Anghus Houvouras on Hollywood’s big gambles of 2015…
2015 has the potential to be a landmark year for film. By now you’re familiar with the slew of big budget blockbusters being lined up at theaters this year. There’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Jurassic World, as well as new installments of Fast & Furious, Bond, and Terminator. The familiar franchises are being rolled out with marked regularity. The risk averse movies that have built in audiences and an almost zero chances of failure. But what about the other big budget films? The ones that aren’t such a ‘sure thing’ Here’s a look at some of 2015’s most interesting gambles.
1. Jupiter Ascending
I know, you’re skeptical. And you’re right to be. First off, it’s the Wachowskis who have been more ‘miss’ than ‘hit’ since The Matrix came out in 1999. Even if you liked the sequels, you understand the criticisms. They were clunky, cartoony, with acting so wooden that you could describe the characters as mahogany. I happened to like Speed Racer and think Cloud Atlas is one of the most laughable cinematic experiences of my adult life. Then the movie was pulled from its original July 2014 release date for reasons that are still unknown. Still, it’s safe to say that the Wachowskis are risk-takers. Jupiter Ascending looks pretty crazy. Channing Tatum as a hunky Werewolf warrior. Mila Kunis is a space princess, and Eddie Redmayne’s villain looks like a cocaine fueled scenery chewing abomination. Jupiter Ascending could be more Flash Gordon than Star Wars, but in a world where original intellectual properties are rarely launched, this is one to root for.
2. In The Heart of the Sea
Ron Howard is one of those filmmakers who can deliver something special when he digs deep. Rush was a great film and deserving of the praise it received. In the Heart of the Sea re-teams him with Chris Hemsworth who stars in this real life encounter that inspired Moby Dick. The story seems well suited for Howard, who always finds a healthy balance between drama and four quadrant entertainment. The price tag, as one would assume, is high. Are audiences ready for a period, sea-faring tale of survival this March? Here’s hoping…
3. Crimson Peak
In spite of the movie industry’s love of Guillermo Del Toro, he’s still not a proven quantity. His smaller, more personal films, have gotten him a reputation as a gifted filmmaker with a penchant for the macabre. His big budget studio offerings have been disappointments. Pacific Rim barely made it into the black. Both Hellboy films were financial disappointments theatrically. He’s one of those talents everyone likes but has yet to knock one out the park for his studio benefactors. Crimson Peak is another attempt at taking Del Toro’s art house side and converting it into mainstream studio success. Will this be his first major studio hit, or another marginal performer that covers the cost but doesn’t escalate him to the next level?
4. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
I think we could all benefit from a little more suave spy action in our lives. We only get a new Bond film every 2-3 years. Why not another series about debonair men of mystery who save the world from evil while looking like they stepped off the cover of 1960’s Yacht Owner Quarterly? I’m genuinely interested in Man from U.N.C.L.E., even though technically it’s a previously existing property and therefore the product of unoriginal thought. Even with that crutch, I still think the potential for excellence exists. This could be the next Mission Impossible. Then again, this could be the next Avengers. The one with Ralph Fiennes, not the Marvel one. Though Armie Hammer and Henry Cavil are becoming more recognizable, they’re not exactly marquee names yet.
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: The Green Destiny
Most of the films on this list are financial gambles. Not this one. A deal with Netflix has made the long awaited sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, at worst, a break-even proposition. The original is one of my 10 favorite films of all time. I have reservations about any sequel, but especially one taking us back to the Wire-Fu world of ancient China. Not a lot of Oscar winning films get sequels, but the Weinstein Company is betting that director Yuen Wo-Ping can create some of his own magic with the Crane-Iron Pentalogy. Much of the perilous risk that comes along with the sequel is seeing big budget blockbusters heading straight to Netflix. The theatrical release is almost an afterthought. Could this be the start of a trend? Will more studios risk bypassing theaters and the expenses that go along with marketing their blockbusters? Risky… and interesting.
Anghus Houvouras is a North Carolina based writer and filmmaker. His latest work, the novel My Career Suicide Note, is available from Amazon. Follow him on Twitter.
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