Hollywood Faces the ‘summer of doom’
Industry insiders fear for future of big budget spectaculars, with US box office down 19% on same period last year
Xan Brooks
The Guardian, Friday 26 July 2013 14.48 EDT
At last week’s Comic-Con event in San Diego, the film director Zack Snyder bounded on stage to announce a bold new merger. His next Warner Bros blockbuster would pit Batman against Superman, two costumed superheroes in one movie. “Let’s face it,” said Snyder, “this is beyond mythological.” The fanbase was galvanised. Hyperbole hit the roof. But in Hollywood, alarm bells were ringing.
Industry insiders are referring to this season as “the summer of doom” – an overcrowded huddle of big-budget spectaculars, without the audience to sustain them. US box office takings are down 19% on the same period last year, while the studios are smarting from such high-profile casualties as The Lone Ranger, After Earth and the supernatural action-thriller RIPD. While the runaway success of Iron Man 3 and Despicable Me 2 helped soften the blow, major figures claim that the industry needs to adapt quickly or die.
https://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/jul/26/blockbuster-film-industry-fan-base-box-office