well, we all knew it would bomb hard
someone dig up that summer bomb prediction thread
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EuropaCorps Stock Value Drops in Wake of Valerians Poor Opening Weekend
- Thread starter LordOfLore
- Start date
someone dig up that summer bomb prediction thread
The Main Event
Member
Let's see how it fares in China. It'll probably do decently, but not enough to save it.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
If you're looking for cool visuals and an imaginative sci fi world with cool set pieces, you'll definitely be satisfied. It just gets bogged down by too many flat character moments, a predictable story and a bad lead.
yanipheonu
Member
The movie looked neat in a kind of way, but man, it just screamed "this is too weird to be popular." Got some major John Carter vibes.
Meaning to watch it though. Seems like a film that could gain a cult following.
Meaning to watch it though. Seems like a film that could gain a cult following.
Grizzlyjin
Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Seth Enosh
Member
Just saw this, came out of the theater and figured this was going to be the next Jupiter Ascending/John Carter.
I don't know how they get the money for these films. I'm happy though, I think I liked it well enough to be worth the non-3d ticket price.
I don't know how they get the money for these films. I'm happy though, I think I liked it well enough to be worth the non-3d ticket price.
Lucky Seven
Banned
I thought the movie looked very generic. Bad casting choices for leads and an uninteresting world and premise. Kind of like Avatar, good visuals but boring everything else.
However, I heard the director or writer was very enthusiastic about the movie, as were the cast. So, I can't help but feel bad that something they thought was really good turned out to be not so interesting. I guess being around people who all enjoy what they're making doesn't allow for you to be able stop and check for errors or for what could be done better.
However, I heard the director or writer was very enthusiastic about the movie, as were the cast. So, I can't help but feel bad that something they thought was really good turned out to be not so interesting. I guess being around people who all enjoy what they're making doesn't allow for you to be able stop and check for errors or for what could be done better.
For the US market imo, this film needed two things it didn't have:
a big time bankable Hollywood actor like Pratt, McConaughey or Wahlberg, and a great trailer with a fun and danceable tune to go along.
If the $180m budget is true, the casting was a wide miss at that price.
Still expecting it to do much better overseas, but that US opening is a big bummer for sure.
a big time bankable Hollywood actor like Pratt, McConaughey or Wahlberg, and a great trailer with a fun and danceable tune to go along.
If the $180m budget is true, the casting was a wide miss at that price.
Still expecting it to do much better overseas, but that US opening is a big bummer for sure.
LookAtMeGo
Member
😂😂😂
shiftplusone
Member
plagiarize
Banned
I enjoyed it.
From the first time I saw the trailer I knew it would be a giant bomb.
And you can see all $200 million or whatever dollars up there on the screen.
I don't know how useful it is to be able to call a flop from it's trailer. I'm not sure I can do it at the script stage but I bet I could. Movie studios... Look me up on twitter.
From the first time I saw the trailer I knew it would be a giant bomb.
And you can see all $200 million or whatever dollars up there on the screen.
I don't know how useful it is to be able to call a flop from it's trailer. I'm not sure I can do it at the script stage but I bet I could. Movie studios... Look me up on twitter.
Or anyone else from the many threads about this film who predicted it would bomb.
plagiarize
Banned
HNNNNNNNGH
That's the thought process. Because seriously I would let either of them do what they wanted with me.
You can do this sort of thing (CF Daisy Ridley and John Boyega) but you absolutely have to surround them with people that are 100% draws. And they didn't.
Or thinking that having one actor who is aight and one who is awful as leads is a good idea
Soldiussnaku
Member
$180m budget! Sweet baby Jesus.
This will leave a mark on the firm finances.
This will leave a mark on the firm finances.
As I posted in the weekend box office thread
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/07/dunkirk-oscar-strategy
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/07/dunkirk-oscar-strategy
Money laundering is basically the opposite of blowing tons of cash on something that generates no revenue.
Not sure why "money laundering" gets thrown around so often in these failed movie threads lol
All the money went into special effects. It's a really pretty movie.
Regardless of actors, the movie fails with really bad dialogue, meandering plot and unlikable lead characters.
lightskintwin
Banned
The problem was Valerian was a completely new property to the public despite being based on a graphic novel not many people have heard of yet alone read unlike the powerful Brand of Star Wars.
They needed bigger names as their leads.
SUPARSTARX
Member
I mean if it wasn't well made/edited it deserves it's failure... right?
Monocle
Member
Those aspect were fine. It fell flat because the actors were wrong for their parts.
I mean Cara Delevingne was sassy and fun to watch (not convincing as an actor though), but Dane DeHaan didn't work at all as either an elite agent or her love interest.
Also Valerian's weird sexual aggression came off as creepy and desperate rather than endearing, or whatever they were shooting for.
Spike Spiegel
Member
Same director, both are futuristic science fiction movies, both draw from European sci-fi comics (one was inspired by, the other adapted from), both placed emphasis on style and gorgeous visuals and had questionable actor performances, both were incredibly expensive and incredibly risky endeavors for their studios, both were made after the director earned studio cred with a successful film, both received mixed reviews from critics (Metacritic score of 52 for TFE, 51 for Valerian), both opened to $17 million in the US...
...and, EuropaCorp is probably hoping that Valerian is like The Fifth Element in another way: The Fifth Element eventually earned 75% of its $264M box office gross from outside the US.
andythinkpad
Member
I'm convinced its really a money laundry operation. Luc Besson intentionally hired two charisma free actors to tank it.
Inceptional
Member
I saw both. I only paid for Dunkirk though. Sorry Valerian, you're half a great movie and half shit. Why is Dane Dehaan a thing? I get Cara Delavigne, she's at least beautiful, but Dehaan is a black hole of charisma and a stoned looking little runt.
Gentleman Jack
Member
Valerian has no real shot at the cult cachet TFE enjoys. You need at least one charismatic character, either villain or sidekick, to hook the audience and Valerian sorely lacks either to balance out the black hole of appeal that is Dane DeHaan and his utter lack of chemistry with Delevigne.
ryutaro's mama
Member
crazy monkey
Banned
Release date guy and promoters should be fired
Fancyarcher
Member
Make a poorly regarded big budgeted film, it flops, studio loses stock. Gee what a surprise? Now I only wonder when Europacorp will be bought out.
DiscoJer
Member
Who was questionable in The Fifth Element? Bruce Willis? He pretty much just played Bruce Willis. But the rest of the cast was amazing, really.
Chris Tucker. Gary Oldman. Ian Holm. Brion James all were hilarious. Milla Jovovich was convincing as Leeloo.
Even Luke Perry wasn't awful.
Let's just say that as much as I might agree, our opinion on that is very much in the minority as far as the mainstream viewing audience goes. And while Fifth Element was not a bomb like Valerian, it only made $63 million domestic against a $90 million budget, which is a big loss, especially for the time.
This particular brand of space opera just doesn't play with the mass audience. It's a shame, because I love it, and Valerian was pretty good in spite of a miscast lead actor, but it was essentially doomed from the start. I can't believe they spent $200 million on it. Completely insane.
Spike Spiegel
Member
Bear in mind that I'm saying this about a movie that I love... Most of the performances in The Fifth Element are so absurd and over-the-top that you either love them or you hate them. Tucker's Ruby Rhod is the most immediate offender, but Oldman's Zorg also falls into that category, as do most of the models that Besson hired to act in the film.
Also, Tiny Lister.
I love The Fifth Element. I like Valerian too, might go see it again soon. But they are not movies that showcase nuanced, award-winning acting. They are what they are.
Funky Papa
FUNK-Y-PPA-4
The Fifth Element was not a bad film. On the contrary, it was a veritable masterpiece. But it was also a fluke. Besson's body of work is a mountain of mediocrity with a couple of fantastic films in between and it's been ages since he released anything worth a shit, which is why I'm actively avoiding Valerian.
That and Cara Delevigne. There's something about her that I find despicable to a borderline irrational level.
That and Cara Delevigne. There's something about her that I find despicable to a borderline irrational level.
What the hell does that even mean,
Please avoid generic statements because Luc Besson's movies sux.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
They had John Goodman as an alien for one segment of the movie and dropped him. What a waste.
They have a Chinese actor playing a bit character you'd expect from someone who is cast just to attract the Chinese audience. Pretty much just background secretary, but he still got to say and do more in the end than the Chinese girl in Kong.
Whoever gave the okay on the lead's acting was a sabetour. It's rare to see anything so wooden outside of a brazillian rainforest. They spent all that money getting Rihanna for 10 throw away lines and 1 (admitedly excellent) dance sequence. The script is a mess, the actors have no chemistry, most of the jokes fall flat.
But man, the first 40 minutes are fucking baller. It's what you want out of a new age scifi-fantasy story. But the rest of it is soooooooooooooooo dull!!!!
It's too bad, but this movie was doomed from the jump.
Stiflers Mom
Banned
Same with me.
She always has this "oh, look, I'm so edgy and have so much attitude"-thing going on.
Exactly what I was thinking. Putting yourself up against Spider-Man, Dunkirk and PotA seems... unwise.
What did he mean by this?
Member
You dont make the next Star Wars unless you make the next Star Wars
But for the love of God, why this cast
Always follow the money
Turin Turambar
Member
I would argue that at this point Spiderman is more generic than Valerian.