Sony Spider-Verse discussion thread

[Grendelsbayne]

Apparently this has only made $6 million on opening day

https://twitter.com/HollywoodHandle/status/1758159612224889090

Their budget was 80 million. So they might even break even when things settle down

Which actually might be something that Sony stumbled upon that's letting things be not-as-bad for them with other studios: relatively low budgets. That even when the movie isn't that successful, it's not that big of a hit to the finances for them.

Morbius actually had a similar budget to Madame Web. And while yes, it underperformed, it only lost about $20-$40 million...which in the realm of blockbuster movies, isn't that big of a loss. If anything, Black Adam that year was the bigger loser then Morbius, losing way more money (in the hundreds of millions)

It's tracking to make around 25m over it's entire (six day!) opening weekend.

It's true that Sony's low budgets make these movies lower risk, but this movie isn't getting anywhere near 100m after this start and the actual break-even point for a movie with an 80m budget is not 80m, it's at least twice that, because the studio is splitting all that money with the distributors and cinemas, plus they also shelled out more money for advertising.

 

[Fantasy Lover]

Spoiler: rant

Saw with some friends, hooo boy let's review this, the camera work in the flashback is terrible, the bad guy clearly never read classic Greek mythology, Cassie somehow doesn't doesn't get arrested for flying that plane or the motel in check and somehow gets discharged from charges for kidnapping, Cassie somehow can control her power after another flashback and it takes 1,30 hour for the movie to get going

 

[Relayer1]

How long before Sony admit they can't make money off these and just sell the rights back to Marvel ?

 

[Rich Watson]

How long before Sony admit they can't make money off these and just sell the rights back to Marvel ?

The only thing they need to to keep the rights is make a live-action Spider-Man movie every 5 years. None of these other movies count towards that.

And while the next one isn't going to make NWH money, it'll make more than enough to ensure they keep holding on to them.

 

[Turtletrekker]

How long before Sony admit they can't make money off these and just sell the rights back to Marvel ?

It's probably more advantageous for Sony to keep diluting Marvels product with their inferior product.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Well, there is the money they make through sponsorship. Unfortunately, that amount is not publicly known, but you can be sure that Pepsi probably had to cough up a good amount for this movie. Don't know if it was as much as Skittles paid to have an ad break in the final battle of SHAZAM! 2, but it certainly wasn't peanuts.

 

[JD]

I haven't played them yet and they're supposed to be pretty good but I think he's in the most recent Playstation games as well which were massive hits.

The second Playstation game just came out on the PS5 in October of last year, so that wouldn't have had any impact on the movies.

 

[Caretaker]

It's probably more advantageous for Sony to keep diluting Marvels product with their inferior product.

The Producers?

 

[The Wormhole]

Spoiler: rant

Saw with some friends, hooo boy let's review this, the camera work in the flashback is terrible, the bad guy clearly never read classic Greek mythology, Cassie somehow doesn't doesn't get arrested for flying that plane or the motel in check and somehow gets discharged from charges for kidnapping, Cassie somehow can control her power after another flashback and it takes 1,30 hour for the movie to get going

Spoiler

The plane? Meh, common movie trope where the lead is in trouble with the law but somehow still manages international travel no problem. The motel? Meh, the probably see all kinds of shady clientele all the time.

 

[Skipper]

An excellent analysis

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[Tosk]

Spoiler warning for the video above. 16 minutes just to basically say that filmmaking is hard, and that studios often screw with the final product. His advice is to pay for movies that are good.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Stuckmann hasn’t been the same since crowdfunding and making (I assume he finished it) a horror movie. I used to enjoy him but he became a bit of a shill stooge and full of himself. EDIT: shouldn’t say shill as he’s upfront about it

 

[Morpheus 02]

Here is Screen Crush's review and discussion of the Sony Verse

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Anyone agree?

 

[Christopher]

I actually like The Last Witchhunter, Gods of Egypt, and Power Rangers, but I still have to wonder how Sazama and Sharpless keep getting work when literally every movie in the list has been a complete bomb. Is it just the success of Lost in Space?

Relevant to the earlier discussion on this topic, Joe Russo has weighed in:

https://twitter.com/joerussotweets/status/1759269980988969101

"Why are we blaming creatives and not executive meddling? I’ve read Matt’s writing on two of these. It’s good and not what’s on screen. He keeps working because he’s great."

 

[Mr. Adventure]

some fuel for the fire
https://www.cbr.com/madame-web-the-spider-man-universe/


Di Bonaventura confirmed that there was a version of the script that was connected to the larger universe: "before I was involved there was a script, and before S.J. was involved as well." However, he added that they "saw the advantage in not having the burden of the attachment of all this other stuff that has gone on. You'd be silly to think you don't pay some homage to it and some acknowledgment, which we do, but it really freed us in a way to tell a pure story, I think. And so, for both of us, that allowed us to get into what I love about Dakota's journey."

Di Bonaventura went on to explain that Madame Web follows Cassandra Webb's struggle with the responsibility of three young women, which couldn't have happened if the film were connected to the larger universe. He concluded that "freeing ourselves from that obligation, in a sense, was very freeing and allowed us to do a more complex ride with the hero."


However, the Dakota Johnson-led superhero film was always meant to be a standalone in director S.J. Clarkson's eyes.

“She’s definitely in a standalone world,” the director confirmed. “I was able to just have free rein and let the movie be what it needed to be, as opposed to trying to force it into something else. That was a gift, in a way, to be able to take something and bring a fresh and I hope original take to it.”

 

[Tosk]

I'm glad they felt so free, free, free.

That's also how I'll see the movie. Eventually. Out of curiosity.

 

[Guy Gardener]

The only thing they need to to keep the rights is make a live-action Spider-Man movie every 5 years. None of these other movies count towards that.

And while the next one isn't going to make NWH money, it'll make more than enough to ensure they keep holding on to them.

Not the deal Marvel made.

Sony gets to keep the Movie Rights to Spider-Man, forever so long as they have a Spider-Man roller coaster ride at their theme park.

 

[Nightowl1701]

Not the deal Marvel made.

Sony gets to keep the Movie Rights to Spider-Man, forever so long as they have a Spider-Man roller coaster ride at their theme park.

What Sony theme park? Columbia Pictures Aquaverse in Thailand doesn't have a Spider-Man anything, let alone a roller-coaster. The only Spider-Man ride I know of is the one at Universal, and they don't have any rights to Spidey otherwise (except to keep him and most of Marvel out of Walt Disney World).

 

[Morpheus 02]

So Box Office Mojo is estimating at $26 million dollar opening in the US, and a total with international at $50 million.

Bob Marley: One Love has been making almost twice as much as Madame Web each day since opening day Feb 14.

Not the deal Marvel made.

Sony gets to keep the Movie Rights to Spider-Man, forever so long as they have a Spider-Man roller coaster ride at their theme park.

What Sony theme park? Columbia Pictures Aquaverse in Thailand doesn't have a Spider-Man anything, let alone a roller-coaster. The only Spider-Man ride I know of is the one at Universal, and they don't have any rights to Spidey otherwise (except to keep him and most of Marvel out of Walt Disney World).

You do realize you are responding to Guy Gardener , right?

 

[JD]

Relevant to the earlier discussion on this topic, Joe Russo has weighed in:

https://twitter.com/joerussotweets/status/1759269980988969101

"Why are we blaming creatives and not executive meddling? I’ve read Matt’s writing on two of these. It’s good and not what’s on screen. He keeps working because he’s great."

Yeah, I think do see what you were saying before now. I guess the people doing the hiring must understand that what we see on screen isn't necessarily the best example of their skills as writers.
It's sad how many movies have been ruined by executive meddling. I can't think of any examples of executives coming in and forcing changes on a movie that actually improved it.
I have to confess, The Last Witchhunter is actually one of my favorite movies.
TV shows definitely seems to be a better place to judge a writer than movies. Just look at Damon Lindeloff, he's done several acclaimed shows, but most of his movies haven't gotten the greatest reception.