Essay: Why Did Dredd Flop At The Box Office?

Essay: Why Did Dredd Flop At The Box Office?

1000 words

50 marks:

• 25 marks for argument
• 25 marks for evidence

Write about Dredd and a superhero blockbuster of your own choice.

Deadlines:

• 12X Wednesday 1st October
• 12W Thursday 2nd October

Evidence includes:

• film type
• studios/ production company
• year
• box office figure
• marketing
• stars

Include:

Dredd

1. Pre-production: source material, stars, director, producers, budget

2. Production: Red x cameras, 3D, South Africa, cheap

3. Post-production: Marketing, distribtution (number of screens), length of cinema run

Then write about the same 3 elements for the film of your choice.

Other points to consider:

1. Dredd as a cult film
2. Dredd has an 18 certificate
3. Marvel films are usually 12A or PG13 (four quadrant pictures)
4. Superhero films are everywhere
5. Developments in CGI means this type of film can be made easily
6. Marvel (owned by Disney) owns Spiderman and all the Avengers characters
7. DC (Warner Bros. produce the DC films) owns Superman and Batman
8. Dredd was made to compete with US films
9. Problems with the character/ source material: can't see Dredd's face, very violent, a bleak dystopia
10. The film wasn't 'British' enough

Researching the following may help answer the question. Wikipedia is a good starting point but I have also added the occasional link to a more detailed site.

Pre Production

• Who were the films producer, distributor and and script writer? (try and find other films by these groups)
• Who are Lionsgate (who owns them?)
• Who are IM Global (who owns them?)
• Who are DNA films (who owns them and who partnered with them?)
• How was the funding for DNA originally split?
• Why did they need to maintain their relationship with Fox Searchlight?
• When did Lionsgate announce their three picture deal with IMGlobal?
• Where did Carl Urban announce his role in Dredd?
• Why might this have helped attract the film's target audience
• How much money did Dredd make from pre sales (this is people buying the right to show your film)?
• How much did a distributor pay for the rights to show the film in the UK?
• Where was the movie filmed?
• 
  

Production

• When was the 'lawgiver' gun built and designed?
• During which other UK film was the 'slo mo' sequences designed?
• How did the film makers feel about making an 18 certificate film?
• How long did it take to film Dredd?
• Which camera was used to film Dredd?
• Why did they need to create new camera rigs?

Post production

• What issue affected the films editing?

 Distribution and marketing

• How many cinemas was Dredd released in and how many ONLY showed it in 3D?
• How did producers begin promoting Dredd3D
• What viral marketing campaign did the producers use for Dredd?
• The film premiered at Fantastic Fest, what is it and why would this appeal to the films target audience?
• Which awards did the films marketing campaign win?
• How much money did the film gross at the box office?
• What unusual step did the film's UK distributors take to ensure people watched in 3D?
• What percentage of audiences are physically incapable of seeing a 3D image?
• What % of light is lost in a 3D film?
• Which film was Dredd unfortunate to be released after?
• In the UK which position in the DVD charts did Dredd occupy?
• What might this show about the decision to allow only a 3D release
• In the US which audience demographic was the largest?
• How many units did Dredd sell on DVD/BluRay in the US?
• How much money did this bring in?