Hancock is a Ssssmash (or is it?): So What Did You Think?
Since Tuesday, Hancock has grossed over $40 million domestically and is on track to stack $100 million plus by wke’s end. While early word from critics and geeks is decidedly mixed, that’s a lot of moolah for Will Smith, director Peter Berg (his first major hit), and Sony. Or is it? How puzzling that Nikke Finke says there are serious doubts circling inside the studio regarding Hancock’s franchise potential—she even compares the film’s buzz to Wild Wild West. Jab, Hook, Jab. With a reported budget of $150 million, Jeff Wells cries Feh if the film grosses $90 mill or less by Sunday. Diddy swooned and probably received a nice paycheck.
My take: the stampede of flip-flops after the holiday will remain steady, less steady than I Am Legend, which received similar “third act was wack” laments, but so what? Will Smith’s “coasting” will outperform the equally pricey The Incredible Hulk. And judging from early viewer comments below, “light fun” beats out-and-out hate.
Discuss: So, what did you think? In a summer of superlative superhero outings, where does Will Smith’s gravity-defying, comic-less street gruff fall? What did you make of the twisteroo that’s drawing steely comparisons to the guy who made The Happening? Would the film have been cooler if it was freed up by an R-rating as originally envisioned and marked by the MPAA—click here to read Vincent Ngo’s leaked screenplay forTonight, He Comes. Was the 92-minute running time too short? Was the editing botched? Is a sequel warranted? What of the performances of Smith and Charlize Theron? Does the Hancock storyline/concept cancel out “Demon in a Bottle” for Iron Man 2 as some have prematurely suggested in the preceding weeks? Worth seeing in a theater?
Strike Update: What's the What Right Now?
Current Hollywood Box Score:
Optimism: 27
Pessimism: 14
Okay, there's no actual score, that's just my imagination, but things are looking pretty good! Some of you have requested an update on the strike front, so here's a quick rundown of where things stand:
- The Next Big Date: The WGA membership will meet up at the Shrine Auditorium this Saturday to review the deal that was hashed out with the AMPTP in informal talks last week.
- Turnaround Time: If the deal is approved, dramas could be back on the air in as few as six weeks, and sitcoms may be able to return even faster.
- Manic Monday: Work on some series could resume as early as Monday. We're hearing from quite a few out-of-town writers that they are flocking back to Los Angeles because they've been told by agents that their producer bosses will expect them first thing on Monday if an agreement is reached.
- Open Questions: The biggest issues up in the air are the where, when and how of the approval decision and how quickly, or in what manner, the governors of the WGA could repeal the strike decree. There's also a report from Nikki Finke that even if the verbal agreement is declared kosher, the actual legal documents would still need to be worked out, or the deal could die on its feet. (Yes, I love mixing metaphors. Shut up.)
- Think Happy Thoughts: Last but not least, the WGA membership could just plain decline to approve the deal, so there are still a lot of steps between where we stand today and the return of, say, Pam and Jim, but cross your fingers and toes!
As the strike winds down, what’s next?
Depending on who you want to listen to — or believe — the end of the writers’ strike is a done deal. Michael Eisner, former Disney CEO and current CNBC host, thinks “it’s over,” as he told the network’s Fast Money show. Nikki Finke, in her usual subtle way, takes pains to debunk Eisner’s expertise on the matter, saying that “Eisner hasn’t mattered since 2004-2005 when he was kicked to the curb by Disney and its shareholders.”
Still, Finke does give a timeline of how she’s been informed the next few days will go; tomorrow seems to be the crucial day, as the WGA membership on both coasts will have “informational meetings” before the governing board of each coast’s guild decides whether to put the tentative deal up for a vote. If the informational meetings go well, the union bigwigs may call off the strike before the vote, anticipating the deal will win with the rank-and-file.
So, what will happen when the writers get back to work? According to multiple sources, the shows that are the biggest, most reliable hits for their networks will likely come back starting in late March (though more likely in mid-April), airing a limited number of episodes before the season officially ends in late May. Newer shows with full-season pickups, like Chuck and Pushing Daisies, will likely not resume until shooting for the fall season begins. Mike Ausiello at TVGuide.com has posted a list of what the networks’ tentative plans for each show are. As he says, everything is subject to change, but it does look like the pattern mentioned above will hold.
Hey, an 18-episode season is better than an 11-episode season, right? I just hope these episodes don’t look or sound like they’re rushed into production. Either way, looks like there’s good news all around.
WGA drops one of their demands - BREAKING NEWS
Yesterday we talked about how the WGA and studios were going to enter informal talks today, and it looks like those talks have actually made some news.
The WGA announced just a short time ago that they have dropped one of their main demands, that reality and animation writers be unionized. The union members say that they are going to try other ways to organize writers that work on animation shows and reality shows.
This is more evidence that the deal the Directors Guild made several days ago might actually speed up the negotiations with the WGA and the studios. Not in time to save this season, mind you, but hopefully in time to bring scripted shows back to our TV sets next fall.
Update: Nikki Finke has more info on the story, including the letter sent out by the WGA.