC hasn't done as well as LWW. LWW had lots of name recognition and many people who have read it never even connected PC to it because they never read any further in the series. The summer release was also a stupid move. But the movie can still do well internationally, and I hope that it does. Then I believe the new director will put VDT back on track.
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I think that the changes didn't help and did hurt...a lot.

BarbarianKing said:
Well said. if they are going to go ahead and mess up a good story then, no thanks!



Exactly, the movies don't have to be word for word. In fact a few changes are good. I did mentioned the change in LWW when they added the scene of the bombing of London. That added to the drama and the point that Lewis was trying to say. It did not detract or oppose the spirit of the book. So some changes are ok. But to make a character opposite of what he is, that's no good.



I will not support them either. If VODT makes the mistake of making substantial changes to a character so as to make it opposite to the intentions of the book, that will be it for me. I will be a very vocal opponent against continuing the series.
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I'm with ya bro!

Mrs. Pevensie said:
oh yes I agree. If they don't stay true to the story...i probably won't make much effort to any other films past VoDT.
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Me neither.

Here's the other thing. I don't want to hear about supporting Narnia just so that a more family friendly film can be out there. If we want more family friendly scripts then people can jolly well go write some. There is NO need to go trashing classics and tearing them to shreds to do that. I want to see Narnia. I love Narnia...as CS Lewis wrote it! I have no interest in scripts that venture toward being fanfiction...they can use the word adaptation but I think it's a little too loose of a term considering the outcome thus far for PC. LWW I'll give them, but PC...no. I could care less about what the filmmakers think they need to do to beef up the scripts to make more money. I want to see Narnia. Not something based on Narnia.

For me, I engage the brain and heart...and thus people can't just slap the name of Narnia on something and have it be so for me. Narnia is encased in 7 books written by CS Lewis. No more, no less. Not the extra little kid stories out there now, not in the fan fics, not in the role playing. No. If the scripts deviate too far then it isn't Narnia any more and it isn't worth my time. If it goes as far as to make what is Narnia in my heart the less I will be the film's worst nightmare. I love the cast and crew, I do. I really think they're wonderful people. But they're dealing with something I love that has changed my life in ways that would take too long to type. I will not support the films if they stray too far. I will be right alongside POTW. I know Specter would consider that mutiny, but he will need to know we love him and make the best of it.

I don't believe the films problems at the box office were totally due to the bad release time. I think they've lost tons of ground and trust with fans. I think they'll be in for a shock in the future. We're not mindless people who will like anything. I think most fans of Lewis in general tend to be slightly more intentional with their thinking and with their lives to just say that they'll support the films regardless of the future content. That leaves too many doors open for me that I think should remain shut. Ah well, there it is.
 
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gogogoff said:
is it me or are all of the Mods on this NARNIA site Anit PC ?
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I don't know about them but I'm against The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by Andrew Adamson, Disney Co., and Walden Media.

Now, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis is something I can happily lend my support to.
 
gogogoff said:
is it me or are all of the Mods on this NARNIA site Anit PC ?
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They have growned up with the book, so it;s OK, many fans of Star Wars OT were against the PT.
Although I love the Star Wars PT and the Caspian movie;)

But I can tell you that - you can have a movie 100% like the book and with this strategy of Disney, it would have ended with the same results.
 
Darth Sparhawk said:
They have growned up with the book, so it;s OK, many fans of Star Wars OT were against the PT.
Although I love the Star Wars PT and the Caspian movie;)

But I can tell you that - you can have a movie 100% like the book and with this strategy of Disney, it would have ended with the same results.
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I agree completely with you Darth Sparhawk. Disney dropped the ball on the Caspian release, but let's hope they learn and fix the problems for VoDT! :)
 
If I am Disney, with VDT I will spend more on advertising and will search for a way to make the movie cheaper without compromising the quality. F.ex. searching new locations to make it, which are equally beautiful, but unknown.:)

And will not release the movie so slowly:mad:
 
OK, this might be a long post--I'm catching up! :D

First, in response to this incredibly piece of written brilliance:
Here's the other thing. I don't want to hear about supporting Narnia just so that a more family friendly film can be out there. If we want more family friendly scripts then people can jolly well go write some. There is NO need to go trashing classics and tearing them to shreds to do that. I want to see Narnia. I love Narnia...as CS Lewis wrote it! I have no interest in scripts that venture toward being fanfiction...they can use the word adaptation but I think it's a little too loose of a term considering the outcome thus far for PC. LWW I'll give them, but PC...no. I could care less about what the filmmakers think they need to do to beef up the scripts to make more money. I want to see Narnia. Not something based on Narnia.

For me, I engage the brain and heart...and thus people can't just slap the name of Narnia on something and have it be so for me. Narnia is encased in 7 books written by CS Lewis. No more, no less. Not the extra little kid stories out there now, not in the fan fics, not in the role playing. No. If the scripts deviate too far then it isn't Narnia any more and it isn't worth my time. If it goes as far as to make what is Narnia in my heart the less I will be the film's worst nightmare. I love the cast and crew, I do. I really think they're wonderful people. But they're dealing with something I love that has changed my life in ways that would take too long to type. I will not support the films if they stray too far. I will be right alongside POTW. I know Specter would consider that mutiny, but he will need to know we love him and make the best of it.

I don't believe the films problems at the box office were totally due to the bad release time. I think they've lost tons of ground and trust with fans. I think they'll be in for a shock in the future. We're not mindless people who will like anything. I think most fans of Lewis in general tend to be slightly more intentional with their thinking and with their lives to just say that they'll support the films regardless of the future content. That leaves too many doors open for me that I think should remain shut. Ah well, there it is.
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YES! I'm with you 100%.

Now, on everything else... ;)

But I can tell you that - you can have a movie 100% like the book and with this strategy of Disney, it would have ended with the same results.
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I think if it had been closer to the book--but not 100%, I agree that with PC that wouldn't work--and barring stupidity from Disney "strategists", PC would have done better, not worse or the same. Lack of long-term advertising, the staggered openings, and not pleasing the fan base are the big three reasons for why it is viewed as not doing as well as it should have.

Regardless of name recognition, if fans like a movie they will come back again and again and pass the word (Pirates of the Caribbean comes to mind, for me. A friend went to see it on a whim, saw it in theaters multiple times, got all her friends hooked on it, bought it, and her friends went with her to see the two sequels the weekends they came out. Lord of the Rings was big because, though changes were made, they did not majorly offend the fan base and the base GREW with movie fans on top of book fans. New merchandise is still coming out and now 2 more movies are being made.

AND I must vehemently disagree with those who don't think the other books worth making into movies after Voyage. Perhaps you should go read the threads about the thoughts and hopes for these future movies and see how devoted book fans--and Narnia in general fans--are of ALL the books. ALL will make excellent movies IF DONE WELL and sufficiently connected via advertising to the Narnia name.
 
gogogoff said:
is it me or are all of the Mods on this NARNIA site Anit PC ?
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Lol - well I'm indifferent if that helps?!

One thing that's been really strange with the film over here is the age they've been angling the film at. Both times I've seen it, and different cinemas, they have shown a 5-10 minute trailer before for a TV channel called CBeebies which is a channel for kids between like 1 and 5!! Then to follow that with a film showing peoples' heads being cut off, deformed creatures such as hags and werewolves, and the general psychologically dark theme just seems preposterous!!! It's quite an insult for an adult audience to go to the film and be made to feel like they're watching a film too young for them too. I don't doubt it's been an incredibly unsuccessful campaign and I wonder what damage it has done to PC's ratings here!?
 
waterhogboy said:
Lol - well I'm indifferent if that helps?!

One thing that's been really strange with the film over here is the age they've been angling the film at. Both times I've seen it, and different cinemas, they have shown a 5-10 minute trailer before for a TV channel called CBeebies which is a channel for kids between like 1 and 5!! Then to follow that with a film showing peoples' heads being cut off, deformed creatures such as hags and werewolves, and the general psychologically dark theme just seems preposterous!!! It's quite an insult for an adult audience to go to the film and be made to feel like they're watching a film too young for them too. I don't doubt it's been an incredibly unsuccessful campaign and I wonder what damage it has done to PC's ratings here!?
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As I said - disastrous strategy.
And still more than $300 mln.:D

EDIT 218 internationally, according to Variety. :) And it is still not over!
 
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