Fantastic Four
Release Date:
July 8, 2005
On the Big Board |
Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
50/60 |
Les Winan |
Evans and Chiklis make the best of a bad situation. So much potential is wasted by terrible writing and directing. If there's a sequel, pray for a new writing team. |
64/166 |
David Mumpower |
Chris Evans saves an otherwise forgettable movie by having the time of his life as The Human Torch. |
77/85 |
Kim Hollis |
It was fun in spots. But mostly I was just bored. |
20th Century Fox plans to take a new approach to the super-hero genre with Fantastic Four, a big screen feature film based on the first ever Marvel Comics super-hero team. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961, The Fantastic Four comic book enjoyed its greatest success in the 60s before their popularity began to wane in the mid 80s and finally almost disappear in the 90s. The book focused on a group of four astronauts who are hit by cosmic rays and transformed into people with super-abilities. Unlike other heros to follow, The Fantastic Four did not shy away from the spotlight; shunning a secret identity for public adoration, the Four become the darlings of teh world, in addition to being it's monthly saviors.
Fox and Marvel plan on making Fantastic Four a light-hearted film that is not too serious in tone and not too campy. Well that's what they say; the translation is that Fox wants to make a superhero comedy and are too scared to call it that. Peyton Reed had been on-board the project for a good 6 months before leaving it citing "creative differences". His work on Down With Love had proved to be quirky yet interesting and his take on a super-hero comedy would have been...well just that, quirky and interesting.
The project is now targeted for a December 2004 release date and is scrambling to find its creatives. If all doesn't go well, Fox can always buy Roger Corman's feature length film which is one the funniest films you will ever see, but not intentionally so. (Walid Habboub/BOP)
April 6, 2004 Tim Story, helmer of Barbershop and Taxi, has been announced as the director of this comic book tale. Insiders estimate the film's budget to be between $80 and $90 million. While rumors are swirling about potential casting possibilities, we'll wait to post more when some official word is out. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Comparison films for Fantastic Four |
Title |
Date |
Opening |
Adjusted Opening |
Screens |
PSA |
Adj PSA |
Total BO |
Adjusted Total |
Mult |
X2: X-Men United |
5/2/03 | 85.56 |
85.56 |
3741 |
22871.00 |
22871.0 |
214.95 |
214.95 |
2.51 |
X-Men, The |
7/14/00 | 54.47 |
60.93 |
3025 |
18007.00 |
19376.7 |
157.30 |
175.97 |
2.89 |
Batman Forever |
6/16/95 | 52.78 |
73.16 |
2842 |
18571.00 |
24761.3 |
184.03 |
255.10 |
3.49 |
Batman Returns |
6/19/92 | 47.72 |
69.33 |
2644 |
18048.00 |
25223.7 |
162.83 |
236.59 |
3.41 |
Daredevil |
2/14/03 | 45.03 |
45.03 |
3471 |
12974.00 |
12974.0 |
102.54 |
102.54 |
2.28 |
Batman and Robin |
6/20/97 | 42.87 |
56.31 |
2934 |
14611.00 |
18462.7 |
107.33 |
140.99 |
2.50 |
Batman |
6/23/89 | 42.71 |
64.54 |
2194 |
19467.00 |
28297.9 |
251.19 |
379.62 |
5.88 |
Blade II |
3/22/02 | 32.53 |
33.82 |
2707 |
12017.00 |
12017.0 |
81.65 |
84.89 |
2.51 |
Blade |
8/21/98 | 17.07 |
21.94 |
2322 |
7351.00 |
9090.8 |
70.10 |
90.12 |
4.11 |
|
|
|
|