“Hollywood Hits the Books”
It’s time for fall movie previews and here’s a good one from the Wall Street Journal. Their meme? With name actors unable to guarantee box office success, movie studios have turned to book:
This fall, Warner Bros. is trying to reinvent Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. starring as the fictional sleuth. Spike Jonze, who directed “Being John Malkovich,” will put a modern twist on the storybook classic “Where the Wild Things Are.” And some recent best sellers, including Walter Kirn’s “Up in the Air” and Alice Sebold’s “The Lovely Bones” (in an adaptation from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson) will hit the big screen.
Hollywood is racing to adapt novels, comics, and children’s stories, as the ability of movie stars to draw audiences wanes. Popular books, with built-in fan bases, pose less risk for Hollywood studios trying to eke out a profit in a tough economic climate. One of the most-anticipated adaptations is the November sequel to “Twilight,” based on the best-selling book series by Stephenie Meyer.
We’ve been on top of that discussion here. But the big news is buried in the middle of the WSJ article:
After a summer that saw box office revenues soar ahead of old records, there are far fewer films coming out in the U.S. this fall and winter season, with just 135 films currently planned for release through the end of the 2009. That’s down 32% from 2008, when 199 films were released during the same period, according to data compiled by Jeff Bock, an analyst at box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. That number could climb slightly higher after the studios acquire films at fall festivals, but it’s still a significant drop from previous years, when as many as 240 films were released during the period.
A 32% drop in releases. Wow! But there is one upside:
The cutback does have some positive consequences, say studio executives. “With fewer films, there won’t be as much cannibalization, and each film will have a better shot at finding its audiences,” notes Mike Vollman, who runs marketing for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, home of the James Bond franchise.
Wouldn’t it be nice: Instead of squeezing out movies from theaters in one or two weeks, a film actually had a decent spell in release to give people a chance to find it?
Some notable fall movies:
9 — September 9, 2009
The Informant — September 18, 2009
Jennifer’s Body — September 18, 2009
Surrogates — September 25, 2009
A Serious Man — October 2, 2009
Zombieland — October 2, 2009
Law Abiding Citizen — October 16, 2009
The Road — October 16, 2009
Where the Wild Things Are — October 16, 2009
Disney’s A Christmas Carol — November 6, 2009
The Men Who Stare At Goats — November 6, 2009
The Twilight Saga: New Moon — November 16, 2009
Nine — November 25, 2009
What are you excited to see this fall?
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