Film Are Hollywood making too many superhero films and when will they stop? | Never, apparently

[Zen]

Top Gun was off screens after a couple weeks here so every theatre could show Jurassic Park and Buzz lightyear on seven screens simultaneously. I've no idea if its actually the large trend some people insinuate, but I did observe concrete evidence of it recently.

This kind of thing gets said so often and I get you implied it.... but yet everytime I look at the locals - Vue, Odeon, Cineworld and a bit further a field an Everyman - there is never such a strong dedication to 1 or 2 films, outside of some absurd midnight showfest for the 2015 Star Wars where they had a showing every hour after midnight and didn't close at all, i think it kind of flopped since they've never done it again. The vue tends to be the most varied, but it has 16 screens I think, so anywhere between 6-10 films dependant on how many they do need to give the blockbusters.

There's not much they can do... the less screens you have, the less you can afford to show some Cannes nominated film that not many will show up for. They are trying to be varied though, at least the 4 chains above I mentioned, I've seen some random shit in them, even if mostly reasonably quiet with numbers in attendance, but I just think this 'Marvel takes up every screen more or less' is a strong myth.

Due to all these Blockbusters relentlessly coming out creating a little group from my circle who go to every one.... I managed to swindle them into coming to see Godfather 50th anniversary with me early this year.... and some other oddities (for them at least) - so there's some easy money for films that otherwise wouldn't have got them thanks to all this shit.

 

[Bilbo]

To me, at the end of the day it seems more down to audiences preferring unoriginal stories, told in boring ways. Hollywood, Marvel, Disney, theatres etc are all just following the money imo.

This generation seem to get off on the notion of having to watch a TV series before you can fully "understand" a movie that comes afterwards. It makes them feel in the know. Pretty clever from Marvel really.

By the time they've been as exposed to enough content as we have to realise its all actually just shite, Marvel will be out of ideas and wealthy enough not to care.

Meanwhile, I feel like I see fewer and fewer good movies every passing year and I'm getting a little tired of looking for them

 

[LawCharltonBest]

How much of these Hollywood/superhero films are shot in England?

Just off the top of my head I know some of Gotham's buildings in Christopher Nolan's Batman series were London. I believe Bruce Wayne's mansion and exterior was from the English countryside? And that his restaurant was a London restaurant. And that a fair bit of Avengers was shot around England/UK

Reason I ask is that I used to work with someone who himself previously worked for a few film companies and said that loads of the Hollywood films scenes are actually shot in England. But I've never fact checked it.

 

[Sylar]

Love how much time people on here spend talking about things they don't like. What a way to spend time

 

[Solius]

Love how much time people on here spend talking about things they don't like. What a way to spend time

Sorry we upset you by not liking your favourites. This is what happens on a forum unfortunately.

 

[Sylar]

Sorry we upset you by not liking your favourites. This is what happens on a forum unfortunately.

I'm clearly not the one upset, I'm finding this all funny at how grumpy you all are

 

[Solius]

I'm clearly not the one upset, I'm finding this all funny at how grumpy you all are

You missed the laughing emoji off your original post then. Seemed like a nerve had been touched. Plus you've kind of got a superhero/villain name.

 

[Vidyoyo]

How much of these Hollywood/superhero films are shot in England?

Just off the top of my head I know some of Gotham's buildings in James Cameron's Batman series were London. I believe Bruce Wayne's mansion and exterior was from the English countryside? And that his restaurant was a London restaurant. And that a fair bit of Avengers was shot around England/UK

Reason I ask is that I used to work with someone who himself previously worked for a few film companies and said that loads of the Hollywood films scenes are actually shot in England. But I've never fact checked it.

First of all... James Cameron?

Second, you're right. Batman's manor was shot at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham. Close to where I live.

It comes from a Cameron/Osborne initiative to open up filming in the UK to production companies from outside the UK. This was, I think, an attempt to mirror what used to happen at Elstree Studios in the 60s/70s where they shot movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and scenes from stuff like Star Wars/Indiana Jones. We've always done it in one way or another.

Productions funded by non-British sources have been growing significantly over the past decade. In 2016 they accounted for 85% of the money spent on film production in the UK, up from 67% in 2006.

Some further economic reasons why Hollywood likes to film here:

Tax rebates. This is the strongest and bluntest method a government has to attract peripatetic productions. This typically involves giving the production money back, based on how much they spend locally. Currently in the UK we have a generous scheme which gives producers a cash rebate of around 20% of the money they spend on making the film in the UK. More about that here:

Exchange rates. When you’re looking to spend $200 million somewhere in the world, the ever-fluctuating exchange rates suddenly become a major factor. Some make the claim that the boom in UK inward investment in the past decade is largely down to the weakening Pound against the Dollar. I don’t have enough data to be able to test this just yet, but on the face of it, the theory looks credible. For example, compare the changing exchange rate between the Canadian Dollar and the British Pound below, with data from the previous chart showing the UK eclipsing Canada as Hollywood’s favourite foreign location.

Source - https://stephenfollows.com/much-uk-film-economy-comes-abroad/

 

[Sylar]

You missed the laughing emoji off your original post then. Seemed like a nerve had been touched. Plus you've kind of got a superhero/villain name.

Yet I'm talking about something I like
You're spending time about something you don't like

Nerve touched indeed

 

[Solius]

Yet I'm talking about something I like
You're spending time about something you don't like

Nerve touched indeed

This is how things work sometimes?

 

[Sylar]

This is how things work sometimes?

Sure, who do you think is ultimately happier?

This thread like others could be summed up with the following

I know the official excuse most people give to justify being so embarrassingly grumpy over this is that a lot of much more interesting projects are left without financial backing because of it. Because we all know that if they weren't doing Marvel stuff, Disney would be releasing series like Six Feet Under and movies like Quo Vadis, Aida? on a weekly basis. Of course. Just admit that, like me, you're just miserable sods who hate people enjoying things, it's much more accurate and honest.

I found this thread and a lot of posts funny. And still do
You took my post seriously enough to reply thinking I was offended because I didn't post a laugh emoji?

I can make it all less subtle if that's required.

 

[Solius]

Sure, who do you think is ultimately happier?

This thread like others could be summed up with the following



I found this thread and a lot of posts funny. And still do
You took my post seriously enough to reply thinking I was offended because I didn't post a laugh emoji?

I can make it all less subtle if that's required.

Whoever enjoys their life I guess, which is possible for everyone. Posting about stuff like this is irrelevant really.

I'm sure you've posted plenty about things you don't like on here.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

First of all... James Cameron?

Second, you're right. Batman's manor was shot at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham. Close to where I live.

It comes from a Cameron/Osborne initiative to open up filming in the UK to production companies from outside the UK. This was, I think, an attempt to mirror what used to happen at Elstree Studios in the 60s/70s where they shot movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and scenes from stuff like Star Wars/Indiana Jones. We've always done it in one way or another.

Productions funded by non-British sources have been growing significantly over the past decade. In 2016 they accounted for 85% of the money spent on film production in the UK, up from 67% in 2006.

Some further economic reasons why Hollywood likes to film here:

Tax rebates. This is the strongest and bluntest method a government has to attract peripatetic productions. This typically involves giving the production money back, based on how much they spend locally. Currently in the UK we have a generous scheme which gives producers a cash rebate of around 20% of the money they spend on making the film in the UK. More about that here:

Exchange rates. When you’re looking to spend $200 million somewhere in the world, the ever-fluctuating exchange rates suddenly become a major factor. Some make the claim that the boom in UK inward investment in the past decade is largely down to the weakening Pound against the Dollar. I don’t have enough data to be able to test this just yet, but on the face of it, the theory looks credible. For example, compare the changing exchange rate between the Canadian Dollar and the British Pound below, with data from the previous chart showing the UK eclipsing Canada as Hollywood’s favourite foreign location.

Source - https://stephenfollows.com/much-uk-film-economy-comes-abroad/

I've edited his name now - Genuinely knew that was wrong, but I couldn't think of Christopher Nolan's name at the time and my brain kept saying James Cameron, so I thought "I'll put James Cameron for now before I lose my train of thought" and then google his actual name at the end" and then forgot and now I look like a dweeb

And thanks for the other information

I really wish England / UK made more top level films themselves because there are some lovely filming locations around.

 

[dumbo]

But the well established argument is that this thing I hate is not some passive thing that you can ignore away but is an active impingement on the things I really do like. So it's more that you're laughing at my things being ruined.

 

[dumbo]

Hahaha Marty your precious filums are going down the toilet and they'll be struggling for theatrical presentations forevermore. While I get to wank in my Iron Man PJs forever.

 

[sullydnl]

 

[sullydnl]

 

[sullydnl]

 

[Dumbstar]

Love how much time people on here spend talking about things they don't like. What a way to spend time

It's crazy. There are literally 50 romcons coming out a day and no one bats an eye lid. It's because no one has to actually watch them. Water off a duck's back.

These marvel films are like comic books that came out every week in the 80s. No way I'm able to read them all but boy did they excite me.

 

[Beans]

97 is about when CGI finally became good enough to make a large scale fantasy movie look good without you having to be Spielberg or Lucas So people were excited to finally get a version of these things that look good, and there's been some over compensation.

The budgetary difference may only reflect the fact that these are CGI heavy films, which is an expensive endeavor. It only works because they're popular enough to sell way more tickets.

Personality, I only go to see movies in the theatre that need to be seen in the theatre, and that means CGI and bid special effects films. The rest I can catch at home.

 

[sullydnl]

Aside from anything else, maybe the constant output is part of the reason the CGI in something like this looks like it's straight from a not-particularly-good video game. The constant pumping out of material in quick order can hardly lend itself to care, craft and attention to detail.

With the amount of money they make and the size of their operation you's think the MCU stuff would at least be less ugly to look at.

 

[Sweet Square]

Aside from anything else, maybe the constant output is part of the reason the CGI in something like this looks like it's straight from a not-particularly-good video game. The constant pumping out of material in quick order can hardly lend itself to care, craft and attention to detail.

With the amount of money they make and the size of their operation you's think the MCU stuff would at least be less ugly to look at.

Yeah marvel is shite towards its special effect teams. Poor labour conditions with teams underpaid and over worked, plus the directors don’t work with the special effect companies.

 

[Tyrion]

This generation seem to get off on the notion of having to watch a TV series before you can fully "understand" a movie that comes afterwards. It makes them feel in the know. Pretty clever from Marvel really.

By the time they've been as exposed to enough content as we have to realise its all actually just shite, Marvel will be out of ideas and wealthy enough not to care.

Meanwhile, I feel like I see fewer and fewer good movies every passing year and I'm getting a little tired of looking for them

I'm not sure which movies are better than the Marvel ones, at least among the other summer "blockbusters". Jurassic Park? Transformers? Fast and Furious? Marvel are the only fun ones.

 

[Tyrion]

It's crazy. There are literally 50 romcons coming out a day and no one bats an eye lid. It's because no one has to actually watch them. Water off a duck's back.

These marvel films are like comic books that came out every week in the 80s. No way I'm able to read them all but boy did they excite me.

The main reason people moan about Marvel movies is that they're so successful. They're better than a lot of the rubbish that would replace them if they stopped.