First - just a note here. Nemesis, right up until shortly after its release, claimed a 90mil budget, not 60mil (and no, the extra 30 mil was not due to adding in promotion costs).
The figure mysteriously dropped from 90 mil to 60 mil after the film's opening, when it became abundantly clear that Nemesis had... ahem, "underperformed".
Second - and more to the point, Big Budgets are VERY much A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD.
It's simply a fact of Tinsel Town life.
Big Budgets ALWAYS mean MORE RISK.
More risk ALWAYS means MORE "NOTES" from EVERYBODY involved, because everybody's ass is on the line.
And by "everybody" I really do mean every-body.
People setting up deals with toy manufacturers are going to have "issues". People selling those toys through the window of their fast food chain are going to have "issues". People vying for the licensing rights to any games will have "issues". Exhibitors will have "issues". Big Box rental outlets, cablers and networks, E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y is going to have their own unique concerns, that to them, are a life or death issue, and ALL of those concerns, in one form or another, are eventually going to become headaches that have to be dealt with by J.J. Abrams and crew.
Bad decisions happen with films when too many people are worried about too many things that could effect their particular little piece of the pie. The bigger the budget, the more people that are worried, and the more people worried, the more chances there are of a bad decision getting made over whatever the hell has them worried.
And fans can bitch, moan, and complain, all they want about how "ridiculous" those concerns and the decisions made on them are, but NONE of that changes THE FACT, the absolute, undeniable, and unavoidable FACT, that "you win some battles, and you lose some".
NOBODY in Hollywood is God. NOBODY, no matter HOW HUGE a name they are in Tinsel Town, gets to say "screw you" to all those people screaming for their petty little concerns. If only. But that just IS NOT THE CASE.
With a budget this big THERE ARE GOING TO BE BATTLES, lots of 'em, over some of the most ridiculous things you can possibly imagine. Some of those battles will be won, but SOME OF THEM WILL BE LOST.
Big Budgets DO allow filmmakers to do things they'd never be able to do without them, but there is ALWAYS, always and without exception, a cost to be paid.
That cost comes in the form of unavoidable, and all TOO often unwarranted, interference in the film making process.
1. I am experiencing serious Trek withdrawl since Enterprise was cancelled.
2. I have been waiting even longer than that for a new Star Trek story that is worthy to be included in the mythos created by Gene Roddenberry.
3. I think there was something special about the TOS characters. I think the chemistry between the original cast was impressive, but that it can be recreated in a new younger cast with the right touch.
4. I am excited about the new team behind Trek, and the love for Trek and fresh outlook they bring to it.
Can't wait for next Christmas!
Paramount finally gets it - "All Good Things" got 40 million viewers in 1994...and they made a 35 million dollar movie.
Ditto Trek lV - huge hit...then they screw up with Trek V (they should have put the movie back to fall/winter, got better FX and Sean Connery).
Well, goodnight everybody. This is going to be the end of the Trek franchise AGAIN. Mission Impossible 3 had a similar budget and looked at how well it turned out.
There are a number of people that are freaking out over the budget, I'm going to copy and paste an earlier post of mine:
"A Christmas day opening is not a bad thing. Alot of movies have opened around Christmas and have done well, the success of this film is going to ride on the marketing and well, how good of a film it is for Trekkers and casual movie goers alike. The movie does not have to make $150 mill domestically to turn a profit, as long as it hits that worldwide it should be fine. There is lots of residual profit to be made from product merchandising and the dvd's."
Worldwide profits and residual profits being the key here, the movie does NOT have to make $150 mill domestic to turn a profit, that is ridiculous. But of course if it does, all the better.
Hmmm, that's a lot of money. ;-) What can I say? I hope it won't be a flop, eheh. If the money is well spent, no doubt we will see a beautiful film indeed.
.....
How in the HELL do you spend $150 million dollars when your villan is Eric Bana, who might bring in $5 million or so-- and you do have Nimoy who will take $10 million probably, but probably nobody else will even clear $1 million? Does it cost that much to do CGI?
Plus- why would Paramount ever give it a budget bigger than that of what Nemesis and Insurrection made together? For that matter, won't it be more than 5 and 6 made combined?
Granted, because of their contracts, if they do put in Shatner, than his take is equal to that of Nimoy, so salary could be $30 million for everyone involved, given that the two of them would split $20 million. But still, they probably won't spend as much on salaries as was spent for Nemesis.
I think this is foolish, and in the end will be bad for Trek. If this movie makes $110 million, that would be pretty big for a Trek film $150 million would be spectacular-- if it costs $150 million to make and spend $10-20 million to promote, I don't see a way where it will make money.
Until of course they want to charge us $40 for the DVD. And then dumbass Paramount will probably only release it in HDDVD combo disks.
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I've always said--and I know a few others here have as well--that recent Trek movies suffered from being made on the cheap. In the age of big-budget spectaculars like Lord of the Rings and Spider-Man, I don't think you can get away with the kind of frugal sets and budgets Nemesis had--although I compliment the Trek crew for getting so much out of what was available. But today's audience wants more.
I hope this budget means that we'll be able to see some truly cutting edge special effects in Trek for the first time in decades. Of course, none of that means much without the right story and actors, but I'm hopeful on those fronts as well. With the right kind of budget now, we could be in for something truly special...
I have been telling you all this for months now...William Shatner will be in this movie, one way or another. I don't care what is going on in public, I just know he will be in this movie in someway. I am not debating whether he should or should not, we all know where I stand on this...he should. But as I have been telling you, I guess educating some of you would be a better way to go, it all comes down to...money.
And Paramount is well aware that William Shatner just isn't some old fart you never see anymore, like Nimoy...he is a somebody who has a VERY high Q-rating, and remains the most important and most famous aspect of anything STAR TREK. He is, to put it simply, MR. STAR TREK. We ALLLLLLLLLLLL know it, including those slackers Dorn, Sirtis, Takie and Jeremy Jackson.
William Shatner will be in this movie...People like Captain Pepperment may not want him to be, and that it is all a waste of time...but as I have said for months, as well, GOOD. STAR TREK is about to get an influx of new fans. I guess it is time for Festival. Old TREK farts who can not accept this new day can go to Festival and get zapped away....
The Enema is coming...mmmmmmmm...squirt squirt
Chaotic
The most important TREK fan that GOD ever created...
It's not that $150 million is ridiculously high for a Sci-Fi film in 2007.. it's that $60 million was extremely LOW for a Sci-Fi film in 2002.
You have to remember that most of the sets, costumes and props for Nemesis were already built before the film was even planned. In addition, you were using a crew that was very accostumed to constructing high-quality sets on a television budget.
Evan Almighty, the big "Noah's Ark" flop/sequel to Bruce Almighty had a budget of $175 million so... I am not too concerned about this at all.
Someone mentioned this in one of the previous posts. I think that would be a brilliant idea to get Shatner in it. I can't believe that Abrams hasn't already considered this possibility. It will be interesting to see if they approach WS for this role.
It might also be nice to see someone like Majel Barrett or Grace Lee Whitney in the role of Kirk's mother as a nod to TOS.
Gotta remember, folks, Abrams et al are starting over. They have no materials to work from and are starting the whole enchilada from scratch. All new sets, new costumes, etc. Every other Star Trek movie has been able to recycle sets, wardrobe, makeup, craftsmen, etc. Abrams doesn't have that luxury (or curse, depending on how you look at it.) Of course, 150 mil is still a lot of money, and we know it's not going to this next-to-unheard-of cast, so they really are pulling out all stops.
I was expecting this. You don't hand over one of your biggest brands to JJ Abrams and not give him a budget. They're at a point where doing this project at all signals a total commitment to redoing the franchise right. Star Trek has been Paramount's beat wife for years. The budgets were laughable. Green lights were given only because they knew they'd make it back in Trekkie credits, ever-dwindling though they were. But Nemesis surely confirmed what Paramount already suspected: despite great gas mileage, the car was now out of gas. Who said the new brass at Paramount cared nothing for Trek? Well, they may be callous businessmen/women, but they've clearly decided to treat future Star Trek as major fourth quarter earnings potential. And to abuse an overused metaphore even more, they've seen fit to prime the empty well. That's great news for us fans.
The new movie's budget is going to TRIPLE that of Nemesis? The most expensive film ever. Is this for real? Trek movies have always been under the "gun" for budgets. Even after STIV huge success the budget for STV was "cut". They took pay cuts for STVI. Despite the failure of Nemesis and what people think of it, the special effects and costumes etc were top notch. What is going to be special about this movie that the budget has to be triple? The only real expensive salary is going to be Nimoy. The rest of the cast don't/can't demand a high salary.
If this budget is going to be triple that of Nemesis and be the most expensive Trek movie ever to be made then there is NO excuse in NOT getting Shatner. What are they going to say? We can't "afford him"? I believe the highest Shatner ever got paid for doing Kirk was $6 million.
Time to bring out the Shat!
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