Why Superman Returns failed | Giant robot

By Drew Dietsch | Updated 18 seconds

Under the correct circumstances (or rather, incorrect), even hundreds of millions of box office do not protect him from finishing as a perceived lady instead of a success.

Romate your Marlon Brando crystals because it’s time to explain why Superman returns failed.

Boo these men

Before entering real research, I think we have to recognize an uncomfortable element of Superman returns.

Two of his key players, director Bryan Singer and Lex Luthor actor Kevin Spacey, are quite recognized in Hollywood for being, say for legal reasons, not very pleasant.

However, that was not so publicly known when Superman returns He reached theaters in 2006, so his participation in the film and his eventual success or failure were not affected by their not very good accusations.

* Sigh* Okay, with that dislike out of the way, let’s prepare the stage.

The long -awaited return of Superman

Superman returns It was the long -term culmination of a return for the iconic parent of all superheroes.

Since the shameful final entry of the series was bought from Schlockmeisters Cannon Films in 1987, Warner Bros. and others involved as producer Jon Peters tried to discover how to take the man of steel to the big screen.

Through a series of non -made projects, including infamous Superman lives! What brought Tim Burton and Kevin Smith, seemed that Krypton’s last son was going to be a difficult nut.

Finally, things worked with Bryan Singer, director of X-Men and X2: X-Men Unitedhelping to develop a story that will be directly linked to the two previous films of Richard Donner.

Singer had been a key figure in the superhero rebirth that led us to today’s MCU. He was also a burning fan of the original film and Donner’s character, and that could contribute to the great reason Superman returns It ended up being seen as a failure.

With almost twenty years between Superman returns And the last film, there is an alienating quality for the film for the new spectators. He is trying to emit the air of being a complete restart, but he wants to have his cake and also eat it when it comes to being a legitimate sequel to Richard Donner’s classic.

Later we will dig in that aspect when we talk about the real release of the film.

It is too dark to know if it is a bird or a plane

For now, it is also worth noting that the aspect of Superman returns It is surprisingly monotonous and dark for a story and a character that is often portrayed as exceptionally brilliant.

Until Zack Snyder wore that monotonous darkness even further. Find out in the comments, Snyder Bros.

But really, it is strange to look at a Superman costume whose bright red cape is now a dreary garnet. There are shots in the film where the superman layer or boots look brown or even black.

And that is much of the visual palette for Superman returns: Cold, muddy and dark. And although that did not seem to be a big problem for the public, I think it contributed to the longevity of the opportunity for the success of the film.

Superman returns and box office illusion

But this is not a series of videos in which I only give my personal review of the movie and point out the problems I think. You are here to learn something concrete about why Superman returns It looks like a failure.

And in regards to the box office, Superman returns It seems a success in the nominal value. He won $ 200 million at the national box office and another $ 191 million in international markets.

So how does $ 391 million become a failure?

According to Box Office Mojo, Superman returns It had a reported budget of $ 270 million, equivalent to $ 430 million today. Other places list lower numbers, but all are well above $ 200 million.

The point is that Superman returns It was a gigantic production aimed at starting the potential of superhero franchise.

And although the critical reaction to the film became positive, the general conclusion of the public did not seem to indicate a strong desire to see more of this version of the character.

The first weekend of weekend to Superman returns It was a B+, not terrible but not encouraging if you only spent more money than any of us can imagine in a movie about a guy with stockings.

So, Superman returns He did not recover his budget with his national box office, but that is not what really made the film a perceived failure. It was the international box office that condemned Superman returns.

The true Kriptonite of Superman Returns

As the 2000s advanced, international markets such as China and Latin America became more and more crucial for the super success of Blockbuster Films. The 2010 decade was as dominant that movies as movies as Iron Man 3 They included whole scenes that presented a Chinese character only in the Chinese version of the film.

This is to take home how vitals were international markets for these committees launches. When Superman returns He couldn’t even match his international shot with his national dollars, writing was on the wall.

Why didn’t he hit as big as possible with the international public?

There are always a multitude of factors to see when a film is very successful or fails, but in this case, I think it is clear that a key factor in the film that does not connect with the public worldwide was its double nature as restart and as a sequel.

The Americans tend to assume that our popular media are as well known worldwide as in our own coasts. There was clearly the thought with Superman returns These people cried out for a return to the version of Richard Donner of the character and the world, getting to recreate the initial titles of that film and use the indelible theme of John Williams for the film (something that James Gunn cannot let go).

But with decades between films and its relevance of diminished pop culture, this version of Superman did not revitalize the public worldwide. He felt strangely old with a new unknown actor who entered one of the most beloved and memorable performances in the history of cinema.

There is no shadow for Brandon Routh, I think he does what he asks in the movie and I’m glad he had another chance in DC Comics stardom on television.

But those international markets were enough for Warner Bros. to declare that the film is negative net. The plans for a sequel, the last failure of the franchise, were discarded, and the next time Kal-El arrived on the big screen, it would be seven years later in a complete restart that would end up winning $ 291 million in the national box office and $ 379 million in international markets.

And that got his sequel, very good!

What happened to the man in tomorrow?

Superman returns It is a strange film these days, firmly stuck between the past and the future of great success. He feels more like a strange note to the foot of Superman’s film history than one of his greatest productions in history.

Thanks to the aggressive and aggressive fandom for the interpretation of Zack Snyder of the character, Superman returns It has been shouted by relevance and discussion, often treated as something that is forgotten.

Although certain facets of the film deserve absolute irrelevance, Superman returns It does not deserve to be completely abandoned. I am no longer a great admirer of the film, but its failure is much more interesting than what is, both versions of Justice League were.

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