Sweeney Todd will open wide Dec. 21- Page 2

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 7:35pm

>See? Oh, God, this is exactly what I was afraid of. Tim Burton should never have laid a hand on this project, if you ask me. It was perfectly creepy and gory enough as it was. But no, they let Tim Burton have it, and now he's going to butcher it. No pun intended.<

Quite the opposite, so no need for hysteria. It's surprisingly faithful to the stage musical, much more so than some of the recent stage to screen transfers.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 4:13am

Phyllis, you are so amusing. I posted I knew it was opening in December. The question was why wait? The answer seems to be that they had little faith in Johnny's commercial marketability in this role. Yet it was Helena who had to take the Music lessons? She is the one who I was afraid might be weak in the role. You didn't post that now did you in reply? It's not really that important.

They are afraid of the Theatre critics. Why am I so surprised? Disappointed because I am looking forward to the Movie for many different reasons. I much rather it have had an October verses a December release because it is a Horror Movie. Domestic Violence is at its peak during the Holiday Season.

Your theory that it is only an Oscar wanna be just made me wonder because I felt that it was very marketable. So you were sort of right, they planned on releasing it late but they said because they were leery of the audiences acceptance of it in general. I am sure they wouldn't mind an Oscar but it wasn't their main reason for a late release. Hairspray is stiff competition in the Musical category and it came out early. So though I feel they underestimated it's attraction,(they admit that in the press release), they undervalued the films appeal to a wide audience. Different audiences between the two Musicals to some extent but why sales wise it lost some money missing that Halloween Crowd. Something Mel Brooks made sure not to miss.

It is just too bad they lacked some faith in the project to begin with.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 10:36am

The film has gone through an extraordinarily quick turnaround from filming to release. It's coming out in December because some work is still be completed on the sound mix. That's all.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 4:17pm

Your theory that it is only an Oscar wanna be

But, see, I never said it was only an Oscar wanna be. As I said in the thread that got lost in the ether, you're making an issue where there isn't one.

And Smaxie, you're not saying the sound mix is what's keeping from being released sooner, are you? It was always announced it was going to come out at Christmas.

And Tkt, I saw Dreamgirls last year at a screening in November. Early November. And the film was not discernibly different when I saw it again on its opening day, which was Christmas. Does that mean no one had any faith in that? Of course not, so how you are turning this into the studio not having faith in it is beyond me.

So you were sort of right, they planned on releasing it late

They are not releasing it late! If they release it after Christmas, then THAT will be releasing it late. They're opening it wide all across the country on the same day. They aren't doing the sort of platform release that was done with Chicago. Clearly, they don't think buzz needs to be built if they are confident to open it all across the country on one of the biggest movie days of the year.

Hairspray is stiff competition in the Musical category and it came out early.
Only the Golden Globes have separate category for musicals. And no one's gunning for a Golden Globe, so no, that's that why it came out "early." It came out then because the studio chose a summer release date.

So though I feel they underestimated it's attraction,(they admit that in the press release)

Can you find me an exact quote? I'd like to see the words.

Different audiences between the two Musicals to some extent but why sales wise it lost some money missing that Halloween Crowd. Something Mel Brooks made sure not to miss.

Mel Brooks? With his Broadway show? That isn't a movie, so it kind of has nothing to do with the price of tomatoes in Alaska, nor whatever it is that you are going on about.
Updated On: 10/13/07 at 04:17 PM

[worrell4077]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 8:52pm

"Although there's no way Sweeney is going to gross #1 that weekend (as if we expected it to) with NATIONAL TREASURE 2: WE CAN'T BE WORSE THAN THE FIRST ONE? WE'LL SHOW YOU! coming out."

You never know what might happen, but I'm hoping that Sweeney gets better reviews that National Treasure 2 and maybe if NT2 is #1 on opening weekend, maybe Sweeney will sneak up and steal the spot the previous weekend, but who knows what's going to happen. I'm hoping that Sweeney opens in at least the top 5.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 11:51pm

I just want it to be good. I'm not even a huge fan of the stage version, but I'll probably go see it on opening day. I'll shed a tear that it's not Hallowe'en, but what can you do?

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 5:41am

"DreamWorks and Paramount have decided to release director Tim Burton's big screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical Sweeney Todd wide on December 21, versus a platform release.

Variety says the original plan was to give the film a limited release on the 21st and then go wide on Jan. 11, the thought being that the Johhny Depp-starrer is less commercial and less accessible than most musicals because of its darker storyline. Along those lines, a platform opening would provide a chance to build buzz."

There you go! I said it was a mistake that they didn't release it or at least pre-view it in October for a very obvious reason. It will attract a bigger crowd from those who might be afraid it sucks as a Musical but will see it because of the cast. January is such a dull month to get people out to the Theatre.

Some people just get weirded out over Christmas. I remember the rants about a killer Santa Claus years ago. Of course it was just a Movie but some who might see this during Halloween will shun it during Christmas. That is all.

I don't blame them for not wanting others to commercialize it for Halloween. Though I still want my t-shirt. It would have been fun to see more teens dressed as Sweeney and Mrs Lovett than Ursula the plant. So I am being completely selfish.

You aren't wrong about the release generally. I hope it gets a few Oscar nods too, if it deserves it. Though the article is saying it wasn't going to go out wide until January. I live somewhere that it would come out in short release but I prefer they be fair and let everyone see it. I am not waiting for Nat. Treasure at all.

[artscallion]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 8:49am

There's no issue here. It was always scheduled for Ded/Jan. Then it was reported that they changed the release from the Dec/Jan platform release to the Christmas wide release after they saw the finished product and realized how good it was. The are releasing it on Christmas because they do have confidence in it. Christmas has traditionally been one of the times big movies are released.

The last thing I think of when I think of Sweeney is Halloween. And Halloween is not a big movie day. Neither is the weekend before or after. Christmas is a day off for almost everyone and a huge movie going day.

That's what it's all about. The opening day numbers. If they're big (and I wouldn't be surprised if Sweeney was easily number 1) They parade that fact around. People hear that it's a smash and they want to see it. Even though the opening day numbers are completely meaningless. That's the one day that no one has even seen it yet to know if it's any good. So the people that make up those opening day numbers are there mainly based on ads and buzz, not the quality of the movie.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 10:03am

I can't wait for a franchise here!

Sweeney Todd: At World's End
Sweeney: Threeney
Sweeney 4: Lovett's Revenge
Sweeney vs. Jason
Sweeney 6: The Beginning Again For the Very First Time

[artscallion]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 10:13am

I'm looking forward to the second prequel:
Sweeney Todd: Bloody Australia or wherever

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 11:10am

Now they have some confidence in it you mean? I never doubted the marketability of it except during Christmas. I'm not sure though that Jack the Ripper or Sleepy Hollow had huge releases that made a lot of money? So maybe that is where their skepticism lies?

We will have to see if people will go to see Sweeney just because of who is in it. Many of us here know the story but it is not well known over all. I wanted it to get the widest audience it could. Plenty of Movies are released in Sept and Oct. Not many Movies are released on Halloween but they are in the Sept. Oct. timeline. Some of you may not think of Sweeney as a scary Movie but the average person who sees those commercial sure will. Something about lot's of blood and revenge all fit that Holiday best. Now of course, plenty of violence around Christmas, to be sure but is that what the family will be looking for this Christmas? Some maybe but it isn't a family Movie, it's rated R and it isn't the Simpsons. Pirates is a kids Movie, Sweeney is not. It seems that Sweeney couldn't be finished, even if we wanted it to be out earlier. It will have more competition coming out during Christmas Vacation. I hope it does well. It's the only Movie coming out that I am interested in right now.

Of course in two more years, we will have to see the re-make of Sweeney Todd-Never Again. The double disc set, Tenth Anniversary Edition. Amazing the stuff they find lying around after editing.

I am particularly though considering the Sweeney Todd Shaver, that was a nice touch I thought.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 12:29pm

I give up. Your posts must be some sort of performance art. Seriously, at this stage you are choosing to hold on to your viewpoint, which is blissfully free of logic and reason.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 5:30pm

Changing the subject (but staying on topic), has anyone seen the trailer in the theatre yet? I'd like to see it if possible! I thought it might be in front of Across the Universe or Elizabeth, but alas only the new Keira Knightly movie... twice. Not that I don't Keira, but still!