I saw that. I think it kinda speaks volumes about some things (and not in a good way). That's the most charismatically-challenged actor I've seen in quite some time. To have him, of all people (and with that receding hairline and borderline Freddie Mercury overbite), playing this character has bugged me since the day he was announced/cast, years ago.
"
This guy?! You're shitting me, right? He's Jimmy Olsen, surely."
At least Affleck, in costume, somewhat looks the part of the character
he's playing...
I imagine the review embargo, as with
The Force Awakens in December, will lift at some point this week, days before the big rollout. Curious to hear what the overall take is. I believe that initial burst of opinion will make all the difference in the world, one way or the other.
We've talked here before about how with movies like this there simply aren't enough geeks and diehards to float it 100%. There
has to be regular joe, mainstream appeal beyond the midnight premiere/costumed/neckbeard/Con crowds. And if those viewers aren't lured in by Avengers (the first one) or
The Force Awakens-level praise and positive word-of-mouth, there aren't enough fast-food tie-ins or Kimmel/Fallon appearances in the world that will sustain it.
I do expect a decent opening weekend (Thursday and Friday, for sure), simply from the diehard/hardcore fans and the random, curious heathens not doing Easter-related stuff
But come Sunday, the word - the
real word, not WB marketing/hype - will be out. And then we'll see.
These days, movies - especially ones like this - make or break on opening weekend. There is no longer a "slow burn" or "naturally building" phase as there was 30-40 years ago. These things open wide, they open big and they open everywhere. So the response, positive or negative, is immediate and charts the path, immediately out of the gate.
And that would
terrify me as a studio executive!
No wonder those guys are all coked-out and neurotic. I would be too.
You gotta hit a decisive home run in those first 48-72 hours...or else. With the Internet getting the world out immediately, and with dozens of other things competing for one's entertainment dollar, the world no longer tolerates a complete turd, or allows a "maybe" to incubate over a few weeks and slowly catch fire and find its mark. There are exceptions, sure. But they're just that.
And with the $$$ involved in these sorts of things ($200+ to make, another $100M or so in marketing/promotion ...and I may be shooting low on that?), the definition of a hit or "home run" these days is a pretty high mark to hit! It ain't enough to make $300-400M if all that does is cover the production and marketing of the silly thing. Somebody's gonna lose their butt (and gig), and heads will roll. The numbers involved in all this stuff always blows my mind!