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FOX recoups from summer 2008 and looks
ahead to 2009 with biggies that include James Cameron's AVATAR,
WOLVERINE and more!
{sidebar id=1}At least once a year, 20th
Century Fox co-chairman Tom Rothman likes to go on the record to
discuss the studio's upcoming slate. Just last week, I sat down
with Rothman exclusively at the Fox lot in Century City.
We talked about a variety of things and
films. The first part of the interview, Rothman and I discussed the
disappointing summer Fox experienced this year, after nine
consecutive record-breaking years, and what their game plan is for
the future.
The first part of the interview is
below, more parts will soon follow that include information on X-Men,
Daredevil, Fantastic Voyage and many others!
IESB: For the past 10 years, Fox has
done great at the summer box office, this year was a little tough.
What are you looking to do different next year, or the next couple of
years, are you looking for more blockbusters, more tentpoles?
Tom Rothman: I'll tell you the truth of
the matter is that we actually had, the irony of the way these things
go, we actually had a great first half, beginning the year, winter
and spring was terrific for us. We had, Horton, that did tremendously
well worldwide, that was the bulk, Alvin and the Chipmunks worldwide
was huge, over $350 worldwide and then we had a lot of nice, fairly
solid doubles, triples movies - 27 Dresses, What Happens in Vegas and we even did very well with The Happening because it did
$100 million overseas. So the first half of the year was very good
for us.
The summer was a disappointment and there's no two ways about
that, but ultimately, it's really simple - the movies weren't good
enough, that we had for the summer and we had made the decision
because of the strike and because of other things that we were not
going to rush certain movies, right, we took an extra year on
Wolverine for example, when originally we had hoped to have that for
the second half of this summer. Same with Day the Earth Stood Still,
we could have rushed to update Day the Earth Stood Still but we took
a decision to have, to give the movies the proper time they needed
and the films that we had in the summer, they just weren't good
enough to hold their own.
So, we didn't actually lose a lot of money
but we certainly had, for us, certainly having had nine summers in a
row that have been top notch, we had an off summer. But, the good
news about it is, I guess because of that, from basically now, from
Max Payne through all the way through all of next year through Avatar
we are absolutely loaded for bear.
So, we're in as strong a position
going forward as I think Jim [Gianopulos] and I have been running
the company, but, you have a disappointing summer you have to learn
from it and push on and have some stronger films and who knows what
happens in decades to come but certainly for the next eighteen months
to two years, we are loaded -- locked, loaded
and ready to go! So, that's the upside of having had a couple of
films that didn't make it in this summer is that the coming year is
going to be very strong for us.
IESB: You mentioned Avatar, everything
that we are hearing about it, it sounds great but it also sounds SO
expensive, and a lot has to do with the investment in the technology
to make the film. At the same time, is it because you hope to use the
technology on other stuff too?
TR: Yes, but I guess I should say that
I won't comment on the exact budget except to say that as always with
Jim [Cameron] everything is misreported, everything is exaggerated,
because he is larger than life and so everything surrounding him
tends to be larger than life. While it's obviously an expensive
movie, it's not an unprecedented expensive movie and it's not even
the most expensive movie we've made at the company and certainly not
close to the most expensive movie that's been made in the business
recently. But, it is in absolute terms a costly undertaking, is
because it's an entirely revolutionary technology. It will be a movie
unlike anything audiences have ever seen. And, genuinely brand new,
genuinely unlike anything that has ever been seen and that's hard to
do and that isn't cheap.
IESB: And it's an original film, it's
not based on a comic book or other material...
TR: It's an entirely original film,
it's not a television show, it's not a comic book, it's a thing that
all of the punditocracy, all of the media and the audience cry out
for, true originality. And yes, you never know and I wouldn't presume
now, but the idea is, Jim Cameron tends to make hits and if the movie
is a hit then this is the beginning, certainly for both the use of
the technology and the work, it's not going to stop here. So, there's
long term value to it as well.
IESB: So, potentially, this is a
franchise?
TR: If it does well, yes, absolutely,
in terms of an arena a whole new world. But for us, it isn't any of
that, it isn't even the technology, it isn't even the look and the
world all of which is the coolest shit I've ever seen, it isn't even
any of that, it's that it's a great story. It's just a great story.
You read the story and you are gripped by every page, it's just a
great, original story with tremendously, classic emotional value. So,
at the end of the day, that's really what we're here for, to try and
make great stories when you can find them.
Stay tuned to the IESB for more from our exclusive interview with Tom Rothman!
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