How To Create a Billion-Dollar Movie Franchise

[Doctor Setebos]

Slate's (http://slate.msn.com) "Hollywood Economist," Edward Jay Epstein, describes what he calls the Midas Formula (http://slate.msn.com/id/2119701/), which is basically nine essential elements for a money-making movie franchise. Included in his discussion are box office Cinderella stories like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Spider-Man. Epstein also outlines the risks involved in a studio attempting to launch a new franchise.A top Paramount executive pointed out to me, after Paramount gambled on the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider series and lost, that if Paramount had made Spider-Man instead of Sony Pictures, Paramount would be leading the studio pack instead of dwelling in last place. So, the studios, no matter how steep the losses when these movies bomb, must gamble to stay in the game.

[Visitor Q]

box office Cinderella stories like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Spider-Man

Come on! The only cinderella story here was the first Star Wars movie. Crap, all of the criteria in this article were f-ing created by that movie and George Lucas. The man, for better or worse, created the blockbuster as we know it today.

[netcraazzy]

While I think the article makes some good points I'd hardly call the authors 9 point laundry list a "midas formula." It's nothing more than similarities that many of todays top blockbuster films happen to share. I'm sure there are plenty of movies out there that meet those 9 points that still bombed.

[Furious Wang]

Here's a simple formula

Good Movie + IP People Love = Money

Maybe if the Tomb Raider flicks had been good movies they would have made some money. Maybe if Paramount had made Spiderman instead of Sony they would still be in last place because they would have made a shitty film.

[kokyunage]

Speaking of Star Wars: Maddox on Episode 3 (http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=episode3). Quite possibly the funniest thing I've read about the latest movie.

[bapenguin]

Speaking of Star Wars: Maddox on Episode 3 (http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=episode3). Quite possibly the funniest thing I've read about the latest movie.

eh, that tool is anything but entertaining. He's that dickhead in school everyone wanted to beat up.

[Sinistar]

Maddox is king of the reviews!

[KNOTE]

This guy forgot the Matrix, which broke nearly every rule he posted and still brought in over a billion dollars.

[Royal Fool]

2) They feature a child or adolescent protagonist (at least in the establishing episode of the franchise).

If it's not a child/kid... and it's not a teen/adolescent..... what else is there? Right, an old man/woman. I wonder why About Schmidt didn't evolve into a blockbuster franchise...

4) They contain only chaste, if not strictly platonic, relationships between the sexes, with no suggestive nudity, sexual foreplay, provocative language, or even hints of consummated passion. (This ensures the movie gets the PG-13 or better rating necessary for merchandising tie-ins and for placing ads on children's TV programming.)

Ummm... Spider-Man did have some of that stuff, but the other movies didn't aside from some jokes. As for the PG-13 rating, it's what any studio wants to aim at because it provides them with the perfect balance of market reach.

7) They end happily, with the hero prevailing over powerful villains and supernatural forces (and thus lend themselves to sequels).

Most movies do end happily if I am not mistaken... that's not so much a "Midas formula" ingredient as much as it's a trait of nearly every damn story ever told throughout human history. People want closure and good endings if they get attached to the protagonists.


Most of those "common elements" are just plain dumb.

[Racknahm]

The guy obviously doesn't know what he's talking about.

[Evil Avatar]

Funny that Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan don't contain those elements (neither does the biggest movie of all time... Titanic) and they were still successful.

The key to making money in Hollywood is easy, make good movies that also have a decent market appeal. It can be tricky, of course, but it isn't rocket science. When you look at the number of totally asstastic concepts that get green lighted you can see why these big studios struggle.

[Varsity]

They're not "special effects" anymore when they're found in EVERY SCENE. Lucas has done the seemingly impossible: he has made something that was once so unique that people called it "special" by name, and turned it into something so ordinary that nobody raises an eyebrow during a scene where a guy is having a sword fight on the back of a giant beast. By the way, I have to admit that the creature design was very creative in this episode; modeled after frilled lizards and ticks, Lucas tapped the well of innovation dry on this one. Congratulations Lucas, we don't care about "special" effects anymore.For once, he's actually making a reasonable accusation. ;)

[dr_wily]

thats why hes on slate and not a real publication..

[Orphiuchus]

Paramount needs to start making GOOD movies. Thats their problem.

[Deadend]

Yeah, if they simply would read a script and think about it's quality.

As in "Wow, this is shit! Lets uhhh... not do this one."

Really, give me $60,000 a year, and I will read through the screenplays, and mark which ones are total crap and should not even be thought about.

If Aaramount wants to be in first place, maybe they should make a movie that deserves to be in first place, make a movie that respects the audience and isn't stupid. I dont know how hard it is to make a movie that isn't stupid.

I assume it must be quite hard, as both Tomb Raiders sucked.

[Rakael]

Check out the latest on vgcats.com if you want a funny take on the new SW.

[The Mystery Cow]

Yeah, if they simply would read a script and think about it's quality.

As in "Wow, this is shit! Lets uhhh... not do this one."

Really, give me $60,000 a year, and I will read through the screenplays, and mark which ones are total crap and should not even be thought about.

Then apparently you haven't spent too much time actually reading screenplays, have you? It's harder than it looks - even some of the greatest classics of cinema look ridiculous when they're stripped to nothing but words on paper. Ever read the script for Star Wars? Raiders of the Lost Ark? The Godfather? On paper they all sound ridiculous.

While a good screenplay is key to a good film, most of the magic comes from the acting, directing, and editing. That's why a lot of films that *look* good on paper bomb - poor production.

[Savok]

It's called having an imagination Cow.

[B_Money]

Funny that Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan don't contain those elements (neither does the biggest movie of all time... Titanic) and they were still successful.

The key to making money in Hollywood is easy, make good movies that also have a decent market appeal. It can be tricky, of course, but it isn't rocket science. When you look at the number of totally asstastic concepts that get green lighted you can see why these big studios struggle.

Yea, Titannic 2 was an awesome movie. Three was okay, but I'm still looking forward to number 4, I have hope for that franchise.