Making Money vs Making a Movie

You have to remember that the gross product is after everyone – director and actors – get paid.

I don’t know if the producers get a salary as the film goes along, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

So the only people (really) who get stiffed are the non-hollywood investors (or hollywood investors).

Tom Cruise can make a bomb, and still collect his salary. So he is happy to make junk – he still gets paid, and if it is junk he likely won’t take the heat. How many horrible movies has Kevin Costner been in – and he still shows up on screen every once in a while. True he has made some good movies too.

Besides, Hollywood doesn’t make movies for middle America – worry about what us “fly over” folks care about? Not likely. They make movies for each other. And for some reason they can get Sony other large co. to foot the bill (mostly because the Sony people in Hollywood want to prove they are part of the “right crowd.”

Zendo Deb, You are right. Investors taking a percentage lose out — profits may never materialize. (Burt Reynolds would always take a percentage of the gross, not net.)

Anyway, you sound like a women who truly knows how to negotiate a contract. The glass ceiling would be less of an issue if everyone was as aggressive in doing and pursuing a deal.

Thanks,

Jack

It’s interesting that in all of VA Brokeback Mountain isn’t even playing in Virginia’s capital city. Personally, I feel it’s the older generation who owns the local movie theaters who aren’t willing to endorse this movie (I’m from Richmond, VA). I know plenty of people from my generation, late teens through twenties, that would love to see Brokeback Mountain, but aren’t willing to drive to Fairfax due to lack of time and money. It’s an issue of the older generation not being able to change with the times.

I am not sure if this will get posted, as I disagree with many of Mr. Yoest’s assumptions, (interesting and well done site though) but for the record,in reference to the bar graph, as of Feb 3 06, BrokeBack has made 53,000,000 (!)domesticly and is the # 2 Film in the nation. Big Mommas House is outselling it. Yours Mine and Ours (a good movie) has made 52,742,271 and is ranked # 40. King Kong has made 213 million and is #16. If Brokeback only maintains its current sales strength (and 400+ more theaters are carrying it starting today) just through to the Oscars, it will make upwards of 70,000,000. domestic, likely more. Beyond the Oscars, if it wins, who knows how much more it will make? Narnias huge, here and abroad. Thats a good thing. Its a great movie (saw it twice!) But, there is room for all kinds of movies, and, it is becoming obvious, there is an American market for a movie about two men in love at a time in America when it would have very difficult for them to be an open couple or tell others. Happily, we are not that country anymore.

Almost everyone I know who has seen it likes it. I did. I love it because a friend told me her brother went to see it at his girlfriends request, and afterwards called her to talk. It was the first time they had spoken in a warm and loving manner since she came out to him.

In brief, its a good movie. America is ready for it, is willing to pay to see it, and and doing so in blue and red states, and its been a excellent investment for the independent studio that made it, and looks like it will only get more profitable here, and abroad (27 million abroad thus far, and its not even opened in several major markets like Germany).

Respectfully, its time to update the bar graph.