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Ghost in the Shell bombs at the box office
- Thread starter Korey
- Start date
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double jump
you haven't lived until a random little kid ask you "how do you make love".
Not that surprising to me. My mates and I saw the second to last showing and the theater was only 25% full which is unheard of on a Saturday night.
The Artisan
Member
didn't that episode also point out how a brown man was practically blackfaced and played by a white man in short circuit?
also, even if the ancient one is am asian stereotype in the comics, that doesn't mean it harms the character in general - it's worse to put a white person in the middle of a bunch of asians as the best.
as an Asian man (technically), that's what I would've preferred.
Suzushiiro
Banned
Yeah, I think in this day and age if you want a movie based on an IP that isn't well-known to mainstream audiences to do well you need to get a lot of positive buzz from people who *do* know/like the source material, and pretty much nothing about this movie that we saw before release gave anyone any faith in the movie, from the casting of the main character to the "big twist" to the shitty remix of the original's theme put on social media to the simple fact that Hollywood doesn't really do adaptations of stuff like GitS very well. They had an uphill climb to get anyone to want to see this movie and they chose to roll down said hill, going out of their way to hit every rock they possibly could on the way down.
lightskintwin
Banned
I'm very skeptical of this improving Asian American representation. If anything the lesson learned will be to avoid the controversy altogether by shying away from such material or drastically lowering the budgets when adapting them.
The term you are looking for is "boycott"
Will this be like Speed Racer?
Jill Sandwich
the turds of Optimus Prime
So how about that Battle Angel Alita?
TDLink
Member
Its been changed to be hispanic and is directed by a hispanic director.
It also has the benefit of being developed by James Cameron for close to two decades, so will likely end up being a much better film.
GuitarAtomik
Member
To be perfectly honest I really don't unless the creative team has a lot of Asian representation. I do have some faith in Death Note though mostly because of the director.
I mean, I generally have low expectations when it comes to this stuff. That said, the impossible can happen. Speed Racer is one of my favorite movies of all time after all.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
Yeah that's what I'm saying.
When roles actually do rely on race like the Ancient One, those roles still go to white people and the act is seen as progressive because "oh it subverts stereotypes." There is a way to make the Ancient One Asian without slapping a fumanchu on them.
"Oh it'd be racist to cast an Asian so we won't cast Asian. Oh race doesn't matter, so we won't cast Asian."
Ghost is Bad
Banned
Z..
Member
Oh, they're definitely good. But you really need to read some of the reviews and re-evaluate your assessment of jaw droppingly gorgeous. Good is about as apt as it gets. Appropriate for a cash grab such as this.
CrackPebbles
Member
I didn't watch it on principle since I don't want to support their casting decisions. Still, not surprised it bombed.
TheMan
Member
I reallly don't think whitewashing had anything to do with this. After all, racism helped trump win the Whitehouse. The movie bombed because it's based on anime. plus, scar jo is hot but can she really carry movies on her name? I think it just looked too dorky for mainstream America.
outlawauron
Member
Define prominent, because it doesn't come close to even half of their popularity.
TatteredHat
Member
I don't want/need to watch a caucasian Motoko.
Auto-Reply
Member
I like the original but even so I'm having a hard time convincing myself to see the adaptation... the idea of the anime is not unique and original anymore in 2017 and the concept has been put to film several times in various ways. The only reason to watch this is Scarjo in a skintight suit and as much as I like to look at her... prices are steep and the movie seems to be average at best.
Actual numbers are starting to come in, 40 plus millions outside the US, 3 millions in South Korea alone (million more than XXX or 2,5 more than John Wick 2).
So better wait before declaring a bomb, else crows could become an endangered species. China and Japan are getting the movie end of this week.
So better wait before declaring a bomb, else crows could become an endangered species. China and Japan are getting the movie end of this week.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
Thanks for taking the time to write this.
Yes it's very important to have these discussions. I think it's harmful to simply just say "movies need to make money" and throw our hands in the air as if there's no other choice.
This is an interesting point. When it comes to adapting niche properties it helps a lot to get those diehard fans on your side from the outset to generate positive buzz from those who are "in the know". But most GITS fans weren't whelmed by anything that came out of the pre-production and add the controversy on top of that...
It pays to have people vouch for you, especially if those people really like seeing their favorite things get more exposure.
If it bombs overseas as well I look forward to you moving the goalposts to home release. Let this stay on the record for posterity.
There have been plenty of movies based on Japanese source material that failed. Reviews + an angry fanbase were probably the biggest bane to this film.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
The Artisan
Member
I thought you were just arguing with me then. So I guess we agree on this discussion?
I love GITS so I was hoping this would succeed, but if it helps spread the message of resentment towards whitewashing, so be it (but I doubt the studio will see it that way).
This would have worked better as an 8 episode procedural on Amazon or Netflix... moreso Netflix since they have Altered Carbon coming up.
This would have worked better as an 8 episode procedural on Amazon or Netflix... moreso Netflix since they have Altered Carbon coming up.
Deadpool was made by people who fought tooth and nail to get it made. I'd be surprised if it hadn't been decent after all their efforts.
Many people don't know that movie wasn't supposed to even exist thanks to Fox.
Inceptional
Member
Alita: Battle Angel releases July 2018
BuckRobotron
Member
The issue in my experience is very simply anything related to the word "anime". When people asked what the movie was after seeing a TV ad I didn't want to explain it or its origin, lest that five-letter word create frowns all around.
navii
My fantasy is that my girlfriend was actually a young high school girl.
The name of the movie hints at a horror / thriller, poster looked like sci fi cyber action. They had fans who should be spreading good words, but they were complaining of whitewashing.
I don't buy into the whitewashing here, but as a personal preference I would have preferred a Japanese actress. I'm interested how it would have performed with one.
Perhaps next time.
I don't buy into the whitewashing here, but as a personal preference I would have preferred a Japanese actress. I'm interested how it would have performed with one.
Perhaps next time.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
Yeah. My initial response was because I read an interview about that episode of Master of None. The guy who plays his friend initially refused to be in that episode because he though Aziz was criticizing Indian actors who put on accents and play stereotypes. Because roles are so starved for them already, he needed to take what he could get for steady work.
formasymphonic
Member
I think "bomb" will end up being a stretch. Ultimately I don't see them losing money on this. It will probably make its money back WW and through home release. It just won't make the profit they were hoping for.
It will probably hurt their pride to think that everything would have gone well for them by having ScarJo though, but they gambled and lost. Doubt they will learn the lessons they need to from it though.
If one of the reasons you want to adapt a property is because of its existing fanbase, then you need to do a better job of delivering a product that matches their expectations. You can't just expect to leverage fans into bringing money and good word of mouth by trading off the name alone — don't be surprised that the won't flock to it if they think you haven't done justice to whatever it is they are fans of.
It will probably hurt their pride to think that everything would have gone well for them by having ScarJo though, but they gambled and lost. Doubt they will learn the lessons they need to from it though.
If one of the reasons you want to adapt a property is because of its existing fanbase, then you need to do a better job of delivering a product that matches their expectations. You can't just expect to leverage fans into bringing money and good word of mouth by trading off the name alone — don't be surprised that the won't flock to it if they think you haven't done justice to whatever it is they are fans of.
Power Rangers had a diverse cast, looks worse than Ghost in the Shell at the moment. Ghostbusters had an all female cast, huge loss at the box office. Life, diverse cast, low budget made in 2 weeks less money than Ghost in the Shell over the weekend.
Erm the Matrix Movie that is on it's way?
Either this is another Cyberpunk misstep and the Audiences don't care (Tron Legacy, Dredd, Almost Human and now GITS) Or Cyberpunk as a genre will become big within the next 2-5 yrs.
Cyberpunk 2077 - if that game becomes a big hit, every man and his dog will claim they were Cyberpunk fans from the beginning, and the the interest for movies will be there suddenly, you watch how many people start seeking this sub-genre out, hell it could even get made into a movie within 10yrs of it's release, if it's a hit.
Just a sample Cyberpunk/Dystopian stuff Coming soon
Ready Player One - Live Action Movie (Speilberg)
Altered Carbon (Netflix Series)
Alita - Battle Angel (Robert Rodriguez/James Cameron)
Bladerunner 2048
The Matrix (Unititled Morpheus Prequel, I would expect this to do well like the game Cyberpunk 2077, if they both come out the same Year and knock it out of the park, oh boy)
Blame! (Netflix Anime Series)
Tron Reboot (Rumoured)
Ruiner (PS 4)
Akira Live Action (if they dont cancel it like i suggested in my previous post)
Cyberpunk 2077 (the game is coming... In the near future?)
The Artisan
Member
we're talking about the actor acting in that episode of master of none right? not the synopsis of the episode where he plays a stereotypical taxi cab driver?
can you post the URL of that interview
Power Rangers has better overall reviews than GitS does.
Hellwarden
Member
Mixed feelings on this. On one hand, the whitewashing and general reviews kept me from seeing it. It doesn't sound like it's worth going to see in the theater. (Honestly, even if you took out the whitewashing aspect and left the reviews, I wouldn't have gone to see it.) I don't feel bad about this movie bombing to be frank.
I do however worry that because it bombed, we'll be getting less anime adaptations. That is a shame.
I do however worry that because it bombed, we'll be getting less anime adaptations. That is a shame.
petran79
Banned
I consider Appleseed manga superior to GITS in every way, it is just that the TV adaptations sucked. Too difficult to be thoroughly adapted.
If it werent for Oshi's movies and the TV adaptations of GITS, I'd have forgotten about the manga quickly.
1995 movie was R rated, compared to the pg13 rating btw.
That seems highly unlikely. Deus Ex: Human Revolution was a hit and it didn't start a cinematic movement. It didn't even have enough momentum/goodwill to keep its sequel from flopping.
michaelius
Banned
Which Asian actress has same pull as Scarlet for mainstream movie watcher ?
It would be grossing in single digit without her most likely.
Main problem is that they made it unattractive for audience aware of original existence and most other would probably be scared by anime roots.
I should be main target but I only plan to go watch it for lols to check how crappy it turned out.
Rent it.
Has made less money international in 2 weeks than Ghost in the Shell in one weekend, it will pass it by the end of the week and it only cost 10 millions more. So why should Hollywood care about the review scores?
There is always Edge of Tomorr... I mean Live Die Repe... errr... All You Need is Kill.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
Yeah, Ravi Patel.
You might have to turn off any adblock.
http://www.businessinsider.com/actor-almost-turned-down-aziz-ansari-2015-11
FTFY
It seems all they wanted to do was steal the influential visuals of the animated film.
They should have pulled out of this project after realizing someone already did that.
Why should Hollywood care about a movie that wasn't profitable and has shit reviews?
karasu
Member
Nobody cares what the source material was. Audiences aren't basing their decisions on that. Come on.
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