Wll RENT be huge or just a cult hit in theaters? — Page 2

Rosario is a star and she'll walk away with more than her fair share of the spotlight. No matter what anyone on here thinks.

That's it. I'm done.
Good night!

Updated On: 10/21/05 at 10:48 PM

Anyway, I'm wondering how the HP release the weekend earlier will impact Rent's opening. On one hand, youngsters aren't exactly Rent's target audience like they are for HP. On the other hand, assuming that Rent and HP both cater for young adults and adolescents, I would say that those who are budgeting to see only one movie that weekend would go for HP instead, and it would mostly be pre-existing Rent fans who'll check it out.

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The following sentences are incoherent - I know what I want to say, just not how to say it. Bear with me.


I see what you mean, YF175, but I also think that the demographics you're describing (and they're accurate) either limit a large audience to New York and the surrounding areas (people who are passionate about Broadway/Broadway actors need to have access to Broadway in the first place, and I think many tourists - who aren't theatre-lovers, per se - who've seen a show probably haven't developed a fanship of anyone in particular) or are people who are willing to watch these actors on the small screen but not necessarily shell out money to see them on the big screen (i.e. Jesse and Taye - and even Taye's name and image couldn't keep Kevin Hill afloat).

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Updated On: 10/21/05 at 10:59 PM

On the bright side, the last movie with no real stars that became a real success (that I can think of off the top of my head) is My Big Fat Greek Wedding...

For those worrying about lack of star power.

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Updated On: 10/21/05 at 11:02 PM

Well, the way it looks like a punkish-rock show with a lot of emotional moments will probably bring in some people. Other than that, just fans of the musical, Idina, Taye, Jesse, Rosario (Love her!) and Adam will probably be at least a modest success at the box office. I wish it well, though.

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That makes sense. Even though Seasons of Love is Rent's most famous song, I wonder if it would've been savvier to either use a faster, catchier song, or made a medley that included SOL for the TV spots. SOL is effective within the show because we're acquainted with the characters, but alone, I worry that unfamiliar audiences would find it soppy and corny. (Not actually establishing any of the plot whatsoever in the trailers doesn't help either - only Rentheads "get" that it's "Over the Moon" or "La Vie Boheme" - a new viewer would think it's a mess of people in dated clothing.)

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Updated On: 10/21/05 at 11:20 PM

I agree with Colleen_Lee, in that the die hard fans are a great thing for the RENT film. When you look at a movie like Serenity, that was just released, which was based on a tv series that got cancelled before all 14 episodes were aired, it's done pretty nicely (at least I think) for a sci-fi film like that. Above all, the driving force with Serenity was and is it's fans.

That being said, I'm not sure if RENT will be huge. I think it will do well, but as much as I would like it to be, I'm not sure it will be huge, but I don't think it will be a cult hit like Rocky Horror either. I just don't see that happening. They've done good publicity, and probably will continue that trend right up until release. Also, even though they don't have names like Tom Cruise or Sandra Bullock in the cast, they do have fairly recognizable names for the musical itself.

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"Firefly" was talked about as going to draw a heavy boxoffice due to the near-cult Status it has with some sections of the Science Fiction community (aka 'Browncoats' as they are called). Yet the movie flopped.

I don't see "RENT" succeeding either. In fact I feel it will get less business then "Firefly" because "Firefly" was more accessable to Joe and Jane Average from Toledo AND it is proving to have solid sales in the International Markets. "RENT" will have neither. No average American would want to see a musical about AIDS and drag queens and RENT has never succeeded overseas.

Cult Status? What is cult status anyway? Midnight screenings with toast throwing?

Seriously cult status is normally reserved for quirkly little student films or independant films that make big ("Eraserhead", "Blair Witch Project", "Donnie Darko") or complete and utter flops to the point of embarrassment who reemerge like a pheonix after the fact to an initally small (but in time growing) audience.

"RENT" will be neither. It is to big budget, to studio driven to ever been the former and it will not be that much of a flop to ever do the latter (it will do modest business for sure with its built in fanbase and general movie-musical lovers). Take a look at the Entertainment Weekly Top Cult film list: http://www.filmsite.org/cultfilmsew.html Now they are real cult films.

So my answer? Neither.

Updated On: 10/22/05 at 01:48 AM

Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but I don't see Mommie Dearest on that Top 50 cult films list. 'Mommie' is THE gay cult film.

I've gotten a few agressive PM's recently, and I just want to clarify that I never said that the film was bad (haven't seen it) and I do not wish the film to fail... I just gave my two cents for the thread.
Of course it is possible for the film to be the biggest thing since Stars Wars (crazier things have happened), I just think it was produced too late and it would have had more impact if it was made earlier on... once more, just my humble opinion, which of course can be wrong.

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The reason international release is not till march, april is " The Producers" go world wide in December, nearly every market in the world is getting that filmed released in a six week period..

Very smart on Sony's part to hold international release off, cause Rent is just a harder sell, i like the show, but in it's right ( which every renthead is about to send me nasty pm's )it's dated, the show while the theme is just, it's set back in a time where the world was a differnt place...

Now before every one has a fit, shows like the "King and I" would just never be made into movies these days..

Please don't attack me..

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i think that many people will go because they are interested, but musical theater is not for everyone - granted this type of musical is entirely different than producers, but i think producers will bring in more $$.

critically, as no one has seen it (or few?) we can't make any judgements. but it will definitely get a lot of attention. i just hope it's good! my mom, who has seen the show, was confused about the translation to film, so there are many skeptics that are not fans like us.

anyway, here's hoping!

$60 Million?

"Serenity" whos rabid fanbase is proberly equal to that of "RENT" in terms of obession and in terms of size is proberly way bigger (The TV show had a much larger audience then a broadway musical can ever hope for and Sci-Fi in general brings in the hard-core kooks) only has managed to secure $23 Million at the box office (so far) and it has been consider a major flop. I cannot see RENT making more then that no matter how 'mainstream' the studio tries to market it. It will just not sell to middle America who like their musicals like "Grease" and "Chicago" not "RENT".

"The Producers" on the otherhand was born to be sold to middle America.