2014-15 Full Year Slates (Division B)

[Shrykespeare]

I have updated the standings on the first page, and will endeavor to do so at the end of each month.


STANDINGS (Week 5/52)

1. weissac, $238,884,126 (3 movies - The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Blended, A Million Ways to Die in the West)
2. Walleye, $174,439,686 (1 movie - Godzilla)
3. Spectre - $162,020,201 (1 movie - X-Men: Days of Future Past)
4. Shrykespeare, $128,966,365 (1 movie - Neighbors)
5. Brockster, $77,588,590 (2 movies - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, Maleficent)
6. Buscemi, $27,985,053 (1 movie - Million Dollar Arm)
7. JohnErle, $9,590,223 (1 movie - Moms' Night Out)

numbersix - first film out 6/13
Ron Burgundy - first film out 6/13
leestu - first film out 6/20




6/6:
Edge of Tomorrow (JohnErle)
The Fault in Our Stars (Walleye)



6/13:
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Buscemi)
22 Jump Street (numbersix)
The Rover (Ron Burgundy)



6/20:
Jersey Boys (leestu)
Think Like a Mann Too (Walleye)



6/27
Transformers: Age of Extinction (leestu)
Snowpiercer (weissac)

[Shrykespeare]

STANDINGS (Week 6/52)

1. weissac, $263,270,051 (3 movies - The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Blended, A Million Ways to Die in the West)
2. Walleye, $233,216,708 (2 movies - Godzilla, The Fault in Our Stars)
3. Spectre - $189,556,080 (1 movie - X-Men: Days of Future Past)
4. Shrykespeare, $137,925,650 (1 movie - Neighbors)
5. Brockster, $136,454,467 (2 movies - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, Maleficent)
6. Buscemi, $31,550,980 (1 movie - Million Dollar Arm)
7. JohnErle, $38,675,651 (1 movie - Moms' Night Out)

numbersix - first film out 6/13
Ron Burgundy - first film out 6/13
leestu - first film out 6/20



6/13:
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Buscemi)
22 Jump Street (numbersix)
The Rover (Ron Burgundy)



6/20:
Jersey Boys (leestu)
Think Like a Mann Too (Walleye)



6/27:
Transformers: Age of Extinction (leestu)
Snowpiercer (weissac)



7/4:
Tammy (Buscemi)
Deliver Us From Evil (Brockster)
Earth to Echo (Shrykespeare)
Begin Again (Walleye)

[numbersix]

Shryke, on page 1 my slate needs updating.

I dropped The Search and picked up The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
I dropped Friday the 13th and picks up Carol

I do not have Scouts V Zombies on my slate. Spectre has it and dropped The Cobbler instead.

[Shrykespeare]

Thanks for letting me know, Six. I have fixed it.

[numbersix]

I dropped The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and picked up Agent 47

[Shrykespeare]

STANDINGS (Week 7/52)

1. weissac, $275,880,578 (3 movies - The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Blended, A Million Ways to Die in the West)
2. Walleye, $272,224,394 (2 movies - Godzilla, The Fault in Our Stars)
3. Spectre - $206,256,610 (1 movie - X-Men: Days of Future Past)
4. Brockster, $171,354,902 (2 movies - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, Maleficent)
5. Shrykespeare, $143,022,215 (1 movie - Neighbors)
6. Buscemi, $82,922,624 (2 movies - Million Dollar Arm, How to Train Your Dragon 2)
7. JohnErle, $67,081,592 (2 movies - Moms' Night Out, Edge of Tomorrow)
8. numbersix, $57,071,445 (1 movie - 22 Jump Street)
9. Ron Burgundy, $69,302 (1 movie - The Rover)
leestu - first film out 6/20



6/20:
Jersey Boys (leestu)
Think Like a Mann Too (Walleye)



6/27:
Transformers: Age of Extinction (leestu)
Snowpiercer (weissac)



7/4:
Tammy (Buscemi)
Deliver Us From Evil (Brockster)
Earth to Echo (Shrykespeare)
Begin Again (Walleye)



7/11:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Ron Burgundy)
And So It Goes (Ron Burgundy)
The Fluffy Movie (Walleye)
Boyhood (Spectre)

[Buscemi]

I'm really puzzled on how How to Train Your Dragon 2 is not doing well. The reviews were great, the Cinemascore was an A and it opened in an empty market. But were has everyone been? Are families just not going to movies anymore, choosing instead to watch their DVD copies of Frozen for the 400th time?

But I'm thinking the real reason was that Fox stopped marketing it at the wrong time, choosing to put all its emphasis on X-Men and The Fault in Our Stars. Imagine had DreamWorks distributed themselves and how well it would be doing without having to rely on an output deal (and in recent years, these output deals have rarely ever worked as the distributor ends up setting aside the pickups in favor of their own fare). In fact, why did DreamWorks ever agree to this deal with Fox? They must have enough money that they could easily set up their own distribution outlet (they are already handling pay cable on their own) and not have to worry about being shafted in favor of X-Men 25 and A Walk to Remember 2. DreamWorks needs to opt of the Fox deal as soon as possible for the same may happen on future sequels (and original projects) of theirs.

[Walleye413]

I've seen lots of speculation on Dragon 2, and can't come up with anything. Tossing blame at the distributor is as possible as any, I suppose. Just seems like a weird Summer all around. I'm wondering if audiences really are looking for new and original fare. If I had to say the big "surprise" hits from last Summer I'd say Now You See Me, World War Z, We're the Millers and the Conjuring. The rest of the big hits may have surprised slightly in terms of amounts earned, but were all expected to be pretty big regardless. None of those were sequels, and only WWZ was based on a book. Maybe we're all just tired of seeing what we've already seen or expected? Or at the least, unless it's original it's not really going to be a word of mouth success. From that standpoint, Edge of Tomorrow might end up fitting in that category if it continues on an upward trend. Not a blockbuster, but a movie that actually found in audience after the first week because it was unique and new.

[BrocksterDuex]

It's a nice start for you Walleye...2 solid picks for your first 2 movies out.

Edit: AND Think Like A Man....nice!

[Walleye413]

Thanks, and with the way Maleficent is doing I'm feeling pretty confident about Cinderella so far too. Now it's all about the legs. I love long legs

[Buscemi]

Thinking of the idea of DreamWorks distributing their own movies again, I was thinking that in a few years, we could see a revolt of production companies getting out of their output deals and forming an alliance to distribute on their own (I think the last time this was attempted was Associated Film Distribution in the late 1970's, when production companies ITC and EMI decided to distribute titles together while the companies retained all other rights). I could see a reunified DreamWorks, MGM and Studio Canal (who I wouldn't be surprised to see self-distribute domestically in the near future) all getting together to form a theatrical label while the three hold on to all other rights (home video/VOD, pay cable and television would all stay with the production companies). The joint venture would use the same offices to get prints into theatres and advertising materials around but run separately in all other fields.

Imagine what kind of lineup such a venture could have had this year. 22 Jump Street, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Penguins of Madagascar, the Lance Armstrong biopic, If I Stay, RoboCop, some rights of Non-Stop and the third Hobbit and who knows what else. I think such a venture could work. Open Road's doing okay and has the health of the theatre chains. But this could be bigger than that.

[BanksIsDaFuture]

Open Road's only doing OK because it's owned by both Regal and AMC, the two largest theater chains in the country.

[Shrykespeare]

Is this just something floating around in your head, Boosh, or is this something that might actually happen?

[Buscemi]

It was only an idea. I even said that in the beginning (I'm not ROBDude, remember).

But in theory, it would be a great idea. Studios are screwing producers with output deals, choosing to essentially set those films aside as they only get a percentage of the gross (for example, Sony got 8% of the Skyfall worldwide theatrical gross while MGM got the rest). If the distributors are not letting you have the money that you truly deserve, go into business yourself. Start-up will cost quite a bit but with an alliance, you can offset these costs by splitting operation costs three ways (and these companies are loaded anyway).

Output deals have been looking unfashionable for a while now. I think it might be time to end them altogether and go up against the majors once and for all. It worked for Summit (as they went on to force a merger with Lionsgate).

[Shrykespeare]

Finally, everyone is on the board.


STANDINGS (Week 8/52)

1. Walleye, $322,919,342 (3 movies - Godzilla, The Fault in Our Stars, Think Like a Man Too)
2. weissac, $282,172,168 (3 movies - The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Blended, A Million Ways to Die in the West)
3. Spectre - $216,744,710 (1 movie - X-Men: Days of Future Past)
4. Brockster, $194,267,840 (2 movies - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, Maleficent)
5. Shrykespeare, $145,716,950 (1 movie - Neighbors)
6. Buscemi, $128,998,245 (2 movies - Million Dollar Arm, How to Train Your Dragon 2)
7. numbersix, $109,911,125 (1 movie - 22 Jump Street)
8. JohnErle, $84,158,559 (2 movies - Moms' Night Out, Edge of Tomorrow)
9. leestu, $13,319,371 (1 movie - Jersey Boys)
10. Ron Burgundy, $562,440 (1 movie - The Rover)



6/27:
Transformers: Age of Extinction (leestu)
Snowpiercer (weissac)
Begin Again (Walleye)



7/4:
Tammy (Buscemi)
Deliver Us From Evil (Brockster)
Earth to Echo (Shrykespeare)




7/11:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Ron Burgundy)
Boyhood (Spectre)



7/18:
Sex Tape (numbersix)
Planes: Fire and Rescue (Buscemi)
The Purge: Anarchy (Shrykespeare)
And So It Goes (Ron Burgundy)