StewieGriffin
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Posts posted by StewieGriffin
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If Universal was concerned about backlash from "potentially" having Stranger Things, because of these verbal allegations, IT would never be in the conversation. IT was co-produced by RatPac Entertainment. Brett Ratner's company. Who is accused of doing far, far, far, far, far, far worse.
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1 hour ago, mystiquephreeq said:
As the loophole with The Shining displayed, rights (especially character rights from older movies) are very complicated. Purchasing the rights to a film doesn't necessarily give you rights to the character. Owning the character doesn't necessarily give you all the rights to the character either. The Shining would have never happened if character rights were as simple as that. King owns the rights to Jack Torrance, but Kubrick's Jack Torrance was still present. There was an opera based on The Shining. These rights were different than Kubrick rights.
For example, does Scott own any rights to the Alien franchise? Who owns the rights to the xenomorphs? Was it 20th Century Fox (the owner of the franchise)? There is, also, the complication of rights then vs rights now. Theatrical rights are "play rights". They are live performance rights. Theme park rights are attraction rights. Many of these rights are more ephemeral and ethereal. It's why it took so long to obtain The Exorcist. Theatrical rights and theme parks rights weren't really a thing when the movies were made.
Finally, we have no information about existing contracts. We don't know what was in the original contract for AvP. We don't know the length of the contract. We don't know if further contracts were already made this year or previous years. These things play a very important role in determining whether or not the xenomorphs will appear at the event again.
Example: Disney couldn't yank Marvel from Uni. Disney can never yank Marvel from Uni due to existing contracts.
What we do know is that Universal replicated scenes from AvP on one coast and created its own story on the other coast. This tells us film rights and character rights were obtained.
There is no need to doomsday this as a "never going to see Alien or Predator again!!"
One more big example of character rights vs film rights:
WB owns the film rights to the HP Franchise, they do not own the rights to the characters. WB can't create Harry Potter and the Enchanted Bicycle. They can't create more stories for the characters because they don't own the characters.
One more edit: There's another potential rights holder we are forgetting. Giger's estate. What rights to the xenomorph does the Giger estate hold?
Final edit (I hope):
There's one more thing that we know. Universal already loopholed Disney's theme park rights to Alien by using AvP to bring the xenomorphs into a house. Rights have workarounds.
Lots to unpack here, so this is going to take a while.
First of all, the Disney Acquisition of the Fox assets comes with those existing contracts. The reason Fox is selling, is because they are suffering financially. So whatever existing rights and contracts they have, come with the purchase. Disney, is also absorbing the debt Fox has. In fact, the total purchase of the assets, are somewhere north of $60 Billion which includes the cash Disney is giving Fox, for their debt. Any current property under the Fox banner, will become a Disney property. It's literally a fire-sale (everything must go. Minus Fox News, Fox Sports and Fox Broadcasting). It is being handed over to Disney, property bought as is.
20th Century Fox, most certainty owns the Alien franchise. When any screenplay is written, doesn't matter what it is, the screenplay is bought by a studio, which then owns the material. You are literally selling everything in said screenplay, to the studio. Generally, in most cases (like Alien for example), the originator of the characters and such, get a "Creator", or "Characters by" credit. In the case of Alien, Ridley Scott, does not get a characters created by credit, as he did not write the screenplay. Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett do. At the end of the day though, 20th Century Fox, still owns the property and the characters. Gieger, is the creator of the Alien design (he's also credited as much in the films). However, Fox, owns the right to use said design when it comes to the Alien property. It's theirs to do what they want. Also, using Geiger as an example, because he may own the design of the character, more than likely his estate gets a residual every time the Xenomorph is used. James Cameron, is another example. After Terminator 2, the Terminator rights went to Warner Bros.. However, because Cameron created the characters, and they are being used, he gets a characters created by credit. He also more than likely, gets a residual from Warner Bros. to use the characters. But the studios still retain the right to do whatever they want with them. The only work around for AVP, is that it was a Fox and Brandywine property, loosely based on characters and settings, from the AVP films. Including Predator. Universal never directly adapted anything from the AVP films. They only paid Fox to use the Alien and Predator license. The houses, were based around stories of their own volition.
With The Shinning, there was no "loophole". It's a simple matter of Warner Bros. owns the film rights to The Shinning. So they went to Warner Bros. and used the film version of the story (this included the characters, looks, ETC.). This however, is a bit different. When dealing with books and novelizations, you have an added layer of copyright. When you publish a novel, you copyright your material. Everything in it, is yours. Using The Shinning as an example, King, sold the rights to use his novel to Warner Bros., so they could make a film version. Warner Bros. then has free reign to do whatever they want, to make their film. Which in the case of The Shinning, is legendary, as King hates their version of his story. So, in later years, King got more savvy and gained more control over what happens to his adaptations.
In terms of Theme Park rights, it's a bit more complicated. The Marvel contract, is an entirely different animal than Universal using an IP at Halloween Horror Nights. However, the principle is the same. You go to the rights holder. Which at the time, was just Marvel. In the case of Alien or Predator, it is 20th Century Fox and soon to be Disney. The same now goes for The Simpsons. However, this is more along the lines of the Marvel contract. Whatever existing deal Universal has with 20th Century Fox, Disney probably wont be able to touch it. The Harry Potter situation, is also a bit different. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, is based off of the films. The look, the music; everything down to the design of the wands, is based off of the films. This, is all Warner Bros.. With Harry Potter though, you have the unique situation of J.K. Rowling, having more input than usual. However, it goes little beyond just making sure the illusion of the Wizarding World isn't broken. It was more than likely, a stipulation in the contract Universal made with Warner Bros.. And in this case, you have someone who owns the copyright to the books, as well as being a producer on the films. You also have the added influence now, of Rowling both writing and producing The Fantastic Beast films. Which give her extra clout when it comes to the use of the characters.
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4 hours ago, mystiquephreeq said:
The mouse bought 21st Century Fox, but...
Rights are a fickle and complicated beast. Who owns the theatrical rights vs distributing rights vs movie rights vs theme park rights...so on, so forth. Weaver owns the rights to her likeness, so Ripley was always likely to be a no show in a house. The xenomorphs could even possess rights for the characters.
This is a little bit of a different scenario. First off, distribution rights vs. film and theatrical rights, are different things. Distribution rights, are just the exclusive rights of actually releasing the film, either in North America, or globally. When it comes to major studios, like Disney for example, they have their own in-house distribution wings. Disney, has Buena Vista which physically release the films. Walt Disney Studios, is the production wing (among others). They make the film's, which are then distributed by Buena Vista.
In the case of the FOX acquisition, Disney is physically purchasing ALL of Fox's film assets, as well as some of its t.v. assets. People need to realize, it isn't a merger. Disney is flat out buying their properties. This includes their entire film library. That would include the likes of yes, Alien and Predator. Disney would own the exclusive rights to those characters. And because they already distribute their own films, that will not be an issue.
When it comes to character likeness, yes, they may not own certain likenesses. However, they own the character. The right to use the character, would ultimately be Disney's. It works the same as any other IP. If Universal wants to use it, they need to go to the rights holder, which ultimately would be The Rodent.
Keep in mind, all of this still needs to be approved by the Government. Which is said to take about 12 to 18 months.
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HOUSES
1. Ash vs Evil Dead
2. Dead Waters
3. The Fallen
4. The Shining
5. Scarecrow: The Reaping
6. American Horror Story
7. Saw: The Games of Jigsaw
8. Hive
9. The Horrors of Blumhouse
SCARE ZONES
1. Invasion!
2. Trick 'r Treat
3. The Purge
4. Festival of the Deadliest
5. Altars of Horror
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3 minutes ago, DM1996 said:
Where did you find this one?
On the website at first. Before they shared it on social media.
The website was updated this morning, with ride info as well.
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TV Spot with Chance
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1. Tomb of the Ancients
2. Ghost Town: The Curse of Lightning Gultch
3. The Exorcist
4. American Horror Story
5. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
6. Halloween: Hell Comes to Haddonfield
7. The Walking Dead
8. Lunatics Playground 3D: You Wont Stand a Chance
9. Krampus
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1. Dead Man's Warf
2. Survive or Die
3. Banshee's Lair
4. Vamp 1955
5. A Chance in Hell
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2 hours ago, ThNdIzNiR said:
You're Exorcist inflation number seems a bit wonky. It's only 2 years older than Jaws and it grossed only about 230 million or so. Of the 230, some of that even came from the film being re-released, so I'm unsure how inflation was adjusted for. The same goes for Jaws. I think Jaws was released a couple times after the initial release in the 70's.
I saw that Resident Evil was up there too with the worldwide numbers. The numbers I saw were almost equal to Paranormal Activity, so I didn't bother to mention it. Either way, my point that Paranormal Activity is even on par with the others on this list is almost laughable to me. When I think Hollywood horror movie icons, Paranormal Activity is definitely not on the top of my list. The fact that they only spent 28 or so million to make all 6 films makes that 889 million beyond ridiculous though. Someone cashed in big time with that franchise.
Yeah, Blumhouse. Why do you think Blumhouse cranks out films like they do? Make a movie for $3-$5 Million, opening weekend it makes $9 Million- Boom. Quick and easy way to make a profit. For god sake, Ouija made a profit. And it's getting a sequel.
A few things. Adjusting Box Office for inflation, while interesting, is a little controversial. People like to point out that stuff, so it is what it is. In a way, it almost makes up money. Just because Gone With the Wind is the highest grossing film adjusted for inflation (1.7 billion domestic), really doesn't mean much in terms of profit. MGM didn't make $1.7 billion off of Gone with the Wind. I just looks good in the history books. It also takes into account, per theater average, which just makes things more complicated. Most film snobs, like to point that stuff out, so I usually always include it when discussing Box Office.
That being said, these are lifetime franchise numbers, not just the first films in their series. They do include re-releases, as any re-release at the Box Office, is always included in a film's lifetime gross. Original releases for The Exorcist and Jaws, are actually different.
Original Box Office Run
The Exorcist- $193 Million
Jaws- $260 Million
The extra $39 Million Dollars for The Exorcist, comes from the re-release in 2000. The Exorcist: The Director's Cut, is actually considered a separate release, but is included with the overall total of the original film's lifetime gross. This is where adjusting for inflation gets ridiculous. You are adjusting the film's original Box Office run, which is just $193 Million, then adding in the re-release which was released in 2000. Obviously, ticket sales were much higher then.
Individual Box Office Adjusted for inflation
Jaws- $1 Billion
The Exorcist- $948 Million
Franchises Domestic Totals:
Jaws- $260 Million
Jaws 2: $81 Million
Jaws 3: $45 Million
Jaws: The Revenge- $20 Million
The Exorcist- $193 Million
The Exorcist 2- $30 Million
The Exorcist 3- $26 Million
The Exorcist: The Director's Cut- $39 Million
The Exorcist: The Beginning- $41 Million
Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist- $251, 495
Interesting to note, Jaws, has not had a major studio re-release, in quite some time. The Exorcist franchise numbers, do take a bit of hit, given it has had more films released at a time when ticket prices were higher as well.
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For some perspective on the Box Office point.
Top 5 highest grossing horror franchises of all time:
World Wide
1. The Alien Franchise- $1.2 Billion
2. The Resident Evil Franchise- $915 Million
3. The Paranormal Activity Franchise- $889 Million
4. The Saw Franchise- $874 Million
5. The Jaws Franchise- $798 Million
Domestic
1. The Saw Franchise- $415 Million
2. The Jaws Franchise- $408 Million
3. The Paranormal Activity Franchise- $401 Million
4. The Friday the 13th Franchise- $380 Million
5. The Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise- $370 Million
Adjusted for Inflation Domestic:
1. The Jaws Franchise- $1.5 Billion
2. The Exorcist Franchise- $1 Billion
3. The Alien Franchise- $945 Million
4. The Friday the 13th Franchise- $778 Million
5. The Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise- $660 Million
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22 hours ago, ThNdIzNiR said:
I've closed out the event Thurs-Sun at all different times of the event (since 2010) and at no point have I been alone. Granted, at the end of the night the lines for some houses are definitely shorter. However, there are still lines (especially non-express). As long as there are people (and there always are until closing), there is a steady stream of guests going through the houses. If not, someone isn't doing their job right.
To ^.... Which Sunday night did you go last year? If I read correctly, you usually go the 1st weekend in October? If there wasn't 1 person in line with you in October (even early) that is pretty incredible in my opinion.
For those of you who have been going to the event since Sept 11th, 2001... How busy was it that year? I was working down by Disney when the attack occurred and our business took a massive nosedive overnight. The whole area was like a ghost town (in comparison to normal) for weeks after. I know 2001 wasn't as busy as nowadays to begin with, but I'm just curious.
On a side note, while I've never been through a HHN house alone, my wife and I did go through a haunted attraction called Bennett's Curse in Maryland (http://bennettscurse.com/) alone. That was pretty damn awesome. That place is one of my all-time favorites. It had the longest pitch-black maze area (with scare actors wearing night vision goggles) I've ever been through. It's unfortunate that Universal could never do anything like that (unless it was an upcharge house).
I remember 2001 as steady, but not as busy as it was in 2000. We went on October 12th that year. The longest waits we had were about an hour and a half, for The Mummy Returns, Superstitions, and Pitch Black. We did all the houses, plus Bill & Ted, something we could not achieve in 2000.
As far as going through a house alone, I've managed quite a few houses alone the past few years. Havoc: Derailed, I did alone quite a few times. For LT, for some reason, that house just didn't scan right for me. On two separate days, trying to get my badges, I did the house alone. Usually multiple times, as to get the correct badges, I would get out and get right back in. Both times, was at the start of the night. That same year, I did La Llorona, Afterlife, and Evil Dead alone. Evil Dead, I remember was at the end of the night.
Dead End, Dracula Untold, AVP, Terror Mines, and Winter's Night, are a few others I can think of off the top of my head. Most of the time, it was at the end of the night. I remember Afterlife, was at the start of the night.
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HHN Legacy, where those pictures are from, wrote an article last year detailing a bunch of spots where a 9th house could fit (hence the Shrek building from above, which of course, turned out to be used for Alice). The scenario mentioned by Forever 56 (entering next to Diagon), was also mentioned. Those pictures are from that article, but there are a bunch more. The one for MIB posted above, is just one such scenario he outlined for that area. There are plethora of ways the team can make a house fit back there.
http://www.hhnlegacy.com/uploads/6/9/8/5/6985850/8448130_orig.jpg
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HOUSES
1. Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters & Mayhem
2. Body Collectors: Recollections
3. Freddy Vs. Jason
4. An American Werewolf In London
5. Run: Blood, Sweat and Fears
6. Insidious
7. Asylum in Wonderland 3D
8. The Walking Dead: The Living and the Dead
9. The Purge
Scare Zones
1. All Nite Die-In: Double Feature
2. Psychoscareapy: Unleashed
3. Evil's Roots
4. Scary Tales: Screampunk
5. HHN: Icons
Halloween Horror Nights 28 Speculation
in Halloween Horror Nights 28
Posted
Right it is. Which is why perspective here is important, if one is to entertain the idea of a "potential" property being nixed because of allegations. Which would be two. Two major properties. Brett Ratner, is literally at the center of the Me Too and Times Up movements, and is also chummy with one Harvey Weinstein. Again, Ratner's company, co-produced IT, another "potential" property coming to this year's event. For more perspective, very recently Gal Gadot, threatened to walk away from Wonder Woman 2 if Ratner was anyway involved with that production (as he and his production company was with the first).
The Stranger Things allegations, are very recent, while the Ratner allegations, are not. If Universal was concerned about any kind of allegations, "potentially" bringing IT to the event would have been nixed long, long ago.
The Duffer Brothers, have addressed the allegations, and have blamed the high-stress environment of a film set, which can cause tempers to flare. Which if one wants to go with that; sure, that happens. As someone who has worked on a few film sets, it happens. A lot. Ask Christian Bale.