• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Universal's DOLITTLE starring Robert Downey Jr. (1/17/20)
0

17 posts in this topic

Quote

Despite boasting a top-10 worldwide hit at the box office in Hobbs & Shaw ($759 million), Universal endured a disappointing 2019 overall. The studio, which has long nipped at Disney’s heels without the assistance of superheroes, finished fourth in domestic market share last year, the first time it has fallen outside of the top three since 2016 (but if you include subsidiary Focus Features, Universal climbs to No. 3). Cats, which drew the fascinated ridicule of the internet, reportedly lost the studio $100 million and this weekend’s Dolittle, which stars Robert Downey Jr. and cost a whopping $185 million to produce, is expected to result in a similarly rough write down. That’s a sub-optimal way to kick off a new decade.

 

But Universal is arguably the most resilient and creative studio in all of Hollywood. Outside of the Fast & Furious and Jurassic World series, they aren’t flush with blockbuster franchises like Disney and Warner Bros. Instead, the studio relies on talent-friendly originality to conjure up box office magic and there’s reason to believe that a big rebound is coming in 2020. Looking at the release schedule, it appears that Universal possesses at least one high-upside film in each major quarter of the year.

 

Next month, Universal will release Elisabeth Moss’ The Invisible Man, a modern take on the classic H.G. Wells tale. In some ways, this version—which roots itself in psychological horror—is an opportunity for redemption following the studio’s failed Dark Universe, which was to be populated by classic monster-movie characters such as the Mummy, Frankenstein and Dracula. But it is when Universal tries to be Disney that it stumbles most often. In a clear pivot, the studio is now focused on filmmaker-driven standalone efforts for its classic movie monster IP rather than a cumbersome shared cinematic universe. The Invisible Man is a fresh, low risk-high reward gamble from the bang-for-your-buck Blumhouse Productions, a banner known for wringing out major profits from compelling low-budget horror.

 

In April, Universal will handle the international distribution for Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond in No Time to Die. The 25th 007 film is all but guaranteed to be a box office hit. Both Spectre ($680 million) and Skyfall ($804 million) cleaned up in overseas ticket sales so Universal should expect a decent chunk of change. Subsidiary DreamWorks Animation will also release Trolls World Tour after the first film earned nearly $350 million worldwide. Between that and Illumination, Universal has devoted serious resources to developing successful entertainment aimed at kids and families, one of the most reliable ticket-buying demographics in cinema.

 

One month later, Fast & Furious 9 speeds into theaters. Though Dwayne Johnson will not star in this latest installment, the film is still expected to threaten the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. In July, Minions: The Rise of Gru will hit; the family-friendly franchise, along with its Despicable Me counterpart, has been a consistent $1 billion box office generator. The spring and summer months should be fruitful for the studio.

 

Closing out the year will be Halloween Kills, the sequel to last year’s decades-in-the-making sequel that earned $160 million domestic against a $10 million budget (toldja, bang for your buck). Horror has quietly become Hollywood’s most consistently bankable genre and between Blumhouse Productions and a new five-year exclusive first-look deal with Jordan Peele, Universal has this lane covered. And don’t sleep on The Croods 2 during that enticing December holiday stretch after the 2013 original scored nearly $600 million worldwide.

Looks like Universal will have some redemption coming.

Edited by Bosco685
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

Like most modern "movie stars," Robert Downey Jr. isn't a draw outside of his marquee franchise. Audiences want to see him as Iron Man (and occasionally Sherlock Holmes), not as Doctor Dolittle.

 

Yes, Dolittle is going to be a costly bomb for Universal and friends. Yes, it’s embarrassing coming so soon after Cats, even if $29 million for the Fri-Mon frame likely would have been okay had Dolittle cost what Cats did ($95 million) instead of $175 million. There’s lots of “What went wrong?” takes to be had, and I’d like to again emphasize the madness of that budget. For reference, Universal “only” spent $170 million on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, that that’s after Jurassic World earned $1.671 billion worldwide. But a big issue, even if the budget had been closer to $100 million than $200 million, lies in its top-billed star. Simply put, outside of the Iron Man suit, Robert Downey Jr. is not and has never been a “butts in the seats” box office draw.

 

That I say Downey Jr. is not a “face on the poster” movie star in the vein of Leonardo DiCaprio or Denzel Washington is not a commentary on his value as a human being or his incontestable worth as an actor. But being a terrific actor and/or a genuinely good/nice person does not automatically translate into being a box office draw. Nor, and this is key, does starring in a hugely successful IP and/or character-specific franchise translate into audiences wanting to see you in any other movie outside of that franchise. Yes, audiences wanted to see Iron Man and the fact that Robert Downey Jr. was playing him made the project more interesting/enticing to general moviegoers. But audiences had comparatively little interest in Dolittle, and that it starred Downey Jr. wasn’t nearly enough of a draw.

 

We’ve seen this over and over. In the new normal that is Hollywood over the last decade, actors and actresses have been replaced by brands, IP and character-specific franchises. Chris Hemsworth is worth his weight in gold as Thor, but he’s not worth much in essentially any non-MCU movie he’s made since the first Thor back in 2011. In a prior time, his good looks, comic instincts, gravitas and onscreen charisma may well have made him a “face on the poster” draw in various original and/or high-concept studio programmers. But today, audiences who love Thor don’t show up (or barely showed up) for Rush, Blackhat, In the Heart of the Sea, 12 Strong and/or Huntsman: Winter’s War. You probably loved Black Panther, but did you see Chadwick Boseman’s 21 Bridges in theaters? Statistically speaking, you probably did not.

I liked him a lot in 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' prior to his Iron Man role.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
0