The Year of the Movie Franchise? An overview of films in 2015
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Citing the year's biggest winners and losers both financially and critically, Deep Focus Film Studies looks back at 2015, a year of film dominated by sequels and spin-offs.
by Bryn V. Young-Roberts It was a year full of promise for fan-boys (and girls) of many long-running series, a year for the studios to really rake in the dosh from sequels and spin-offs. In fact the first 3 films I watched in January were all third instalments in existing properties, and it pretty much set the tone for the year. It began with Peter Jackson’s conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy, the action-packed and therefore aptly titled Battle of the Five Armies (2014). While being the least profitable of the series, its grossing just under a billion dollars meant that distributor Warner Bros weren’t going to lose any sleep over it. |
The same can be said of Ben Stiller’s family fun comedy Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014), which failed to perform as well as its two predecessors but still managed to take back $356 million, considerably more than double its budget. A profitable but unworthy affair was Liam Neeson’s fist-fest Taken 3, which grossed almost 7 times its $48 million budget. With almost no shame, but an occasionally slight guilty look in co-star Forest Whitaker’s eye, the trilogy closed with an obvious and audacious final cash-in which voids the brand’s credibility for any future film-makers wishing to helm an episode.
The release was soon followed by its spiritual kin The Gunman, Sean Penn’s attempt at cashing-in on the current tolerance of geriatric action stars. Although competently made and mildly engaging, the Pierre Morel (Taken, 2009) directed $40 million thriller is ultimately disposable, but perhaps was slightly more deserving of attention than its failed box office receipts of a world-wide gross of only $13.6 million suggested, if only for having had the tenacity of not being a sequel.
Despite The Avengers: Age of Ultron proving a disappointment for many fans it still managed to be the second highest grossing film of the year, ultimately bringing in just short of a ridiculous $1.5 Billion. |
Companion film Ant-Man performed less impressively, struggling to reach a third of the amount and being the first Marvel film to have its future sequels questioned, although lucrative international sales later secured it as an on-going presence. While Ant-Man may have been a slight headache for Marvel, Terminator Genisys was a full-on cardiac arrest for Paramount, the film failing to regain practically even half its budget back in the domestic market. Although a saggy-skinned cyborg from the future may not have been to American audience’s tastes that summer, the foreign markets acted as a defibrillator and helped boost the financial flop from a tragic death to a mere embarrassment, eventually paying-off the $155 million budget and earning the sci-fi action flick a profitable, but disappointing $440 million. As a result Paramount’s two planned sequels and TV spin-off series have been placed on ‘indefinite hold’.
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The greatest financial success of the year was easily Jurassic World, a film that had been plagued with difficulties during production but eventually managed to become a $1.6 billion dollar grossing brachiosaurus able to defeat the likes of Marvel and Pixar to the number one spot. While the film itself is typical CGI monster fun with poor dialogue and a nonsensical plot, its popularity proves that kids still clearly love dinosaurs, and possibly Chris Pratt. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was too late an entry in the year to truly compete for top placing, but its 2 weeks in 2015 has already seen it blast the dinosaur movie’s world record for highest ever grossing weekend, raising the figure from $525 million to $529 million. Although Star Wars’ trajectory promises it to be one of the most lucrative movies of all time, a highly derivative story and a dull villain may yet harm its full financial potential.
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With similar financial success and equally similar plots, the spy genre had a lucrative outing this year as Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and James Bond’s 24th feature Spectre found themselves competing very closely for the position of best action-thriller. The Tom Cruise film managed $700 million, a new record for the franchise, but the Sam Mendez-directed Bond eventually earned a respectable $836 million, which likely due to some critical fan reaction, was about $300 million less than the previous instalment, Skyfall (2012).
Of all the year’s sequels on offer the greatest in terms of critical acclaim is perhaps Mad Max: Fury Road which, oddly for a testosterone-fuelled action film, won praise from feminists. |
While the film-makers have been quick to express their pride in the unexpected success of the movie, its $373 million gross is somewhat lessened by the fact it cost $150 million to make. Still, for a film that has been in Production Hell since 1997 it seems to have fared well, especially when we consider that principal photography actually wrapped way back in 2012. Traditionally, such a long period between filming and release is a sign that a studio knows it has a flop on its hands *cough, Red Dawn (2012), cough*. Seemingly having dosed up on Viagra, Fury Road is one potential flop that managed to satisfy, and the further post-apocalyptic adventures of Max are already assured.
While sequels proved lucrative at the box office, creatively many left a large void in the cinematic landscape, which smaller offerings were eager to fulfil. Bored of the bland, generic and unoriginal offerings of CGI-led spectacle, a small section of the ticket-buying public found themselves enamoured by Denis Villeneuve’s take on the US war on drugs in Sicario, which brought in an impressive $78 million on a budget of only $30 million. Perhaps a victim of its own success, the film is now slated to be only the first of many and is destined to join the ever expanding list of film series’ on offer.
For the more sophisticated pallet audiences turned to Shakespeare for some old-school violence, the Michael Fassbender led Macbeth being possibly the highest grossing version to date – although its $8.6 million takings fall far short of its rumoured $15-20 million budget. A film that made a big bang in profits was Professor Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything, with a $122 million gross that made its $15 million budget seem almost insignificant. As a result Eddie Redmayne has not only gained critical acclaim, but has become a bankable star.
For the more sophisticated pallet audiences turned to Shakespeare for some old-school violence, the Michael Fassbender led Macbeth being possibly the highest grossing version to date – although its $8.6 million takings fall far short of its rumoured $15-20 million budget. A film that made a big bang in profits was Professor Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything, with a $122 million gross that made its $15 million budget seem almost insignificant. As a result Eddie Redmayne has not only gained critical acclaim, but has become a bankable star.
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HIGHS AND LOWS OF 2015
Financial success of the studios aside, 2015 was mostly a year of disappointments for the more discerning audience members. Creatively most franchises only appealed to the lowest common denominator, with Star Wars, James Bond, Marvel, Terminator and Taken all providing fare that seemed like lobotomised versions of previous incarnations.
Financial success of the studios aside, 2015 was mostly a year of disappointments for the more discerning audience members. Creatively most franchises only appealed to the lowest common denominator, with Star Wars, James Bond, Marvel, Terminator and Taken all providing fare that seemed like lobotomised versions of previous incarnations.
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Elsewhere we were delivered enjoyable, if ultimately mediocre, original content. Mathew Vaughan’s Kingsman: The Secret Service reminded us that Bond used to be fun, Legend played as a great black comedy rather than a classic gangster movie and showcased just how good Tom Hardy can really be. The Martian was an unexpectedly fun movie from the usually downbeat Ridley Scott, and the Japanese Assassination Classroom was one of the strangest distractions ever committed to mainstream film. For a moment, Tom Hanks’ Bridge of Spies seemed set to be one of the best political thrillers ever, but lacked any real edge to be either a gritty historical piece or cinematic landmark. The same can also be said for Ron Howard’s In The Heart of the Sea, which proved an enjoyable couple of hours that didn’t really say much.
High points of the year included the return of the Back to the Future trilogy to cinemas in October (rather telling that one of the best on offer this year was actually from a few decades ago), the great outcome of potential disaster Mad Max: Fury Road, the touching and surprisingly mature Pixar film Inside Out, the gripping but somehow not depressing tragic true story of Everest, and the self-aware narrative of Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van. Although it may have added nothing new to the rom-com genre, fans of Bollywood also got to enjoy Anil Kapoor’s popular fun family romp Dil Dhadakne Do as a highlight.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2016
The following year once again fills superhero fans with promise as they are no doubt already salivating over the arrival of the ridiculously titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, failed buddy-movie Captain America: Civil War, a return to cartoonish-looking villains in X-Men: Apocalypse, the irritating tones of rom-com lead Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Will Smith’s second attempt at the genre as a part of the Suicide Squad, and scenery-chewer Benedict Cumberbatch’s turn as Doctor Strange.
Sci-fi and fantasy fans will see Star Wars: Rogue One become the most successful stand-alone film of the franchise (the studio are banking on it making even more than Ewoks: Caravan of Courage), Star Trek Fast and Furious (sorry, Star Trek Beyond) explores what science fiction will look like with Idris Elba and dirt bikes, for reasons which are not yet clear Ghostbusters is remade with women, while Independence Day: Resurgence is going to attempt to deliver a fun Will Smith film minus the Will Smith.
The following year once again fills superhero fans with promise as they are no doubt already salivating over the arrival of the ridiculously titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, failed buddy-movie Captain America: Civil War, a return to cartoonish-looking villains in X-Men: Apocalypse, the irritating tones of rom-com lead Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Will Smith’s second attempt at the genre as a part of the Suicide Squad, and scenery-chewer Benedict Cumberbatch’s turn as Doctor Strange.
Sci-fi and fantasy fans will see Star Wars: Rogue One become the most successful stand-alone film of the franchise (the studio are banking on it making even more than Ewoks: Caravan of Courage), Star Trek Fast and Furious (sorry, Star Trek Beyond) explores what science fiction will look like with Idris Elba and dirt bikes, for reasons which are not yet clear Ghostbusters is remade with women, while Independence Day: Resurgence is going to attempt to deliver a fun Will Smith film minus the Will Smith.
Jason Bourne returns for a fifth outing, this time with Matt Damon back as the lead, while Ben Stiller finally tries to capitalise on the success of Zoolander (2001) with a long-awaited sequel. A remake of Roman epic Ben-Hur (1959) will try to make sword and sandals popular once again as, perhaps with less ceremony, a remake of British sitcom Dad’s Army will try to make war fun.
Other comedic promises include the Coen brother’s Hail Caesar! and Shane Black’s latest venture Nice Guys. In addition to all this? We have Steven Spielberg returning to children’s films with his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG! |
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