Wll RENT be huge or just a cult hit in theaters? — Page 3

Tours are one thing, but you are still having to shell over $100 a ticket and even then their numbers are in the thousands (well tens of thousands). Even a failed TV series like "Firefly" had numbers in the millions.

Its hard to guage the the size of fervent fan groups like RENTheads or Shizkids because they are so vocal.

In other words, do we frequently hear about those shows because they are deeply ensconced in the consciousness of a WIDE section of the mainstream entertainment audience or because their fans are just louder?

Honestly, it's hard to tell because so much of the "evidence" atesting to interest, or lack thereof in RENT the movie is annecdotal.

By that I mean, for every person who claims to know people who aren't musical fans who want to see the film, you can find others who say they know of nobody who is particularly interested.

Blaxx, Roscoe and Urban, I agree with your observations. The themes that Larson deals with ARE universal and timeless, but I'm pretty certain that some film critics will take issue with the freshness of the approach.

And honestly, you don't have to hate RENT or want it to fail to think so.

Updated On: 10/23/05 at 08:30 AM

I think the movie will do very well. Overall, I think this movie will outperform the disappointing PHANTOM OF THE OPERA by leaps and bounds.

"On DVD, this will probably be my "Both Reached for the Gun" - aka scene that I play so often that I wear out the DVD and have to buy a new one."

Gah, I thought I was the only one that did that with the Chicago DVD! And it was my sister's DVD, my parents made me buy her a new one!

blaxx, the stage productions and tours of Rent have been successful all over the world, including many countries where Broadway musicals are rarely, if ever, a big deal. Next time, know what you're talking about before you run your mouth.

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Rentheads alone really aren't enough to make it a hit.

I know I'm going to be too curious not to read the reviews. grrr.

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I love cult films! I agree with Evelyn that THE WIZ is no way more of a cult film than MOMMIE DEAREST. I would also add BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS as one of the top cult films. It also has a huge cult fan base.

The Producers has a wider appeal.

orangeskittles, before you make such a sweeping statement make sure you have the facts, Rent in Australia flopped after 11 weeks the season had played both Melbourne and Sydney, and closed to mostly neg reviews..Please don't let your love of this show blind you from opinions that are not the same as yours.

Why i hope the film is mega hit, people are allowed to voice there own opinions.

And in your own words "know what you are talking about before you run your mouth".

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popcorn, Marquise?

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Thanks, rosscoe(au), but I DO know what I'm talking about.

Yes, the tour in Australia may have not been successful, but why do they continue producing shows overseas if they're so universally unsuccessful as you claim? How do you explain the Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Korean cast recordings? There are more, I'm sure, those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. Producers don't bother creating and selling cast recordings- especially multiple versions- if the show isn't successful. How many Broadway shows don't have recordings because they weren't successful enough to warrant a CD? Despite your own "blindness", Australia was NOT the only international production of Rent.

*curtsies for audience*

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Updated On: 10/22/05 at 01:31 PM

So far Sony/Revolution has done a terrific job in marketing the movie. However the next 30 days will be crucial in selling this film to the masses! It is my understanding that at least 1 Press Screening has already taken place with more planned in the coming weeks. Once those "reviews" are released to the Sony Marketing team we can expect to see some critcal rave "soundbites" used in the the TV spots and upcoming print ads. The postive pre-release critic response to this film will hopefully raise the "must see" perception of the film making it into a "hit" before it even opens! With the rising cost of movie tickets more and more people are waiting for the dvd rental/purchase of movies. Like it or not, people do look at the "reviews" to decide if they want to see it now or wait for the dvd rental.

The early critical "reviews" will often make or break a film in the perception of the (general) movie going audience. If the pre-release Print Ads and TV spots have quotes such as "One of the Years Best", "The Best Movie Musical since...", **** (4 stars) etc, etc from the nation's top critics then I would think it will be a "Hit" right of the gate during it's extended opening weekend (Nov 23-27).

One thing I'm feel pretty confident about is that this film will have "legs". Long after it's opening weekend it will continue to see a healthy box office status as a result of word of mouth and people going back to see it over and over!!
11/23/05

im hoping RENT does well overseas. it has played succesfully in so many european and asian countries. i think how well it does over here will drastically effect how it does internationally. if it does very well here, that will increase interest overseas. but if people there hear that even some RENTheads were disappointed, thats not gonna spark the interest of many people.

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