Is a Transformers movie still commercially viable?

ArkonBlade · Post by **ArkonBlade** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 12:35 pm

well wind charger He Man was laready done back in the late 80s as a live action move . it was HORRIBLE mainly due too being low budget and the special effect back then where pretty shyty since CGI wasnt a viable or usable source of special effects . so they just made it cheaply and used a normal town and figured out some hokey way too incorperate it . As for the length of TF i agree a hour and ahalf or two hours at the most will probubly be the length of the movie but then again harry freekin potter was 2 and a half hours i heard and kids sat through that . lol where all kinda skeptical on how this is gona turn out and we have good reason too seeing how some movies ( like He-Man) turned out. i think we will get a better understanding on where its all gona go by next summer wich im sure by then we'll see atleast a sneak preview of in theaters or TV getting ready too build up some hype for it.

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Sun Jul 27, 2003 1:23 pm

Originally posted by ArkonBlade
...He-Man was laready done back in the late 80s as a live action move . it was HORRIBLE mainly due too being low budget and the special effect back then where pretty shyty since CGI wasn't a viable or usable source of special effects .... but then again Harry freekin Potter was 2 and a half hours i heard and kids sat through that.

I'm quite well acquainted with the He-Man Movie made in 1987 (and its respective Commodore 64 movie tie-in game that I wasn't very good at), and I thought it was reasonably good fun, all things considered, and the effects were as good as they could have been for the time (correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought 'The Abyss' was the first major release to use computer generated imagery in 1989).

As far as Harry Potter goes, all my little relatives (aged between 5-11) agree that the first HP film was just too damn long, and that made it boring. On the other hand, they loved 'Lord of the Rings'. Some books/ideas can take a lengthy film and keep them enthralled, some can't I guess. Its just that with a new Transformers movie, I can't see why anyone would want to risk making it a three hour monster. It would shirley crash and burn, and I don't mean that in a Savage Garden sense.

Vin Ghostal · Post by **Vin Ghostal** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 1:13 pm

Three hours?

Noooooooo way. If the film happens, I'd anticipate something in the realm of the first Men in Black (a lean, trim 98 minutes). We'd all love to see Transformers turned into a Lord of the Rings-esque epic, but realistically, that's probably not going to happen. The most we can hope for is that Wheelie won't have a hand in it...or, better yet, that he'll be killed by Predaking in some awful fashion.

[cable]-Iacon · Post by **[cable]-Iacon** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 3:30 pm

Originally posted by Vin Ghostal
The most we can hope for is that Wheelie won't have a hand in it...or, better yet, that he'll be killed by Predaking in some awful fashion. ]

But he probably ends up saving the entire universe instead and then he inherit the matrix and become Wheeliemus Prime..

starscream935 · Post by **starscream935** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 4:05 pm

I dont think there is a chance of another movie being madeat the present moment im not sure how much of a younger fan base transformers has these days and if it were based around armada then any movie would be a total flop.

But having said that if the story is well written with some sort of tie in to the g1 series or the original movie then it might just work also if some tv networks would rerun the g1 series it might help win tf new fans and set up a market for such a movie.

If a new movie is to be written then it MUST be kept out of the hands of dreamwave they have messed up tf enough as it is

Auntie Slag · Post by **Auntie Slag** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 4:23 pm

I don't mean to be ultra cynical, but I think the whole thing will get shelved right before shooting begins. All the superhero movies of late have been based on comics/cartoons that have performed consistently well over a period of many years.

Compared to them, Transformers is relatively new, and filled with peaks and troughs. It only really had success for about 2 1/2 years, and since then its been a struggle.

I don't know what its like in America and the rest of the world, but here in the United States of Britain Transformers barely occupy any shelf space in your high street stores, certainly not compared to their hay day in the 80's. Beast Wars barely made an impact, and Beast Machines didn't even register a blip. Amarda and R.I.D. have never been the kids favourites. Things like Beyblade, Action Man etc are much more successful.

By its very nature, a Transformers live action movie is going to require millions and millions spent on CGI, and if thats the case then what is left for script? We all know how impressive special effects driven movies tend to suck like a cheap whore, and the few exceptions pale in comparison to the gluttony of dirge.

How can they justify what would probably need to be a £120 million dollar budget at the least on something that, as its core audience is a bunch of hardcore TF fans? No-one in the film industry persues the hard core element, that's commercial suicide. How many kids are really interested? I mean come on, how many really? Not a lot I'd venture.

How many TF boards occupy the internet? Of them, how many regular hardcore fans are there? 60 people each? Even at the guess of 20 large boards that only makes.... 1,200 people.

1,200 people x 10 bucks = 12,000 dollars.

Lets say ten thousands kids go to see it, 10,000 x 10 bucks = 10 million dollars.

Throw in a bunch of random factors for another 10 million dollars, DVD sales to follow and blah blah blah. I don't see how its going to make that much money. Unless by 'live action' they mean some guys dressed in cardboard boxes painted robot-like colours and shot close up to look big and imposing, I don't rate its chances.

Look, I'd really love to see a fantastic, blistering, jaw dropping belter of a TF movie, but what are the odds?

How much did Spawn make?

[cable]-Iacon · Post by **[cable]-Iacon** » Mon Jul 28, 2003 7:58 pm

I totally agree with you Windcharger!! to make it a good movie (script, cgi, actors etc...) you need money and lots of it.. The TF hype isnt good enough at the moment.
I still believe that you can get people to the cinema with the right PR tricks.. But will it generate enough cash thats another question?

I think we all can rule out a trilogy even a single sequel..

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 2:50 pm

Hmmm, comic book movies are a bit of a black art - sometimes they work, sometimes they quite simply don't... the trouble with Transformers is it's not really a comic book, it's a toyline, and unlike the ilk of X-Men, Spider-Man etc. it's very strongly associated, fairly or otherwise, with one particular time... that guy in your uni/school/college/work with the Decepticon t-shirt. Go up to him and ask him about Beast Wars, the Gen 2 comic or Star Saber and he'll give you an odd look. The trouble with the TF movie is how to pitch it, and I've a horrible feeling it'll be the "adult" leaning of DW G1 or Hardwired, lots of violence and mild swearing, with "adult" themes such as conspiracy and nukes foisted in.... it'll be panned by critics as a violent FX-movie, and it really won't help matters if there's a "new" G1 toyline either...

Wait, that's completely formless. I think it could be viable, but they need to be quick before the nostalgia bubbler bursts, and before the comic-fantasy genre becomes oversaturated... Marvel movies may be enjoying a purple patch, but all it needs is a Thor movie that's three hours long and so steeped in Nordic mythology as to totally alienate the casual movie-goer, or a fascistic Cap movie, and it'll go...

Post by **Hound** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 3:17 pm

At OTFCC Hasbro said it'd be at least '05 before it's out and that they were very excited.

Brave Maximus · Post by **Brave Maximus** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 7:19 pm

All we can hope is that Hasbro and Takara keep their hands out of it. All they need to do is contribute money, THAT's it. leave the rest of the movie stuff to professionals who have reputations to make or break on movies.

I agree with Cliffy about comic movies and the timing and stuff. But honnestly comic movies have been going relativly strong since '89. with their ebbs and flows, but they've been very prevelent.

Oh and welcome back Cliffjumper. And Hound (and the others that went to OTFCC)

Vin Ghostal · Post by **Vin Ghostal** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 7:34 pm

As far as the recent saturation of comic movie interpretations is concerned, the fact that it'll be another 24 months before the movie's release could really be a godsend. Realistically, films like Hulk and Daredevil signal the end (or, at the very least, the downturn) of the comic movie trend that got started with...er...what started it again? In any event, I think the genre is going to go into semi-hibernation over the next year or two...I don't think Summer 2004 will feature more than maybe one of this kind of film. Such a downtime would offer the perfect opportunity for a TF film to break out in the winter of 2005, a perfect way to celebrate the original movie's 2005 connection and to capitalize on a nostalgia run that will, at that point, have just about reached its peak, if it doesn't do so before then.

ChipChase · Post by **ChipChase** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 3:25 am

By the time this project were to be completed, we're looking at a release date of 2005, so

in 1986, they made a movie about transformers in 2005, and in 2005, we might have a movie about the Transformers as they were in 1986 (if they're basing it on the comic books)

Armorwind · Post by **Armorwind** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 9:59 pm

Excellent observation ChipChase

. But, to me, 2005 would be the perfect year for a release date for the movie, it would compensate for not having Autobot City in our backyard

. Anyways, I still am going to keep an optimistic view no matter what anybody believes. Of course there aren't going to be too many hardcore fans, or at least to make it a blockbuster movie. But, like many other have said, with the right publicity and a pretty good plot, the movie will generate a profit. I mean, if the people in charge of the propaganda can make enough adults remember that show they used to watch when they were a kid, or if they can put enough "flash" in it to impress kids to go and see giant robots fight each other, then it certainly will do well. Also, I am sure that most of the people that went to go see Spider-Man and X-Men were never really "hardcore fans," they were just intrigued by the trailers and commercials that came out and remembered how much they used to enjoy watching the show and/or reading the comic book.

Dead Man Wade · Post by **Dead Man Wade** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 4:16 pm

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Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:20 am

Originally posted by fort_max
okay, few things to add.

first of all, don't you all think it's a little too early to be this pessimistic? there isn't even a script yet, and already everybody's acting as though this movie's gonna be the downfall of western civilization.

I must've missed that. Que?

second of all, the mere fact that there was a brady bunch movie (much less a very brady sequel [which, by the way, very nearly was the downfall of western civilization]) should be enough to give even the most diehard naysayer hope. little side note, shelley long must die. she must die a horrible, horrible death.

Ah hyes, the Brady Bunch movie with the CGI effects mixed in with live action meaning a huge budget and vital tie-in toyline as part of an ongoing toyline tie-in. That one.

Not exactly directly comparable movies, really...

Dead Man Wade · Post by **Dead Man Wade** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 2:27 pm

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Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 4:24 pm

Originally posted by fort_max
second of all, the brady bunch reference was made merely to illustrate the fact that a movie made purely to cater to a select group's sense of nostalgia can do reletively well commercially AND even be brought back as a very ****ty sequel.

I really don't remember the Brady Bunch being pitched at BB fans at all... it seemed to be more lobbed at the teen/gross-out comedy niche than anything else... And sequels of that ilk are often dirt cheap, as studios will have nice little options on the concept, characters and cast that means something like an STV sequel can be quite a nice cash in even if it sells, say, a tenth as well as the first movie...

Dead Man Wade · Post by **Dead Man Wade** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 4:29 pm

you know what, just forget i said anything.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 4:32 pm

Done.

Armorwind · Post by **Armorwind** » Sat Aug 02, 2003 7:35 am

Well, perhaps Transformers may have a "unique" advantage to other comic book movies. The fact that all of the other movies had been about humans and super heroes could inadvertently help provide a fresh new idea for a film. The idea of having a movie about robots that transform could be a fresh new production for the Box Office, and may also be an advantage for The Transformers.

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Is a Transformers movie still commercially viable?

A little Irony