Maybe not such a good sign for Rent movie?

[theatreboi11]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:31am

I was reading yahoo.com and found an article about the big movies for this fall and Rent was not mentioned. Basically just all your big actor and actress movies. I then checked the release dates because maybe they didn't consider it the fall but sure enough one was release November 23. I realize yahoo movie predictions don't mean much but could the fact that only big celebs in the theatre community are in Rent really hurt the fiilm from being considered as an anticipated release or even big box office numbers in general?

[JayKid]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:55am

Could be true... just have to wait and see.

Personally I think it's more about advertising.

Sure, no big named actors and actresses from the mainstream entertainment might not be in it and that could cause people not to see it, BUT if they have a good amount of commercials on TV and such about it's release and lots of advertisement, I know people will see it.

Big named actors and such can attract people to a movie just because of that name, however, good advertisement helps. With that advertisement comes people outside the theatre community watching it. If they watch it and if it is truly a good movie, it will spread and do well.

I doubt it's going to be a first week hit Spiderman or something because that has the hype surrounding it, while this will not have the same hype.

So it really depends... just wait and see. If it is a good movie and they spend money for enough advertisement, it'll do fine.

That's just my 2 cents...

[zzannahk]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 5:14am

basically any movie released fpr Thanksgiving isn't destined to "do well", thats why they're called TURKEYS!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 8:31am

Not true at all....

Thanksgiving weekend is a HUGE time for movies, like any holiday weekend is.

If anything, the fact they're opening it then shows they have some confidence in it

[LuvBroadwayHugs]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 11:05am

I think RENT is going to be more of a cult thing anyway. Fans will see it, people who are curious will see it... It's not going to be like Chicago, despite what people say and want to believe. Anthony and Adam are enough for me though.

Updated On: 8/7/05 at 11:05 AM

[etoile]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 11:10am

I think people are deluding themselves in thinking there will be much interest in this movie.

[Katecab99]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 11:38am

i totally agree with the whole "cult" idea...we die-hard RENT fans will see it time and time again, and i'm sure that it will catch on with a good number of people based on curiousity and fans word of mouth, but i've already heard people say "ugh, it's a musical..."

so...we'll have to see. but in all honesty, it's all good either way. bottom line is WE all get to finally see this movie happen!

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 11:45am

I pretty much agree with the posts that say there is limited appeal for a film of RENT. Basically, the people who post on theatre related message boards are the people who are going to see it. It would be foolhearty to look to films like CHICAGO or even MOULIN ROUGE as barometers for what its going to do at the box office.

If the film is fantastically good -- it will find a bigger audience. But I expect it will mostly appeal to fans of the show, hence the incredibly smart early publicity stunts geared to the Rent-heads.
Updated On: 8/7/05 at 11:45 AM

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 1:49pm

no question that the movie musical to stick around for awards season will be "the producers." With a late december release date, a few big name stars, and the added more recent success of the stage musical, I would imagine the Producers will have a vastly greater mass appeal than Rent, no matter how good the rent film may be. But who knows. I just think Rent took a wrong first step with the choice of director. A show like Rent needed someone edgy, offbeat, not a classic kiddie movie director.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:02pm

I don't know and i don't care how well Renyt does as long as they keep makign more movie musicals, fankly i am waiting for the Producers more.
But was Chicago really a success to the average Joe who doesn't go see musicals?

[LuvBroadwayHugs]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:15pm

Chicago was appealing to the average person because of the "star power" driving it. If Rene, Catherine and Richard weren't in it, it would have had a more limited appeal. I figure, anyway.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:22pm

didn't someone post that RENT was listed as the #1 thing to look forward to in the Fall? I don't think that yahoo left it off means much...I don't think the Producers will be as big as everyone thinks, expecially since awards don't usually go to comedies. I'm convinced RENT will be a smash at least as big as Chicago!! Everyone thinks RENT will have "limited appeal" but you won't believe how many people I know who new nothing of RENT but saw the trailer and now can't wait to see the movie. It's going to be fantastic!!

[Atrias]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:34pm

I was in the theater the other day when the trailer came on...the response to it wasn't all that great.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:34pm

Chicago grossed over $300 million worldwide, so it obviously appealed to a heck of a lot more people than theatre fans.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:44pm

chicago had catherine zeta-jones, renee zellweger, richard gere, queen latifah and john c. reilly...

i don't think there is a comparable name in the movie business in the rent movie... yes, taye, rosario and jesse all are known, but i don't think any of them come close to the five that led chicago.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:48pm

I was just curious cause i never realized how well it did.... Chicago is a musical comedy and it didn't do to bad at the Oscars....also Oscars mean nothing, just like the Tonys...every year people win who don't deserve to and there are people who don't even get nominate that should!

[insomniak]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:53pm

Many movies don't have stars and suceed. Many other movies have stars and fail. Many have stars and suceed. Many don't have stars and fail.

Just chill out, kick back and watch. Some people are far too obsessed with this.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 2:59pm

"Many movies don't have starsa nd succeed."

Clueless comes to mind.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 3:09pm

I wouldn't put too much stock in magazines like ELLE listing RENT as the Number 1 "Event" for the fall. "What's hot" lists are totally put together by Studio publicists. But as I said earlier, the RENT publicists seem to be on the ball, so that, at least, is a very good thing.

[Chloe]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 3:28pm

I agree with nia, who is far from clueless.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:05pm

I agree with theatreboy33; the Producers will have a much better chance at the awards season. Not only that, but The Producers has a much better chance than Rent at the box office as well; not just because of its recent success on Broadway, but also with that little "Mel Brooks" name attached to it :0)

RENT has a fairly wide appeal for a musical, but there's no way that the hype will compare to the Producers.

Updated On: 8/7/05 at 04:05 PM

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 4:23pm

I dunno, I haven't seen The Producers cast performing, haven't seen a rabid Producers fanbase getting excited about this...I just don't think the Producers is that great.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 6:41pm

The Producers doesn't need as much advanced publicity as the Rent film will need. It's got the benefit of being the new film adaptation of the biggest hit on Broadway (and most awarded).

And, because of the Mel Brooks connection, it's going to appeal to a much wider audience than Rent. Survey 100 random people and I'd bet less than 20 of them know who Jonathan Larson is. Of the same 100, at least 80 of them will know who Mel Brooks is.

I wish both films all the best (and I'll see them both), but if I had to bet which one will make more money, and which will be a player in the Oscar race, I'm gonna pick The Producers.

And in regards to Chris Colombus, based on the trailer, it seems as though he's captured the mood of the piece. I didn't watch the trailer and say, "oh this is going to be a disaster."

[sabrelady]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 6:53pm

I truly love RENT but it would have had a better chance@ success if they had used either young people who are closer to the 20 somethings the parts are written for & who were also famous. Really. But I agree those who know about it will see it.

[Becky]

Posted: 8/7/05 at 7:44pm

I think it's a little early to make predictions like that.

However, I work in a school - and I can't tell you the number of co-workers that have come up to me asking if I realized they "were turning that musical Rent into a movie." (They know I love theater is why they brought it up.) I never would have guessed that some of these people paid attention enough to know about the movie (they certainly aren't avid theater fans) and advertising has *just* started -- pretty much limited to the Today Show appearance and trailer showing in theaters. One co-worker said she couldn't wait to see the movie solely based on the Today Show performance because she liked the music. Huh.

So you never know who is interested and paying attention to something like this movie. I'm hoping we're all surprised by the response it gets.....