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Tim Briody: I know a few people involved in, or at least interested in, making sure people are aware of Card's comments. They were probably never going to see the movie anyway, so the impact at the box office was minimal. Had the movie's content reflected his views, then that might have been a different story.

Kim Hollis: I would echo Edwin's comments. When the books were originally released, and even fairly late into the Internet era, it was possible to be blissfully unaware of some of the hateful things Card has said. But with the Internet, none of that is secret. People who might once have been inclined to see a film adaptation of the book have now turned against it because of the author. I enjoyed the books, but I have to admit that they've been tainted for me. It's kind of tragic, because Ender's Game is really *about* tolerance. But I really didn't want to support the film, and I think a number of people felt similarly. I'm not saying it was a huge impact, but I do think it might have jumped over $35 million or so if the studio could have had the author firing up a fanbase.

David Mumpower: I'm going to go against the prevailing opinion here by saying that there was an impact, and it was a larger one that is being acknowledged here. My thought process is that there was enough of a concern about potential backlash that Lionsgate felt the need to distance themselves from the creator of the very work they were adapting. The producer of the film, Roberto Orci of Star Trek reboot fame, followed suit and Card felt the need to half-heartedly backtrack in a major magazine.

I think that anyone who followed the controversy formulated the opinion that Card is a terrible human being. Does that directly impact the box office of the movie? Of course not. How does the negative buzz have an impact? Four months ago, Lionsgate knew that they had an ethically tricky project on their hands. They also knew that as Matthew pointed out, their investment in Ender's Game was minimal. Had they been on the hook for the entire price, the situation may have played out differently.

Since the distributor was not forced to go all-in on the production, Ender's Game never received the ardent support that most science fiction blockbusters receive. Ergo, it was relegated to also ran status in the way it was treated from within. A big budget movie about kids fighting off an alien invasion should do better. I mean, Starship Troopers is as divisive a film as there was in the mid-'90s yet its opening weekend inflation adjusts to $38.3 million, and that movie is as direct a comparison for Ender's Game as is realistically possible. Since Ender's Game had no satirical elements, it should have been more marketable. I believe that a key component in its failure as a potential franchise is the way that Card became radioactive, even if 99% of the movie populace has no idea of the details.

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