It seems that the Suits over on the Warner Lot are laying down the law...
A mandate has gone out that no more superhero films will be rated "R" since the box office disappointment of "Watchmen" a couple weeks ago. This according to a
source over at
IESB. Like Suits tend to do, they never focus on story. Only the tangible demographics that they perceive to understand. So they're thinking was that the reason "The Dark Knight" did so well was because it was rated PG-13 and not the fact that it had a brilliant story? You got to love them, don't you. Those business degrees are worth so little it seems.
Now, this isn't to say that Watchmen had bad story, because I think Zach Snyder did the impossible in translating that comic and bringing the core of what it was to the screen. But it's not a typical superhero story. In fact, it's a revisionist superhero story the way that Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" was. And those that went in for a typical comic book story were destined to be disappointed. The Suits would probably know this if they ever bothered to read the material that they film instead of handing it off to readers that give them coverage. Jeff Robinov made a glaring admission of not knowing what the heck he was talking about when he made the statement that all comic films will now be dark and serious, including Superman(this is a paraphrase of what he said). What he and others don't understand is that you have to be true to the source. You have to make it more accessible to a wider audience that film allows, but you have to remain faithful. That doesn't mean "dark and brooding." "Iron Man" wasn't that way and it worked out fine. When they start filming "Green Lantern" in September they shouldn't film it that way(I have got to get around to reading that script, sigh.). When they take superhero films like "Fantastic Four" and turn them into dysfunctional family sitcoms instead of a really great sci-fi adventure you can tell the Suits don't know what they're doing.
The irony here is that I believe the failure of Watchmen is because of two things. One is that it was marketed more like a superhero movie; which clearly it's not. Secondly, the expectations of Warner were way out of line because of the story that it was. It's not a film that would wind up doing the kind of box office they were expecting. It's more of a niche film that could grow beyond its targeted audience with a more focused campaign. It's strange because to me, Warner has the best marketing department in the film business. The Mouse is a very close second, although they did a bad job of marketing "Bolt" last year. Strangely, they seem to have become better at marketing Pixar films that Disney films, but that is another story for another post. Perhaps not needed after "The Princess and the Frog" comes out and does bofo at theaters.
Hopefully the Suits over at Warner prove me wrong. I loved DK and look forward to many more films that are adapted with thought and care, but not focusing on balance sheets and demographics. Good stories are what we need. As John Lasseter always says: "Quality is the best business plan of all." Maybe the genius planning the next Warner adaption should take a meeting with him. Although, I don't know if he has the time. He's very busy.
That seems to come with success...
