COMPASS & LOTR comparison

[Sauron the White]

from davem

Either US audiences decided they weren't interested in yet another fantasy series - which puts a huge question mark over the forthcoming Hobbit films, or there was something about the movies - maybe what audiences heard about Pullman's philosophical position.

You are either attempting to make this more complicated than what it really is or you are working the wheel rather hard to grind a particular axe ... its really simple... the upcoming HOBBIT movie has not even the shadow of a question mark about it. No matter how much you or others may like to see a Jackson Middle-earth movie fail, its as much as a sure bet as any single property to come across the movie screen other than the Star Wars prequels. And I would be willing to bet a decent amount on that if anyone wants to put their money where their prejudices lie.

There was no positive buzz here at all about the GC film. Nobody really knew anything about it in advance... the reviews were mediocre .... the word of mouth was very blah .... and the advertising certainly did not reach out and grab anybody. I really do not think anybody gives a rats behind about Pullman, his philosophical position, the right wing reaction to it, or anything else that rings of an excuse or rationalization.

I also think it came upon the heels of that STARDUST movie which did very mediocre box office as well and people looked at it as just more of the same. Please understand something: nobody here confuses LOTR with the rest of this stuff. The LOTR films were in a special category all of their own. They are not to be packaged, confused, affiliated, or even contaminated by anything else that others may call fantasy. If ten different fantasy movies came and died between now and the debut of the Jackson HOBBIT, it would not impact the box office of that film one single US dollar. Again, I would bet on that.