These days studios seem to be falling over themselves to replicate the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Fox, Sony and Warner Bros. all looking to develop their own “shared” superhero universes, and even Universal Pictures getting in on the act with its iconic Monsters. Taking to Facebook, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has shared some concerns over the business model, accusing studios of trying to “grow trees without a strong seed.” Here’s what he had to say:
“Listen, I love big ass shared universes in movies, as well as huge franchises. But I’m a little worried about the numerous shared universes being planned by the studios, without having a strong base film to grow from – or in some cases, NO base film to grow from. Star Wars had the original Star Wars, the Marvel Universe had the original Iron Man, the Dark Knight series had Batman Begins, even movies like Transformers and Twilight – these were movies audiences loved, and the audiences demanded more from these characters. But these days studios are trying to grow trees without a strong seed. Execs and producers and sometimes even directors are focused on the big picture, without perfecting the task directly in front of them – making a great movie. And studios are trying to grow franchises from non-existent films or middling successes. It’s like they aren’t taking audiences into account at all anymore. I know George Lucas, Kevin Feige, John Favreau, etc, had ideas where their films would potentially lead in the face of success. But I don’t think it ever got in the way of making that first movie count as if it was the last, of making it something wonderful that people would love whether it led to other films or not. In short, I think this new business model is flawed. I think filmmakers and studios should be prepared for the big picture, but never, ever let it get in the way of making a single great film. Be a little more experimental and see what works as opposed to trying to force success. And mostly, remember that we as an industry exist to serve the audiences, to communicate with them – they have a voice in what we create as well. We are not here to dictate what they want to see, mostly because that’s simply not possible.”
Do you agree with James Gunn and his concerns over Hollywood’s new fascination with shared movie universes? Let us know your thoughts…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpwsJTteaEY&feature=player_embedded&list=PL18yMRIfoszH_jfuJoo8HCG1-lGjvfH2F
Originally published November 23, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
