Chapter 876： Cold water

Since its birth in 1954, Godzilla has been regarded as the most famous monster in the world.

As the first big movie after Godzilla entered Hollywood, it has the most popular CG special effects in recent years as a gimmick. Even if you don’t talk about the Goslar fans all over the world, just relying on the popularity of this monster is enough to attract A large number of viewers automatically entered the cinema.

Therefore, Sony Pictures has high hopes for Godzilla, not only for the unprecedented $20 million pay plus 15% North American box office, but also for Roland Emmerich, and from the very beginning, ambitiously formulated. The trilogy plan, the production budget of the first part of the film has also increased from the initial 120 million US dollars to 150 million. Stimulated by the global box office explosion of Titanic, Sony Pictures, which is confidently trying to hit the $1 billion global box office, has raised the movie’s announcement budget to $70 million.

The intensive TV trailer bombing and overwhelming poster propaganda made "Godzilla" the most popular super blockbuster of this summer file from the beginning, and the audience expectation is far more than "Batman and Robin", " Summer casinos such as the Royal Casino of 007.

Under the squandering marketing propaganda of Sony Pictures, almost no one in Hollywood suspects that Godzilla will become the most popular box office in the summer, in order to avoid the "Godzilla" edge, after June 6 The one-week schedule can be said to be completely monopolized by Godzilla. Even the small movie companies that like to eat and eat behind the summer blockbuster movie did not dare to choose to release this week.

The scale of the opening of more than 3,300 screens also tied the screen record of the opening of the mummy 2 last year.

In the context of the unprecedented box office record of "Titanic", the entire film industry is not sure whether Hollywood will soon appear again at the box office.

Therefore, in addition to Sony Pictures, most of Hollywood's film companies are watching the box office data of Godzilla. Even if Godzilla only shows half of the box office potential of the Titanic, the other films that follow will also be affected to varying degrees.

"Godzilla" seems to live up to expectations. On the day of the opening of the painting, the box office at the midnight night will receive a total of 6.25 million US dollars. You must know that the Jurassic Park, which broke the box office record of the midnight game a few years ago, was only $4.59 million at the box office. Only.

However, perhaps it is also the reason that the higher the sentence is, the more it falls.

After the opening of the midnight game, on Friday, the major newspapers in North America took the opportunity to pour a cold cold water into the super blockbuster.

"It’s so spectacular, it’s so spectacular. It seems that special effects are not omnipotent.”

Beverly's hilltop mansion, early in the morning, turned over the fax sent by the Fox distribution department, Elizabeth was obviously so excited to be so excited, but how to listen in the tone is a bit sour.

Although it has the convenience of the Firefly Alliance and the shares of the Australian branch of the digital field, it can use the industry's top special effects production resources without any obstacles. However, Fox has no CG special effects released this year, except for the production. The "Star Wars Prequel", Fox's own special effects film projects are in the early stage of brewing.

Eric took the breakfast from Julia and opened the laptop on the table. She blinked Elizabeth and joked: "What ages are there, and I use fax to communicate with this old-fashioned way. Come, I will introduce you. Take a look at Yahoo's corporate email system."

Elizabeth gave Eric a blank eye and despised: "I also said that the offer is so expensive. When I reported the budget, I was almost rejected by the board. I knew I used AOL," suddenly remembered that AOL is also Elizabeth’s company, which is owned by Firefly Investment, added a sentence: “Microsoft’s corporate email may be good.”

Julia went to the kitchen and took her breakfast with Elizabeth. She sat down at the table and asked, "Liz, what have you said about spectacular, "Gisla" comment?"

Elizabeth came again with interest and said: "Yeah, listen to me for you, this is a part of the film review that the company just counted this morning."

"Entertainment Weekly: Despite some exquisite and exciting shots, the $150 million junk sci-fi blockbuster film has brought more than a shock."

"" Variety": Not to mention the big scenes that make people feel boring, this monster movie gives people an uncoordinated sense of eccentricity, and the director obviously does not grasp the soul of the story."

"And, Roger Albert also published a film review in the Chicago Sun: "You have to accept such a movie without the brain at all, but my brain has repeatedly insisted on it. The welcome place uses logic '. Haha, Roger is estimated to be public relations, but the film review sounds very gentle, but the irony is really embarrassing."

"This Arizona Daily Star is not at all ruthless: 'Unbearable dullness and boring, it's hard to imagine how someone might like this kind of garbage like excrement'. Hey, no. I know if Sony is offending the film critic, so hey."

"..."

Elizabeth had a review of more than a dozen newspapers in one breath, and Eric only heard two reluctant reviews. The major movie companies in Hollywood are basically paying attention to the box office performance of "Godzilla". Eric opened the e-mail, and the firefly also passed some word of mouth and data analysis of "Godzilla".

According to the results of dozens of US mainstream newspapers on Friday, "Godzilla" has just been released, and the comprehensive score of the film has been pulled to a level of 3 points which is not worth seeing.

Although the box office of Godzilla’s midnight field reached $6.25 million, the Firefly Distribution Department predicted that under the influence of this ultra-low reputation, Godzilla’s first week’s box office may not exceed $80 million, and it is impossible. To meet Sony's expectations of breaking through 100 million in the first week.

Julia listened to Elizabeth's review of a series of film reviews, and some incredulously said: "The cost of production of $150 million, no matter how bad it is to go?"

"The Future Water World has spent 175 million, but it is still not bad. However, "Godzilla" seems to be even worse. I remember that the comprehensive score of "Future Water World" has 4 points. "Elizabeth said, and turned over a stack of faxes," said "Godzilla" now has a comprehensive score of only 3 points. It is estimated that after a few days, there will be only one or two points left. This rotten is a bit outrageous, Eric, won't you be a ghost?"

Eric turned off the analysis file of Godzilla, opened the box office statistics email of last week, and smiled and asked: "You forgot your name, do you have any ghosts, can you still not see it?"

"Hey, who knows what tricks you will play in the back, but, such a bad super blockbuster, I suddenly have some curiosity, or do we have to go to see it together at night?"

"Not tonight, Robert Eiger came to New York. I agreed with Jeffery to have dinner together. Tomorrow, I will make a small hall in advance."

"It’s rare that you are willing to accompany us on weekends." Elizabeth looked happily in her eyes and habitually sneered a word. In a blink of an eye, she changed her mind: "Yes, what about the box office last week?"

""Lion King 2" ranked first, 55.7 million US dollars. "Air Prison" 34.2 million US dollars, ranked second," Eric just introduced the next two movies, did not continue to say, looked up and said: "This The box office performance of the two films is not too high, and the total box office in a single week is only 130 million US dollars, far from reaching the limit of about 200 million US dollars in the summer file. So, if you listen to me, I will be the Ice Age. In the week before "The Lion King 2", the two box-type animations of different types of animations, the "Gale Age" box office performance will certainly be very good."

"I don't want to be dragged by you as a cannon fodder. "Ice Age" is the first film of Blue Sky Studio. If you hit a very bad person, why don't you put "Floating Story" on "Lion King 2"? In front?"

"I am leaving a road to Paramount. You can't bully people. It's not the same. The Ice Age is different. The cost is only $59 million. The investment is not high, and it is more suitable for coexistence with the big man. ”

"Nonsence."

Due to the impact of ultra-low word-of-mouth, Godzilla’s box office results were gratifying at midnight, but only $17.5 million was received on Friday, and the subsequent box office results on Saturday were only slightly raised to $19.3 million. On Sunday, The one-day box office of Godzilla slipped directly to the low of 16.7 million.

Although the total box office reached $59.75 million in the first three days of the first weekend, it easily won the position of the summer box office champion. However, due to continuous media bombings for three consecutive days, on the working day, the box office appeal of Godzilla seemed to suddenly dissipate, and the one-day box office slipped directly to the situation with only more than $4.3 million left. In a few working days, the one-day box office of Godzilla continued to fall.

In the end, Godzilla’s first week’s box office was only $7,366. This box office looks far more than the $55.7 million in the first week of Lion King 2, but considering the pre-event of Sony’s film industry. The announcement of the offensive and the industry's general expectation that "Godzilla" will break through the box office in the first week, the first week of the $73.66 million box office is still far from success.

What's more, the bad reputation has reached the extreme, and it is also destined that this film will usher in a big diving-like box office decline in the following week. After the "Lion King 2" at the box office of 55.7 million US dollars in the first week, the box office of the next week fell only a very small 24%, and then received 42.33 million US dollars. In two weeks, the total box office of "Lion King 2" reached 98.03 million US dollars. It is only one step away from breaking the billion, which will undoubtedly bring more pressure to the upcoming "Nemo".

However, due to the fact that the market performance of Godzilla is not so strong, the weekly box office drop of "Air Prison" is also very impressive, only 32.3%, based on the first week of $34.2 million, and another $23.15 million, two weeks. The box office totaled $53.75 million, and it seems to once again show the potential of breaking 100 million.

Eric watched the film with Elizabeth and Julia on Saturday, when Godzilla was released.

Although there are many differences compared with memory, after watching the movie, Eric also feels that even if he does not spit out the image of the tyrannosaurus-type “Godzilla”, the overall quality of the film does not exceed the quality. Media evaluation.

Anyone who has seen Roland Emmerich's work knows that the director is very good at or likes to use the story structure of multi-line narrative. This narrative structure also promotes the film "Don Liri" and other films at the box office. Great success.

However, this kind of narrative technique is not without limitations. It is obviously more suitable for the global big-scale disaster films such as "Donely Day" and "2012". It can be created by showing the different reactions of people from different strata and different regions in the face of devastating disasters. The tension of the disaster.

However, monster movies like Godzilla are obviously not suitable for continuing to use the story structure of this multi-line narrative.

A monster in Manhattan, New York, did not smash, but the camera cut out frequently, and involved a lot of characters that were completely unnecessary, and finally completely lost the focus of the story, making the whole story seem messy and clueless. In this case, any viewer will lose patience while waiting for a long and boring wait. At the end of the film, Godzilla, which should have been incomparably strong, was easily eliminated by several human missiles. It was even more difficult for the audience who had been squandered and boring for two hours to feel any sense of release.

In addition to North America, the most important overseas market in Godzilla, Japan, the film has encountered more cold and criticism, because the film is far lower than expected, coupled with the complete subversion of the image of Godzilla, the Japanese fans basically The film is treated with a boycott of attitude.

Sony Pictures originally predicted that Godzilla’s Japanese box office is likely to be comparable to North America, but in fact, in the week of North America’s simultaneous release, Godzilla’s Japanese box office is equivalent to less than $8 million. Only one-seventh of the North American box office numbers.

After the film's release, Godzilla's copyright owner, Dongbao Co., said that it would consider withdrawing Sony's "Godzilla" film production license, and if necessary, even resort to litigation.

The first week of more than 73 million US dollars, on the surface can not be considered bleak.

But everyone knows that this box office is completely the result of the previous $70 million huge announcement budget without cost marketing. Under this one-sided extreme bad review, "Godzilla" at the second week of the box office even broke a record of decline. It’s not surprising that the film’s failure has been inevitable, and Sony’s film, which has not fully recovered, is once again turbulent.