I was sent a link today about this article from RADAR magazine. Looks like Spiderman 3 costs are piling up like a mountain above the clouds. If you have not read the article please do so – it is great. Here is an excerpt from the article; continue reading the full story HERE:
An agent at CAA, which represents Raimi and Maguire, insists the film’s price tag is irrelevant: “Sony could spend $600 million or $700 million, and it would still be worth it.” People shouldn’t think the studio is blasé about rumors of its reputation for extravagance, he adds. “They’re sweating bullets. They’re dying with every dollar they spend. But even if the margin isn’t quite what it ought to be, it’s still incredibly valuable to them as an asset. There will be a Spider-Man 4, and that’s what keeps them alive.”
The cost of films keep going up, I am guessing in an attempt to create the bigger blockbuster. If you have to spend 500 Million to make 1 Billion is it worth it – I would say so. Historically, for the most part, this gamble has paid off; but the day will come when a 300+ Million movie will tank, and that is when things will get interesting. That will be the day the rivers of money dry up.
For those with foresight – the drive to make less expensive films should begin now. Although 300 was not cheap, it came in under 100 Million, which is pretty huge considering it was full of special effects from start to finish. This should be seen as an example of proper money management, and mighty margin collecting.
For films with little or no special effects 10 million should be a reasonable budget. I may be ignorant to the cost of film making but if you gave a guy 10 million and set it as the limit, I am pretty sure a movie will be made. Part of the beauty of a smaller budget is that it forces you to make magic happen within your means – that is good for the bankers as well as the story tellers.
I think..as of today. Spiderman 3 is the most expensive movie ever made. See it for your self. I had an updated list of most expensive movies ever made. You might want to visit them. Thank you!
http://www.most-expensive-movies.blogspot.com/
When a film cost 500 million the actor 20 million dollor salary isn’t the problem.
Damn, The Holiday cost that much? What the hell did they spend it on, Jack Black’s lunch?
I can’t believe The Holiday cost THAT much to make. It looked like an expensive film, but geez. Oh well. It was fantastic.
Naught, name actors do influence cost. Hellboy only had a 70 million budget because the director didn’t hire The Rock or Diesel to be Hellboy. 300 only had a 60 million budget because there were no big names in there.
I want to know if actors’ salaries are included in budgets.
I think there is a moral issue here. I think this is very very sad.
i don’t understand why people are so concerned. As long as you’re not flipping the 300 million dollar bill, you should actually be happy since it means all that money would go for bigger and better sfx (or maybe all to Sam Raimi’s pocket).
If thats true, its absolutely insane. Great visuals do not a movie make – see X-Men 3. You gotta have a story. I think Spidey 3 will have a good story, but where in the world did that kind of money go?
Not to mention, the world is really fucked up. If 500 million is being spent on makine 1 movie, and they need 700 mil to make a tidy profit, that’s 1.2 billion on one freakin’ movie! People are dying all over the world with no food or shelter, and that gets spent on one movie?! What the hell?! I’m gonna be sick on general principle, and really sick when I pull out my wallet to pay for a ticket to see this…
Yeah it would get made, but with no hot actors and with no money for marketing the film would disappear! 10 million is the budget of that Patrick Swayze film you’ve mentioned and God knows no one will see that.
Anyone who works in film industry knows that these numbers for big budget movies are not true. They are always fake numbers on purpose.
Does having big names in a movie really influence the budget, or shall we say, cost?
i get a bootleg copy of the movie 2 weeks before its comes out so there lol yay for bootleg movies….just got to the bad side of your town and ask people at the 99 cents store, i am sure its just like where i live…i dont support pirating movies but i also no that these arrogant fools that put out these movies dont pay my rent…..
so hooray for bootlegs!
ps im in the bay area hahaha sony try to catch me!!
Right on Louman. My theater has a matinee during the week and it cost $4.50! Thats when I am seein Spidey 3. Its not some crappy theater either, its really nice.
Well in one way, it’s great for the fans who’ve always dreamed of seeing such spectacle on the screen and can be assured that their favourite comic book heroes aren’t being done on the cheap, but i’m not sure how you turn a profit with a final cost like that.
When all $200 million seems to buy you is a Steve Carrell comedy, you know that overspending on blockbusters has come too far.
I really agree with you
smaller budgets require better stories to rely on than just special effects
that is why almost all independent movies are good, they are good stories or they wouldnt have been made
little miss sunshine costed around 6 million
and it has made over 100 million with rental and box office
look at blair witch project ect
movies should not have huge budgets, it ruins stories with all the money floating around special effects
i refuse to believe any movie could cost 600-700 mil. i don’t even think thats what the article is implying. i think whoever was saying that was just speaking hypothetically. either way, it is going to make tons and tons of money.
tickets for the midnight showing where i live went on sale today, 2 weeks in advance, and my friends and i weren’t the only ones there getting tickets. i was impressed.
i could see the pirates movies costing 300 mil, but im just thinking other movies would struggle to make it that high.
ive said this before, so i’ll just repeat myself.
Even if they spend 300 million on Spiderman 3, I’ll still be going to the matinee and pay 6.50 for my ticket to watch it. in fact, i’ll be getting more for my money.
i am finding the marketing for spidey to be strange….it is a very very low key approach they are taking so far…maybe thats the point..to try and position as the under hyped under dog compared to the other huge films due out…..i don’t know..it is a bit weird
gotten a good tomatometer rating so far though – that will help…..
The problem is, as Spidey’s budget goes up, returns are going down. Of course they are still HUGE successes, but at this pace I doubt Spidey 6 will earn $600 million it needs to break even.
300 didn’t have Big Money names in it. Try making 300 with Brad, Tom, or the like… The cost wouldn’t be less than 100 Mil.
If that amount is true, that is ridiculous. Maybe they are worried that people won’t go see it, so they have to hype the hell outta it. Funny thing is, this movie comes out next Friday, and I’ve barely seen commercials for it. Pirates 3 comes out in a few weeks, and I haven’t seen one commercial for that. Seen more stuff from Shrek 3 than the other two combined. Disney and Sony need to get on the ball. I’m wiling to bet a good amount of people don’t even know Spidey 3 drops next week.
Maybe they powers behind Spiderman and Pirates think that if they spend so much money on there movies, they could make a cooler movie then Transformers. Ain’t gonna happen.
I’m be sarcastic, i doubt they think that. I guess they think more money means a better product. You think they woulda learned from Superman returns, which barely made back there money.
FYI: Its One Word: Waterworld =o)
Two words: Water World
And we all thought Pirates 3 and Evan Almighty was too much.