The title have no impact if the film is good or bad. A title can be good and it can be bad. But it has no impact on the quality of the film.
Do I prefer a good title? Yes. But in the grand scheme does it really matter? Not really. It’s a small part of the overall branding. A good marketing campaign and overall good quality film is what going to make the film profitable.
A film has a bigger chance of success if it’s marketed properly by the studio, the title is also part of that. But a small one.
I can virtually guarantee you, with a margin of error so vanishingly small as to consider it an absolute certainty in practicality if not mathematically, that there is not one person on this planet aside from perhaps yourself who will see a trailer or poster for an upcoming Godzilla movie, and would otherwise be excited for it, but just can’t seem to bring themselves to want to actually go see it because the words “Minus Zero” are in the title. Not one.
You’re probably right, about that particular movie, but I would guess there are other movies with bad titles that people didn’t see specifically because of the title. Movies that are not franchise films, not based on a previously existing property, and which don’t have an existing fan base prior to production could suffer from a bad title.
Frank Darabont, the screenwriter for The Shawshank Redemption, has been quoted as saying that the movie would have made millions more in its original theatrical run if the word “redemption” hadn’t been in the title.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno has been cited as an example by critics of a movie that would have done far better with a different title (and was retitled in certain markets to just “Zack and Miri” and did much better in those areas).
Reservoir Dogs, an arguable great film, has a title that, according to Tarantino, means absolutely nothing. It was simply dreamed up by Tarantino and is never referenced within the film. He suspects the movie would have done better with a different title.
Movies and shows I personally never saw solely because of the title: John Carter, Gleaming the Cube, Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, The Shape of Water, Peaky Blinders…
And you don’t need to tell me that it’s asinine either. I already know that. Is the “minus zero” part of Gozilla going to keep anyone away from it besides me? Probably not, and I’m going to drop this now, but I still stand by my point.
But in reality that is just speculation, since there is no data to support that I would have made more money under another title. It made more than twice the amount domestically than internationally.
Even if it fared better overseas, then there can be hundreds of different factors that play into why. Different countries different sensibilities.
I’m not saying that there can’t be any effect by having a better title. But rather if there is any such effect, it’s likely negligible. That it doesn’t make the movie going from failure a to success or even making back it’s budget.
I just watched Immortal Man (Peaky Blinders). It was interesting. I would say compared to Many Saint of Newark (Sopranos) you certainly needed to know the story from the show way more to fully enjoy the film. I’m not sure it that’s bc it was a sequel whereas Saints was a prequel or if it’s just how they wrote it, but there are a lot of dead characters that serve as story drivers in Immortal Man and bc they assume you have seen the show they don’t really explain much about any of them.
If you loved the show then this movie is worth your time, but if you haven’t seen the show I highly recommend waiting to see the film till after you’re finished with the show.
Because the Catwoman, Joker, Venom, Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven The Hunter films weren’t enough to show people that this doesn’t work. (even though they first Joker was pretty dope)
The first joker made over a billion dollars world wide. And all in all the Sony shared cinematic universe has been more than profitable, even if Kraven, Madam Web and Morbius hasn’t.
Sony has an issue where they bank on Spiderman a little too much and it’s at the sacrifice of actually good movies.
kraven, madam web, and morbius are good examples of let’s ride off the coat tails of Spider-Man/MCU just to fill seats.
as for Joker and its sequel. Joker was always meant to be a standalone one off movie that got too big. The sequel and its controversy did what it set out to do and that was to be a big “fuck you” to the people who sensationalized the first film.
as for Clayface. If they go in the direction that im hoping where its not connected to anything. Great. We dont need shared universes for everything releasing.
I want good film and television. Not multi-year sets ups through multiple films and tv shows that have little to no payoffs and it just gets ridden with nostalgia and no real inspiration. Looking at you MCU… looking at you Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni with Star Wars…. I’m gonna rewatch Andor…
I think they just keep pumping out spin-offs because making x number of spider films In x amount of years lets them keep the spider-man movie license for themselves longer
The Sony shared universe, doesn’t include the Sony/Marvel studio film. Honestly I don’t believe that there is a large carry over effect. They are pretty separate.
Other than high tide raises all ships. The reason why the Sony shared universe has been profitable is due to the Venom films being fairly successful. Enough that even financially unprofitable films like Morbius, Madam Web and Kraven didn’t hurt the overall profits when you look at the universe as a whole.
Clayface is set in James Gunn’s DCU. It will be canon to Superman, Supergirl and so on. I think that is great, it means that the DCU isn’t afraid to play around in different genres. R-Rated body horror, the more fantastical like Superman. The MCU has played it pretty safe in that regard.
Sony hasn’t been shy from using versions of characters who debuted in the MCU in these projects. Michael Keatons Vulture, Michael Mando filmed things. It’s not significant carryovers but they’re carryovers that set expectations and by extension disappoint audience which is where I was going with this.
Literally no point in this film existing if it’s not. The character exists as a foe to Batman. Without that, it’s just some average horror film of a shape-shifting man, no need to even make it Clayface.
I’m not saying that there isn’t a carryover. I believe it to be very limited effect. Spider-Man isn’t the reason that the first Venom made close to a 900 million usd globally. Repeat viewings is.
We as movie fans often looks for patterns when it comes to why movie over or under preforms. Like people beginning to believe that Jared Leto is box office poison due to Morbius and Tron 3 flopping. Isn’t due to Leto, he’s the best part of those films. Morbius flopped due too it being an awful film and it would still be awful if Daniel Day Lewis played the title role. Tron 3 flopped due to being a sequel to 15 year old film that wasn’t a success. Which was a sequel to a film 17 year older film that neither made it’s money back.
The point is hopefully to make a good movie without being beholden to who he fights in a comic. At the same time it will hopefully expand the DCU and it’s world building. Batman will come later. I rather want story tellers telling a story due to it being good, then being concerned how Batman fits in at this point.
The most important point is and with all film is to make money.
I don’t give to shits if Batman is in it, if the film is good and it expands the DCU in a meaningful way. I find it referencing that DCU is bold enough to go for a R-Rated body horror as it’s third film next to the PG13 Superman and supergirl film.
Clayface will be the first project where the DCU will be allowed to properly shine. All previous entries have consistently been / look mid to just okay. TBH the editing of the trailer for this one unfortunately does give off vibes of some of the crappier body-horror films from recent years (Smile comes to mind), but I remain optimistic.
I still don’t understand why it’s a DCU project though, and not a standalone Elseworlds one, just seems like trying to collect good PR for the universe early on
