Sometimes you gotta spend money to make money, or in the case of Universal, lose money to potentially make money. The studio is currently reeling from what will likely be a $40 million loss on Angelina Jolie‘s vanity project “By The Sea.” The Euro-flavored drama costarring her husband Brad Pitt seemed like a slam dunk based on their names alone, but neither critics nor audiences warmed to the movie. But the studio hopes that by backing the picture, it will lead to one scenario that will pay off in the end.
READ MORE: AFI Review: ‘By The Sea’ By Angelina Jolie, Co-Starring Brad Pitt & Mélanie Laurent
THR reports that the studio rolled the dice on Jolie’s movie —including such indulgences as allowing Jolie’s team to cut the trailers and posters (which bizarrely didn’t even feature the faces of its two biggest stars)— in the hopes that she might return the favor by signing up for the long-developing “Wanted 2” or “Bride Of Frankenstein.”
Yep, it’s the ol’ “one for me, one for them” scenario, though it’s debatable whether or not anyone cares about a “Wanted” sequel at this point. Similarly, even though “Our Brand Is Crisis” flopped, Warner Bros. is still hoping to get Sandra Bullock to commit to the female led reboot/remake of “Ocean’s Eleven.”
It\’s By The Sea, not Beyond the Sea, Don… Idiot…
The thing I\’m laughing at the most here is Wanted 2. To say there\’s a lack of interest in such a thing is putting it mildly – they\’d stand a bigger chance at funding a Bollywood version than they would a sequel at this point and Jolie still wouldn\’t be available for it!
Don, maybe you are the idiot here. The reported budget for By the sea was 10 million. Double that for prints and advertising and maybe put on some more for whatever creative financing Hollywood may use and you end up with 25 to 30 million.
Steve Jobs has a budget of 30 million. Again double that for prints and advertising and you end up with costs of at least around 60 to 70 million.
Do some research before calling other people idiots.
JJ said nothing about exact totals and your statement is beside the point, Don, who\’s the idiot? Think before you post.
How did universal expect to make a profit when they only opened the movie in 3 cities?
does anyone remember when this woman was stone cold crazy – the making out with her brother, sleeping with knives with Billy Bob and dreaming about stabbing him? Over 60 years ago, Ingred Bergman was blacklisted in Hollywood for falling for a married man, Rosselini but everyone forgets that Brad Pitt was married to Jennifer Anniston when Anjolie made her move. Karma is a b—-ch! I hope all her movies bomb.
The Idiot here is you, Don. By the Sea\’s budget was 10 million.
I think it\’s lack of journalistic ethics, using the term "vanity project".
@ JJ
By the Sea cost about 30 million to make. its def a flop since it could not even do well under limited release. Are you aware that By the Sea orginally was suppose to be wide release but was changed to limited release due to the poor reaction of the insiders seeing the movie?
Studios should encourage this with directors. Make it part of the contract; one small film for you, one for us. It\’s a win-win, I think.
40 million dollars seems like a lot of money to spend on the HOPES that someone will return a favor, to me. But I\’m not a Universal movie executive so what do I know?
I mean — just spitballing, here — if they want her so bad that they\’re willing ot blow 40 million on the OFF CHANCE that she\’ll consider doing one of their movies… Why not just offer her that 40 million to BE IN THE MOVIE? Same exact spenditure, but more of a guarantee that she will actually, you know, DO IT.
How can they lose 40 million if the budget of "By the Sea" was 10 millions??? and the marketing of the film was very poor, so i doubt they spend lot of mony on it. i think this article is BS.
What\’s with the sucking to her? This is beyond transparent and lame. How come you aren\’t reporting that the film only made £300,000 and is being dropped by cinemas everywhere?!
Not to mention that this site gave the film the only real favorable review, that it didn\’t deserve.
Big fat titties!
do your research, JJ. Steve Jobs\’ budget was 30 mil, 10 mil less than Beyond the Sea. Idiot.
The studio is hardly reeling over 40 million. "By the Sea" was always considered an independent and not expected to make much, unlike "Steve Jobs" which was a colossal flop.
You mean they didn\’t green light it based on her writing/directing abilities? I for one am shocked that anyone would cast any doubt on her ability to make a watchable movie… actually