Cool News
Kevin Smith To Make Outer Space Sci-Fi Comedy!!
I am – Hercules!!
After he directs “Red State,” writer-director Kevin Smith (“Zack and Miri Make A Porno”) intends to make a $45-million-plus sci-fi space comedy about a father and his son.
The Weinstein Company may produce.
Would a $45 million Kevin Smith movie make money? His domestic theatrical gross track record, in millions:
$3.1 Clerks (1994)
$2.1 Mallrats (1995)
$12.0 Chasing Amy (1997)
$30.6 Dogma (1999)
$30.0 Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
$25.2 Jersey Girl (2004)
$24.1 Clerks II (2006)
One can add in DVD and foreign sales, but also subtract print and advertising costs and exhibition splits (remember that cinema owners get to keep about half of those grosses).
"Zack and Miri," made for about $25 million, opens Oct. 31.
Find all of The Hollywood Reporter’s story on the matter here.
Readers Talkback
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and looking forward to it
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Bring it on, Kev!
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I'm getting sleepy here, come on.
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I mean seriously. It still might be good.
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Oct. 17, 2008, 12:18 a.m. CST
RokurGepta, why do people claim "first" when they"re 2nd?
by Stereotypical Evil Archer
Just wondering what the point of it is. If it was funny, then I'd understand, but it's not. It's like the bad accounting practices of AIG, WaMu, or Enron. Here's to hoping the 2nd place firsters don't have 401k's.
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Awwww...I missed it by six hours. Hope i don't look too foolish ;) I'm losing faith in big kev. Hope he starts delivering.
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The Next Generation of Questors...<p>I can only hope.
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Now I feel bad about my firstness. You gotta have no life like me, pal. It's the only way to make it to the top...of AICN talkbacks.
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Why not?
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Oct. 17, 2008, 12:22 a.m. CST
Kevin Smith should direct a superhero movie...
by Stereotypical Evil Archer
So what if it's bad or awesome; his fans have built him up to that point.<p>Go for it Kev.
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Oct. 17, 2008, 12:25 a.m. CST
a rolling stone, RokurGepta, your lives are better than mine.
by Stereotypical Evil Archer
Mine sucks.
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But casting Will Smith and his kid would guarantee better than all the above box office. And I know (K)Smith likes (W)Smith. Like him or not, Will Smith seems to love sci fi and I think the combination of talents would be interesting. Am I suggesting something that will lead to the collapse of the known universe?
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Anybody read Smith's DC run on reinventing Green Arrow? It was like 12 or 13 issues, and he called it "Quiver". It was a great story, and it brought back to life one of the icons they never should've killed off. I think Smith could do a super-hero flick...without the gay-dick jokes, hopefully.
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But I'd still see it
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Sweet.
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or the character on Randall's t-shirt.
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I think Kevin is smart and talented enough to make a major PG or PG-13 comedy ("Jersey Girl" doesn't count). I'd like to see him tackle something like that.
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Kevin Smith is a wash-out as a filmmaker!!! Calling him incompetent would be an insult to the incompetent!!! I don't know which one of the Weinstein's he's blackmailing, but it really must be some crude private porn tape that Smith has on one of them, because the Weinsteins have certainly put Kevin Smith on a corporate welfare plan for life???!!! Just a sarcastic joke, but something suspect is going on here for them to keep giving this no talent gigs!!!
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Are Kevin Smith films blockbusters? No, and they probably never will be. But, check the books on each one of those films and you'll find that each time, Smith made the studio money. They received a return for their investment & I believe Zack & Miri will continue that track record.
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Considering Z&M is going to shatter his past box office numbers it is the perfect time for Kevin Smith to follow up with something a little more expensive. Good for him.
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It's going to have alot of lame-ass Star Wars references in it. Let's not call it a Sci-Fi Comedy let's call it a really bad spoof of Star Wars which is exactly what it's going to be. Filled with bad jokes and references to Star Trek and even other material, all done with a heavy handed, and "ironic" wink-wink, nudge-nudge. WOW, I don't even think I can muster up enough interest or strength to yawn at this point. Kevin Smith really fails to interest me on ANY level anymore.
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...thoght he said LAUNCH!
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You people commenting with "FIRST!" in every Talkback are a bunch of fucking idiots. Go kill yourselves, please.
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Just don't make it Spaceballs. That's chartered territory.
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But I secretly hope it's just Clerks III: This time, it's in space. Same basic plot and ambiance, except they spend the whole thing in space suits. <br><br>Or, better, yet, up the metaphysical ante and put them in the newly constructed Quick Stop on the commerce level of the second Death Star. The mind reels...
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To call Fatsquatch a fucking loser. Who wants to be second?
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snoogins bitches!!
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esque
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is a drunk drug smuggler. <P> the son is the bad guy, he became one shortly after joining the war. he resents his father for leaving his mother <P> the father a midlife crisis in action- determinded to save his son from the dark side. He fall in love with a girl who we later find out is his daughter. He left his wife, and she never told him of her. Kiss, no they actually fuck before they find out. don't know who the fuck obi wan is.
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daughters sexbots. They escape out the waste chute of the cruise ship when it's attacked.
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in hopes of getting something in the low 30s. And for the record, this sounds like a terrible idea. I have never seen a good movie that took place in space. Apollo 13 might be an exception, but even that wasn't great.
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in the vein of Date Movie? Epic Movie? <p> BLECH!<p> NO THANKS!
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I should have said I haven't seen a good movie set in space that made after 1985. Cause there were obviously a few good ones before that.
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Kevin Smith, is the new Ed Wood, but worse!!! Uwe Boll laughs at Kevin Smith...and I'll tell you, both Ed Wood and Uwe Boll stand a better chance at winning Oscars than Kevin Smith!!!
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Oct. 17, 2008, 3:23 a.m. CST
1) He'll never finish Red State.<p>2)He should never be given a
by V'Shael
I don't know if he spends it all on cheese-its, hookers or weed, but he's never once taken a big budget and actually done something with it. <p> All of his movies have the same look and feel, as if they were made for AT MOST 10 mill. Often not even that.
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Finally!
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smith tends to make me laugh. and look forward to his movies.
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what a load of bollocks. Of course there's been some good ones
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Is it just me or is it odd that AICN carries a Reporter story about KS doing a sci-fi movie for about $45m when this was in the interview with Kevin conducted by Quint. So essentially AICN scooped the trades and then gave them the credit. Weird!
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Why mention his box office?
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And why does he want to do a remake of "A Space Travesty" without Leslie Nielsen?
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Oct. 17, 2008, 7:57 a.m. CST
ricarleite-cause Leslie Nielsen hasnt been funny for awhile...
by j2talk
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Kevin has been talking about this for months. This isn't Ranger Danger, but a new idea somewhat inspired by his early Ranger Danger ideas. It will star Seth Rogen (hence the budget) and it will be either the next flick, or after Red State. AICN is very slow on this news.
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Oct. 17, 2008, 10:07 a.m. CST
So, it's basically a rip off of SPACED and RED DWARF
by unionJACKass.webs.com
Warlock, go and fuck yourself.
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Oct. 17, 2008, 11:02 a.m. CST
It had better have Cock Knocker and his lightsaber in it
by GreatWhiteNoise
"Don't FUCK with a Jedi Master, son!" Don't see how you can top that, really. Gold, Jerry, gold!
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Sentimental fart jokes in 4K digital with lots of CGI!
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Why not just shout "Dickhead"?
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Theatres get a cut of ticket sales, but it is nowhere near half. It's negotiated on a contract-by-contract basis, on the only time theatres get a bigger chunk (maybe 40%) of ticket sales is after the movie has been in wide release for a number of weeks. A good rule of thumb is that a movie needs to make 2.5 times its budget for it to be profitable. This takes into account advertising, striking prints, above-the-line talent, the theatres' cut, and a number of other things. That number does, of course, vary widely. A big summer blockbuster will need to make more than 2.5 its budget because of increased ad campaigns, more prints equals more money, more press tours, etc etc etc. Anyway. That is all from a film professor with nothing to do on a Friday morning.
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First.
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Is talented...and his movies have done well considering their initial investment. Remember that a higher budget can bring in better actors, better sets, and of course the studio might be more willing to advertise the film...that can make a HUGE difference!
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Good space movies made after 1985:<br><br> * Starship Troopers<br><br> * Dark City<br><br> * Event Horizon<br><br> I'm not going to mention Serenity, although I'm sure someone else will, because I thought it was fucking shit.
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sold the "Don't fuck with the Jedi Master son" line.
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Get over it kids.
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What! Jay and Silent Bob is his second highest gross? Outrageous. Anyway. Let's look into the crystal ball. Zack and Miri will be a hit. I predict around eighty million dollars. This movie will give Kevin alot of confidence. He will then make Red state. REd state will be a flop. Kevin please don't make RED STATE. Make Ranger Danger, Make Green Hornet - two versions of the same film have been done before. Make your space comedy. Don't make RED state - this reaks of flop. Go kevin. I'm busting for your Batman comic later in the year.
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...it would have to be absolutely the best-made comedy ever made. Like, take-Ghostbusters-and-make-it-even-better-funny. I don't see it. The amount of work required to keep the sci-fi half any good will detract from the comedy half, and/or vice-versa. Say, how much did the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie cost to make?
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um..in your opinion..i thought it was kind of cool. thanks for you're hyperbole though.
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Now that I think about it more, I realize that I don't know thing-one about how much successful comedies actually cost to make. Can somebody lay some knowledge down for us? Ignore the Kevin Smith angle. How much have recent comedies cost to make vs. how much box office they bring in? Preferably movies without Will Smith in them, cuz he really skews the average...
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YEAH!
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That is literally one of the worst movies I have ever seen. And as for a $45 million comedy being a ridiculous budget: no. Just after a quick search, take "Meet the Fockers," for example. Budget: approximately $80 million. Box office: $279 million domestic, $516 million worldwide. Profitable? Hell yeah. One of the best comedies ever? Not even close.
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have a soft spot for Jersey Girl.
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Ranger Danger & the Danger Rangers, or something different?
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KS putting together a sci-fi flick was just a matter of time. Standing by for a script chock-full of SW references...
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fart and titty jokes too, and probably a couple times he knocks Christians for being godly or something. He's too smarmy for his own good.
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Damn.. Kevin Smith is so inept, he makes me type bad.
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I would have thought that movie was a big hit. Shows what I know. I'm surprised the guy is even getting work these days.
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Oct. 17, 2008, 11:08 p.m. CST
You Know, "How I Bilked The Weinsteins" Could Be A Hit!!!
by Media Messiah
I'd see that movie, a bio pic showing Kevin Smith blackmailing the Weinsteins and forcing them to pay hush money through a settlement dressed as a series of film contracts, each film being budgeted at 45 millon dollars, exactly!!! That will be the greatest comedy of all time!!!
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I work at the arclight. It's more like 10 percent the first four weeks. Then the percentages go up as the weeks go by.
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Aliens (1986)<br> Total Recall (1990) <br> Fifth Element (1997) <br> Contact (1997) <br> Solaris (2002) <br> Wall-E (2008) <br> I'd include SW; Revenge of the Sith (2005) on the list. And the first 4/5 of Sunshine too. Admittedly, there aren't dozens of titles that leap out at you, but there are plenty of great ones. In fact, I'd say the ratio of shitty to great Sci-Fi has actually probably gone down slightly since 1985.
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The production budget was only around 250 grand if I remember correctly.
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because he's fucking funny
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69 million if God has a sense of humour. Rogen is gold now. This one can't hit the 30 million dollar ceiling. It'll double it. So then he gets to make his space comedy (which is probably a reformatted Ranger Danger - Smith moves bits around from Script to Script).
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Assuming your criteria movies set in Space movies and ones that are good ( subjective of course ) Serenity ( 2005 ). Not one of my personal favorites, but as good as Fifth Element ( which I think I am too hard on, but I can't stand the ending to that movie ) Galaxy Quest (1999). If you don't love this movie, you need to hand in your Sci-Fi badge. Star Trek: First Contact ( 1996) The best of the Next Gen ST's, so it deserves a mention Stargate (1994) gotta mention that, even though the actual story was only mediocre, it did remind people in the 90's that you *can* have Scifi without it being Star Trek. Anyone got anything else? ( Don't say Independence day for godsake )
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Good call on the Galaxy Quest. Like you, I find Serenity frustrating in that it sort of dances around real greatness but has kind of an amateurish TV quality it can't quite shake. But sure, throw it on the list, I like it at least as much as Fifth Element (which, for the record, I borderline dislike... [the fifth element is fucking LOVE?!?] but its a classic of the genre nonetheless, Chris Tucker or no.) Yeah, First Contact is also a solid entry. I wonder how it plays to non-trek fans, I guess that's why I migth have reservations about it. And don't worry, ID4 isn't really set IN space, so I think its excluded from consideration. Now I'm racking my brain trying to think of more! The only one that comes to mind is 2002's "Stranded" with Vincent Gallo, which is in the vicinity of good, without actually really BEING good.
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Because if you're just saying space you have to include Deep Impact and Apollo 13. The Right Stuff is post-85 right? too lazy to look it up right now. I liked one of those Mars ones, Mission to Mars? I like Titan AE....
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Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick were solid.
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Smith's not going to have trouble getting funding for this thing. Zack and Miri is gonna make like 80 mill because of Seth Rogen's likability and Elizabeth Bank's hotness.
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Good point on that one. I actually dug both the film, even if they come up a little short of perfection in the end. Both Red Planet and Mission to Mars were pretty weak, though, unless I fail to remember them correctly. Perhaps You're thinking of John Carpenter's "Ghosts of Mars"... btw, anyone know if the Eastwood flick "Space Cowboys" is any good? Might be one for the list.
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Contact, Apollo 13, Aliens, Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Wall-e. Galaxy Quest is genius. Sunshine had the potential to be brilliant, but went haywire 3/4 the way in. Whats with Boyle and his inability to finish off a film? The Beach and 28 Days Later both started well then went off the deep end. Red Planet was ok. Stupid, but fun, unlike the boring and pretentious Mission to Mars. That one thought it was the next 2001! But the best space film after 85 has to be Spaceballs! GENIUS! 'What's the matter Colonel Sandurz? Chicken?'
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