Discussion Former Columbia exec Peter Sealey is OUT OF TOUCH

Found this on the web, does anyone agree with this guy? He seems very out of touch. Maybe its why he is "Former exec"

What gets me is his

line! Sure Avatar was a hit but its does not have the life Star Wars has. When Avatar is 35 years old no one is going to be going crazy for it like Star Wars gets people. This guy is out of touch or maybe its cause I HATED Avatar SO MUCH! I might give it to the guy if he said Harry Potter (never seen it but its better with the kids than Avatar). How many kids did you see out on halloween dressed as someone from Avatar? I saw a few Potter kids, so a hand full of Star Wars, not ONE Avatar.

 

The box office will give us its answer in 2015.

 

That guy is an idiot. Lucas film made more than $200 million dollars last year on Star Wars merchandise. You dangle a new trilogy in front of the fans in three or four years and it'll be like having printing press in the basement.

 

Yeah, I don't understand the praise heaped on Avatar. It was a good movie, but won't have the staying power of Star Wars. It hasn't been interwoven into pop culture to the degree SW has.

I think a lot of people just see SW as what has happened in the movies only. The Skywalker storyline, and that has largely been concluded. They don't see the EU and all that is brings. They don't see the vastness of the galaxy. The potential is limitless.

 

I was definitely taken aback when I read his comment. Avatar made a giant splash at the box office, but has not become part of popular culture the way Star Wars did. (I hated Avatar as well, so maybe that colors my thoughts as well, though.)

I don't think episode 7 will make the kind of box office that episode 1 did just because the pent up "need" for Star Wars won't be there, but I think it will be very very successful. (And of course, that is very early speculation - who knows? The right trailers could get people really hyped up again.) Disney will make their money back from the merchandising alone.

 

Perhaps he was one of the movie execs that didn't think much to Star Wars or George Lucas in the 70's?

 

It will all depend on the critical success of the nest SW film. If we get Phantom Part II I'd say the franchise would be in irreversible decline and will have burnt all the good will and hope I've seen on these boards over the last week. If its (SW VII) good or (I pray) the next film knocks it out of the park then it will regain its status as the No.1 cinematic franchise. SW VII has the potential to out gross Avatar if it gets a good/great review and released in 3D/Imax. Will Avatar II be as big? I doubt it. As a teacher (11-18) I hear them talking about The Clone Wars but never about the Navvi. I just hope they don't over hype like 1999. think he's out of touch with the impact Star Wars had- the second most watched film in Cinema history. If you swap Gone With The Wind and Star Wars then I believe Star Wars would have been more successful in 1936 than Gone With The Wind would have been in 1977.

 

Let me just say this Star Wars is Star Wars and Avatar is Fern Gully.


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I hope he gets interviewed when Episode 7 makes at least one billion dollars worldwide. Because it will. I am almost 100% sure of that.

 

Avatar was one of the most generic pieces of garbage I've ever had the misfortune to watch.

He'll the mcguffin was even called unobtainium.

Beyond unacceptable.

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why all the avatar hate? the staying power of dances with wolves is an obvious indication of the viability contained within

 

I agree. He'll be eating his words once the new films come out. I see Disney as an all around entertainment company. What they produce for little children and families makes them a boat load of money. Sure Columbia is one of the oldest studios but Disney knows family entertainment. I'll get behind them over the comments of a former executive.

 

I wasn't aware it lost this status at some point...

 

You've got the TOUCH! You've got the POWER!

 

Its true from a certain point of view. Both Harry Potter and Bond are current ahead in Box Office totals. Attack and Sith were not No 1 in the year they were released across the world. Attack lost out to Spiderman and Sith to a Harry Potter. The Clone Wars film wasn't watched by many of us- although I loved it!!! I would also say that in the mind of many (including many on these boards) that Star Wars was a spent cinematic force before Mondays announcement.

 

Unholy. Just.. Unholy

 

Double Post. Unholy wireless

 

I tend to agree with him. The next trilogy and maybe even one more beyond that should still do well, but the plan to keep up an endless stream of films every 2-3 seems like a great way to dilute the series to the point of meaninglessness.

As for Avatar it will indeed be interesting to see how that series goes once multiple sequels are released. The first one certainly had an aura about it in part to it being Cameron's first non-documentary since Titanic. But even if blue space elves are not as pop culturally relevant as Batmen, Jedi, and Bonds in 15 years or so, I'd guess it'll be hard to see a Cameron feature (even he takes a less involved producing role) losing that shine to it unless the Avatar sequels bomb in spectacular, maybe even unprecedented fashion.

 

Neither is an original movie franchise. And there're more HP and especially Bond movies done at this point.

Goblet of Fire grossed 100 mil less in the USA (but 50 mil more worldwide, I'll give you that). But we might beat it with 3-D. Clone Wars is not a live action movie and doesn't count.

Didn't look at the Bluray numbers, but I hear it was a resounding success? (including the much maligned prequels).

 

Right there with Whiskey couldn't agree more, I read this too online and thought WTF is this guy thinking. Has he been living in hole for the past few years, Clone Wars is on TV breaking records for Cartoon Network, both Robot Chicken and Family Guy have made three spoofs about it. The novels always show up on the New York Times best seller list, its dominates in the video game department (Kinetic maybe not). The BluRay set records, I mean what more does the Saga need to prove to be a "cultural force." Out of sit out of mind for this clown, and Avatar was a 750 million dollar piece of crap. If the King of World wants to save the world maybe instead of making expensive and shiny garbage of films he should donate his money to charity and the world just like the Maker is.

 

There is a legit criticism in that Disney is taking a risk. They paid 4 billion for this (money that, in a hilariously and awesome turn Lucas is just going to give away, making this deal the largest pro-charity act of extortion ever), that's an awful lot to make back.

Each new Star Wars film will probably cost ~300 million to make and market, so they have to clear 600 million at the box to break even. Even is they clear a billion at the box that's only a 200 million dollar profit, even is DVD sales adn direct movie tie-ins equal that, it's only 400 million per movie, so Disney would have to make 10 movies to make the money back.

Ten movies probably isn't going to happen.

look this deal may be wildly profitable. As a Star Wars fan I certainly hope it is, but it is obvious Disney's taking a big risk here. Episode VII is not like the prequels, it moves into uncharted territory. If the movie is a TPM level mess...well...

 

Goblet of Fire grossed 100 mil less in the USA (but 50 mil more worldwide, I'll give you that).


Which ever way we look at it the gross for the PT wasn't good enough or as high as we expected and I guess that was a reflection of their perceived quality. if Phantom Menace had good reviews it would have toppled Titanic and Attack should have knocked Spidy out. Sith was hit in the UK by the rating not sure if this was the same in the US.