This weekend at the box office wasn’t a good one unless you were "Straight Outta Compton." Sequels "Sinister 2" and "Hitman: Agent 47" tanked, and so did the stoner action comedy "American Ultra" starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart. On paper it seemed like a no brainer for success; a big (dumb) concept, played by two game, rising young actors that has all the popcorn thrills you could ask for in a summer movie. Nonetheless, audiences shrugged and the movie opened softly in sixth place, leaving screenwriter Max Landis baffled.
READ MORE: Review of ‘American Ultra’ Starring Jesse Eisenberg And Kristen Stewart
Taking to Twitter, the writer openly wondered if the failure of his movie — which he notes is not a sequel, franchise, biopic or reboot — means that "big level original ideas don’t [make money]."
"Am I wrong? Is trying to make original movies in a big way just not a valid career path anymore for anyone but Tarantino and Nolan? That’s the question: Am I wrong? Are original ideas over? I wanted to pose this to the public, because I feel, put lightly, confused. Now, I’m not so sure," he continued. "Got to get back to work on my TV shows. Which are both adaptations."
There is something of a conceited air about the tweets; Landis believes his movie, which received only modestly better reviews that the scathing notices for "Sinister 2" and "Hitman: Agent 47," should do well on the basis that it’s not as bad as the competition, or because it’s "original." Moviegoers simply weren’t interested in "American Ultra," and that’s perfectly valid.
There are lots of good (and bad) "original" movies every year that unfortunately get overlooked, while others do find an audience ("It Follows" and "Ex Machina" for example) and when it comes to the argument of sequels/franchises/reboot vs. original movies, here’s the bottom line: people just want to see good films. One of the most critically acclaimed efforts of the year and one of the best action movies hands down was "Mad Max: Fury Road," a sequel/reboot. Does that make its success any less special?
Check out Landis’ series of tweets below and share your thoughts in the comments section.
So here’s an interesting question: American Ultra finished dead last at the box office, behind even Mission Impossible and Man From Uncle…
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
…American Ultra was also beaten by the critically reviled Hitman Agent 47 and Sinister, despite being a better reviewed film than either..
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
…which leads me to a bit of a conundrum: Why? American Ultra had good ads, big stars, a fun idea, and honestly, it’s a good movie…
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
…Certainly better, in the internet’s opinion, than other things released the same day. If you saw it, you probably didn’t hate it…
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
…so I’m left with an odd thing here, which is that American Ultra lost to a sequel, a sequel reboot, a biopic, a sequel and a reboot.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
…it seems the reviews didn’t even matter, the MOVIE didn’t matter. The argument that can/will be made is: big level original ideas don’t $
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
For the longest time, my belief was that the 80s/90s were the golden age of movies; you never knew what you were going to get.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
Am I wrong? Is trying to make original movies in a big way just not a valid career path anymore for anyone but Tarantino and Nolan?
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
That’s the question: Am I wrong? Are original ideas over? I wanted to pose this to the public, because I feel, put lightly, confused.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
I feel like I learned a lesson, here, but have no idea what it is. I once joked "there’s only so many times people will go see Thor 2."
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
I feel like I learned a lesson, here, but have no idea what it is. I once joked "there’s only so many times people will go see Thor 2."
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
Sorry to be kind of a downer guys.
It’s just a little frustrating to see John Cena squash Kevin Steen.
Metaphorically.
— Max Landis (@Uptomyknees) August 22, 2015
I noticed that it seems like 90% of movies nor are ether remakes, based on a book, comic book, a reboot or a sequel. Its as if every movie studio got rid of all their good writers in favor of people who would rather ripp off an existing idea just to sell movie tickets. Sure an original movie pops up every now and then but lately a movie with an origonal plot is virturaly non existant. I think this has something to do with the writers strike that happened a few years back. Since then all movies have been based in something or is a sequel. It could be movie stidios lashing back at the writers for startimg the strike in the first place or the writers are ripping off existing plot ideas because they don\’t get payed equally.
This movie was terrible, and I left the cinema after the first hour. Plot is insanely predictable, action scenes aren\’t half interesting and the \’dramedy\’ setting was boring my brains out. It\’s not that original ideas are dead, it\’s just that nobody will see your movie if it\’s this terrible.
Make the RIGHT movie. See "War Room."
Not the biggest fan of Eisenberg (although he was perfect in Social Network) and I don\’t buy him in this role. Stewart, no matter how many articles I read about how great she is, always comes off as wooden to me. For me, right off the bat, bad casting made me disinterested.
Was surprised to see someone thinking the 80\’s and 90\’s were a golden age. Do you mean for blockbuster original stories or great films? If he\’s talking about great films, the 70\’s are the decade to beat.
Instead of taking to social media and whining in the form of questions posed to the public, hunker down and make something people WANT TO SEE.
Take a window of time off. Write like the devil..
Max, its not you who tanked, its the mindset of a Nation of people worked up about an election that takes place more than 12 months from now.
Was going to add my two cents about the irony of Max calling his script "original", but most folks here beat me to it. Instead I\’ll add this: Max, you should watch less movies and read more books, it will help your writing, you entitled poster-brat for nepotism. See you next week when I smile in your face!
Not sure a comedy take on The Bourne Identity is all that original to be fair. Kristen Stewart is always going to be at least something of an issue for me though.
Is it possible that contrary to what certain interest groups might want us to think that audiences just aren\’t interested in seeing a movie about stoners? I mean I know Cheech and Chong had a lot of hits but their last box office smash came out when Reagan was president. Just sayin\’.
The movie looks like cynical, sociopathic junk. MK Ultra, which appears to be referenced in the title, involves real world sexual abuse of children, mind control and often, their eventual murder. Yes, it\’s real. Look up the victim Paul Bonacci. No, I don\’t want to watch a couple low watt, sullen rich kids vamp it up as CIA assassins. And it\’s hardly original – Geena Davis was a housewife/assassin with a cracked identity in The Long Kiss Goodnight over twenty years ago. Adding some pot jokes hardly makes it original. This answers that self-serving and indulgent series of twits. I mean tweets.
Adam Sandler might have brought some of his fans to AU, but in no way would it have been a hit. The script was weak, the direction a mess, and Kristen Stewart is like box office poison. The best thing to come out of this disaster is watching Max Landis meltdown on Twitter and Stewart\’s PR team try to distance her from this mess before Equals goes looking for distribution at the Venice Film Fest.
Sad to say but if it Adam Sandler instead of Jesie Eisenburg the movie probably would have been a hit; critics would say, "Sandler got his mojo back" and Sandler\’s fans would be talking about how the only weak part in the film was his coostar, KS.
\’A fun idea\’ – just tossing a bunch of silliness and action scenes into a film amounted to underperformance at the box office… unfortunate (for Max) how audiences finally picked this film to decide that they\’re tired of seeing ridiculous filler.
If you star is a leading man in small movies, very small movies, don\’t try and make him lead in bigger budget movie. Duh!!! Plus uglify him with blood and bad wigs, battered face… what were they thinking? Plus him kicking ass as a stoner is so unbelievable.
AMERICAN ULTRA looked terrible in the trailer — was it supposed to be a comedy? Max, seriously — I think all it means is that crap doesn\’t do so well at the B.O.
Agreed. Who likes Eisenberg or Stewart. The romantic plot doesn\’t seem very original or smart and who listens to reviews at all? I assumed that movie is going to tank after I saw the poster.
Makes me wonder what it takes to market a film. I saw ads for this film multiple times, but none of them made me want to see it. Is once enough? Is TV any good anymore? Should Facebook and Twitter be flooded with ad spots? Do 10 second trailers need to be made for Vine? I remember when everybody and they momma on the net had fangasms to see Snakes on a Plane, and that landed with a dud, so word-of-mouth can\’t be the answer. Maybe studios need to find a cheaper alternative, one that doesn\’t involve action figures and Happy Meals.
Not sure how a Stoner-Bourne movie could be deemed as "original", except in comparison to current fare only. Equally baffling is the fact that fanwhiners decry the loss of "original" movies, as if that label alone signifies automatic quality. They keep puking out old rhetoric about how Hollywood should take risks, as if they\’re armchair studio stockholders begging suits to throw away money, when all they really contribute is the price of a movie ticket that could easily, and usually does, go to the latest showing of the newest franchise du jour. If you\’re one of the above, consider yourself offended (to the Twitter Brigade, with thee!).
Inside Out? Trainwreck? People will see original films, but it\’s gotta compel people to want to see it. American Ultra looked like a bad cross between Pineapple Express and The Bourne movies. It didn\’t help that it was going for the same audience as relatively better known projects Sinister 2 and Hitman: Agent 47.
This strikes me as a movie that will clean up on VOD, but barely make a dent in theaters. Hopefully they budgeted likewise.
Make a good film next time and maybe it will sell…
@Yer Yeah because being the son of a blacklisted director get\’s you guaranteed job in the industry.
Didn\’t Max Landis just rip off Long Kiss Goodnight?
I like Eisenberg AND Stewart, and really enjoyed Project X, so seeing something new from that director would interest me… but this looks like just another run-of-the-mill stoner action/comedy, and I don\’t care how much better than shitty sequels and reboots it is, it\’s not impressive to hurdle to the curb. Oh, and the biopic that beat it, The End of the Tour, also stars Eisenberg, and is an excellent film that spoke to me. Max Landis strikes me as a little spoiled.
ugh i was ranting for like an hour about this arrogant idiot yesterday. you make a bad movie you better expect it to flop. yes sinister 2 and agent 47 got worse reviews but those two movies didn`t have two of the most hated actors as their leads. it annoys me to no end how hollywood trys to push these two talentless, privileged douchbags. if you have seen them in interviews then you have seen every character they have ever played in a movie because they only ever play themselves. there are so many talented actresses out there (gugu mbatha, brie larson,…) who don`t get the same opportunities as her simply because stewart is riding on her twilight celebrity fame with a gazillion magazine covers and fashion campaigns and all that fame BS. isn`t it interesting how critics constantly try to tell us that those two are good actors but the general public completely disagrees? too bad for them that it is the general public that pays for cinema tickets and they simply don`t want to see those two.
Dude Stewart has a cult anti following and Eisenberg doesn\’t sell as an action hero, no matter the premise. And those two as stoners, been there, done that. Yes I believe them as a couple, but that\’s all and it\’s not enough to sell me. Especially with tickets upwards of fifteen dollars a pop in NYC. I\’ll watch something worth my dime.
Sour grapes, Landis. Sour grapes. How do they taste? Your movie was crap. OF COURSE, there is an audience for original films. If you\’re using financial success as your only indicator of success, then you\’ve got your Hollywood head stuffed up your Hollywood fundament. "Only Lovers Left Alive," "Under The Skin" and "Ex Machina" were some of the most challenging and original films of the last decade, and they found their audiences. Why? BECAUSE THEY WERE GOOD FILMS! Your power of self-delusion is astounding.
I don\’t like movies about stoners because stoners are annoying idiots. I also don\’t like the leads. Why watch annoying stoners re-enact The Bourne Identity? I\’d rather just watch The Bourne Identity.
This isn\’t an original idea at all actually, it\’s a half baked Borne Identity with less charismatic stars. Nobody wants to watch the douchier version of Michael Cera and Wooden McCantact do kung foo moves and mechanically press their faces together. Get outta here with "original".
Original movies about stoners maybe…
"American Ultra" was not original. It was simply a stoner version of the NBC series "Chuck" that ran for five seasons. Everyone I know said, "Oh, it\’s literally a stoner version of "Chuck" after the trailer came out. There is nothing new under the sun.
Inherent Vice flopped too and Joaquin/PTA aren\’t lacking in admirers. It\’s time to put stoners out to pasture until DOR/JLaw pay homage to 3 Women (all played by Jennifer of course.)
Landis couldn\’t sound more butthurt if he wanted to. Your movie didn\’t look good and the people wasn\’t interested in it , deal with and stop whinning Landis.
American Ultra would have flopped no matter when it was released, the reviews are at 46 percent on RT, it\’s a Rotten movie. It\’s pointless to blame it on the release date or the marketing, good movies can overcome both those obstacles. Landis is a douche who has tried to blame it on the fans not showing up, the marketing and the director. The problem was with the script and his lack of an original thought. Add in two of the most pretentious, arrogant, smug, unlikable actors for the leads and you have a film that\’s guaranteed to turn off most of the potential audience. People need to stop financing films when any of these people are involved. Kristen Stewart has proved she can\’t attract an audience in an indie–they all flop. Sils Maria, On The Road, Camp X Ray, Welcome to the Rileys, they all bombed, she\’s box office poison. Eisenberg lucks into an ensemble hit once in a while, but Landis is a total loser.
Think the media and everyone else is misinterpreting what Max means in this context when he calls American Ultra an original movie. It is a movie inspired by MK Ultra but is not based on a book or a well-known brand such as Hitman or a sequel to another film like Sinister 2. That said,don\’t think Lionsgate marketed the film very well as they seemed to focus heavily on the stoner aspect.
If Lionsgate would have released it one week later, it may have stood a chance of making all of its money back in one weekend, instead of just half.
The commercials for that movie sucked. That\’s why the movie failed. I didn\’t even know what the movie might possibly be about when I saw the commercials. That\’s why I didn\’t even register the possibility of watching it.
@Ian. No worries. But if Spy and Kingmen aren\’t original then how is American Ultra original? I\’m not saying that I necessarily enjoyed them, but I\’m saying that they are films not built on adaptations or pre-existing franchises (except PP2, which the original is fairly new) that were a success this year at the box office.
*where *vein boy I really butchered that.
Yeah. A bad movie is a bad movie is a bad movie; original or not. He got his shots out of his name and one OK try with \’Chronicle\’, which to be fair is better directed than written.
He\’s clearly just in a spot were his movie just hit theaters an he\’s being a little short sighted. First I was very excited to see his movie but the seriousness of it\’s tone didn\’t blend well with the comedy it was going for. I was expecting a comedy in the view of Inherent vice where it\’s violent but does\’t take itself too seriously. Second of all I don\’t think it was that original of an idea it follows yes but not American Ultra where it\’s just two movie ideas put together with the question would it be interesting beginning it\’s pitch. Like you said people want original ideas like his previous Chronicle and Looper that are also really good movies, American Ultra is just not that good.
Funny thing is that at one time all these Franchises and books and other IPS were original ideas that connected with the public and now they make a ton of them because people keep coming to see thme. But Film is not unlike Fiction. I mean look at all the franchises in books. An author writes a best selling detective novel and then rights thirty sequels. Then every once and awhile will write a stand alone book away from the franchise which might also hit and then that becomes another franchise. This has been going on in fiction forever. I don\’t see why people get so all bent out of shape about it with film.
Three of the most annoying leads in Hollywood, and an \’original\’ plot that looks like some VOD sequel to Pineapple Express doesn\’t really spell boatloads of cash. Need to kinda/sorta get over yourself, there, Landis. Nobody saw it because nobody wanted to. It looks insipid at best, and Eisenberg\’s been drilling a dry well for years now.
@Get Real
Your statement would be correct except, Inside Out is essentially a better version (an update if you will) of ideas originally presented in Osmosis Jones. Pitch Perfect was a sequel. San Andreas, Kingsmen, Spy, and South Paw are all pre-established genre movies that really have little original to offer (story, idea, or substantially). Sure, both Spy and Kingsmen are both pastiching the spy movie genre, they are still spy movies – one being more of a comedy while the other attempting to appeal to a more superhero-ish audience. The Wedding Ringer is basically a remake of Hitch, only A LOT worse. Compton is an interesting case in that it does deviate from the standard biopic formula slightly but in terms of actually bringing something fresh to the genre, that\’s debatable.
No hate towards you if you happen to enjoy these films but to say they are all "original" ideas would simply be incorrect.
Yeah original ideas area dead this year….except for Straight Outta Compton…and Inside Out….and Pitch Perfect…..and San Andreas….and Kingsman…..and Spy….and Southpaw….and The Wedding Ringer etc etc etc
The two lead actors are generally not likeable and the reviews basically called it a stoner version of The Bourne Identity. Why would I pay $15 to watch this in a theater when I can rent it for $2 in a year and watch it at home. Now that you don\’t have to be super rich to have a decent TV/sound system, movies like this will not draw a crowd unless you have actors people actually like and a story that is interesting whether it is original or not.
I don\’t know "Chronicle" was a pretty good original movie maybe the writer of that who did American Ultra is just getting sloppy, lazy, falling back on clichéd writing. I don\’t know just pick one. Funny though how an "original" as hell movie like BIRDMAN did so well and won Best Picture.
I do want to see this movie. But unless it\’s an absolute must see on the large theater screen I can wait for it to be on Netflix. $16 for a ticket and another $3 for parking just isn\’t something I can spend on a regular basis.
The movie floped beacuse it has a pathetic plot, terrible actors and absolutely no talent behind it. Original movies that ARE ACTUALLY good don\’t flop.
I agree with Wyatt. Where WAS this movie showing? I sure as hell didn\’t see any ads for it, so I\’m not sure what Max is talking about. Now frankly, what I DID see was a 5 movie marathon at the Alamo this weekend that totally rocked and had no new releases (all old B movies). Movies need to take themselves way less seriously. You don\’t need a big budget to make something amazing and creative. I had such a blast this weekend and I think this is a sign that Hollywood needs to figure out how to get people to stay in the theaters longer and in bigger crowds. Offer something that TV and On Demand can\’t compete with. People love a good bargain. Seriously, they\’re missing out here.
Why did my R-rated violent-stoner-comedy starring 2 dramatic actors fail???
Wasn\’t this movie done better with Gina Davis? the sleeper spy even if a stoner has been done…. plus no nudity… straight outta Compton has nudity and sex… sex sells the male gaze still sells… even if it is not PC…. or tone it down and make it pg13.
1. how about you actually write an original screenplay and not just take ideas from different movies and put them together to one god awful movie.
2. it should actually be a GOOD screenplay and not a confusing, ridiculous mess with a terrible ending.
3. maybe next time don`t put two of the most arrogant, insufferable, pretentious and overrated "actors" as the leads in your movie. i put actors in quotation marks because i have yet to see a movie were stewart doesn`t just play a version of herself (THAT would be called acting). i am always so embarrassed for critics who praise her like "she was so natural"…oh really??? must have been pretty hard for her to play herself and be natural while doing it. but if you guys like that so much i am going to send you our family christmas home videos you wont believe how natural we all are. waiting for my millions…
There was nothing original about AU. Even the advertising for the film pointed out that it was as if The Bourne Identity and Pineapple Express had a baby. That\’s not original. Why aren\’t you calling this asshole out on his BS? The cast lacked the necessary charisma to attract an audience and the direction was a mess. It was a trifecta of trash. Is anyone surprised it bombed? Stop giving this guy pitch meetings, he has no class, no substance, and no shame.
Honestly, I just didn\’t bother to care about the movie because I don\’t care for Jesse Eisenberg or Kristen Stewart\’s work, so the thought of spending an hour and a half watching them didn\’t appeal to me. It has nothing to do with it being original, it\’s just I don\’t want to watch them, and I don\’t know anyone who\’s fans of theirs either.
When I saw the poster, I assumed the plot was about a young man who starts to do his hair like his girlfriend\’s, in order to win her back as part of a bet. I assumed American Ultra was the name of the conditioner they both use. Am I wrong?
Max should be happy that he wrote a killer screenplay (great read) and got paid. And it got made. Made into a bad movie? An unattractive movie? Not marketed well? Only time will tell.
First off 67-80 that\’s the era to emulate. A golden age of movies. I feel the end of summer is a bad time to release a movie. You\’ve already seen a few biggies and want to enjoy the sun while you can. I thought Ultra was pretty good. Just bad timing.
I didn\’t see American Ultra because it didn\’t seem very original to me. Its a Bourne movie but with a stoner. how is that original? Its taking 2 ideas and blending them together. That\’s not original. And that doesn\’t mean taking an idea and turning it on it\’s ear can\’t be good, Cabin in the Woods did that with great success. I just saw a trailer that maps out this very simple premise and for me the trailer was all i needed. I don\’t want to spend an hour and a half watching that premise. His arrogance in thining that because we did see HIS movie means we are stupid now will turn me off to his other work.
Sorry your "oh so original" Stoner Bourne movie didn\’t make it.
Writing for TV is probably your best idea yet.
Keep in mind that American Ultra\’s budget is around 20 million dollars so it won\’t be a big hit but it certainly won\’t be a flop.
that`s because she plays every character the same way. it doesn`t matter who or how old the character is she will ALWAYS play awkward, angsty, confused, stuttering girl. for some movies it actually works but who wants to pay money to see an actress play that same character over and over and over again? she should step up her game. and that movie was terrible. Landis is such a joke. he truly deserves all the the shit he is getting now.
I think that Kristen Stewart is a huge bummer… if she\’s in a trailer, people tune out. Does ANYONE know what this movie is about? I saw several trailers – and I have no idea whats going on, other than people have super bloody lips. Marketing didn\’t work on this one.
total hypocrisy. Landis is one of the least original writers out there. Chronicle was an idiotic rip-off of Akira. This is a Long Kiss Goodnight rip-off. His Bond movie idea he was so pleased with was ripped off from a planned 80\’s uniting of previous Bond actors. He\’s getting ripped apart for these twitter statements – what did he expect?
go home landis you are drunk. that movie was a waste of money that i will never get back. and really he thought stewart and eisenberg would be able to carry a movie? stewart is a one-trick pony who isn`t able to actually play a character that isn`t like herself. before seeing the movie i already knew she would stutter, touch her hair, be all twitchy and awkward. sorry but that`s not acting. eisenberg is pretty much unlikeable going by his interviews. so if you have 2 unlikeable stars you better have a FANTASTIC movie to make people go see it but obviously that`s not the case with american ultra.
I\’ve worked in movies theatres since 1973. I\’ve worked in megaplexes and movies palaces and theatres that ran exclusively "independent" movies. My obervation is that the percentage of studio movies that are lousy and the percentage of "independent" movies that are lousy is about the same. Just because a movie is original or daring or out of the mainstream doesn\’t mean it automatically worth your time. Also, as it is mentioned in an earlier post, you\’ve got to let people know your movie out there. Marketing is a big factor. I\’m currently showing this movie and it\’s a dud at the boxoffice. It also doesn\’t help that movie-goers aren\’t excited about the cast.
I don\’t agree with Landis\’ remarks. Movies flop all the time and he better get used to it. I saw American Ultra and I liked some parts and dislike others. I am not much into action movies. I prefer dialogue and getting the subtle (and not so subtle messages) such as those about the CIA\’s undertakings on simple citizens, its cutthroat culture about power and obsession with ownership of projects. This movie even touched subtlety on gender and power in the workplace as played by Topher Grace\’s character (the young gon-ho inexperienced male CIA who wants to kill a program created by the more experienced and open-minded CIA agent played by Connie Britton. He sees it as a failure and a threat and must be terminated and he won\’t hear anybody\’s opinion or arguments due only to his inflated ego. She admits that most of it failed except for Jesse\’s character and believes that it in itself is not a total failure and deserves to be saved and maybe explored better.). Some of the action and killing was too much for me especially the killing of quite a few innocents but if you like action then you are in for a treat. The acting was solid all around. The much-mentioned chemistry between Stewart and Eisenberg is totally true and palpable–very much in sync. Stewart had sad, angry, funny, confused and tender scenes plus quite a few very physical action scenes and she totally delivered. It\’s kind of refreshing to see Stewart wanting to be in such a "wacky" movie. It has some plot holes involving Stewart\’s character who is Eisenberg\’s girlfriend but also turn outs to be his CIA-assigned handler. The end confused me a bit, and I will probably watch again for the Stewart character plot hole and the end. I agree that marketing was a last-minute thing and kind of mismarketed. It was marketed heavily on comedy and it does have its funny moments but they are of the absurd, kind of dry and ironic type. Unless you are a Stewart and/or Eisenberg fan and followed them you would not have known about this movie. I asked my young adult children if they were interested in watching American Ultra and they replied that they never heard of it.
^ and his hit film was a combination of found footage and superheroes. Must\’ve taken a lot of inspiration to take two popular ideas and mix them into a movie. This guy is a true original artist worth supporting. Hollywood has a problem with original films, but just mashing up garbage (action movie + stoners!) isn\’t going to get me to the theater.
Think the larger issues with this film are that the leads are not well likely by the film going public and… I know a couple of people who saw it and said it was awful.
Why do media outlets insist on reporting the opinions and ideas of Max Landis as if he\’s especially insightful, talented, or culturally relevant? He\’s scripted a single hit film.
There\’s plenty of irony to be found here. Wasn\’t just a few short weeks ago that Landis was waxing on about his former collaborator Josh Tranks\’ failings with the Fantastic Four? Does Landis actually believe that a stone comedy with heavy amounts of action qualifies as "original"? And, while this is admittedly more subjective, does Landis really believe that Stewart and Eisenberg are "big stars"? Does that even matter when undeniable stars have struggled to carry a movie to big box office tallies? The main thing to take away from this is "No Idea\’s Original. There\’s nothing new under the sun. It\’s never what you do but how it\’s done."
Self-reflection not a Hollywood habit. Project was Emperor\’s New Clothes from script-stage on. Marketing was "hyper-targeted" in face of wide release b/c studio knew it was a dog but hoped they might be wrong and word-of-mouth would do the job. They weren\’t and it didn\’t. Doesn\’t mean original doesn\’t/won\’t work – means THIS one didn\’t. Own it, Max, and grow as an artist.
Those who saw the movie gave it a B- cinemascore, meaning they didn\’t like it. Throw two of the most overrated and unlikeable actors in Hollywood and you have a flop. Also, Landis is a big hypocrite: he complains about sequels when he wanted to write a sequel for AU…
lmao is he for real? dude i saw the movie and it was BAD!!! the script was ridiculous! how about you work on that? the only slightly pleasant things were eisenberg and britton. stewart starts to get on my freaking nerves. is she ever going to start "acting" and stop playing herself? how is it possible to "play" the same character in a drama (clouds of sils maria) and in this comedy/brutal adventure/love story??? you earn millions stop being so f*cking lazy and learn doing your job.
Ripping off Bourne Identity and adding a stoner element written by the biggest beneficiary of nepotism in Hollywood? If this is what passes for an "original" movie, why do we even care anymore?
original movies can do great if they\’re awesome, made with integrity and worth talking about. American Ultra is none of these things.
Max wouldn\’t even have a career if it wasn\’t for his last name and how he\’s crying about only 2 directors being able to make original films? yea ok
Actually it is a good movie. Landis is not wrong in his assertion that original movies can\’t seem to find an audience if they don\’t have mega bucks for avengers type marketing. Audiences are so dumbed down these days. And I disagree that the stars are not popular with audiences. They are growing quite well into their adult shoes as actors and will continue to do well. If people would get out of their private lives and give the work a chance, I think they will be surprised at the work they do.
He\’s deluded. There\’s always room for GOOD original movies smile emoticon I swear I thought this thing was a Natural Born Killers retread, too hip for the room, too 90s-era Tarantino (even Tarantino has moved on from his 90s era self). So yea, consider that before you decry the market for original films (if Paul Thomas Anderson can make consecutive original masterpieces then maybe it\’s the material and not the market).
Landis is a twat and American Ultra was godawful. Eisenberg and Stewart were the best parts of the movie. And Pineapple express meets copycat Bourne is not that original.
HEY MAX IT FLOPPED BECAUSE IT\’S SHIT!!!
there is nothing original about this movie though. every element of it is lifted from a superior work. but that\’s not always a terrible thing — look at Drive. Totally derivative plot, but made by filmmakers with true talent and skill. The director of Project X and the writer of Chronicle are the reason this flopped, let\’s be honest. it\’s shit!
Because KS and JE are not the stars and twilight audience don\’t support bella.TP journalists should know that.
Neither Eisenberg nor Stewart are particularly liked by the audiences. Throw in a not-greatly reviewed movie and the fact that all the new movies this week were going after the same 18-34 mostly-male audience and you get a dud.
Max Landis is ridiculous and no surprise that he can\’t handle that his movie didn\’t do well.
I\’m becoming more convinced that it\’s all in the marketing. In a crowded field of new and previous releases you\’ve got to get your name out there. I saw zero advertising on this movie, and the one sheet tells you nothing about the movie. I didn\’t see a trailer for this until a week before it opened. That\’s hardly enough time to generate interest or buzz. Its costly, but spend a few dollars to make sure your movie is known.
Anytime some "original" movie flops at the box office the following Monday is full of headlines decrying the death of original movies. Just look at a few months ago at Tomorrowland, all you could read on Variety and THR and the like said it was the end of original movies.
Make a good movie and people will see it. Maybe not necessarily in theatres, but it will find an audience. Make a POS, and people will recognize it as such.