Universal Moving ’47 Ronin’ Release To February 8, 2013

COMMENTS (13)

• First John Carter, now Battleship, next we will watch as studio PR machines try and convince us that $300 – $400 world wide grosses some how make up for $250 in production costs and $250 in marketing spend on 47 Ronin.

  Comment by John Carter of Japan — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 10:40am PDT  Reply to this post

  • Keep in mind that box office is not the only revenue stream. Usually once you factor in McDonalds tie ins tv revenue, on demand, dvds etc they will be very profitable.

    Comment by charlie — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 12:40pm PDT  Reply to this post

    • First of, only roughly 50% of the worldwide box office ends up in the studio’s coffers while the other half goes to exhibitors/foreign distribution etc.
      Considering marketing costs, this means a film pretty much has to make at least three times its production cost during its worldwide theatrical run in order to begin to break even.

      The after-market streams are therefore essential for the studios because they are very low-cost compared to theatrical distribution and thus present a much higher profit margin. However, DVD sales, which were the most profitable to studios, have declined greatly in the last five years while piracy is up dramatically, especially in foreign territories.
      Other media streams are slow in taking up the slack.
      So, “47 Ronin” will most likely have to make well over 600 million world-wide in order to break even. And that is not going to happen …
      The film should have not been made for a penny more than, say, $130 millions.
      Unfortunately, this first-time director is going to get stuck with the bad wrap rather than the studio and production executives or the producers, all of which are just as, if not more, responsible for making this movie for high of a price.
      That’s the way of Hollywood!

      Comment by Stefanovich — Sunday April 29, 2012 @ 6:31pm PDT  Reply to this post

• this thing has had trainwreck written all over it since the word go. is this a shmuger / linde leftover?

  Comment by smartalex — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 11:30am PDT  Reply to this post

  • Let’s just be fair, they had both left well before this was made.

    Comment by Andrea — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 6:01pm PDT  Reply to this post

• somebody better tell that to massive second unit that’s prepping to shoot

  Comment by liarliar — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 11:41am PDT  Reply to this post

• Great another Samurai movie starring a white guy.
  What was Tom Cruise too busy?

  Comment by NHBILL — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 12:27pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Odd how some whites see themselves in everybody, but Asians have always seen the Asian in Keanu written all over his face. It was one of the reasons my friends and I loved him in high school, because he was like us. We were 2nd and 3rd generation and there is a certain “look” to that, which Keanu shares. I think it’s a quite beautiful look. One of my friends was half black and half Japanese, and was the most gorgeous girl you would ever meet. Keanu has always been famed for his multi-ethnic beauty. Not sure why some whites are getting their panties in a twist over it now.

    Comment by emiko — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 2:37pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Pass. Just one look at the official site shows how racist this “production” is. The white guy is on top, and all the “Asians” are below him. Guess for Hollywood’s retards all those yellow folk looks the same.

  Comment by The Bear — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 12:50pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • do your research

    keanu plays a half breed character half white/half asian

    just like he is in real life

    Comment by HG — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 2:26pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Not surprised at all about this. I felt the script had some serious issues and Keanu is well Keanu

  Comment by frank — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 1:01pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Karl Rinsch is a “renowned” commercials director? Seriously?

  Comment by eve — Wednesday April 25, 2012 @ 2:19pm PDT  Reply to this post

• The demotion from the mid-November release to early February shows an incredible lack of confidence in the film (or a lack in late first quarter 2013 slots that are better). If they had to release it later, but liked what they saw already they would probably go for a Spring Break or mid-to early March release.

  Comment by Rachel Kadushin — Friday April 27, 2012 @ 9:35am PDT  Reply to this post