Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Release!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I just heard that Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, which was savaged by way more critics far worse than the Depp/DS film was, and which only managed to gross $54.7 million domestically and a bit over $200 million worldwide, both less than the Depp/DS grossed, is getting a sequel! 

The commentator on the entertainment show that reported this (EP Daily) was even more shocked than I was at the news. And his reasoning behind the sequel was that the only reason Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters must be getting one had to be because its foreign gross was more than $100 million. But obviously that can't be the reason because if it was, a lot more films would be getting sequels these days because more and more it seems like a lot of films' foreign grosses are much better than their domestic grosses have been - including the Depp/DS film. And, well, unless it's being kept way under wraps, no one is saying the Depp/DS film will be getting a sequel because it grossed more than $200 million foreign (one of these days I really do have to add up the foreign charts on Box Office Mojo because at this point it certainly isn't looking like WB is going to release a fully updated figure).

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[jimbo]

Hi MB. I remember reading an article somewhere saying that the Hansel and Gretel 2013 movie cost something like 60 million (I could be wrong) which would be far less than DS' 150 million dollar budget. I doubt WB wants to do a DS sequel. Well since I said it, it may happen.

Johnny Depp won at the kids-choice awards. http://www.justjared.com/2013/03/23/kids-choice-awards-winners-list-2013/

[jimbo]

More on Johnny winning the award. Hopefully here will be some video where he may have said something. http://www.justjared.com/2013/03/23/johnny-depp-kids-choice-awards-2013-winner/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kids-choice-awards-winners-hunger-430560

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Very interesting that Depp did actually win. Thanks for all the links, jimbo. 

And as for a Depp/DS sequel, well, who knows what WB's thinking is? And actually, the only person on the production end of things who was even talking sequel was Graham King. We've never had any idea if anyone else was even the slightest bit interested in a sequel. In fact, Burton went on record more than once saying that he normally has no interest whatsoever in them. Though I strongly suspect that with each passing day WB has been looking at the box office figures for DS and only wishing they could repeat something like them with their latest releases because their last five releases in a row have done terribly - and not just terribly domestically, but terribly worldwide. DS may not have been as big a success domestically as some may have hoped, but at least it was a worldwide success. And remember that that $150 million budget figure at places like Box Office Mojo is merely a guesstimate that fell into a range of guesstimates between $100 million and $175 million - but when Burton went on record as saying the film was already making a profit, using the 2.5 rule of a film's budget vs. its gross becoming profitable, we figured that given the gross at the time of Burton's remarks, the actual budget of the film had to be much closer to Variety's guesstimate of a $100 million budget for the film to have already been profitable at that point.

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[jimbo]

Good points MB. I guess it comes down to if Johnny Depp wants to do a sequel. I would think his company has a deal in place for a sequel so obtaining the rights should not be an issue. I would think TB is out in any sequel. Plus the movie is still making money. As we already know Cinemax will be playing the movie in April and in addition to earning money the movie may find a new audience possibly wanting a sequel. http://www.cinemax.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleServlet?ACTION_DETAIL=DETAIL&FOCUS_ID=727564

I'm sure everyone here knows how I feel about this movie. I think another reboot on the small screen may be a better option. We shall see.

[David]

I will always be in the pro-Depp Shadows camp. It's a flawed but fun homage with a brilliant opening and awesome visuals.
Plus great moments here and there.

But I'd still have preferred a straight horror movie.
My dream: HBO does John August's original script as a mini-series--HBO & Warners are part of the same company.
Regardless of what happens, it's obvious that the DS franchise is alive and well.

[jimbo]

David I like your idea of having a straight horror DS movie and using August's script.

My question is which camp would be pushing for a new DS project? WB may be thinking of a sequel but would JD's company be pitching a new DS project in any form including a sequel or is it back to DCP to do that.

[David]

Johnny Depp was just voted favorite movie actor for Burton's DS in the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards!
Might this increase the chance of another movie?

[KMR]

I think it's quite likely that Johnny's contract with DCP for the rights to DS include at least one sequel. And I would be VERY surprised if the contract with WB didn't include WB in any sequel. From what I understand, it's rather common for sequel rights to be locked in. After all, every studio is always aiming for a successful franchise. Even for something that might look like a long shot for big success, why would they want to take a chance on a sequel going to the competition just in case it happens to hit it big?

[joe integlia]

i put the video of johnny depp getting the kids choice award on my facebook page.

[jimbo]

Thanks cousin KMR for your post. I would assume then if WB and JD passes on a DS sequel, it would fall back on DCP to pitch a new DS project rather than JD's company to try to pitch a new project under its developmental projects i.e. a new small screen series. As MB pointed out WB could certainly use a hit. The DS movie probably returned a small profit but that's better than the losses it is taking on this year.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Even though it was a success, the DS film may not have made a huge profit at the worldwide box office. But by the time the worldwide sales/rental figures for the DVDs/Blu-rays, on demand, and cable showings are factored in, its profits are expected to be in the hundreds of millions. WB may have been disappointed with the domestic box office take - but the overall showing of the film will give them a tidy profit.    There will definitely be smiling faces in the WB board room over the film's bottom line.    At this point, though, it's looking like there will be a lot of frowning in the board room over this year's releases so far. Because the worldwide box office numbers are so low, unless something miraculous happens, it's looking like even once the worldwide sales/rental figures for the DVDs/Blu-rays, on demand, and cable showings are factored in for some of this year's films, many of them will still be straining to make a profit.    That's why I said that I strongly suspect that with each passing day WB has been looking at the figures for DS and only wishing this year's releases could repeat them. 

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!

[jimbo]

If there is going to be a sequel do we think WB has learned its lessons? Will the studio be better prepared on how to market the movie? It would need somehow to introduce the first movie in the sequel's trailers for those who haven't seen the movie. Additionally has it learned you need to have teasers well in advance of the movie? If there is a sequel I just hope it will be a more serious take than the 2012 version.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

With Barnabas no longer a fish-out-of-water and with Angelique out of the picture, it would be hard to try to pack in as much "comedy" into a sequel, especially given the current cast of characters and their rather serious issues -- Unless of course they wanted to make Quentin a buffoon. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

If there is going to be a sequel do we think WB has learned its lessons?

Well, as we've said, there is no indication that there will be a sequel, so a lot of the points we're making here are probably completely moot. But believe it or not, I somehow doubt WB regrets marketing the Depp/DS film the way they did. And the reason I say that is because I was just looking around the film's pages on IMDb and, surprisingly enough (some might even say shockingly enough considering how most of us would agree that the marketing misrepresented the actual tone of the film), I noticed that three separate aspects of the marketing were nominated for Golden Trailer awards. They didn't win. But why do I suspect that the nominations alone completely reinforced for WB that the way they went had definitely been the way to go.

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows played in US theaters for at least 161 days/23 weeks!!

The Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is now out on DVD/Blu-ray!!