Crash and Burn: "Flight of the Phoenix" Remake Bombs

Industry Tracker | 1/7/05 | Hollywood Watcher

[pabianice]

As I predicted, the "remake" of the classic "Flight of the Phoenix" is yet another case of the doofuses running Hollywood thinking they can better their betters.

"THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX" (2004)

Production Cost: $ 25 million

Marketing Cost: $ 20 million (est.)

Total since release: $17,537,973 (three weeks)

Viewer drop-off since release: 85%

Daily revenue per screen week of 3 January: $ 97

Who but the liberal morons running Hollywood would think that they could replace Jimmy Stewart, Hardy Kreuger, Richard Attenborough, Ernest Borgnine, Peter Finch, and Ronald Fraser with yucking-it-up Dennis Quaid, "rapper" Tyrese Gobson, and Miranda Otto?

[Huck]

But the new version is so much more violent and vulgar... How could it fail to make money?!?

Are you suggesting violence and vulgarity doesn't sell? I haven't even seen a trailer for this film. There could be some other reason why it's flopping. Vulgarity and violence seem to do pretty well.

[retrokitten]

I don't know if this one falls into the classic catagory, but Willy Wonka is being remade and is supposed to be out later this year. That is just stupid.

[TigersEye]

The bad guys are now Chinese gun runners. The original flick had Ayyyrabs slitting the throats of the happless crew.

I was just about to ask the thread about that. Can't have any Arabs slitting throats in movies now can we?

The original was great, no point in remaking it.

[jer2911tx]

i saw fotp over the holidays with some family members that wanted to see it
worst movie i've seen in years, only because i didn't see gigli

[Political Junkie Too]

I never seen the film, does it have a "twilight zone" style twist ending?

No, it doesn't. However, there was another TV movie knock-off that that came out five years later called Sole Survivor, starring William Shatner, that did have a Twilight Zone ending.

-PJ

[hershey]

The original has interesting characters, a great plot, and yes, a neat twist...not the ending, but what gets you there.

[sticker]

Rocky a classic????????

Surely you jest?

[Borges]

Being remade by Tim Burton who seems tailor made for something like that. Johnny Depp as Wonka. At least they're going back to Roald Dahl's original title: 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'

[Political Junkie Too]

This just proves that Hollywood has no creative talent left, and is now just remaking old movies, TV shows, and children's cartoons.

-PJ

[superiorslots]

I loved Sole Survivor. The ending just kicked you back for a loop.Totally forgot about that flick. It would give M. Night Shyamans(sic) flicks a good run for the money today.

[retrokitten]

You are breaking my heart. I love Tim Burton. I had no idea he was the director. Now I am torn!!

I'm not going to get on my Tim Burton soapbox, but I really think it would be fantastic if he would direct one of the Harry Potter movies.

[escapefromboston]

I think, in movies, the more "family oriented" films tend to do better. So while violence and vulgarity can do well, its not generally the top grossing films

[Disambiguator]

Another recent remake that should not have been made (shame on you, Tom Hanks!) was "The Ladykillers". The original Ealing Studios version included Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, and Herbert Lom, and was a great movie. My kids love that movie.

The remake is rated R for language (and who knows what else), and is therefore off limits as a family film. Why is Hollyweird so afraid of doing something original for a change?

[Political Junkie Too]

Speaking of remakes, I saw a trailer last week for Batman: Do Over (or something like that). I guess he's now going to be a ninja?

-PJ

[HMFIC]

The ORIGINAL ROCKS!

DRAMA without a bunch of cussing, shooting, killing, sex, etc.

And best of all, ACTUAL ACTING by the cast!

[escapefromboston]

Hollywood does seem to make to many "remakes". Its probably because films are so damn expensive to make now. So some producer goes to the studio and says "hey you liked this film from the 60s, well let's just make it again!!"

However they should remake "the Last Starfigher" because it was a good idea but the actual film was pretty crappy, especially the starfighting parts.

[radiohead]

http://www.themoviespoiler.com/

I've never heard of this site before and have just wasted 20 minutes cruising around and saving myself alot of money. Now there are a bunch of movies I don't need to go see!

Another great site bookmarked. Thanks.

[gridlock]

I heard that they were remaking "A Lion in Winter". I mean, what's the point of that? Can it possibly get better?

[pabianice]

Another recent remake that should not have been made (shame on you, Tom Hanks!) was "The Ladykillers". The original Ealing Studios version included Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, and Herbert Lom, and was a great movie. My kids love that movie.

The remake starts with a dog being suffocated (yuk! yuk!) and has language so foul and so rude that I winced, and I was in the Navy for 28 years. Truly a move Hanks wants to forget.

[XJarhead]

The original movie was great. Can't figure why anyone would want to remake it. There are some movies that simply should not be remade. Can you imagine "Its a Wonderful Life" getting remade? Or "The Great Escape"? "Casablanca"? I could see remaking some others, but a good writer should be able to sniff the ones that should be left alone.