Is DC even going to try to compete with Marvel on the big screen?

[Magneto X]

Here's some Super Hero films Foreign Grosses

Spider-Man (2002) $418,002,176 more than the domestic gross
Spider-Man 3 (2007) $554,341,323 more than the domestic gross
Dark Knight (2008) $468,576,467 Less than the domestic gross
Wolverine (2009) $193,179,707 more than the domestic gross
X-men first Class (2011) $207,215,819 more than the domestic gross

Avengers is already at over 281 Million in the foreign market

Each X-Men film from that trilogy increased it's foreign gross with each film. So I think whoever thinks the foreign market is not to high on superheroes may be wrong, as the numbers don't lie. Is every single super hero movie box office gold in the foreign market...no, but that goes for the domestic market as well.

The best DC movie happens to be gritty and urban. Batman is far more realistic and gritty than your Green Lantern, Superman, Aqua Man, or Wonder Woman. On the other hand, Thor is not gritty or urban or realistic at all, but is pure fantasy.

[Mat001]

It's hard to completely buy into that narrative, though, when Stan Lee spent years getting nothing for his efforts but crap made for TV movies while DC was raking in the dough with the Chris Reeves Superman and Tim Burton Batman franchise. Seriously, up until the early 2000s, DC should have been positioned to answer Marvel. It's playing like a repeat of when they let Stan Lee come from behind to dominate the comics market with the fad that turned out to be a revolution.

But Lee was still out there trying to get it done. When "Superman: The Movie" was made, it was the Salkinds who made it. Not Warner Brothers. They gave them the film and television rights for 25 years to Superman, Superboy and Supergirl, after the Salkinds came to them with an offer to fund independently. It was only after the success of those films, that WB opted to do "Batman" internally and when that did bigger numbers, they took back the film and television rights and we had "Lois & Clark", while Peters had the film in limbo for ten years. "Swamp Thing" was licensed out to Universal for two feature films and a live action series, with DIC doing a cartoon and a toy tie-in from Kenner.

Stan Lee, at least, kept going to the studios to talk them into optioning the rights. Which did happen. It was only when Toy Biz was trying to convince Chase Manhattan to give them the capital to get out of bankruptcy, that Avi Arad said that they could repay it back through strong merchandising and making films and television series. Hence after "Blade" we had the rights sorted out for X-Men and Spider-Man and their films were put in turn around. No one at DC has ever gone out there like that. Burton allegedly read "The Dark Knight Returns" and "The Killing Joke" when he did the 89 film. Schumacher visited the DC offices and read up on Two-Face, the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Bane and Poison Ivy for his films. Johns had some involvement in the GL film, but it's hard to tell what exactly he did.

Stan Lee may have had a long road to get to where he's at with the media rights, but at least he was trying.

[David Walton]

Stan Lee may have had a long road to get to where he's at with the media rights, but at least he was trying.

Thanks for the info, and yes, I agree. Marvel Studios is the culmination of Stan Lee spending years talking up the viability of these characters.

[BrotherUnitNo_4]

Well said. And here is a link to deadline backing it up. http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/aven...hina-openings/

I didn't realize it hasn't opened in China yet. I wonder how it'll do there as Titanic is just full on cleaning up in China.

It's crazy that Avengers is on the cusp of $300 million without even opening in its largest markets yet.

[SpideyCzar]

It's crazy that Avengers is on the cusp of $300 million without even opening in its largest markets yet.

I've already seen the movie 6 times. But I'm most excited about seeing it at a midnight showing with fans, to see their reactions. Tonight is going to be a lot of fun.

[hugh45]

So,was WB just lazy in putting out Batman/Supes movies and never paying any attention to what MU was doing?

[Reginleif]

I've already seen the movie 6 times. But I'm most excited about seeing it at a midnight showing with fans, to see their reactions. Tonight is going to be a lot of fun.

wth? 10 char

[Flashpoint]

Exactly. WB needs to shit or get off the pot.

^THIS^ to the Nth degree.

The literally obscene amount of money Avengers is going to make this weekend is a total game-changer. Everyone in Hollywood is going to look at Jeff Robinov and his team at WB and say, "Okay. Your move?"

The Man Of Steel trailer has got to be under the microscope like no other trailer at WB. When it comes out, there will be at least one other very big announcement. It's unavoidable. They can't dodge the issue any longer. It's now or never and it is *all* because of The Avengers' unprecedented success.

The game has changed. For good.

[Flashpoint]

I'm not sure they were ever on the pot.

They really do have no choice anymore. Alan Horn chose Robinov as his successor at WB just as Bob Iger chose Rich Ross to succeed him at Disney. Ross got shown the door and now who is the #1 choice to replace him? Marvel's Kevin Feige--and this news breaks just as Avengers is about to clear $500 million worldwide in just 10 days.

Robinov and his team might ignore all that, but everyone else won't. They can't avoid it; the runaway success of Avengers has put even greater pressure on WB to show what they can do with DC Entertainment. The media will be asking WB hard questions--and so will shareholders.

[SpideyCzar]

wth? 10 char

I work for a marketing firm that screens movies for the movie studios. We did test screenings all last week of the Avengers movie. After we do a test screening we handout surveys and have the audience put down what they thought of the movie, would they see it again, would they buy it on DVD, would they suggest a friend see it etc etc. With these screenings and survey results we then gauge what the interest level of the movie is in the general public, and estimate box office figures for opening weekend. We did test screenings for Dark Shadows this week.

Besides I haven't see the U.S. cut with the 2 bonus scenes I've only seen the cut with the mid credit scene. So looking forward to tonight.

[dupersuper]

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3433&p=.htm

Looks like right now Boxofficemojo.com has Dark Knight Rises as the highest grossing movie domestically of the summer. With Avengers & Amazing Spider-Man as #2 & 3.

Mwa-hahahahaha! The geeks rule Hollywood!

So the Avengers franchise feels like the culmination of everything I ever wanted when I was ten.

I feel that way about the super hero movie craze in general.

[golgi]

They really do have no choice anymore. Alan Horn chose Robinov as his successor at WB just as Bob Iger chose Rich Ross to succeed him at Disney. Ross got shown the door and now who is the #1 choice to replace him? Marvel's Kevin Feige--and this news breaks just as Avengers is about to clear $500 million worldwide in just 10 days.

Robinov and his team might ignore all that, but everyone else won't. They can't avoid it; the runaway success of Avengers has put even greater pressure on WB to show what they can do with DC Entertainment. The media will be asking WB hard questions--and so will shareholders.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is DC Entertainment all about? I thought it was going to be like Marvel Studios. Will DC Entertainment be making DC movies and cartoons?

[Dr. Hurt]

^THIS^ to the Nth degree.

The literally obscene amount of money Avengers is going to make this weekend is a total game-changer. Everyone in Hollywood is going to look at Jeff Robinov and his team at WB and say, "Okay. Your move?"

The Man Of Steel trailer has got to be under the microscope like no other trailer at WB. When it comes out, there will be at least one other very big announcement. It's unavoidable. They can't dodge the issue any longer. It's now or never and it is *all* because of The Avengers' unprecedented success.

The game has changed. For good.

You keep saying that Robinov is under pressure but we dont know that for sure. WB doesnt have to give an answer to Marvel. They can make other movies, non superhero movies. Didnt they make Hunger Games? I'd say that's a success for WB.

This isnt a DC studio, it's a WB studio. I wish they'd try to compete with Marvel but they dont have to.

Also, while the Avengers was so great, it could work against any seperate marvel movies. I love ironman but for IM3 they ll need to try really hard to get my blood pumping to see it when i just saw Ironman, Hulk, Thor, Cap, etc being all bros and being a giant armada in a huge showdown in Manhattan. What i mean is that there's a chance that the individual sequels will look like a big step down from the Avengers and Marvel will start failing.

[David Walton]

I feel that way about the super hero movie craze in general.

Yeah, me too. But Marvel Studios is the next logical step, building a shared universe that resembles the MU.

I remember taking my Mom to see X-Men in '99 (I think that's right). She didn't have high expectations, but she walked out of the theatre saying, "I get it."

And I'm like, "That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

It was really cool to share that with her, and now she goes to all the Marvel movies with me. It's not like she reads the comics, but she now shares my love for Marvel characters.

[comicboy53]

You keep saying that Robinov is under pressure but we dont know that for sure. WB doesnt have to give an answer to Marvel. They can make other movies, non superhero movies. Didnt they make Hunger Games? I'd say that's a success for WB.

This isnt a DC studio, it's a WB studio. I wish they'd try to compete with Marvel but they dont have to.

Also, while the Avengers was so great, it could work against any seperate marvel movies. I love ironman but for IM3 they ll need to try really hard to get my blood pumping to see it when i just saw Ironman, Hulk, Thor, Cap, etc being all bros and being a giant armada in a huge showdown in Manhattan. What i mean is that there's a chance that the individual sequels will look like a big step down from the Avengers and Marvel will start failing.

No lionsgate did THG.

I heard from in inside source that Studios especially WB are scrambling trying to figure out how to translate comics on the big screen so I agree with everything Flashpoint says.