Can Mel Gibson Still Carry A Film?
There was that name -- Mel Gibson -- and then the man himself, grim-set face and trenchcoated torso coming toward you in an advertisement for a major studio release. The pitch and the persona were familiar, but it still felt odd, like a good friend you had a falling-out with awhile back who suddenly reappears on your Facebook wall. How do you respond?
Warner Bros. is betting that audiences will respond with a cheery "Welcome back!" and solid opening-weekend attendance when "Darkness" opens Jan. 29. Gibson is returning to the big screen after a seven-year absence -- a century in movie-star years -- and studio marketing is aimed squarely at his old fan base. In TV and print ads, it's Gibson alone -- purposeful, vengeful, unstoppable -- a good guy who will bloody the guilty with the righteous weapons of justice.
But how likely is renewed success for the embattled action star? Other than a brief appearance in September on NBC's "The Jay Leno Show," Gibson's only public exposure during the past few years has been in the tabloids.
Take away the self-destructive cocktail of Moonshadows, sugar tits and anti-Semitic taunts he publicly lobbed in July 2006, and you're still looking at a 54-year-old actor who hasn't been onscreen for the better part of a decade. (He most recently appeared in October 2003 in a heavily disguised supporting role when "The Singing Detective" opened.) That would be a challenge for anyone. To paraphrase a line from one of Gibson's most famous movies: Is he getting too old for this shit?
It's easy to forget that for 15 years, Gibson had one of the most consistently successful careers of any modern movie star. From 1987-2002, he starred in 10 movies that grossed more than $100 million apiece domestically, putting him in the league of Will, Jim, Julia, Harrison, Eddie and the two Toms. Along the way, his peers gave him best director and best picture Oscars for "Braveheart" -- distinctions none of the others has.
When Gibson walked away to focus on his directing career, he sparked controversy and collected hundreds of millions of dollars with his self-financed foreign-language epic "The Passion of the Christ." Whatever people thought of his beliefs, he was an artistic force to be reckoned with.
But by the end of summer 2006, Gibson suddenly was toxic after that drunken, vocal run-in with Malibu police. Despite immediate apologies and the beginning of a self-proclaimed "journey through recovery," things unraveled. ABC quickly dropped plans for a Gibson-produced Holocaust-themed miniseries; his wife and mother of their seven children separated from him (they divorced last year); and several prominent industry figures, most notably Sony chief Amy Pascal and Endeavor partner Ari Emanuel, publicly encouraged an industry boycott.
A few months later, Gibson appeared on a few talk shows to promote his latest super-violent writing-directing effort, "Apocalypto," which opened that December to middling boxoffice, raking in $51 million domestically.
Despite the disapprobation of certain Hollywood types, the effect of Gibson's Jew-baiting tirade and other shenanigans on average moviegoers is likely much less significant. Middle America, which helped push "Christ" to a $370 million domestic cume, likely has shrugged off lingering concerns about his bad behavior or the end of his marriage -- if they noted it at all. After all, isn't that what Hollywood celebrities do?
Which means those in the industry who might find Gibson's beliefs and/or behavior repugnant recognize he likely still can make them money with a loyal, if older, fan base.
One industry player noted that his middle-aged, born-again-Christian mother-in-law saw a TV trailer for "Darkness" and said: "I can't wait. I love Mel, and all my friends at the church love Mel."
Still, even with a coterie of committed followers, the real marketing challenge might be more Gibson's age than his antics.
"He's got as good a chance to be as successful as any older actor," one studio producer says. "With the same disadvantages. You look at the Pacinos and Hoffmans and Stallones and Willises -- not a lot of them are movie stars right now. But the guy has as good a chance as anyone, if the movie works, to still be a star."
Related News-
Edge OF Darkness Trailer
Please Leave A Comment-
Source-THR
Warner Bros. is betting that audiences will respond with a cheery "Welcome back!" and solid opening-weekend attendance when "Darkness" opens Jan. 29. Gibson is returning to the big screen after a seven-year absence -- a century in movie-star years -- and studio marketing is aimed squarely at his old fan base. In TV and print ads, it's Gibson alone -- purposeful, vengeful, unstoppable -- a good guy who will bloody the guilty with the righteous weapons of justice.
But how likely is renewed success for the embattled action star? Other than a brief appearance in September on NBC's "The Jay Leno Show," Gibson's only public exposure during the past few years has been in the tabloids.
Take away the self-destructive cocktail of Moonshadows, sugar tits and anti-Semitic taunts he publicly lobbed in July 2006, and you're still looking at a 54-year-old actor who hasn't been onscreen for the better part of a decade. (He most recently appeared in October 2003 in a heavily disguised supporting role when "The Singing Detective" opened.) That would be a challenge for anyone. To paraphrase a line from one of Gibson's most famous movies: Is he getting too old for this shit?
It's easy to forget that for 15 years, Gibson had one of the most consistently successful careers of any modern movie star. From 1987-2002, he starred in 10 movies that grossed more than $100 million apiece domestically, putting him in the league of Will, Jim, Julia, Harrison, Eddie and the two Toms. Along the way, his peers gave him best director and best picture Oscars for "Braveheart" -- distinctions none of the others has.
When Gibson walked away to focus on his directing career, he sparked controversy and collected hundreds of millions of dollars with his self-financed foreign-language epic "The Passion of the Christ." Whatever people thought of his beliefs, he was an artistic force to be reckoned with.
But by the end of summer 2006, Gibson suddenly was toxic after that drunken, vocal run-in with Malibu police. Despite immediate apologies and the beginning of a self-proclaimed "journey through recovery," things unraveled. ABC quickly dropped plans for a Gibson-produced Holocaust-themed miniseries; his wife and mother of their seven children separated from him (they divorced last year); and several prominent industry figures, most notably Sony chief Amy Pascal and Endeavor partner Ari Emanuel, publicly encouraged an industry boycott.
A few months later, Gibson appeared on a few talk shows to promote his latest super-violent writing-directing effort, "Apocalypto," which opened that December to middling boxoffice, raking in $51 million domestically.
Despite the disapprobation of certain Hollywood types, the effect of Gibson's Jew-baiting tirade and other shenanigans on average moviegoers is likely much less significant. Middle America, which helped push "Christ" to a $370 million domestic cume, likely has shrugged off lingering concerns about his bad behavior or the end of his marriage -- if they noted it at all. After all, isn't that what Hollywood celebrities do?
Which means those in the industry who might find Gibson's beliefs and/or behavior repugnant recognize he likely still can make them money with a loyal, if older, fan base.
One industry player noted that his middle-aged, born-again-Christian mother-in-law saw a TV trailer for "Darkness" and said: "I can't wait. I love Mel, and all my friends at the church love Mel."
Still, even with a coterie of committed followers, the real marketing challenge might be more Gibson's age than his antics.
"He's got as good a chance to be as successful as any older actor," one studio producer says. "With the same disadvantages. You look at the Pacinos and Hoffmans and Stallones and Willises -- not a lot of them are movie stars right now. But the guy has as good a chance as anyone, if the movie works, to still be a star."
Related News-
Edge OF Darkness Trailer
Please Leave A Comment-
Source-THR
Comments