Well, according to DH, The Golden Compass has crossed the $300 million mark thanks to the overseas markets. Why am I bringing this up? Me, a person who claims to loathe box office discussions? Because, as I read the news, I felt a deeply buried twinge of hope, and then I wondered about whether such a hope was wise, and then I wondered whether wondering about the wiseness of said hope-twinge said what. Huh? Exactly.
What I'm saying is, do I even want a sequel? Compass certainly wasn't the worst thing I saw all year or anything (Hi Transformers!) but it was sloppy, and it could've been so very much more with its source material. So while not the worst, it was maybe my biggest disappointment of the year.
But... from my perspective, the books only get better as they go along. There are things in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass that I'd give up a testicle to see on-screen (if only movies were funded with nuts!). And that's a double-edged sword because, if they keep up with the quality-lessening, I'll only get angrier at each successive film.
But they could learn from their initial mistakes, right? Maybe stop being so terrified of the property that they're working with and actually make a film that feels like Phillip Pullman's vision and not a tourist's guidebook to fictional other-worlds.
And then, all this discussion is moot anyway, because who knows if $300 mil. is enough to convince anybody to jump back into this particular well... especially with The Hobbit lined up to rescue some corporate asses.
Thoughts? Would y'all be up for seeing another Dark Materials movie? Or did the first one's relatively sickening thud onto the theater floor smother any expectations for the franchise you might have had? If director Chris Weitz were to be given the boot would that allay your qualms? My answers are ALL MAYBE.
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What I'm saying is, do I even want a sequel? Compass certainly wasn't the worst thing I saw all year or anything (Hi Transformers!) but it was sloppy, and it could've been so very much more with its source material. So while not the worst, it was maybe my biggest disappointment of the year.
But... from my perspective, the books only get better as they go along. There are things in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass that I'd give up a testicle to see on-screen (if only movies were funded with nuts!). And that's a double-edged sword because, if they keep up with the quality-lessening, I'll only get angrier at each successive film.
But they could learn from their initial mistakes, right? Maybe stop being so terrified of the property that they're working with and actually make a film that feels like Phillip Pullman's vision and not a tourist's guidebook to fictional other-worlds.
And then, all this discussion is moot anyway, because who knows if $300 mil. is enough to convince anybody to jump back into this particular well... especially with The Hobbit lined up to rescue some corporate asses.
Thoughts? Would y'all be up for seeing another Dark Materials movie? Or did the first one's relatively sickening thud onto the theater floor smother any expectations for the franchise you might have had? If director Chris Weitz were to be given the boot would that allay your qualms? My answers are ALL MAYBE.
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3 comments:
Their only mistake was hiring Chris Weitz. I really hope they've realized that.
I think the studio lacked firm commitment to the material and steam rolled Weitz in post. I don't think he did a brilliant job, but I don't believe that was his cut either. What we need is not just a more skilled director who is passionate about the material, but also a director who is strong enough to hold firm against any studio doubts and interference.
Maybe it would get better - I'd like them to make more just in case.
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