First among sequels
Franchise fever breaks out as Hollywood eyes this summer’s blockbuster box office with a view to spawning profitable follow-ups, writes David Germain
Hollywood is banking on the future this summer – and not just a future where Captain James T. Kirk orders warp speed or Tony Stark builds a better Iron Man outfit.
Even though some film franchises seem to live on forever, most come with a shelf life, leaving studios always hunting for new ones.
The new stuff this summer could be a sign of what you’ll be seeing for years to come if movies such as Brad Pitt’s zombie fest World War Z, Guillermo del Toro’s robots-vs-sea-monsters tale Pacific Rim and Johnny Depp’s buddy western The Lone Ranger connect with audiences. There’s also that orphan from Krypton in the latest Superman revival, Man of Steel, who seems ripe for a new franchise in this age of superhero blockbusters.
“Introducing a new audience to a new idea about Superman is great and fertile ground, because there is so much to be explored,” says Amy Adams, who plays Lois Lane opposite Henry Cavill as Superman in director Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. “There’s such a rich comic-book history and so many ideas that have not been touched on over the years.”
Man of Steel distributor Warner Brothers Pictures has had tremendous franchise success with the Harry Potter films, The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit The Dark Knight and The Hangover, whose finale is due to arrive in Hong Kong cinemas in June.