Special Correspondent Dong Ming
As the highlights of the award season such as the Golden Globe Awards are unfolding one after another, Hollywood is also opening up the 2024 movie market in the "farewell to the old and welcoming the new", with "Dune 2" (Picture ①), "Godzilla vs. Kong" 2" (Picture ②) "Deadpool 3", "Kung Fu Panda 4" and "The Lion King Prequel" and other annual highlights have released their scheduled information early. However, the long-term impact of the epidemic and strikes has not disappeared. This year's Hollywood film production and The box office is still full of unknowns.
"Hollywood is back"?
According to the US "Variety" report, the 81st Golden Globe Awards ceremony held on the evening of the 7th attracted 9.4 million viewers, nearly 50% higher than last year's 6.3 million viewers. CBS took over the live broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards for the first time and received a good result. score.
"This is mainly due to the nominations and awards of many popular film and television dramas such as "Oppenheimer" and "Succession", as well as the presence of big-name stars such as Taylor Swift," "Variety" believes, "However, the live host Joe Coy's performance seemed unsatisfactory and his jokes offended stars like Swift and Margot Robbie." The "San Francisco Chronicle" stated that at the end of the live broadcast, host Coy said, "Hollywood is back." However, people did not realize this a year ago. "The rebound in ratings of the Golden Globe Awards, is it Hollywood?" A sign of 'recovery'? It's too early to draw a conclusion, but at least this integration of traditional media + online streaming media is the epitome of the current development trend of Hollywood. In the next 12 months, there will be various types of , style films landed on the big screen, and switched to streaming media after a short window period to meet the needs of different consumption habits and audiences of all ages."
Film studios strive for resources
In 2023, Disney will hand over its long-standing box office championship to Universal Pictures. The key is that Marvel superhero movies are no longer popular. This year, Disney decisively reduced the number of superhero films. Only one "Deadpool 3" was released in the summer, and it was also a legacy of the previously acquired "20th Century Fox". In "Deadpool 3", the alternative hero played by Ryan Reynolds will join hands with Wolverine, who has been "sacrificed" in the previous film. Hugh Jackman once again goes into battle, which has become the biggest attraction, but the schedule has been repeatedly postponed due to strikes. This makes the film seem a bit ill-fated.
Although the pace of superhero movies has been slowed down, Disney, a large and powerful company, still has many high-quality resources, such as "The Lion King: Mufasa", which is early targeted for this year's Christmas schedule. The 2019 live-action version of "The Lion King" grossed US$1.6 billion at the global box office, and the sequel five years later is also expected to be promising.
Another animated sequel "Inside Out 2" is also one of the most competitive films in the summer. The creativity of Pixar Studio 9 years ago is still attractive today. The newly added character "Jiao Jiao" in the sequel is very important to the film. It is very suitable for contemporary people who are troubled by anxiety. In addition, Disney also has two classic science fiction IPs in its hands - "Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4" and "Alien Prequel" scheduled for May 24 and August 16 respectively. Although these two sequels have new creators, the original series The apes, aliens and classic world view are still attractive to science fiction fans, and its main special effects are also suitable for summer audiences.
In comparison, Universal, which defeated Disney with "Super Mario Bros." last year, does not seem to have many chips this year. "Kung Fu Panda 4" released in March has many animation fans and Chinese audiences looking forward to it. You must know that the distance is It has been 8 years since the first film was released. In the new work, "Dragon Hero" Po not only has to face the more powerful villain Phantom Queen, but also goes on adventures with new friends. Another trump card in Universal's hands, "Despicable Me 4" is also expected to hit the summer championship. After all, the Minions have long been an "invincible" presence on the big screen. In addition, Universal also has a film version adapted from the classic musical "Wicked", which will also be released to the audience in November this year. Musicals have always been Hollywood's repertoire.
Warner, which made an unexpected profit last year with "Barbie", is as strong as Disney and Universal this year. From "Dune 2" released on March 1, "Godzilla vs. Kong 2" on March 29, to May's " "Mad Max: The Prequel" and October's "Joker 2" each have their own selling points."Dune 2" continues the epic temperament of the original science fiction work. Director Denis Villeneuve and popular actor Timothée Chalamet continue to unfold the revenge picture of the cosmic family.
In "Godzilla vs. Kong 2", the "Monster Universe" that has been foreshadowed by many movies and TV series will also take a step further to reveal the secrets of the ancient battle. Action film director George Miller's "Mad Max Prequel: Fury" will also return to the "Wasteland", and the addition of Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth has excited fans. "Joker 2", starring Joaquin Phoenix again, continues the "atypical superhero film" setting. Lady Gaga will play "Harley Quinn" Harley Quinn, making the film expected to become a favorite during next year's awards season.
"Sequelae" of insufficient production
If there is any Hollywood studio that still values superhero films, it is probably Sony. Their Spider-Man IP will continue to produce "Venom 3" and "Mrs. Spider-Man" this year "Supersensory Awakening", but these characters originally originated from the Marvel universe are likely to be dragged down by the cold reception of the Disney/Marvel series. On the contrary, the animated version of "Garfield" released in May (Picture ③), more It's like a summer movie that's sure to make a profit.
Paramount, both an old Hollywood studio, will also launch two blockbusters with different styles this year, "Transformers: The Originals" and "Gladiator 2". The former focuses on the past of Cybertron, the home planet of Transformers, and tells the story of Qingtian The story of Pillar and Megatron turning from brothers to enemies; the latter is the reconnection of famous director Ridley Scott, unfolding the past 25 years after the original story line, which makes fans who like orthodox epic films particularly looking forward to it. .
After the popularity of "Barbie Highmore" and "Super Mario" last year, the box office potential of original games and game adaptations cannot be ignored. This year's Hollywood will also see the sci-fi film "Mickey 17" directed by the famous Korean director Bong Joon-ho, "Mickey 17" and "Ray". "Stuntman" starring Earn Gosling, Civil War-themed "Horizon" directed and starred by Kevin Costner, Lionsgate's "Borderlands" based on the popular game, and independent film studio a24's epic The film "Civil War" and so on.
However, "Variety" believes that the above-mentioned new films are more or less risky. "'Barbie Highmore' in 2023 seems to have saved movie theaters from the epidemic. However, 2024 is likely to destroy this optimism. The strike has left many The studio has adjusted the schedule of new films, and everything seems so uncertain. In fact, among the film lists we see now, none of them can guarantee success at the box office." The professional film organization "Gower Street" has predicted that due to the "sequelae" of insufficient production caused by the Hollywood general strike in 2023, the total box office in the North American market will fall by 11% this year, falling back to the level of 8 billion US dollars.
Hong Kong's "South China Morning Post" also speculated from many aspects that "the strike has caused delays in Hollywood productions, "Mission: Impossible 8" and "Captain America 4" are scheduled for 2025. Many theaters are worried about the insufficient number of blockbusters this year. At present, It seems that IP movies are still very popular, but superhero movies have slowed down significantly. At the same time, Hollywood will not ignore the problems of artificial intelligence and music themes, and the insufficient number of new movies released on the big screen. It must rely on streaming media and other methods to attract them. eyeball". ▲
