C'mon Hollywood: What does the failure of Dredd tell us?
Sep. 25, 2012
After its premiere at Comic Con this year, fans and critics alike raved about DREDD 3D, a reboot of the popular British comic book created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra and starring Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, and Lena Headey. Directed by Pete Travis, the ultraviolent, slick, and brutal pic was primed to be a solid hit in the hard-R action genre. Sitting at 77% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and with most fan reaction being positive, DREDD 3D looked to have it in the bag.
Then, the numbers came in. A paltry $6 million over a slow weekend in September, competing with the likes of a Clint Eastwood baseball movie, a cheesy horror flick, and a cop drama, DREDD 3D was buried, making only half of what its competition pulled in, which, aside for END OF WATCH, had negative reviews. Audiences were loud and clear that they didn’t much care for what DREDD 3D had to offer or they simply didn’t know enough about it to give a shit. Even with an aggressive campaign by Lionsgate, the trailers and TV spots did little to influence ticket sales.
So, just what the hell happened? I left the theater feeling fully satiated by what I’d seen. DREDD 3D felt like an issue of the comic brought to life, with all the character, blood, gore, brutality, and deadpan comedy one could ask for. In my mind, it was one of the best comic adaptations I’d seen to date. When I saw the numbers on Sunday I was floored. HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET and TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE beat DREDD 3D? They're sitting at 11% and 52% on Rotten Tomatoes!
DREDD 3D’s failure brings up a number of questions: Are audiences tired of comic book flicks? They’ve certainly been inundated with them recently (and will continue to be). Are audiences playing it safe with go-to genres and established names? Jennifer Lawrence is hot off THE HUNGER GAMES and Eastwood is hot off his RNC “chair” speech, so why not? Are audiences “tamed” to PG-13 movies? Have they simply learned to settle for less? Is the R-rated action genre dead? In recent years, we’ve seen the R-rated action genre take a hit, while the comedy genre got a boost. Too many questions with no solid answers.
THE EXPENDABLES 2 originally was shooting for a PG-13 before an R, adding some CGI blood (with almost no profanity) to give the fans “what they want.” Did it make that big of a difference to audiences in terms of ticket sales? Well, it still hasn’t made back it’s $100 million budget, so there’s that. A PG-13 almost always adds a bigger tally, since it opens up to a wider audience. That said, it’s always possible that HOUSE and CURVE are counting money that actually belongs to DREDD 3D, as kids will typically buy a ticket for a PG-13 movie and sneak into an R-rated one (I know I did). I’ll give END OF WATCH its due credit as it earned the top spot with an R-rating and great reviews.
I don’t think DREDD 3D could’ve been done properly without the R-rating. Without the hardcore violence it would’ve lost all edge as the badass film that it is and robbed it completely of its source material integrity. A PG-13 would’ve been a sell out. However, that sell out may have been a prettier picture for Lionsgate’s returns. So, who really wins? Which brings me to my next train of thought; Are some movies destined to be cult films? When you consider the box office of movies like THE EVIL DEAD, FIGHT CLUB, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, OFFICE SPACE, etc., one of the most common traits is their box office failure, with each of them carrying an R-rating.
To me, DREDD 3D seemed to have a wider appeal than cult status, but I’m biased as hell. I’m a comic nerd/film geek, so my thoughts on the matter can be jaded. The average moviegoer seeing a police-officer-guy-with-a-big-helmet-in-an-apocalyptic-future may view the concept as far too odd. DREDD 3D, after all, isn’t a well-known comic in the U.S., at least not as much as THE AVENGERS or Batman. As a character, he’s low on the totem pole in terms of popularity; so to sell him on the heels of his comic roots was always going to be tough.
Then, there’s the issue of the female audience. Let’s face it; most women aren’t into blood-soaked action flicks. Call me sexist, but it’s true. I’m sure a poll in Cosmopolitan would reveal the truth. Chicks want romance, love, and comedy for the most part (which isn’t to say they can’t appreciate some badass action) of which DREDD 3D has none. There isn’t the slightest hint at romance, with Dredd playing it straight from start to finish. Regardless, Olivia Thirlby as Judge Anderson is awesome, exuding strength, vulnerability, and perseverance in a role that easily could’ve been a cheesy annoyance. In the ads, however, she’s played off as nothing more than a presence in the film, rather than a major player with a back-story.
The disappointment of a good film is a hard thing to figure out and the consequences of that failure can be far-reaching. I’m not upset about the loss of sequel potential as much as I am about an R-rated action flick done right being punished for doing so. It’s a slap to the studio for taking the risk and a signal that audiences don’t want R-rated action movies, but PG-13 warmed over dogshit. It’s harsh, but true. The truth is in the numbers and unfortunately, when it all comes down to it, the numbers will determine what we’ll see next. I’m hopeful that more filmmakers and studios will continue to take the risk in the future, but sadly, I think we’ll be seeing more trite PG-13 schlock than kick ass R-rated paragons, like DREDD 3D.
| Extra Tidbit: | What's your favorite box office black sheep? Mine is The Long Kiss Goodnight, which stands as one of my all-time favorite flicks. |
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| Source: | JoBlo.com |
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This isn't the first time this has happened
My take on pete travis's Dredd
Karl Urban?... Damn... He's awesome...
I am if anything a
Karl Urban?... Damn... He's awesome...
I am if anything a reasonable cinema watcher from original's to remakes to basing on of a video game or comics/books and all that in between. I watched the first resident evil movie enjoyed it as if to say it was a different reality not involved in the game, Then resident evil 2(the movie)came out and if you've seen it and you played the games you likely know how that ended... So when hearing what i heard about the new Dredd i thought fine this is as a different universe from that starring Stallone and i will watch it with open mindedness. Though as i said i still came into the movie raising a high brow and believing it to be far less than most people would give credit. But then (When it came to DVD) i watched it...
Instantly i noticed this is a Guy film. If i took "some" girls on a date to see this' I might get slapped, Or at least she wouldn't be very happy. (Exempt' are the girls who would sink they're teeth into Gore, bad-ass guns, fighting, and Action!) The movie was Great! it was new, different, and made me forget i ever had anything against it. If i was to sum it up "The music gets your blood pumping, You want the heroes to win' And. You get to experience a new world with amazing possibilities. When the movie ended i wanted to be a "Judge" and stop criminals just as i did when i saw the first Dredd movie, I also wanted to buy or create a gun that took voice commands.
But something that i thought that was profound' and i believe the creators wanted me to know' that this was just the beginning of the story, And it had me believe that this whole movie was also just a run of the mill day-night cycle for the judge known as "Dredd".
My mind began to process. Then images and story from the "Judge Dredd" comics i used to read when i was younger came flooding in and combined with this movies story, I thought the thoughts of someone who had created a world in writing, The prospects the possibilities and the world that could be shaped into films, A trilogy? or maybe more? I thought the way i imagine people like george lucas or Stan lee might think. Of course i didn't create the ideas of John wagner, Carlos ezquerra, Pat mills, or Pete travis. But as a viewer who enjoys what they see usually does I did in turn make my own ideas, Mind you this all seems a very long and drawn out process but it only took actual seconds to think on all these things.
I had been put into what every person who created a movie wants his/her fans to be put into'
"An imaginative or interested state that leaves us wanting more".
After few moments something hit me and i thought "Wait, Did i remember someone saying that this movie bombed?" Quicker than i remember i grabbed a computer and checked Dredd's Domestic total gross and knew exactly what it could mean for the franchise. "Really?" I said Surprised by the low end that has been made by this non stop in your face action flick.
Well... Then i remembered, What was my disposition toward this movie when it first came out?
I could have taken or left it right when I heard about it. (like the idea of remaking mad max. Damn you!) And that's what I imagined most of the older fans did, Then, people who might have never heard of Dredd could have went to the movie leaving its profit in a small margin. In short the probable millions of Judge Dredd fans were not moved to see it' Though, It had appeal' we as the masses were not properly informed to what was going on with one of our heroes.
As i said i saw this movie on DVD and had no true expectations until i saw it. And i do regret not seeing it in theater's.
I want this story to have another chapter, I want these actors, Creators, And artists to be able to create more, I want to see where this can go. And' how far into this world we' can go. Just as you do when you read a good book i want something more. This movie doesn't deserve to just be dropped at its begging, But in my opinion should be fought for so that we may see its end.
In closing, I love the idea of this type of movie, I will tell all of the people I' know and those that i don't to give it a chance, And i will hope that regardless of a bad start' that those who made this movie will make another and with luck' Maybe another.
What
It's got nothing to do with the fact that it's a comic book movie it's got to do with what Dredd is. I went to see it and while I thought there were some cool sequences and it wasn't a horrible flick...it's not something I'd watch more than a few times now and then. I have since bought it on blu-ray but it's still sitting on my coffee table sealed as I'm in no rush to see it again. Say what you want but it's another throw away action movie that we get dozens of a year. I agree that marketing probably had a good bit to do with it's dismal numbers but you can't escape the fact that it is what it is. What set it apart from the multitude of bloody action flicks that come out all the time? Again some neat sequences but overall ...meh. We've seen the movie Dredd a hundred times in the last few years. Not everyone wants to pay to see it again and again. Before you do what the internet does best and tell me how much of an idiot I am (because you know me better than me right?), I liked the movie. I own the movie. I am one of you who like movies like this. But it is getting stale. This movie was better than a lot of movies of it's kind, but not great.
A number of things, really...
The movie is a throwback to hard R 80s/90s action films and while it does that really well, there really isn't much beyond that on its mind (but it seems to do it so much better than anything else like that right now). Which is fine and all, but at least for me, I have to be in the right mood for it. It's not a fun movie, either. After seeing it, I'm glad I didn't pay to go see it. It was ok, for what it was. I was entertained.
Dredd's failure certainly isn't any indication that people are getting tired of comicbook movies. The marvel and Batman movies are certainly proof of that.
Marketing
"Call me sexist"
why
The general audience prefers cheesy superheroes to dark, realistic or violent characters.
Finally, the general audience prefers crap movies. Dredd is not the first, you've had The Crow, Serenity... unfortunately for them they were good movies.
We'll see how Dredd performs internationally...
The general audience prefers cheesy superheroes to dark, realistic or violent characters.
Finally, the general audience prefers crap movies. Dredd is not the first, you've had The Crow, Serenity... unfortunately for them they were good movies.
We'll see how Dredd performs internationally...
there's no accounting...
I have to agree
I don't think R-rated action films are dead though, the success of the Resident Evil and Expendables films is proof enough of that(Exp 2 made 285 million total, so while it didn't outperform the original domestically, it's still far from a failure, also I didn't hear anything about CGI blood being added in, so I think the PG-13 thing was just a rumor)
I think R-rated comic book adaptions are more likely to be dead(unless Sin City 2 is a big hit) , with the exception of 300 and Sin City, they've all failed to really gain an audience. So we'll still get R-rated action films, but don't expect to see an adaption of Preacher anytime soon.
P.S. There's another possiblity of why the film didn't do so well, audiences are getting sick and tired of 3-D and most theaters showing Dredd had few or no 2-D showings for those who didn't feel like paying a surcharge, so they prefered to wait until DVD rather then paying 12 bucks.
While the 3-D was decent, I personally don't feel that it was worth 2 extra bucks and I think the film would've done better if it wasn't made in 3-D.
18 rating
18 rating
Damn Stupid movie-goers
My only beef is with pushing 3D on people by having 2 or 3 regular showings. This will cost the studio money. It's the main reason I will not see the new Resident Evil movie in theatres. (btw Urban nailed it!!)
My only beef is with pushing 3D on people by having 2 or 3 regular showings. This will cost the studio money. It's the main reason I will not see the new Resident Evil movie in theatres. (btw Urban nailed it!!)
Great movie but...
Nobody knows Dredd. Nobody knew about 300. Separate properties that resulted in very different movies
Lions Gate did to Dredd what they did with Conan: they tried too hard to make it something that would make money and didn't care enough about making an amazing movie that could be reflected in a trailer.
Oh well. Lions Gate has been too cocky for years. I don't think anyone who has dealt with them would
Lions Gate did to Dredd what they did with Conan: they tried too hard to make it something that would make money and didn't care enough about making an amazing movie that could be reflected in a trailer.
Oh well. Lions Gate has been too cocky for years. I don't think anyone who has dealt with them would weep at the news of their bankruptcy.
Last Weekend Should Have Been A No-brainer.
Didn't see it because of the shootout clip posted in this article
Skip this and see The Master. A film that all it's trailer needs is a guy sitting in the chair being asked some questions to sell audiences. That's what I will spend $10 to see.
Not sure what to think, maybe all of the above?
1. 3D, i cant stand it, and don't want to watch films that have it
(if the critics, and everyone didn't rave id have waited till blu-ray)
2. Karl Urban's voice, he didnt need to alter, i find it annoying.. his voice in Lord of the Rings would have been fine
3. A heroin villain, i cant by it that a female is the main villain that an entire underworld fears.. I don't know the
1. 3D, i cant stand it, and don't want to watch films that have it
(if the critics, and everyone didn't rave id have waited till blu-ray)
2. Karl Urban's voice, he didnt need to alter, i find it annoying.. his voice in Lord of the Rings would have been fine
3. A heroin villain, i cant by it that a female is the main villain that an entire underworld fears.. I don't know the plot or details, what i do know is that in an action film i look forward to a climatic ending with a kick ass fight sign. I.E Stallone vs. JCVD in EX2. I don't anticipate there being one at the end, Dredd shouldn't have a difficult time judging this female villain.
GOOD MOVIE, BAD MARKETING, NICHE AUDIENCE
All in all I enjoyed the hell out of it. I'm a quasi-fanboy myself. I dig the genre but have no comics. So, I do research on characters and Dredd is just a plain and simple a great character. Maybe it's all the blood. Dark Knight certainly proved you don't have to be a goody too shoes to sell tickets. Who knows? It's sad though because with all the crap that Hollywood churns out, it's a great bad/good character like this that will probably never see the light of day again in what I hoped would be a sequel. Hope may not be lost but it's slim that we will see dynamic characters like this on the big screen.
It's like Hollywood cuts their own throat. In order to bring people into the theatre they must provide compelling characters to keep movies intersesting yet they do little to promote them when they have a good one just sitting there waiting to break.
3D!
Take for example, "300". It had no recognizable stars, a fledgling director, and was a hard R-rated
Take for example, "300". It had no recognizable stars, a fledgling director, and was a hard R-rated movie based on a fairly obscure graphic novel. Yet, WB marketed the shit outta that movie, and went on to make $200 million in domestic totals.
Title of my post
I'm not a mathematician but I would guess it didn't do well because everybody was talking shit about the movie LOOOOONG before it even came out. Just a guess. I could be wrong.
I'm not a mathematician but I would guess it didn't do well because everybody was talking shit about the movie LOOOOONG before it even came out. Just a guess. I could be wrong.
this has NOTHING to do with 'comic book movies'
I really, really, really do not think it has anything to do with being a comic book movie. If people were sick of comic book movies there wouldn't be so many (continued) hit comic book movies... The problem
I really, really, really do not think it has anything to do with being a comic book movie. If people were sick of comic book movies there wouldn't be so many (continued) hit comic book movies... The problem with Dredd isn't that it was a comic book movie, but that it was a straight up action movie. Unfortunately it isn't a new revelation either, but American audiences especially just don't dig action flicks like they used to. A total shame and a disgrace for sure, but what can ya do.
Extra Tidbit
"That's a duck not a dick."
"That's a duck not a dick."
NO. MATTER. WHAT.
NO. MATTER. WHAT.
I think it may just be a case of a character not being well known in the US. When the ads show a masked guy in a sci-fi costume it just did not make a connection. Maybe it'll do well in Europe where the comic is better known.
I think it may just be a case of a character not being well known in the US. When the ads show a masked guy in a sci-fi costume it just did not make a connection. Maybe it'll do well in Europe where the comic is better known.
I loved DREDD
Didn't feel like a comic book film to me
Aggressive marketing campaign?
And you have to mention 3d as a reason why it flopped. It was more expensive to see the film than any other new release because it was only showing in 3d. People are gonna pay the extra if they're almost certain that the movie will be worthed. If there is any doubt - and a remake of a bad film based on comic very few know with no stars in it has its share of doubts - they will keep their
And you have to mention 3d as a reason why it flopped. It was more expensive to see the film than any other new release because it was only showing in 3d. People are gonna pay the extra if they're almost certain that the movie will be worthed. If there is any doubt - and a remake of a bad film based on comic very few know with no stars in it has its share of doubts - they will keep their money or spend it somewhere safe.
I loved the film and loved the 3d but it should never be forced on people.
Evil Dead was a flop?
It Could Still Pick Up Momentum
Did you check how many theaters were playing Dredd?
Then again, it could also be people like me, who still wants to see it, but decided to do something else over the weekend aside from going to the theater. Actually, this has been a really bad year as far as my attendance at movies goes. Maybe I'll catch it next weekend, before it completely vanishes.
timing and recognition
timing and recognition
Tidbit: CUTTHROAT ISLAND FTW!
timing and recognition
Lack of 2D option...
Still, the lack of an option probably turned off some people at my local movie house.
Still, the lack of an option probably turned off some people at my local movie house.
double post!
3D is teh gay!
Why does GOD hate Karl Urban??
sick of reboots
sick of reboots
hope every reboot fails
reboot means hey i can think of anything new so ill write about something that already exists and add a twist
THAT IS NOT INNOVATIVE AND WHY THESE MOVIES WILL FAIL!!!
hope every reboot fails
reboot means hey i can think of anything new so ill write about something that already exists and add a twist
THAT IS NOT INNOVATIVE AND WHY THESE MOVIES WILL FAIL!!!
Seriously? Did you fail to notice how much money The Amazing Spider-man The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers made this summer? Dredd is not a well known character, main stream audiences probably think back to Stallone's version and have little to no interest in a character they know nothing about. Simple as that. And the marketing campaign sucked. If it wasn't for this site I'm not sure I would have heard much about it.
Seriously? Did you fail to notice how much money The Amazing Spider-man The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers made this summer? Dredd is not a well known character, main stream audiences probably think back to Stallone's version and have little to no interest in a character they know nothing about. Simple as that. And the marketing campaign sucked. If it wasn't for this site I'm not sure I would have heard much about it.
Variety of reasons....
I agree this is alarming...
Another issue might have been...
Timing
I really don't like how supposedly a film's success hinges on how its performance on opening weekend. Honestly with all the buzz this movie was getting from the past couple months I figured this would have a decent showing this weekend.
I really don't like how supposedly a film's success hinges on how its performance on opening weekend. Honestly with all the buzz this movie was getting from the past couple months I figured this would have a decent showing this weekend.
MARKETING
And Trouble with the Curve wasn't nearly a bad film like you're making it out to be. I rather enjoyed the film.
And Trouble with the Curve wasn't nearly a bad film like you're making it out to be. I rather enjoyed the film.
Call me optimistic...
Kinda hard...
Genre hate strikes again
I was barely aware that this movie was being released this weekend, all that I've seen around Chicago are a few posters. If the studio wants to push, they can push. This was a dump, nothing more.
I was barely aware that this movie was being released this weekend, all that I've seen around Chicago are a few posters. If the studio wants to push, they can push. This was a dump, nothing more.