** Star Wars Episode VII - SPOILERS WITHIN **

[aardvark]

They didn't need to play it safe...Thats the whole point!

i think they did - its not just this film, they won't make all the money back on this film - they are building a franchise of multiple films. I think a lot of people would turn off if it was a prequel quality film.
I would have liked it to be more different, more original, but i understand why they made what they made.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

The script was in a such a mess...They were re-writing it mid production...

I'm so glad I can see the light....

Mid production re-writes aren't a new phenomenon though. Apocalypse Now has to be the poster child for this due to the various problems with key actors such Brando arriving on set hugely overweight and Martin Sheen having a heart attack.

The sci-fi genre is no stranger to this as I remember reading about Blade Runner and the entire Aliens saga being"difficult" projects.

 

[easyrider]

they won't make all the money back on this film .

Seriously?

Come on!

Mid production re-writes aren't a new phenomenon though. Apocalypse Now has to be the poster child for this due to the various problems with key actors such Brando arriving on set hugely overweight and Martin Sheen having a heart attack.

The sci-fi genre is no stranger to this as I remember reading about Blade Runner and the entire Aliens saga being"difficult" projects.

That was due to production problems actors etc...Blade runner was not written By Scott...The problems arose from Fancher and Peoples.

 

[neoboy]

Didn't Harrison Ford break his leg too? Now that I been reading more about the production looks like they had to change some of the shots to only capture his top half, etc

 

[Steampunk]

Didn't Harrison Ford break his leg too? Now that I been reading more about the production looks like they had to change some of the shots to only capture his top half, etc

Yeah, he did. During filming a hydraulic door fell on his leg. That's probably why he runs like he needs a hip replacement.

 

[aardvark]

Seriously?

Come on!

The $4 billion paid for the rights - is it going to make that much profit? i doubt it.
A film also usually has to make at least double to triple its production cost to start making a profit.
Its a lot of money and time to invest in something.

 

[Steampunk]

As I've got older, I've found myself enjoying fewer and fewer movies. Most of my "Top 10" are from previous decades.

As much as it would be easy to say it's me, that I'm becoming more critical... I somehow doubt that.

I do think that, for instance, good scripts and good dialogue are becoming a rarity in modern films. "Suspend disbelief" is fine to a point. But it doesn't excuse slack film-making. Modern films have good visuals and elaborate sets, lavish costumes, etc. But they sacrifice the basics. The plot. The dialogue. The continuity. The sanity checking.

And fans are more ready to ignore all of this; prepared to completely turn off their critical eye to be entertained.

It's probably an issue with blockbusters. There is now a Hollywood playbook on how to write a blockbuster, written by a screenwriter who even tells you how to structure the movie and how many pages each different part should take. Always eager to play safe for maximum return, Hollywood has been using this a lot.

That doesn't mean there aren't great movies out there, just they are not the blockbusters which now seem to follow a certain formula. The reason why the blockbusters all seem familiar is because you have seen them all before. I mean, look at how many romances and rom-coms all follow "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back", but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy one that's been well made.

 

[Gerard]

Do we ever really know how much a movie makes in totality anyway? we have box office numbers but its rarely you ever see numbers for dvd, bluray, digital download, rentals etc. Even factoring in the merchandise that is a direct result of the movie. Seems we get box office numbers and thats it when there's obviously a lot more to it.

 

[Gerard]

dp

 

[FoxEye]

Do we ever really know how much a movie makes in totality anyway? we have box office numbers but its rarely you ever see numbers for dvd, bluray, digital download, rentals etc. Even factoring in the merchandise that is a direct result of the movie. Seems we get box office numbers and hats it when there's obviously a lot more to it.

No. Thanks to Hollywood accounting, every film makes a loss.

 

[Dicehunter]

Can someone clarify how Poe Dameron escapes the first order and ends up at the base of the resistance for me please ?

 

[FrankJH]

Do we ever really know how much a movie makes in totality anyway? we have box office numbers but its rarely you ever see numbers for dvd, bluray, digital download, rentals etc. Even factoring in the merchandise that is a direct result of the movie. Seems we get box office numbers and thats it when there's obviously a lot more to it.

To be fair Disney have already released that it cost $250m to make upto this point, and with merchandising and DVD/BR sales to come box office officiandos have already said there is potential for another approx $200m on top

So far opening weekend has totalled about $517m (and that's without release in China in Jan, which could be a major market - Disney are certaining marketing it as so) globally

I think its fair to say the film is going make a decent profit


edit - of course Disney bought LucasFilm for ~£4bn so put that into the numbers and it still has a way to go hahaha

edit - just one Production cost breakdown for anyone interested (totals to $201m so far)
http://disneyexaminer.com/2015/07/2...o-make-star-wars-episode-7-the-force-awakens/

The $4 billion paid for the rights - is it going to make that much profit? i doubt it.
A film also usually has to make at least double to triple its production cost to start making a profit.
Its a lot of money and time to invest in something.

Jurassic World made approx. $1.7bn worldwide in the box office (they may have included initial DVD/BR totals with this I haven't seen it confirmed or not)

Given that TFA made similar amounts as JW in the first weekend (JW opening weekend figures incl China, TFA opens there in Jan) I would guess Disney are hoping for similar performance at the cinema.

Also consider that licensing cost can be spread over at least 5 major films at the very least (VIII & IX and a spin off either side of ep VIII), not just EpVII

 

[oldestgregg]

How much do we think we'll see Luke fight? What is Hamill actually capable of now?

I thought his 2 minute cameo was the worst acted part of the film...which was hard considering he had no lines! It looked like he was taking a dump

 

[Skeeter]

The said they cut Lukes role right back because every time they tried to use him it overpowered the rest of the story. I hope that continues through the rest of the trilogy too. He could take on a Yoda style role, providing guidance and telling the back story, but ultimately I'd like to see the new cast take center stage.

 

[easyrider]

Hes quite openly not a fan of the films, isn't he? Being at the end of your career playing a role you wish was dead in a film franchise you don't like is hardly going to produce your career best performance, is it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Harrison Ford was paid 76 times what newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega were

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...newcomers-daisy-ridley-and-john-a6780391.html

 

[Raymond Lin]

I just saw it again, this time in an afternoon showing full of kids, some as young as 5! The dad next to me read every single word to his daughter during the intro credit.

Anyway, the movie still works second time round, Daisy Ridley is really amazing in this, she express all the right emotions at all the right moments that makes the scenes believable, from first time seeing a planet full of green to finding out the Force is real, to thinking Fin has died, to the disappointment of not getting enough rations for her work.

 

[FrankJH]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Harrison Ford was paid 76 times what newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega were

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...newcomers-daisy-ridley-and-john-a6780391.html

Makes for a great headline - but its not like HF is being paid hugely over the odds by today's standards for a major character. Align this with how unknown the other two are and it just magnifies the difference.

I'm sure they will get a lot more for the subsequent films

 

[easyrider]

Daisy Ridley is really amazing in this, she express all the right emotions at all the right moments that makes the scenes believable, from first time seeing a planet full of green to finding out the Force is real, to thinking Fin has died, to the disappointment of not getting enough rations for her work.

Daisy Ridley: JJ Abrams called my acting ‘wooden’

 

[Skeeter]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Harrison Ford was paid 76 times what newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega were

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...newcomers-daisy-ridley-and-john-a6780391.html

All I can think of as a response to that is.... so?

Are you somehow surprised that long standing actors get paid more than newcomers?

 

[Skeeter]

Daisy Ridley on her very first day of filming: JJ Abrams called my acting ‘wooden’

Fixed.