We live in a movie-making world where performance doesn’t matter nearly as much as it used to. The audience as judge and jury is an outdated concept, and if you’re movie doesn’t earn its money back, that doesn’t mean the funeral pyre needs to be erected.
Green Lantern wasn’t exactly dead as a doornail when it hit the box office – it just didn’t shoot up through the stratosphere the way Warners undoubtedly hoped it would. Now, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the studio wants to move forward with the franchise even while admitting their disappointment.
And why not? Despite all the nascent hand-wringing from box office pundits about the movie not making much money, it will more than make its budget and advertising budget back. Why? Because it’s headed to an international box office that will more than take care of its production cost, and it’s got an ace up its sleeve: toy sales and burger tie-ins. We don’t always think about revenue to be made outside the theater, but Green Lantern has bigger, plastic aspirations. Plus, none of this considers home video sales.
But who really cares about all that except executives? The real question is whether or not a new story will help fans, and the answer is yes.
First, the cons:
- Financial risk for the studio. Yawn.
- Another hohum movie with second act problems that no one is really clamoring for.
There may be only one pro, but it trumps any con out there:
- Another shot at getting it right.
Fire Blake Lively. Get a director that has a better sense of humor. Get a script written by a single person (or a writing team that works together). Stop being afraid of creating something awesome with heart. Forget about making a movie by committee and hoping it doesn’t turn into a lumbering Frankenstein’s monster.
Assemble a team and give them what they need to make magic. Then, let it happen. Warners seems to do that with every other property except the ones they need to work the most. Why? Because it’s human nature to smother something that important.
Green Lantern 2 would be a welcome fixture in theaters, at least for me, because it would be an opportunity to really see the character soar. We didn’t get it the first time around, but if Warners wants to take a second go at it, I’ll be waiting in line with my fingers crossed.
What do you think?
Related Topics: Comics
