The Universal Thread | Dreamworks Animation seeing layoffs, set to outsource their work

[Jonwo]

When they signed the deal?

No Marvel, no Lucasfilm. Feature Animation not so good.

Now? Marvel, Lucasfilm, FA kicking ass.

Disney don't need them. Makes total sense.

Not to mention Disney are making mid budget films again like The Finest Hours and The Queen of Katwe which makes DreamWorks a bit redundant. Universal don't really need DreamWorks either, they already have Focus Features, Legendary and Working Title and they produce or acquire plenty of mid budget films every year.

The success of Lincoln and The Help weren't enough to outweigh the flops, it's going to take more than a new distributor to reverse SKG's flagging fortunes

Edited September 3, 2015 by Jonwo

[kowhite]

Not to mention Disney are making mid budget films again like The Finest Hours and The Queen of Katwe which makes DreamWorks a bit redundant. Universal don't really need DreamWorks either, they already have Focus Features, Legendary and Working Title and they produce or acquire plenty of mid budget films every year.

The success of Lincoln and The Help weren't enough to outweigh the flops, it's going to take more than a new distributor to reverse SKG's flagging fortunes

Let's be real.

Universal could give a shit about Dreamworks.

But they give a shit about Spielberg.

That's why Dreamworks gets their deals. Spielberg.

[grim22]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-gorilla-warfare-s-universal-823715

 

Universal Pictures' decision last week to let Thomas Tull's Legendary Pictures take its Kong: Skull Island project to Warner Bros. in the midst of a five-year production and financing deal is being read as a symptom of relationship trouble between the companies.

Several sources say there has been strain, in part because Tull kicked off the deal in 2014 with a couple of clunkers that he put through Universal's distribution system and then upset some at the studio who feel he has indulged a bad habit of wrapping himself in credit for hits that he merely helped finance. In this case, the film at issue was the biggest movie of the year to date,Jurassic World.
 

Universal has invested in three Legendary projects: the $15 million horror movie Krampus (Dec. 4); the ambitious Warcraft, based on the video game (June 10); and The Great Wall, a Matt Damonsci-fi action film directed by Zhang Yimou for November 2016. (Tull shares "original story" credit on Great Wall.) Several sources say the latter two are seen as "problem movies" that have heightened concerns on the part of Universal studio chief Donna Langley.

Meanwhile, Legendary opted into two big Universal hits: It took 25 percent of Jurassic World, which was a smart bet because it has grossed $1.7 billion worldwide, and 50 percent of the moderately budgeted Straight Outta Compton, which has earned $181 million. Legendary also invested in Danny Boyle's awards hopeful Steve Jobs (Oct. 9).

Kong is not the first Legendary film in which Universal has declined to participate. This spring, the studio bowed out of paying for half of Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak (Oct. 16). The studio had said it would share the cost only if the film got a PG-13 rating; a source says Langley believed the movie cost too much for an R rating. With del Toro now having delivered an R, Legendary is footing the whole bill.

Legendary wanted to produce a sequel to del Toro's Pacific Rim, which was made under the Warners deal and turned into one of those films that grosses a lot ($411 million worldwide) while being so costly that a follow-up isn't a sure thing. Sources say Legendary liked that the original performed exceptionally well in China, where the company is heavily invested, but for now the project — which had been ramping up to make a release date in August 2017 — has been halted indefinitely and will be pushed back (if it gets made at all).

 

[Bishop54]

Screw Tull, a fanboy shouldn't be running a studio. He wants to greenlight bad movie after bad movie.

[CJohn]

What is next for Legendary? FOX? Sony?

[CaptainJackSparrow]

So what do they mean when they say Warcraft and The Great Wall are "problem" movies?

[CJohn]

So what do they mean when they say Warcraft and The Great Wall are "problem" movies?

Both are giant bombs waiting to happen.

[Chewy]

What is next for Legendary? FOX? Sony?

 

Which studios is Power Rangers at? Swipe that up and make a King Kong/Godzilla/Power Rangers menage

[Bishop54]

Warcraft is being made years too late, it'll bomb for sure.

[CJohn]

Which studios is Power Rangers at? Swipe that up and make a King Kong/Godzilla/Power Rangers menage

Lionsgate.

[CaptainJackSparrow]

I think they will go to Paramount next.

[Bishop54]

I think they will go to Paramount next.

I doubt Paramount would want to help Legendary fund Tull's fanboy passion projects.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Bishop54

[CJohn]

I like Legendary. But they do seem to have a tendency to green light flop after flop. They also need to stop supporting Del Toro in everything. It is a shame but his original movies never do well.

[CaptainJackSparrow]

I doubt Paramount would want to help Universal fund Tull's fanboy passion projects.

I mean I think Legendary will leave Universal and sign a deal with Paramount.

[grim22]

I like Legendary. But they do seem to have a tendency to green light flop after flop. They also need to stop supporting Del Toro in everything. It is a shame but his original movies never do well.

 

I think Tull has 2 requirements to greenlight a movie:

1. Does the idea sound "cool"

2. Can he get a franchise out of it

[Chewy]

I doubt Paramount would want to help Universal fund Tull's fanboy passion projects.

 

Paramount does need someone to guide the Transformers Cinematic Universe

[Kalo]

The whole idea for even making a KONG vs GODZILLA movie is as stupid as it gets... So KONG will now be about 250 feet tall or close to GODZILLA'S height in this movie???

 

 

Kong Vs Godzilla sounds literally like the most boring movie ever. watching two animal like creatures, too big too even see in a movie frame, whack at each other. sounds dreadful. 

[CJohn]

I think Tull has 2 requirements to greenlight a movie:

1. Does the idea sound "cool"

2. Can he get a franchise out of it

Blackhat and Crimson Peak don't sound like franchise starters to me.

[Bishop54]

I mean I think Legendary will leave Universal and sign a deal with Paramount.

I meant Legendary, sorry.

[CJohn]

Paramount does need someone to guide the Transformers Cinematic Universe

Every time someone mentions the TCU I fall of my chair of laughing so hard.