Hollywood and the script market

[Liam Hall]

is that fair enough?

Yes, fair enough. I think we're largely debating semantics and I agree with you, every movie should try to turn a profit.

 

[Liam Hall]

What do you want exactly, more coffee shop theaters showing art house films? Is it a bad thing that I would want to advertise a film I make and get it on as many screens as possible?

What do I want? 'd like to see an end to Hollywood's reliance on franchises and more original work in cinemas. I'd like to be able to go down to my local multiplex and be able to find at least one film worth watching. I tried to go to the cinema last week with my wife, there wasn't a single film aimed at people like me - everything was designed for generation dumb. That's a shame in my book.

Believe me, if I had the solution to all this nonsense I'd offer it up.

Well, based on this year's box office, a hell of a lot of people want to watch them.

That shows how successful the marketing and distribution is and not necessarily how good the movie is.

 

[Clint Johnson]

how many of you would refuse to direct or shoot asteroids ?

Honestly, I would need to see the script. If Asteroids ends up being anything like the recent television mini-series Impact on ABC or Meteor on NBC- I would most emphatically and vehemently refuse. Really, I'll be squatting in Stanley Park and snaring squirrels to eat before I would agree to do something like that.

BUT I am actually writing a spec pilot for a television series where the first season is event driven by a civilian space mission to shove an iron asteroid into cislunar orbit; so I could definitely see a great film coming out of the single word "asteroids". Give me that title and enough rope to hang myself and I could write a script that I would wave any fee to direct/shoot.

My version would probably only have a box office potential of about $50 million so I fully expect Asteroids to be a steaming pile of mindless CGI that is actually worse than Impact or Meteor in every way but production values... and for it to make $100 million on its opening weekend.

Which actually sums up nicely why they keep making movies like this.