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The Hustle Daily Show

The business of Hollywood flops

Nov 3, 2024
Tim Robey, a seasoned film critic at The Telegraph and author of 'Box Office Poison: Hollywood's Story in a Century of Flops,' dives into the intriguing world of Hollywood failures. He reveals how flops have historically influenced the industry's business models and examines notable disasters like 'Gigli.' Robey discusses the shift towards established franchises to mitigate financial risks and reflects on the potential impacts of superhero fatigue on future projects. His insights shed light on the lessons learned from cinematic missteps.
25:35

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • Hollywood flops historically forced studios to adapt their business strategies, highlighting the financial risks linked to film production and marketing.
  • The shift towards established intellectual properties in filmmaking demonstrates both a risk-averse approach and the industry's struggle with audience unpredictability.

Deep dives

Understanding Hollywood Flops

A flop in Hollywood is defined primarily as a film that fails to recoup a significant portion of its production budget. For instance, if 'Gladiator 2' were to gross less than $300 million worldwide, it would be considered a substantial failure, given that this amount does not account for marketing and distribution costs. This exploration into Hollywood failures allows for a chronological understanding of how the industry has evolved in terms of budget management, production expectations, and audience engagement. By analyzing the historical flops, lessons emerge about the common pitfalls that continue to affect filmmakers and studios today.

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