SCENE
AN EMPTY SEA. THE SUN SITS HIGH IN THE SKY. THE OCEAN IS NOT TURBULENT. THERE SHOULD BE NO SOUND - SILENCE.
OFF IN THE DISTANCE YOU SEE A HAND BREAK THE SURFACE, FOLLOWED BY A HEAD. AT FIRST IT SEEMS LIKE THE PERSON IS CALM. THEN THE VIEWER SEES MYSTERIOUS RIPPLES IN THE WATER AROUND THE FORM.
PANIC SETS IN.
THERE IS STILL NO SOUND. UNSEEN FORCES GRAB AT THE PERSON WHO BEGINS TO THRASH IN THE WATER.
EYE CONTACT. THE VIEWER CAN SEE A VACANT YET SATISFIED SMILE ON THE PERSON'S FACE. THE COMPLETE UNAWKNOWLEDGED GRIN OF SOMEONE THAT DOESN’T UNDERSTAND IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE.
BEFORE FINALLY DRIFTING BELOW THE WAVES THE ANONYMOUS PERSON LOOKS AT THE CAMERA AND OPENS ITS MOUTH AS IF TO SPEAK.
THE CAMERA QUICKLY ZOOMS ACROSS THE WAVES TO THE PERSON'S NON-DESCRIPT, OUT OF FOCUS FACE. WE ARE UNABLE TO TELL IF IT IS MALE OR FEMALE, THE ONLY PART IN FOCUS BEFORE DRIFTING BENEATH THE WAVES - AND THEY QUIETLY AND CALMLY SAY:
Character:
"There is a Walking Dead spin-off and it will air in the fall"
THE CAMERA SLOWLY PANS OUT AS THE HEAD SUBMERGES – A LONE ARM RISES FROM THE SEA GRASPING A REMOTE CONTROL. THIS, TOO SLOWLY SLIDES DOWN, DOWN, DOWN.
THE CAMERA ZOOMS BACK OUT AND WHEELS AROUND, SCANNING THE HORIZON – IT THEN SLOWLY PANS UP AND SLIDES BACKWARD, WATER COVERING THE LENS. THE SUN SHIMMERS BEAUTIFULLY ABOVE THE SURFACE, BUT THE CAMERA DRIFTS INTO DARKNESS.
JUST BEFORE THE SCREEN GOES DARK, WE CAN SEE THE SHAPE OF A LIFE RING SPLASH ONTO THE SURFACE ABOVE US, AND A HAND THRUST DOWN INTO THE WATER FROM ABOVE REACHES OUT FOR US…
END SCENE
Holy shit, right!?
You're damn right that was intense.
It had everything you could want in a story: romance, adventure, Sarah Jessica Parker was nowhere to be found...it really was the perfect story.
Thank you for saying so.
I will admit, as my first ever screenplay, it could probably use a few things.
However, you know what it doesn't need?
IT DOESN'T NEED ITS OWN FUCKING MOVIE.
And you know what that show doesn't need?
IT DOESN'T NEED ITS OWN FUCKING SPIN-OFF TV SHOW.
And you know what its own TV show spin-off doesn’t need?
IT DOESN’T NEED ITS…I think you get the idea.
I have calmly reached the end of my rope, and instead of tying a knot and holding on - I am going to complain on the Internet.
As Sam Jackson said in Jurassic Park:
Actually don't. You look silly and now you can't scroll.
Maybe just hold onto your butt with one hand. If the other one gets cold you can just switch.
Good?
Good.
So what exactly am I talking about?
Let me take a few steps back.
Let us take a short walk back to 2010. No flying cars. Lame.
But more importantly, let's have a look at what is on TV at this time.
Smallville! You guys remember Smallville!? That was just about on its last season. Oh hey, so was that show Heroes. So...both...THE ONLY...two superhero shows on TV were coming to an end? So, I wonder…how could we have gone from two established, multi-season shows to what we have now in just five years.
What do we have now, you ask? We have over 20 new superhero shows in production or very near it.
Twenty.
In 5 years we increased the amount of superhero TV shows by ten fold.
But we will get to that specific point a bit later on.
Why the sudden explosion?
That is fairly simple. The TV market was still unsure in 2010. Yes, Iron man did well in theaters. The X-Men movies did well also, but there was really no mass demand for more. People gladly waited the year or two between releases – anticipating them and letting the fever build. The movies seemed to satisfy the people that wanted to see that stuff. Besides, around this time superhero movies were still tanking left and right. Why risk it on TV?
So awful...
Around the year 2010 was when Hollywood decided to adopt the "spray and pray" method of finding out what works.
Yes, Spray and Pray.
At this point the stray attempt at a superhero or comic show or movie was rarely taken unless it was a sure thing – or they seriously just had nothing better to put on.
But after…after this point, my friends, it was all hands on deck.
You can’t be surprised by all of this if you look at the signs, however.
Here, let me show you what I mean.
(Most are clickable links to IMDB)
Step with me all the way back to the year 2000. This is really where it all started.
Here is a list of movies (blue) and shows (red) from 2000 and 2001 that had a comic book base to them:
- Smallville (2001-11)
- X-Men (2000)
- The Crow: Salvation (2000)
- The Specials (2000)
- Unbreakable (2000)
- Ghost World (2001)
- Monkeybone (2001)
- The Specials (2000)
- Unbreakable (2000)
- Ghost World (2001)
- Monkeybone (2001)
-RoboCop: Prime Directives (2001)
- Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (2001)
- The Tick (2001-2)
The movie scene wasn’t ripe, I suppose you say. But here was the seed that would grow into a mighty oak tree. The X-Men movie. The first of the new breed...the first of what would be many more.
Let’s fast forward 5 years or so. Here is a list of the movies (blue) and shows (red) from 2006 and 2007 that had a comic book base to them:
- Smallville (2001-11)
Blade: The Series (2006)
- Ghost Rider (2007)
- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Seems like Hollywood sees something is there they didn’t see in 2001. They were evolving what they were putting out for us to watch. Instead of Robocop getting a reboot...again...they are looking at some of the more popular characters. Superman, Fantastic 4, more X-Men, Blade. These are comic books that a fair number of people have heard of. Seems to me like they are dipping their toes into the pool. Sure, Batman could always get some money...but what about Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider? Could we slap together some junk and get a huge payout? What are the people willing to put up with?
Turns out the answer was not that we would put up with just any old superhero or comic book movie. The movie people were riding on training wheels at this point. They seemed to be getting the message that you could spend money to make money, but comic book movies had to be good in order to really, really pay off.
Let’s skip ahead 5 years to 2010 again and see if we can see anything.
Here are a list of movies that came out in 2010 and 2011 that had a comic book base to them:
- Human Target (2010-1)
- The Cape (2011)
- The Cape (2011)
-Alphas (2011-2)
- The Losers (2010)
- Jonah Hex (2010)
- Red (2010)
- Green Lantern (2011)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Thor (2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- X-Men: First Class (2011)
- Super (2010)
Kick-Ass (2010)
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
- Griff the Invisible (2010)
- The Green Hornet (2011)
- Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
At this point, Hollywood seems to have fully committed to the superhero movie. At this point they have upped the money they put in, but were still battling with what the people wanted to see. Some of these were really well done – some were immediately forgotten. But the evolution is there. You can see it crystal clearly now. Yes, they are still feeling things out – see what works. That is how evolution works, you see. But the strong core movie franchises are now on the map – the skeleton that supports the whole genre is becoming stronger than ever.
The can get a decent turn out with a Red or a Scott Pilgrim - but what would bring the normal person to the theaters? Would it be the Green Hornet? Could that show have another run at the big time? Maybe they just needed big names and that would do. Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern? Jude Law and Harrison Ford in Cowboys and Aliens?
Answer is no for all of the above. In 2006 – other than the movies that would become the core group - they threw anything at the screen. In 2010 they threw the heroes people know at the screen and paid for all the effects, but didn’t bother developing a solid story or a reason for people to give a damn.
It is an evolution. In 5 years – the present – we will see the product of this latest growth spurt.
The movie business had zeroed in on what people wanted – and now had the evidence to show them what they had to do to make it work. Look at the list, and you will notice what is still around and thriving, and what has gone by the wayside. You can almost watch the super hero movie grow over the last 10 years we’ve looked at from an awkward pre-teen into something a college would actually give a scholarship to.
Why don’t we jump ahead again to look at today and see the trend – let’s pop ahead another 5 years and have a look at what the past two years has seen from the superhero/comic movie, as well as what they are developing right now with movies in blue and TV shows in red:
- Constantine (2014)
- Flash (2014)
- Gotham (2014)
- iZombie (2014)
- Heroes Reborn (2015)
- The Walking Dead (2010-)
- Man of Steel 2 (2016)
- Justice League (2017)
- Dark Universe (Rumored)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
- X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Fantastic Four (2015)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-)
- RoboCop (2014)
- 300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
- Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)
- Birdman (2014)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
They know what pulls the flimsy green dollars from our pockets. These guys are good. What are the biggest superhero movies coming out from 2010 to today?
Take a look:
- Avengers (Black Widow, Iron Man, Capt America, Hawkeye, The Hulk, Thor, S.H.I.E.L.D.)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (Star Lord, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Drax, etc)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (sigh x 10000000)
- X-Men (Wolverine, Cyclops, Prof X, Storm, etc etc)
These were the biggest producers of money. And what do they all have in common?
Lots and lots of heroes.
Then they surround them with other movies, seeing what sticks. It is the same as in 2010. A strong core of the big-time movies surrounded by what-if’s.
I have zero problem with Hollywood doing what brings people into the theater. That is their job, and they are very good at it! The problem is always the unforeseen but inevitable fallout from success in the theaters.
Look at the list again – more closely.
What do you see here?
Do you notice anything?
The evolution has stopped.
And that is it. That is the problem. I see that the superhero evolution on the big screen has stopped.
Maybe I am wrong – I kind of hope I am in some respects. Let’s have a look at where we are heading.
This is what we have to look forward to over the next few years (TV shows not included):
2016
Feb 12: Deadpool
Mar 25: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
May 6: Captain America: Civil War
May 27: X-Men: Age of Apocalypse
Jun 3: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
Aug 5: Suicide Squad
Nov 4: Doctor Strange
TBD: Batman ’66 – H, A
2017
Mar 3: The Wolverine 2
May 5: Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Jun 23: Wonder Woman
Jul 14: Fantastic Four 2
Jul 28: Marvel’s Spider-Man
Nov 3: Thor: Ragnarok
Nov 17: Justice League: Part 1
TBD: The Sinister Six
2018
Mar 23: The Flash
May 4: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1
Jul 6: Black Panther
Jul 27: Aquaman
Nov 2: Captain Marvel
This list is the same as the 2010-11 list – this feels the same as the 2014-15 list – just add a few “the sequel” or “2”’s after it and you can hardly see any difference. A few more unknowns they are throwing at us to tide us over until the big group movie.
The movies have stopped evolving…we get the same movie a dozen times with a new character in it – maybe a few cool explosions. But so what?
The “so what” is this: What happens to movie genres when they stop evolving?
They inundate the market with below-average films. Evolution is meant to keep things in check – in nature and in the movie industry. Without it there is no more measuring stick and anything goes. If the “big boys” in the industry stop, the slow catch up and feed on the scraps until people can’t tell the difference anymore between the two.
How does that apply here?
I say the industry has stalled out – stopped evolving.
Take a look at what has happened once the industry found exactly what was “good enough”…
Here is a list of 21 shows that are either coming to TV or are in the works to make their way there right now.
Shows that have direct ties are similarly colored.
Daredevil * *
iZombie
AKA Jessica Jones *
Preacher
Luke Cage * *
The Walking Dead Spin-off +
Supergirl * * +
Iron Fist *
Arrow * * + +
Static Shock
Marvel Defenders * *
Krypton *
Powers
The Flash * * +
Vixen *
Outcast +
Enormous
Dreadstar + (linked to Guardians of the Galaxy)
X-Men TV Series
Young Justice +
The ATOM Show +
Remember when it was just Heroes and Smallville?
This is becoming a scene of inbred fuckery. I can promise you most of these shows will never see a season two. They aren't supposed to. They are just being thrown at the wall as hard as they can and maybe - just maybe - one will stick. Arrow stuck (HIGH FIVE!) and now you can see they are hanging nearly a half dozen more series on that same time/place character base. Why? Because that one worked – they won’t investigate why it worked – they just know it did work. And now they need to cash in.
The movie industry has stopped moving forward to feed itself and the scraps have attracted some unsightly characters.
The movie industry has stopped moving forward to feed itself and the scraps have attracted some unsightly characters.
I understand the mixing of characters in these shows. It is nothing new to comics. I am fully aware characters would wander and work together or fight one another. That is how comic books work and have worked. That is what keeps them fresh.
However, these aren’t comic books and the readers are not loyal fans willing to take the time to “get it”.
Mister and Misses Everyperson doesn’t read comics and isn’t familiar with the difference between the DC and the Marvel Universe. Mister and Misses Everyperson wouldn't appreciate trying to keep track of it all – they just want to watch a good show. If they wanted to try to follow a complicated timeline and story arc they would read comics – where one of the most daunting things about "getting into" comics is the fact there is just so damn much of it. The amount of material is mind boggling.
Let me be 100% clear - I think these shows and movies are just as valid as any other show or movie. I think it is great superheroes are getting resurrected in new and more dynamic formats. But at what cost? I am - like I said - a casual fan. I know a little bit about this stuff and I truly do enjoy it, but with the absolute saturation of the market I have to make a choice…
Do I dive in?
Do I risk drowning in this sea of spin-off's? If I find myself attached to one show, will I be able to get everything from it without keeping track of one, two, or even three other shows? Besides, if I am going to talk to people about the show and they know more than I do because they watch another show – is that okay with me?
I don’t want to be pressured into watching a show I am not interested in because the story arc of the one I am interested has wandered off into their script.
I am seeing friends with a real love for comics and the comic universe(s) starting to realize they may be in deeper water than they were expecting. At first very (rightfully) excited about all of the attention their love and hobby have gotten - and slowly turned off by what it is becoming.
They aren't alone but at least their love of the genre lets them step away from it all and figure out what is and is not important.
But the point is they shouldn’t be pushed away! This was their hobby! This was their love!
I don't need - no one needs - a Thor movie every single year. No one does. I don't need to know what Captain America has been up to since last summer. I also don't need an affiliated TV show that fills in the gaps between yearly movie releases while introducing new shows and characters from the scraps the movie industry hasn't stuck their forks into...yet… all the while carrying on parallel story arc’s which very apparent purpose is to just pour content into our insatiable brains until they can get us back into the theaters.
Dear Hollywood,
Hey guys and girls! Ryan here. I just wanted to say that you're making fantastic films. The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, the Batman Trilogy and on and on...but it seems like you’ve grown fat on your own success.
There be monsters here.
You have stopped pushing to make the movies better, and now we will be forced to watch you squeeze every coin out of them before leaving the genre ruined for years as you find the next “big thing” to profit on.
Let the people breathe.
I know they are giving us what we need, well, what we are asking for. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Be responsible to your audience and for the love of everything magic left on the Earth, be more responsible towards your characters.
Hugs and kisses,
Ryan
Before I tirade a bit, I would like to say: as a casual (at best) comic book fan I can honestly say I enjoy a lot of what has been coming out - and it has opened my eyes to some really amazing stories, concepts, characters, and the people who love and appreciate them.
But that last group has led me here. The people who love and appreciate them.
What happens to them?
What is going to happen - and the inevitability is rather imposing - when Mister and Misses Everyperson will simply get tired of these movies and the constant bombardment you are forcing into people’s living rooms? They will. And by the looks of it I would say it’ll happen by the next 5 year cycle.
These amazing movies you’re putting out stop being special when you are constantly surrounded by them.
When the dust settles and the Everyperson’s have reached their fill of these TV shows and movies, what will be left? Who will win - who will lose?
In the short run, you will lose. The movies will begin to grind and the end will appear on the horizon. Then the world will have to sit and watch as you squeeze every last drop of blood from the once fully blossomed tree of the superhero story. However, this is the cycle in Hollywood. You will soon find something and latch onto it, milk it dry, and then fall comfortably back on cookie-cutter Rom-Com's and remakes of all my favorite movies that in no way need a remake (I am not against remakes - but that is another story) until you find the next cash cow.
I love going to movies – but this is the reality.
Who is left to pick up the pieces after Hollywood comes through and chops down all the superhero and comic book Truffula Trees?
A generation before us was the "I want it now" generation and we seem to be in the midst of the "I want all of it right now" mindset. And companies are more than happy to give us just that.
You want fast food? Here are 300 choices.
What happened then? The stores that didn’t evolve died. The only stores you see left have changed and kept that edge. And even they can struggle as the health conscious choose to go to Chipotle instead of Taco Bell.
You want a big soccer-mom style vehicle?
What happened then? We were saturated with vans. The vans didn’t evolve once they reached a certain point. They were replaced by SUV’s. SUV’s have also started to dwindle as the SUV product has stopped evolving.
Remember Dan Brown? The guy that wrote The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. The characters didn’t evolve. And now Dan Brown doesn’t write those books anymore.
All I am worried about is when this is all said and done – when TV shows and movies walk away from the wreckage of their own parasitic relationship to original ideas – what will be left is a small but loyal bunch of fans who are very glad to be left alone again. Who are more than happy to pop in the TMNT from the 90’s or watch Sam Jones fly across the sky with Queen blazing in the background.
The implosion will be epic.
And you know what?
Maybe that isn't such a bad thing after all.
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