All articles tagged with #franchise revival
Hellboy: The Crooked Man, a 1959-set, low-budget supernatural thriller, debuted at No. 1 on Hulu and became the platform’s biggest hit, showing that a tightly written, gothic superhero story can outperform bigger-budget fare on streaming. Its success, driven by faithful material and strong performances, has fueled speculation about reviving the dormant Hellboy franchise if streaming numbers stay strong.
Disney's 'Tron: Ares' faced a significant financial loss, with a production cost of $220 million and a projected loss of over $132 million, due to poor box office performance and limited audience appeal, highlighting the challenges of rebooting long-standing franchises.
ABC's decision to cast controversial reality star Taylor Frankie Paul as the new lead of 'The Bachelorette' has sparked mixed reactions, with some fans excited about the potential for increased viewership and others concerned about her past legal issues and public messiness, signaling a possible shift in the show's approach to casting and its attempt to revitalize the franchise.
SEGA has confirmed the development of a new Virtua Fighter game, as part of its initiative to revive classic franchises. This announcement was made by Justin Scarpone, SEGA's executive vice president, who also mentioned other titles like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio in development. The latest Virtua Fighter game, Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown, was released in 2021 for PlayStation 4.
After struggling to produce successful sequels and facing challenges with Johnny Depp's involvement, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has announced plans to reboot the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, citing it as the easier option. Despite previous attempts to revive the series with Depp and a female-led spin-off, the decision to reboot comes as a surprise. The return of key actors such as Depp, Keira Knightley, and Orlando Bloom remains uncertain, but the reboot aims to breathe new life into the iconic film series.
Sega has referred to its upcoming Crazy Taxi reboot as a triple-A game, part of its initiative to revive legacy franchises including Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, and Streets of Rage. The reboot, a driving game series first popular in arcades, is expected to deliver a significant return for fans, although no release window or launch format has been announced yet.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer stated in an interview that teams under Xbox Game Studios will not be forced to revive dormant franchises but emphasized the importance of passion in the team behind the projects. While Microsoft now has control over numerous older franchises, Spencer believes in allowing the original teams to be involved in the development process of new games. He also mentioned the possibility of working with Blizzard Entertainment to revive their dormant franchises, expressing his belief in their passion for such projects. Spencer further clarified that when he teases something, there is usually substance behind it.
"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes," the prequel to the popular Hunger Games franchise, is projected to have an opening weekend of $44M-$46M, falling short of the $50M+ projection. Despite a lower opening, the film's financial structure and foreign sales funding make it a different case from other big-budget movies. The challenge for Lionsgate is launching a movie based on a less popular novel during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the film's opening is expected to reignite interest in the Hunger Games library. The success of the prequel will determine if the franchise can be rebuilt and expanded further.
The Exorcist: Believer opened at the top of the weekend box office with $27.2 million, falling below expectations domestically but starting off with $45.1 million globally. The R-rated horror film aims to revive the franchise after Universal paid $400 million for the rights. The movie had to move up its release date due to Taylor Swift's concert film, The Eras Tour, targeting a similar audience. The Exorcist: Believer is the fourth film in the franchise, with two more installments planned. Despite mixed reviews, the film received solid marks from audiences.