Movie Math

An article that we've all heard before...theater runs are just the beginning, DVDs are the money makers, not to mention cable sales, airlines, etc. BUT, for the creatives involved with the business, the domestic box office is HUGE. If your movie is perceived as a failure at the box office OR critically, it'll be hard to make more movies. On the other hand, if you movie is perceived as a success at the box office OR critically, you are practically guaranteed another shot.

The counter example to Gone with 60 Seconds is Troy. It'll make money in the end. But David Benoiff and Wolfgang Peterson are no longer as bankable as they were prior to Troy. On the flipside look a film like Requiem for a Dream, which didn't make a ton of money, but ensured that Aronofsky will keep working. His next project is going to be huge.