by Ben Fritz
binge-watching by, 129–30
Breaking Bad, 135
China’s, 209–10
cultural collective of, 238–41
data analytics on, 102, 218
franchise desire of, xv, 23, 115, 150, 209–10, 240
future trends, 238–41
international shift in, 22–23
Netflix analytics of, 102–3, 106–7
rating advisory, 149–50
theater attendance trends, 21–23, 105–6, 115, 131, 232, 238–41
theater’s future and, 239–41
theatrical release window and, 195–97, 237–38
Avatar, 208–10
Avengers franchise, xx, 63, 72, 73, 179
Aviv, Oren, 151
Ayer, David, 109
B
Bailey, Sean, 162, 163–64
bankruptcy, 25, 42–44
Batman franchise
The Dark Knight trilogy, 169, 170, 175, 203, 212
flops, 74
as inspiration, 42, 48
reboots, 67
spinoffs, 74, 172
Battsek, Daniel, 155–56
Bay, Michael, 175
Beasts of No Nation, 105–6
Beauty and the Beast, 161
Belgrad, Doug
as independent producer, 226–30
at Sony, 34, 38, 83, 223–26
Berney, Bob, 195, 196, 198
Bewkes, Jeff, 139
Bezos, Jeff, 194, 195, 200
big-budget “event” movies (tentpoles), xix, 18, 24, 30–33, 210. See also franchise era
Bigelow, Kathryn, 119
binge-watching, 129–30
The Birth of a Nation, 189
box-office revenue
animation remakes, 143–44
audience’s actor loyalty and, 83–88, 97
Avengers, 72
China’s, 22, 202, 204, 209–10, 212–14
Disney, 144, 150, 151, 160–61
documentaries, 105, 155
franchise era proof by, xix–xx, 22–23, 97–98
Guardians of the Galaxy, 72
Hulk,62, 69
independent films, 187–90
international shift of, 22–23, 202
Iron Man, 68–69, 72
Marvel, 62, 68–69, 72, 180
mid-budget profit and, 112–16, 120, 153–54, 163
Pirates of the Caribbean, 150
projection and greenlighting, 31–32
Spider-Man, 26, 49, 51, 202
star vehicles, 83–88
theater attendance and, 21–23, 105–6, 115, 131
X-Men, 48, 180
Boyle, Danny, 121
branding
Disney’s, 147–51, 159–64
importance of, 144, 146, 159–64, 171, 182–83
Marvel, 53
producer’s role in, 167
Breaking Bad, 133–36
Bridges, Jeff, 65
Bright, 109
Brooks, James L., 26
Brooks, Katherine, 118
Brown, Dan, 86
Bruckheimer, Jerry, 147, 149–50, 158
budget. See also financial backing; mid-budget films
big-budget “event” movies (tentpoles), xix, 18, 24, 30–33, 210
micro-, 216, 222
Netflix talent and, 109
Burke, Steve, 11
Burton, Tim, 42, 143–44, 147–48, 160
C
cable television, 101–2, 127–30
Cage, Nicolas, 151
Calley, John, 5–6, 8, 9, 42, 47, 51
Cameron, James, 41, 47–48, 166, 208–9
Captain America franchise, xx, 72, 80, 82
Captain Phillips, 112–13
Carolco Pictures, 41
Cassavetes, Nick, 61
Catmull, Ed, 152–53, 163
censorship, 210–12
Chabon, Michael, 182, 183
China
3D technology in, 208–10
audience in, 209–10
censorship by, 210–12
domestic competition, 212–14
financial backing from, 23, 201–5, 211, 214, 216–17, 253
government control in, 204, 206, 210–14
IMAX growth in, 205–10, 214
independent producers in, 215–19
Chi-Raq, 195–96
Cinderella, 161
cinematic universes
1000 A.E., 94–95
audience loyalty to, 83–88, 93–99
DC Comics, 162, 169–70
defining, xx, 66
director’s role in, 166–67
end to, 184–86
endless possibility of, 166, 171–72, 182–84
Harry Potter, 172
Hasbro, 182–84
Lego, 166, 171–74
producer’s role in, 67, 165–68
Star Wars, 161
Clooney, George, 7, 158
Columbia Pictures, 5, 40, 132
Concussion, 97
Cook, Dick, 143, 148–49, 158, 216
Cranston, Bryan, 135
creativity. See also originality
business and, xvi–xviii, 43–44, 53–54, 65, 73, 168–69, 195
director’s role change in, 166–67, 175–76
franchise symbiosis with, 165–68, 173, 184–86
Marvel executive changes for, 43–46, 65–67, 175–76
personal experiences used for, 177, 179
producers of Lego, 166, 171–74
producers of X-Men, 174–76, 178–81
writer’s role change in, 165–67, 174–84
Cruise, Tom, 61, 85
cultural collective, 238–41
D
Da Vinci Code series, 86–87
The Dark Knight trilogy, 169, 170, 175, 203, 212
DC Comics. See also specific characters of DC Comics
cinematic universe of, 162, 169–70
comeback, 73–74, 169–70
Marvel versus, 42, 67, 170
De Luca, Mike, 16, 28, 30, 61, 80, 96
Deadpool, 180–81
Depp, Johnny, 148–49, 150, 158
Despicable Me franchise, xx
digital content, future of, 239–41. See also Amazon Studios; Netflix
director role change, 166–67, 175–76
Disney
branding of, 147–51, 159–64
China and, 206
executive changes at, 13, 150–53, 158–59, 160
Fox, purchase of, 245–48
franchise flops of, 157–59
franchise success strategy of, xx, 143–46, 157, 160–64
franchise vision of, 143, 148–59
Hollywood Pictures of, 11, 13
live-action remakes, 143–44, 160–62
Lucasfilm merger with, 161, 164
Marvel merger with, 70–73, 159
mid-budget before franchises, 146–52
mid-budget phasing out, 153–57, 163
Miramax label of, 148, 153–56
Pixar and, 71, 152–53, 157
quality of, 162–64
Touchstone label of, 147–48, 153–56
distribution disruption, 60, 103–5, 152, 154, 222–23, 227–30
documentaries, 105, 155, 205–6, 207
The Do-Over, 108
Dope, 187, 188
Downey, Robert, Jr., 64–65, 72, 170
DreamWorks, 70, 156, 223
Drive, 198
DVDs, 17, 21, 103, 129, 148, 210
DVR, 129
E
Earth Girls Are Easy, 7
Eisner, Michael, 151–52
Ellison, Larry, 117, 216
Ellison, Megan, 116–22, 253
Erlicht, Jamie, 134, 234
Evans, Robert, 221
“event” movies (tentpoles), xix, 18, 24, 30–33, 210. See also franchise era
executives. See studio executives
F
Fahrenheit 9/11, 155
Fantastic Four, 180
Fast & Furious franchise, 20
4, 214
Favreau, Jon, 64
Feige, Kevin
early importance of, 56, 62–63, 66
as sole producer, 67, 69, 72–73, 78, 79–80, 82
financial backing
from Amazon Studios, xxiii, 187–90, 198–200
from China, 23, 201–5, 211, 214, 216–17
for independent films, xxiii, 187–90, 198–200
independent producers, 116–20, 215–19
Marvel mergers for, 44–45, 70–73
for original mid-budget films, 116–20, 198
from talent, 122
from Wall Street, xvi–xvii, xx, 3, 27, 58
financial bubble, 58
Fincher, David, 102
Fine, Alan, 78
The Finest Hours, 163
Focus Features, 188, 193, 236
foreign interest, 22–23, 139, 202. See also China
Fox. See 20th Century Fox
franchise era. See also cinematic universes; Disney; Marvel
arrival of, xv, xviii, 21–23, 143–46, 159–64
audience desire for, xv, 23, 115, 150, 209–10, 240
audience’s loyalty shift to, 83–88, 93–99
box-office proof of, xix–xx, 22–23, 97–98, 248
branding importance for, 144, 146, 159–64, 171, 182–83
China’s box-office in, 22, 202, 204, 209–10, 212–14
China’s financial backing in, 23, 201–5, 211, 214, 216–17
Chinese audience in, 209–10
creativity propelled by, 165–68, 173, 184–86
director’s role change in, 166–67, 175–76
end to, 184–86, 232
executive organization in, 67, 159–60, 161–62
flops, 49–50, 73–74, 75–78, 157–59, 169–71, 180, 185–86, 232
IMAX and, 205–10, 214
originality versus, xviii–xxi, xxiv–xxv, 23, 122, 146, 155, 187–90
producer’s role in, 67, 165–68
profit of mid-budget versus, 112–16, 120, 153–54, 163
Sony’s efforts in, xvi–xviii, 30–33, 37–40, 86, 233–35
strategy before, xiii–xiv, xviii, 18, 146–51
strategy success, xx, 30, 39–40, 73–74, 143–46, 159–64, 171–74
study resources, ix–xi, xxi–xxiii
television versus, xviii–xix, xxiv–xxv, 23
theatrical release window in, 195–97, 237–38
theme-park adaptations, 152, 155, 158
video-game adaptations, 157, 204, 214
visions of, 44–45, 53–60, 143, 148–59
writer’s role in, 165–67, 174–84
Franco, James, 244
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 89
Fritz, Ben, xxi
G
Garfield, Andrew, 76, 81
Gelfond, Rich, 205–8, 209, 210, 214
Get Out, 238, 240
Ghostbusters reboot, 31, 32, 233
G.I. Joe, 183–84
Goddard, Drew, 81
Godzilla, 170–71, 184–85, 203
Golan, Menahem, 40, 41
Goldhill, David, 139
Goldsman, Akiva, 177–78, 182–84
Goodman, Adam, 213, 215–16, 218, 221–22
Grazer, Brian, 86–87
The Great Wall, 217–18
greenlighting, 31–32, 166
Greenwald, Glenn, 229, 230
GSN, 139
Guardians of the Galaxy, 46, 72
Guber, Peter, 5
Gumpert, Andrew, 116, 202
Gyllenhaal, Jake, 51, 109
H
hack of Sony Pictures, ix–xi, xxi–xxiii, 33–36, 81, 137–38, 243–44
Hanks, Tom, 84, 86–87, 112, 235
Harry Potter franchise, 24, 172, 204
Hasbro, 42–43, 182–84
The Haunted Mansion, 148
HBO, 128, 129
Her, 119
Hill, Jonah, 8, 30, 32
Hirai, Kaz, 79–80
home entertainment. See also Amazon Studios; Netflix
cable television, 101–2, 127–28, 129–30
disruptors and revenue, 21–22, 152, 154
DVDs, 17, 21, 103, 129, 148, 210
future of, 239–40
profit, 17, 21–22
rights, 41–42, 45, 104
theatrical release window and, 195–97, 237–38
Hope, Ted, 192–97
Horn, Alan, 160, 161–62
House of Cards, 102
How Do You Know?, 26
Howard, Ron, 86–87
Howard, Terrence, 64
Hughes, John, 82, 168, 215
Hulk, 62, 67. See also The Incredible Hulk
The Hundred Regiments Offensive, 213
I
Icahn, Carl, 42
Iger, Bob, 70–73, 146, 151–61
IMAX, 205–10, 214
The Incredible Hulk, 69, 76
Independence Day franchise, 89, 212
independent films
Amazon’s backing of, xxiii, 187–90, 198–200
Amazon’s mission and, 190, 191–92, 194–97, 200
closing studio divisions of, 188
documentary, 105, 155, 205–6, 207
independent producers
Belgrad as, 226–30
China’s investment in, 215–19
Ellison’s work, 116–22
executives defecting to, 215–16, 221–30
Goodman as, 213, 215–16, 218, 221–22
Pascal as, 82, 235
studio system’s future with, 222–23, 227–30
independent studios, 122, 188
Indiana Jones reboot, 164
Inferno, 86–87
international focus, 22–23, 139, 202. See also China
The Interview, 33–36
investors. See financial backing
Iron Man franchise, 61–69, 72, 212
J
Jack & Jill, 93
Jacobson, Nina, 149
James Bond franchise, 25, 47
Jobs, Steve, 71, 120–21, 146, 152. See also Steve Jobs
Jonze, Spike, 119
Joon Ho, Bong, 109–10
Jump Street franchise, 30, 33, 171
The Jungle Book, 161, 162
Jurassic World, 203
Justice League: Mortal, 169–70
K
The Karate Kid reboot, 211
Katzenberg, Jeffrey, 146, 154
Kennedy, Kathy, 162, 163
Kidman, Nicole, 177
Kinberg, Simon, 174–81
Kundun, 206
L
Landau, Yair, 42, 45, 46
Lasseter, John, 152–53, 163
Lassiter, James, 89–90, 97
Le Vision Pictures, 218–19, 221–22
Lee, Roy, 171
Lee, Spike, 195
Lee, Stan, 40, 53
LeEco, 218
Legendary Pictures, 171, 203, 217
Lego, 166, 171–74
Liman, Doug, 178
Lin, Dan, 166, 168–74, 185
Lin Pictures, 165–66, 169–74, 185
Lionsgate, 130, 155, 216
Little Miss Sunshine, 154, 188
Loeb, Dan, 27
Lonergan, Kenneth, 189, 190
Lucasfilm-Disney merger, 161, 164
Lynton, Michael
background of, 10–15
Pascal and, xvii–xviii, 14–19, 27–28, 31, 35–36, 75
post-Sony and, 249–50
Sony decline and, xvii–xviii, 3–4, 27–29, 34–35, 231–32
Sony departure of, 51, 231
Sony early years of, 10–15
Sony hack and, 34–35
Sony successes and, 15–19
Sony television politics and, 134, 138–40
Spider-Man rights and, 51, 75, 77–78, 79, 80
talent loyalty decline and, 83–84, 97, 98
M
Mad Men, 130, 134
Maguire, Toby, 48, 51
Maisel, David, 55–63, 66–67, 70–7
2
Maleficent, 160
Malin, Amir, 54–55
Man of Steel, 74
Man on a Wire, 105
Manchester by the Sea, 187–90, 200
marketing. See branding; distribution
Marvel. See also specific characters of Marvel
bankruptcy, 42–44
box-office revenue, 62, 68–69, 72, 180
