Dredd - Box Office

[Jim_Campbell]

And that you say you think something about the character of Dredd doesn't work for Americans, but you have no opinion on how this works for Canadians, to me says a lot.

Because we're not talking about the fucking Canadians, OK? Or the French, or the Australians, or the Krygyzstanis. You are determined to try and paint me as having some anti-American axe to grind and I will tell you, again, that I do not. You seem determined to ignore the actual words I'm saying, so I'll quote them again:

The film has been heavily marketed and largely well-reviewed in the US, which is the key market and yet people still don't seem to be going to see it. I'm just wondering whether the fact that there is an undeniable cultural difference between the UK and the US plays some part in this and, if so, why that should be.

Again: there is no criticism implicit here, no agenda or bias, I'm merely curious.

Cheers

Jim

[PsychoGoatee]

Because we're not talking about the fucking Canadians, OK? Or the French, or the Australians, or the Krygyzstanis. You are determined to try and paint me as having some anti-American axe to grind and I will tell you, again, that I do not. You seem determined to ignore the actual words I'm saying

We're just talking about something we disagree on, honestly. I asked you earlier and you said you don't know whether Canadians do or don't get Dredd. So we did talk about them. You've also said a lot that you think Americans don't get Dredd. I honestly do think this point kind of explains itself.

Thats because of the hissy fit you lot threw in Boston.
Canada remained loyal to the crown, and didnt throw their Britishness away (with the tea), and for that reason are above reproach

Well you've got me there. 

[Steve Green]

American audiences haven't failed the movie, they just haven't seen it. And why should they?
It's not like they have a compelling reason to if they are not already fans who have followed the movie.

No, the only ones that failed whereLionsGate Films Marketing Department, the weakest link in Dredd's entire chain. It doesn't help that everyone else did their job to perfection when Tim Palen & Co failed so miserably at doing theirs...again. If anyone else still wonders why I keep going on and on about them, then this is why. They have, as feared, delivered the worst marketing campaign bar none this side of Conan, and in the process poisoned the Judge Dredd brand on film and killed even the remotest chance of a sequel happening.

Thankfully, we now have one proper Judge Dredd movie.
It is the only one we will get.

Care to say specifically what you thought they did wrong? The initial trailer? Reliance on TV Spots rather than a second trailer? Poster Campaign?

[Jim_Campbell]

We're just talking about something we disagree on, honestly. I asked you earlier and you said you don't know whether Canadians do or don't get Dredd.

I don't know any Canadians, I don't know anything about the Canadian comic industry, I don't know what kind of comics Canadians read or what kind of TV they watch. Crucially, Canadian box office was never a key plank in this film's commercial strategy and so, I imagine, less marketing muscle will have been expended there.

Once again: I'm curious as to the reasons why, if the box office is as disappointing as is being suggested, US audiences have proved resistant in the face of marketing efforts, generally good reviews and excellent word of mouth (yes, from Americans who clearly do get it). Obviously, marketing ineptitude may be an alternative explanation, as norse_sage is suggesting.

Cheers

Jim

[The Sherman Kid]

American audiences haven't failed the movie, they just haven't seen it. And why should they?
It's not like they have a compelling reason to if they are not already fans who have followed the movie.

No, the only ones that failed whereLionsGate Films Marketing Department, the weakest link in Dredd's entire chain. It doesn't help that everyone else did their job to perfection when Tim Palen & Co failed so miserably at doing theirs...again. If anyone else still wonders why I keep going on and on about them, then this is why. They have, as feared, delivered the worst marketing campaign bar none this side of Conan, and in the process poisoned the Judge Dredd brand on film and killed even the remotest chance of a sequel happening.

Thankfully, we now have one proper Judge Dredd movie.
It is the only one we will get.

Other posters in the US have said Dredd has been marketed very heavily ,making a big impact.So a bit puzzled by this...?

[Stan]

Americans. So touchy!

And I didn't really see a problem with the marketing campaign. Though maybe, as a fan, I was following it a little too closely and had my rose-tinted glasses on.

[Jim_Campbell]

An easy thing to say. He compared 2000AD as Brit and then said in America instead we've have "insert stereotypical Marvel/DC thing here". But the American market is much more than that, even in mainstream terms.

Have you ever checked the icv2 top 300 US comic sales? I do, every single month, and in any given month, the first non-superhero comic you will find will be Walking Dead, typically somewhere between #40 and #50. The next one after that will most likely be one of Dark Horse's Buffy titles, usually somewhere between #75 and #100.

Cheers

Jim

[painbros22]

I really hope this 5.5 million figure is not true. If its is true then pretty much nobody went to see the film at all. If the box office from Spain + Ireland is anything to go by then nobody across the world will see it either. I'm so pissed off that i will never pay to see a hollywood blockbuster at the theater ever again. Hollywood wonders why piracy is so rife, well Holllywood you fucking deserve it. Also seems like the american audience is just robots. Very pissed off today, 5.5 million jesus, The Master made 1 million in two bloody theaters ffs.

Just cross fingers the estimate is not accurate, that WOM from friday was good and it picks up today. Otherwise i'm worried they will manage to scrape the budget back. Even Kick Ass had a better opening weekend so something very wrong has gone on here.

[MattJW]

It's far too early to chuck around weekend figures at this stage. Saturday's numbers are always higher than Friday's. Good word of mouth can cause a significant leap from Fri to Sat. We'll have to wait and see, tentacles crossed.....

[JOE SOAP]

You can't blame Hollywood for people not seeing a film in the UK, Ireland & Spain. People are being far too presumptuous.

[JOE SOAP]

The Master made 1 million in two bloody theaters ffs.

A film from a director/writer in complete control of how is film is marketed, with a seriously good track record, starring two of the best actors in the US and it's about a facinating subject. I wouldn't wish for anything less.

[painbros22]

Well who is to blame then if these figures are true. Nothing to do with Hollywood, nothing to do with the quality of the film. I can only think of a few things, Judge Dredd has very few fans indeed ,the Stallone movie put people off, Lionsgate marketing ( though i doubt this one, they seemed to do a good job ) or all the reviews concentrating on extreme violence.

The UK performance makes me think that very few people even read Dredd comics these days.

Still hoping it will pick up though. If not we will get the blu ray before christmas so thats cool.

[norse_sage]

American audiences haven't failed the movie, they just haven't seen it. And why should they?
It's not like they have a compelling reason to if they are not already fans who have followed the movie.

No, the only ones that failed where LionsGate Films Marketing Department, the weakest link in Dredd's entire chain. It doesn't help that everyone else did their job to perfection when Tim Palen & Co failed so miserably at doing theirs...again. If anyone else still wonders why I keep going on and on about them, then this is why. They have, as feared, delivered the worst marketing campaign bar none this side of Conan, and in the process poisoned the Judge Dredd brand on film and killed even the remotest chance of a sequel happening.

Thankfully, we now have one proper Judge Dredd movie.
It is the only one we will get.

Other posters in the US have said Dredd has been marketed very heavily ,making a big impact.So a bit puzzled by this...?

I didn't say that LGF didn't market the movie, I said that their marketing campaign was a disaster.
Plastering posters all over the place and running TV spots non stop won't do a damn thing for attendance unless they are part of a larger marketing strategy which aims to bring reluctant audiences into cinemas. LGF have time and again proven themselves useless in coming up with a working marketing strategy.

More to the point, LGF Marketing creates visibility, but that is all they do.
When promoting a genre movie, they preach to the choir, but fail to give the general audience who weren't going anyway a single good reason why they should go. Their marketing campaign has been late and misguided, featuring pretty posters, but these are not backed up by trailers that intrigue the paying moviegoing audience.

Where more competent studios release three trailers (teaser=hook, trailer1=line, final trailer=sinker), LGF only releases trailer 1. In fishing terms, they have a line, but no hook and no sinker. This approach has NEVER worked for them in the past, yet they carry on NOT releasing the all important final trailer in the weeks before release.

Then it doesn't help how many posters they plaster all over the place, nor does it help how many millions they waste on TV spots. Without the trailers aimed at convincing the target audience that already goes to cinema at a regurlar basis, it's all money down the drain.

I do not understand how Joe Drake (head of LGF) can still have a job after he malicously dumped 19 in development movies greenlit by his predecessor, thereby costing LGF untold millions and at least two potential franchises.

Furthermore, while Tim Palen may be a decent photographer, he has proved himself utter useless as a Marketing exec time and again, yet he still runs LGF marketing. Tim Palen first and foremost is the one responsible for Dredd's inevatble failure, as he was the one who signed off on the one trailer we have, which has done the movie no favours. Furthermore, he had the power to make a final trailer and attach it to Resident Evil, which should have been a no brainer, but he didn't.

[painbros22]

Not really true Norse. Karl Urban has been to every backwater mall in the US to promote the movie. Pretty much every single "geek" site has had Dredd features including IGN. There has been tons of featurettes, clips and other assorted stuff. If anything Dredd had great marketing for a low budget foreign flick. How much marketing did you see for Inbetweeners ? Sorry i'm not buying this LGF fucked it up thing, look at The House On The End OF The Street, zero marketing, zero clips, zero interviews, not screened for critics yet i bet it does better than Dredd. Your theory does not really hold water mate.

We can come up with loads of conspiracy theories but the likely proof is people could not be bothered with it and the trailer did not sell or "wow" people.

[norse_sage]

That's what i mean, all the promotion has been directed towards the geek sites, the built in audience that were going anyway. But what about the general audience? Those that don't check out the geek sites?
For them there was nothing but posters (that alone won't convince anybody), TV-spots (that alone won't convince anybody) and that ONE trailer, which we know recieved a VERY mixed reception from non fans. Most people express shock and surprise that a movie that had written off in no small part because of the trailer could get such good reviews.