‘Ishtar’ Lands on Mars ('John Carter' a colossal bomb for Disney, $165M writeoff, layoffs...)

NY Times ^ | 3/11/12 | BROOKS BARNES

[jimbo123]

-snip-

“John Carter,” a big-budget science fiction epic from Walt Disney Studios that opened Friday and flopped over the weekend. Disney spent lavishly (some say foolishly) on the movie in large part to keep one of its most important creative talents happy: Andrew Stanton, the Pixar-based director of “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E.”

“John Carter,” which cost an estimated $350 million to make and market, and was directed by Mr. Stanton, took in about $30.6 million at the North American box office, according to Rentrak, which compiles box-office data. That result is so poor, even when factoring in about $71 million in overseas ticket sales, that analysts estimate that Disney will be forced to take a quarterly write-down of $100 million to $165 million.

[JediJones]

For its October 1917 hardcover publication by A.C. McClurg & Company, the novel was retitled A Princess of Mars.”Which after Prince of Persia and The Princess of the Frog wouldn't have been a marketable title either. The idea that movies have flopped because "Mars" was in the title and that this one would also is just silly. I'm pretty sure Mars Needs Moms was the only one to come out in the past decade, is probably largely forgotten, and the overall title doesn't sound at all like John Carter of Mars. The idea that you can succeed by running away from the premise of your movie in its title is nonsensical.

[big'ol_freeper]

I just got home from watching it with Lil. Pretty good flick.

[ltc8k6]

I didn’t say anything at all about the title...I was pointing out that the stories were 100 years old, not just 50.

But since you brought it up, maybe they should have used the proper title, Under the Moons of Mars.

[going hot]

The characters and creatures and Barsoomian world were *exactly* like I pictured them from the books. Very well done, in my opinion. Captured the spirit of the books to a T.

Except woola did not look like a calot at all, more like a cabazon with legs.

[hattend]

Get the SCIFI Channel mini-series “Dune” and “Children of Dune” DVDs

Much better than the movie (I know, it’s SciFi Channel, but they really do follow the books better.)

[GOPsterinMA]

Yes...very!

[Ransomed]

The director has said that “Princess” was nixed because they thought no boys would go and see it. I’m not buying that it would matter that much, but the term has gotten a little more pink and frilly since ERB wrote it. So then it was going to be John Carter of Mars. “Of Mars” was then nixed because they thought no girls would go and see it, because girls hate sci-fi and planets or something. We are just lucky it wasn’t Get Carter’s Princess Diaries. I thought WALL-E was one of the best Sci-fi movies in a long time, so I hope this movie is cool.

The clips of Barsoom don’t look like what I was picturing in my head all these years. It looks like an earth desert. Of course I heard Pixar/disney and all I was picturing was Frazetta’s paintings coming to life. But it just doesn’t seem as exotic as I remember from the books.

Freegards

[Persevero]

I thought it looked good in the previews, and am mildly interested in seeing it.

Also this year: Hunger Games, and the Hobbitt.

[cookcounty]

Wasn’t John Carter Jimmy Carter’s grandddfather?

[mlo]

"The characters and creatures and Barsoomian world were *exactly* like I pictured them from the books."

Except for wardrobe I assume.

[Pharmboy]

A few weeks ago my wife and I saw the trailer. I said to her at the time: “Are they kidding? Even a 15 y/o boy wouldn’t fall for this crap.”

[vetvetdoug]

Go see it, if not just for the blue eyes. I really liked the movie and was entertained well. Its been a while since I liked a movie that I was willing to see again the next day.

[PapaBear3625]

I know I will be in the minority here, but I saw it with my wife and daughter and we all liked it.

[Pharmboy]

Wow...the CGI looked cheesy. But, I respect your opinion, so I will re-think things here. Fair enough...

[RKV]

I saw it yesterday in 3d. It was fine! I read all the books, but it’s been a long time. Go. See. It. It’s a good time and well done. Think how much the Star Wars movies owe to the plot.

[TitansAFC]

Gotta say: I saw it, and really liked it.

Yup. Hoping for a sequel.

[Jack Hammer]

It’s been all downhill ever since Walt took up a well-deserved place in heaven.

[Malone LaVeigh]

Get the SCIFI Channel mini-series “Dune” and “Children of Dune” DVDs

I've seen them both. Not too bad, although putting Susan Sarandon in the second one ruined it for me.

[BADROTOFINGER]

Oh yeah! Except now it’s Rifftrax. Can’t wait, the Twilight and Transformer series have been great!

[longfellow]

Hollywood needs writers, ones who don’t swallow and crap out the same rerun.

At least it was a success as far as $ wise and it showed our best at it’s best. No matter what the controlled left media does it can’t make these guys look bad.

It’s like the dems stripping our boys in the field and yet we keep kicking ass. this must piss off the Vietnam war hero john kerry soooooooo much.

he never says on who’s side he was a hero for.