There is no formula. Nor should there be.
Nonsense. You do realize that cinema is a business. A business without a formula is barely even a hobby. No one invests hundreds of millions of dollars without some expectation of return.
Writers make money using formulas and churn out the books their audiences want. You’d expect the movie industry, whose executives are paid multiples more than they’d make in any industry, to know how to make a successful film.
Why is After Earth flopping?
http://www.boxoffice.com/statistics/movies/1000-ae-2013?q=after earth
Did the Smiths not want it to succeed? Did they throw their money away? How would you ‘fix’ this movie?
Hollywood wants to know.