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Flying Car Fizzles: Why ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Is Hitting Turbulence With $36M+ Opening
Deadline ^ | October 7, 2017 | Anthony D'Alessandro

Posted on 10/07/2017 7:04:07 AM PDT by EdnaMode

4th Update, Friday 11:47PM: What a fascinating business. This weekend a $35 million-budgeted horror movie in its fifth frame will gross close to nine times its production cost with a running domestic B.O. total of $304.6M.

At the same time, a $155M-plus attempt to reboot a cult sci-fi franchise may not even make it to $100M by the end of its domestic theatrical cycle.

We are, of course, comparing New Line/Warner Bros.’ It and Alcon Entertainment/Sony’s Blade Runner 2049, and the latter is now looking at a three-day weekend of $36.5M, an awful start for this brilliantly crafted cinematic opus directed by Denis Villeneuve and executive produced by Ridley Scott. In fact, Blade Runner 2049‘s projected weekend isn’t that far from Scott’s summer misfire Alien: Covenant ($36.1M).

By some miracle, should Blade Runner 2049 get into the low $40Ms by Sunday, it’s still not a fantastic start for this tentpole size budgeted sci-fi film. One financier remarked tonight that they weren’t impressed by the early European B.O. results for the sequel, and that it’s now up to Asia to save Blade Runner 2049.

Those affiliated with the movie have been saying that $400M is the magic breakeven number, but Deadline sources believe that’s far from true. One source with knowledge of the budget claims it’s significantly higher in the $170M range versus the $155M being floated around. To Alcon’s credit they took advantage of foreign credits and rebates, shooting Blade Runner 2049 in Hungary. One insider even asserts they came in under their original proposed budget.

Nonetheless, this is truly a very depressing result for Blade Runner 2049: Here was a passionate attempt to revive a cult classic, be completely faithful to its original property from its mind-blowing production design to its sophisticated plot, and now kerplunk.

(Excerpt) Read more at deadline.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: bladerunner; boxoffice; desperation; harrisonford; hollywood; movies; ryangosling
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To: Daniel Ramsey


41 posted on 10/07/2017 10:53:06 AM PDT by sparklite2 (I'm less interested in the rights I have than the liberties I can take.)
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To: doosee

Amazing how many artistic types (musicians, actors, etc) are Obama lovers and Trump haters.

Maybe a case of people with artistic abilities lack logical thinking abilities.

....think the hard Left calls them Useful Idiots.


42 posted on 10/07/2017 11:19:59 AM PDT by OldArmy52 (The Republicans support Trump with the same energy they opposed Obama /s)
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To: EdnaMode

Audiences today are sharper than the west coast businessmen. If the well padded film crowd had any smarts about them, they would find a script, preferably one not seen before, and begin to work from there. Even the supermarket shelves have seen persons steer away from descriptions “new and improved”. Apparently those well healed know nothing of the true America.


43 posted on 10/07/2017 11:27:39 AM PDT by V K Lee (DJT: "Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war. ")
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To: EdnaMode

And yet another sequel goes splat. What a surprise.


44 posted on 10/07/2017 11:39:05 AM PDT by Windflier (Pitchforks and torches ripen on the vine. Left too long, they become black rifles.)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

“Should have been adapted as a TV series.”

It’s going to be.


45 posted on 10/07/2017 1:35:25 PM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: BenLurkin

I do not see many movies in the theater. I try to avoid ones with nudity, sex scenes, and blasphemy.

These things appear to be, for practical purposes, mandatory in Hollywood films.

I was hopeful about this sequel, but it has all the things I want to avoid, even if they are not as prominently featured as in other films.


46 posted on 10/07/2017 1:41:10 PM PDT by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: EdnaMode

Kids don’t want to see movies where the “hero” could be their great-grandfather.


47 posted on 10/07/2017 1:43:11 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: EdnaMode

While the original has some affection with SF fans, it wasn’t a big mainstream hit when it came out and never won mainstream appreciation.

Underperformance isn’t a surprise, really.


48 posted on 10/07/2017 1:45:57 PM PDT by Ted Grant
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To: sparklite2

bttt


49 posted on 10/07/2017 1:49:09 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: EdnaMode

Ryan Gosling is worth looking at, but I can wait for Netflix.


50 posted on 10/07/2017 2:02:35 PM PDT by stylecouncilor ("The future ain't what it used to be." Yogi Berra)
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To: EdnaMode

I liked it. But I don’t see it having mass appeal. I think anybody who’s fan level of the original is below about 7 or 8 won’t like it. It’s a love letter. And let’s face it, love letters not written to you are kind of creepy.


51 posted on 10/07/2017 2:11:22 PM PDT by discostu (Things are in their place, The heavens are secure, The whole thing explodes in my face)
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To: BenLurkin

I echo your review and recommend Blade Runner 2049 highly, particularly with all the bells and whistles - large screen, 3D and Dolby Atmos sound system. The sound track and effects were so dramatic that there was considerable physical impact and immersion in the action.


52 posted on 10/07/2017 2:39:10 PM PDT by Truth29
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To: Truth29

Does the 3D require those stupid glasses? I have NEVER been able to get those ugly things to work...


53 posted on 10/07/2017 8:51:52 PM PDT by djf ("She wore a raspberry beret, the kind you find in a second hand store..." - Prince)
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To: djf

Yes, but they have improved a great deal over the past few years. The glasses and the technology work a lot better now. I saw BR yesterday in 3D, large curved screen, and with the enhanced sound system. It really added to the experience.


54 posted on 10/08/2017 3:29:26 AM PDT by Truth29
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To: Truth29

Thanks!

I will most likely be going tonight.

I have seen the original (well, the “original” once, other versions) dozens of times, and consider it one of the finest movies ever made.


55 posted on 10/08/2017 6:49:00 AM PDT by djf ("She wore a raspberry beret, the kind you find in a second hand store..." - Prince)
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To: EdnaMode

I made the mistake of paying six bucks to see BR on DirectTV. An hour in, I’m bored to tears. The movie is mostly eerily orchestrated dead moments leading to nothing. Critics seemed mostly to laud it for its faithfulness to the original.

That’s a silly metric. It has to stand on its own, and this doesn’t.


56 posted on 02/24/2018 4:40:18 PM PST by sparklite2 (See more at Sparklite Times)
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