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[JABEE]

I feel the film's appeal was limited from the start. GiTS or any anime property will have limited appeal in North America.

Scarlett Johansson in this film probably helped it get made, but her casting probably sounds better on paper to a financier than it works as executed. Johansson in the role was not only weird, but also controversial.

$110 million for a LIVE action anime film is crazy. What is the most popular anime property in the United States with mainstream appeal? I feel Dragon Ball would be the title, but that movie flopped.

It would be interesting to see a live action Cowboy Bebop film. When I think about it, I think the quality of the films have and style have more to do with a film tanking or not. I think Ghost in the Shell would work better with a different direction, but I don't know if it gets financed.

 

[Saint Gregory]

I consider myself a fan of GitS but the trailers did this movie no favors. They all looked like someone was making a documentary about bad cosplay at the Comic-Con.

 

[Not]

You could've tried making a good movie. But sure, this is a good scapegoat. And there are worse ones you could've settled upon if it means you're going to start casting Asian-Americans. That is if you ever try to tackle a big-budget anime adaptation ever again.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

The movie was trash tho, Im sure that had nothing to do with it.

 

[Snkfanatic]

I feel the film's appeal was limited from the start. GiTS or any anime property will have limited appeal in North America.

Scarlett Johansson in this film probably helped it get made, but her casting probably sounds better on paper to a financier than it works as executed. Johansson in the role was not only weird, but also controversial.

$110 million for a LIVE action anime film is crazy. What is the most popular anime property in the United States with mainstream appeal? I feel Dragon Ball would be the title, but that movie flopped.

It would be interesting to see a live action Cowboy Bebop film. When I think about it, I think the quality of the films have and style have more to do with a film tanking or not. I think Ghost in the Shell would work better with a different direction, but I don't know if it gets financed.

Shhhhh don't give them any ideas.

 

[Not]

With a live-action Cowboy Bebop, they could actually cast white actors if they wanted. What the hell's keeping them from adapting that again?

 

[wazoo]

I know it probably didn't impact opening box office. But can we also not attribute the film's lack of success to the fact that it just wasn't very good?

Come on. "Not very good" movies are making tons of money all the time.

It is all about marketing. People do not see a movie because it is bad. They do not go to the theater because they do not WANT to go, they are not pushed to go.

 

[Haly]

With a live-action Cowboy Bebop, they could actually cast white actors if they wanted. What the hell's keeping them from adapting that again?

They buy up properties based on word of mouth instead of any actual expertise, and then adapt them willy nilly based on some convoluted system of astrological signs, instead of picking the right time and the right place with the right director who has the right vision.

 

[ultracal31]

With a live-action Cowboy Bebop, they could actually cast white actors if they wanted. What the hell's keeping them from adapting that again?

I did remember Keanu reeves being super interested to do that but the script was deemed "too expensive"

Edit:

Steve Blum talking about meeting Keanu about Bebop:
https://youtu.be/aR3hYC_atcE

 

[wazoo]

I just had a look to the trailer.

The movie does not look "fun" at all, which for a public raised to like marvel movies is a crime.

 

[Gaogaogao]

notice they say because of the whitewashing controversy, not because of the whitewashing. they take no responsibility.

 

[navii]

While the fans could have been hyping the movie up, they were tearing it down with a whitewashing controversy.

Now hollywood can decide if they say fuck it and leave anime movies alone or give what you demand and see if it makes money.

 

[wazoo]

While the fans could have been hyping the movie up, they were tearing it down with a whitewashing controversy.

Now hollywood can decide if they say fuck it and leave anime movies alone or give what you demand and see if it makes money.

They will probably decide that anime is not worth it.

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

While the fans could have been hyping the movie up, they were tearing it down with a whitewashing controversy.

Now hollywood can decide if they say fuck it and leave anime movies alone or give what you demand and see if it makes money.

Why couldn't Asians shut up so that Anime representation could have a chance?

 

[Alienfan]

As much as I want to belief this... The controversy wasn't even that big, it would have bombed regardless, a Japanese lead might have meant it would have done better in Japan, but that wasn't going to save the movie.

 

[DrSlek]

Even without the whitewashing controversy...I've already seen Ghost in the Shell. I own the original movie. What is the incentive for me to see a slightly different movie that I already own?

 

[milkham]

i guess i should have put "but my animes" on there

 

[Dazza]

I feel the film's appeal was limited from the start. GiTS or any anime property will have limited appeal in North America.

Scarlett Johansson in this film probably helped it get made, but her casting probably sounds better on paper to a financier than it works as executed. Johansson in the role was not only weird, but also controversial.

$110 million for a LIVE action anime film is crazy. What is the most popular anime property in the United States with mainstream appeal? I feel Dragon Ball would be the title, but that movie flopped.

It would be interesting to see a live action Cowboy Bebop film. When I think about it, I think the quality of the films have and style have more to do with a film tanking or not. I think Ghost in the Shell would work better with a different direction, but I don't know if it gets financed.

Dragonball was terrible, that fan flick was absolutely miles above it. The top anime property without a doubt would be Pokemon.

That executive statement was so tone deaf yet again, blaming "fanboys" and negative reviews only because of whitewashing allegations.

 

[The Hamburglar]

Bullshit. It was just another anime being made into a movie nobody cared about.

 

[ronaldthump]

"You’ve got a movie that is very important to the fanboys since it’s based on a Japanese anime movie,”​

If only anime fanboys were into Asian actresses.....

the otaku love pillows beg to differ

 

[wazoo]

Even without the whitewashing controversy...I've already seen Ghost in the Shell. I own the original movie. What is the incentive for me to see a slightly different movie that I already own?

Ok. Wake me up when Superman/Batman number XXXX flop.

 

[KSweeley]

Dragonball was terrible, that fan flick was absolutely miles above it. The top anime property without a doubt would be Pokemon.

That executive statement was so tone deaf yet again, blaming "fanboys" and negative reviews only because of whitewashing allegations.

And there's a live action Pokemon movie greenlit by Legendary and The Pokemon Company.

 

[Zoe]

With a live-action Cowboy Bebop, they could actually cast white actors if they wanted. What the hell's keeping them from adapting that again?

And surely China dominating the future would be a bonus.

 

[Haly]

And surely China dominating the future would be a bonus.

Chinese Spike Spiegel please. He even uses Bruce Lee's flavor of wing chun.

 

[Zoe]

Chinese Spike Spiegel please. He even uses Bruce Lee's flavor of wing chun.

But what about his glorious jewfro?

 

[Not]

Oh, I see, too expensive. Yeah, no one wants a half-assed CB movie.

EDIT: Apparently Faye Valentine is Singaporean though so they better not fuck that up.

Spoiler

lol

 

[Stallion Dan]

"Our trailers and marketing was shit" was never going to be admitted to.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

What ever happened to that Keanu Reeves Cowboy Bebop movie? Last I heard they actually had a script done.

 

[KSweeley]

What ever happened to that Keanu Reeves Cowboy Bebop movie? Last I heard they actually had a script done.

From what I've heard it got cancelled because the budget was too expensive for the movie to be greenlit.

 

[Taliban Stan]

Not to me. I didn't care about any of that but when I saw the first trailer it looked like an Underground/Resident Evil quality film but a little worse. Pretty much all the action in this movie looks bad. They focused on that in the trailers a lot and that didn't really give a good impression imo.

 

[Phamit]

Cyborg/ what's a Human? Movies seem to bomb most of the time anyway, I'm surprised Hollywood still try to make it happen

 

[Oersted]

I feel the film's appeal was limited from the start. GiTS or any anime property will have limited appeal in North America.

Scarlett Johansson in this film probably helped it get made, but her casting probably sounds better on paper to a financier than it works as executed. Johansson in the role was not only weird, but also controversial.

$110 million for a LIVE action anime film is crazy. What is the most popular anime property in the United States with mainstream appeal? I feel Dragon Ball would be the title, but that movie flopped.

It would be interesting to see a live action Cowboy Bebop film. When I think about it, I think the quality of the films have and style have more to do with a film tanking or not. I think Ghost in the Shell would work better with a different direction, but I don't know if it gets financed.

Noone has ever or will ever read Iron Man. Movies, liveaction movies in particular, reach wider than anime, comics and many historical events or even living persons can. Most people around the world only know native americans trough Disneys Pocahontas.

Thing is, you have to give people a reason to watch your movie. What was the reason to watch Ghost in the Shell?

 

[Haly]

But what about his glorious jewfro?

Hmm good point.

Oh, I see, too expensive. Yeah, no one wants a half-assed CB movie.

EDIT: Apparently Faye Valentine is Singaporean though so they better not fuck that up.

Spoiler

lol

Wait, WHAT?

DUCKROLL DID YOU KNOW THIS

 

[///PATRIOT]

Nah dude bad movies perform well all the time. This clearly flopped because it couldn't cater to anyone at all.

Fans of GitS saw it and said "well this clearly isn't for me"

The mainstream saw it and said "uh what is this?"

Sacrjo clearly can't carry action movies on her own, and Luc B just doesn't have a die hard enough fanbase like nolan or cameron who will see literally anything that is produced by those two.

Then the controversy on top of that might have just put enough people off.

The majority of people who saw this are people who go to the theater every weekend looking for something to watch.

Solid Opinion, anything else is overthinking it.
I would also add bad promotion and marketing.

 

[jayu26]

In my teenage years, when I was into anime, I use to dream of live action adaptations of Dragon Ball, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Trigun...Evangelion...


How naive was I? Although, I still think that if done right, a live action adaptation of One Piece can out do Pirates of the Caribbean franchise...IF done right.

 

[The Faceless Master]

wow, the exec is calling out mainstream audiences as racist?

 

[Big Nikus]

With a live-action Cowboy Bebop, they could actually cast white actors if they wanted. What the hell's keeping them from adapting that again?

To me it's called Firefly.

 

[The Greek Freak]

100% true for me.

Had heard the name before, saw the trailer and was interested.

Saw how pissed people were, especially with the spoilery reasoning and lost interest.

 

[Horse Detective]

Hahaha.

The bite behind using the term "fanboys" is almost palpable.

Businessmen blaming nerds for the lack of success with their nerdy content just makes me absolutely giddy.

 

[SmokeMaxX]

Whitewashing definitely didn't help. I was interested in seeing it and even had the opportunity to get free tickets. The whitewashing was a turn off though, so ultimately figured I could spend my money on better movies. Not sure how many people there are like me, but when you're losing money, every small percentage of the population you could've had counts. Also, hiring an Asian actress would've made this movie a whole lot cheaper. They would be less likely to justify high production costs and she'd get a much smaller salary than Scarlett.

 

[ryutaro's mama]

Or maybe try to make a good movie.

Naw, Millia Jovovich makes every RE movie profitable and they aren't good.

ScarJo just isn't an individual BO draw.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

What ever happened to that Keanu Reeves Cowboy Bebop movie? Last I heard they actually had a script done.

By the time they get around to making this film, Reeves will probably have to play Jet.

 

[Sesha]

They're just using the whitewashing controversy to rile the anti-SJWs and distract from their own incompetence.

While the whitewashing undoubtedly had some effect, they also didn't make a good movie, the latter of which shone through in the marketing materials.

Naw, Millia Jovovich makes every RE movie profitable and they aren't good.

ScarJo just isn't an individual BO draw.

Those movies come with different expectations and have slowly built an audience over time. Not to mention being one third to half the budget of this. Final Chapter cost $70m less not accounting for marketing.

 

[Whompa02]

Or maybe try to make a good movie.

1: Big movie studios never intend to make bad movies.

2: A bad movie can make hundreds of millions of dollars regardless.

 

[Sesha]

I'm still sad over losing Cameronlita to Avatar.

DAMN YOU FURRIES

- No Cameron
- Robert Rodriguez directing
- Italian Alita in her 30s who kinda sorta vaguely looks like Alita if you squint

.........................................................................

 

[GuitarAtomik]

But what about his glorious jewfro?

Not a dealbreaker...

 

[timetokill]

eh

If the movie was pulling a 90+ on Rotten Tomatoes it wouldn't have flopped, and having a white lead didn't doom it to the reviews it got

 

[ISOM]

This is the route I took with this movie:

- See ad, Scarjo looks almost naked. Has my attention.
- Realize it is anime, eh wait for reviews
- Reviews are bad, pass.

I think this is a big reason. Most of the general movie going audience are not anime watchers. So they don't care that GITS is an anime adaptation. In fact hearing that it's an anime adaptation probably makes the average person reluctant or wait for reviews. And since the reviews were either average or negative, those people aren't going to waste their time.

The funny thing here is that if they had made this an original movie without adapting this from an anime, the movie would have probably made a lot more money in its opening. And it would have avoided the whitewashing issue.

Or if they had made this with an Asian Lead, I think it could have gotten its own unique buzz and done better than expected. Hollywood failed on multiple fronts with this.

 

[wandering]

But what about his glorious jewfro?

His hair was actually based on the Japanese actor Shusaku Matsuda IIRC

 

[ryutaro's mama]

Those movies come with different expectations and have slowly built an audience over time. Not to mention being one third to half the budget of this. Final Chapter cost $70m less not accounting for marketing.

The expectation is to make money.

I have yet to see ScarJo completely carry a movie and it succeed. Lucy was her first shot at action star after playing Black Widow. Fail.

Now we have this. Fail.