In a skewed irony worthy of this existing moment, today (counting the previews) is the tenth anniversary of Chris Nolan’s creation, and what was intended to be the opening night of Nolan’s Tenet. Ten years ago, high-concept fantasy was the subject of a wave of strong criticism, Chris Nolan’s post-Dark Kevening fandom and a strong rumour to mark a national debut of $62 million in July 2010. Although we can speculate deep in our hearts about how Tenet would do it. resisted if it had opened at night in ideal circumstances, there are 3 points that would not have been at stake in relation to Inception.
First of all, whatever the hell of Tenet, it’s much harder than “The Movie of Heist… in Your Dreams!” elevator pitch for Inception. Secondly, and it’s harder to predict, however, I’d like to think that the first two months of live video in the summer of 2020 would have been bigger than the depressing summer of 2010. After Iron Man 2, Robin Hood, Prince of Persia, The A-Team and The Last Airbender, Inception was perfectly positioned as the summer occasion film at the height of the hype. Third, and most importantly, I had Leonardo DiCaprio in a leading role.
All the respect I owe to John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, however, DiCaprio is (now more than ever) one of the types in terms of “logo for himself” of movie star. And it was the release of Inception in July 2010 that consolidated this fact and introduced an almost uninterrupted series of prestige (and non-franchise) hits when the star formula was in its final stages and intellectual assets and logo characters took Hollywood. DiCaprio’s position at the top, thanks to Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island ($295 million from an $80 million budget) and Chris Nolan’s (Inception$824 million from a $160 million budget).
No, Inception was not DiCaprio’s first hit after the Titanic, as it “broke” in Catch Me if you can from Steven Spielberg ($352 million from a $52 million budget) in 2002. Gangs of New York (opening almost simultaneously) was quite well received, however, $190 million international from a $100 million budget is rarely a success. However, the next two DiCaprio films of Scorsese were The Aviator and The Departed, which were true hits. Howard Hughes’ biographical film grossed $213 million internationally (becoming Scorsese’s first national revenue source of more than $100 million) with a budget of $110 million, nothing wonderful but not wonderful. However, The Departed was a real success.
The new version of Infernal Affairs, who combined DiCaprio (as an undercover cop as a criminal) and Matt Damon (as a policeman who secretly runs for the crowd) into a complicated police melodrama in Boston, won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, while earning $132 million national dollars (always Scorsese’s largest) and $291 million international with a budget of $90 million. The next 4 years were uncertain, with Ed Zwick’s Blood Diamond ($171 million /$100 million at the end of 2006), Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies ($119 million/$70 million at the end of 2008) and Sam Mfinishes ‘ Revolutionary Road ($76 million/$35 million) at the end of 2008, rating it as modest advertisements.
Shutter Island of Scorsese was scheduled to premiere in 2009, but Paramount rejected it in February 2010. It wouldn’t be the first time a DiCaprio movie would gain advantages from the retirement from the awards season. Dennis Lehane’s adaptation would start with $40 million nationwide and an excess of $128 million nationwide and $294 million internationally (out of an $80 million budget). But Inception scored on an absolutely different level. The long-legged action and buzzing fantasy, starring Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and (as required by law) By Law, Michael Caine, won $292 million domestic dollars (4.7 times its $62 million release) and $824 million internationally. of a $165 million budget.
He can claim that Warner Bros.et his friends produced the original, star-centric mega budget and concept as a glorified for Chris Nolan’s return to the helm of what would become The Dark Knight Rises. However, and this is what makes Nolan unique, usually the “one for me” does not become a box office hit that is more successful (in terms of back rate) than the movie “one for you”. Inception remains the third largest genuine action original of all time (no inflation or exchange rates), only James Cameron’s Titanic ($2.2 billion adding reissues) and James Cameron’s Avatar ($2.8 billion). He also consolidated DiCaprio as a true attraction.
DiCaprio would stay with Inception with J. Edgar of Clint Eastwood, a biographical film earned interchangeably that generated another $84 million of a $35 million budget. DiCaprio’s next five star vehicles, all without franchise, adult asymmetrical and R-rated, were relative blockbusters. Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino (with DiCaprio as the villain) earned $160 million nationally and $425 million internationally with a budget of $100 million. Baz Luhrmann’s great Gatsby moved from December 2012 to May 2013, and the opening weekend of Warner Bros. opened.
The F. adaptation won the Oscar for Best Actor for Alejandro G’s The Revenant. Once upon a time at Hollywood Tarantino (with Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie) showed that sets of stars from famous administrators can perform in theaters. Indicate a domestic outlet of $146 million / $374 million international with a budget of $90 million (even though there is almost no action or violence).
DiCaprio had his successes before Inception, but Chris Nolan’s blockbuster showed that (with the exception of Catch Me If You Can) DiCaprio can do his thing for any famous filmmaker, not just Scorsese. Yes, Great Gatsthrough and Catch Me if you can have thrived being PG-13 videos with other advertising variables (Spielberg and Hanks or a fountain of “looking rich rich” curtains that everyone read directed through the guy who turned DiCaprio into an idol 17 years before everyone’s favorite Romeo and Juliet movie). Nolan’s good fortune with Interstellar ($677 million) means that Nolan is (obviously) a brand/franchise for himself as well.
The Revenant (which in the role appeared to be his least publicized film since J. Edgar) has become DiCaprio’s third-largest film, Titanic and Inception. Dunkirk, a starless mystery about World War II, raised $527 million three summers ago. This would possibly be one of the reasons inception performed so well ten years ago, beyond the bad summer season and smart pre-launch reviews. It was a mix of the last “logo for himself” movie star in the global and the only director of the “hit logo A to himself” in the global partnership for a film that A) had a smart hook, B) had an old trailer and C) turned out to be quite clever.
DiCaprio’s reign, especially over the past decade, has been almost comically opposed to what defines Hollywood’s good fortune and fame. He has never made a sequel, he has never explicitly made a franchise film, his films tend to be classified as R, brutal or violent, aimed at adults and with dark endings. Without spoilers, his on-screen mortality rate would make Sean Bean proud. Like Denzel Washington (relatively speaking), DiCaprio has maintained its appeal in proceeding to become the “franchise” or “logo”. And that logo is regularly “DiCaprio offers everything in a high-quality, big-budget adult film, courtesy of a famous director.”
DiCaprio to rise to the wisest right while Will Smith finished his career as the world’s biggest star (2002 to 2008) is no coincidence. The plethora of big-budget action fantasies, now coupled with high-level assets and popular brands, has made Smith’s action box office hits (sometimes original or discovered in cult sources) relatively second-rate. After Hancock in July 2008, Smith discovered his biggest hits either in his past franchises (Bad Boys for Life, Men in Black III) or in franchises where it’s a value-added detail (Suicide Squad, Aladdin). Today, not even Johnny Depp or Robert Downey Jr. can “open” a wonderful outdoor movie from their flagship franchises.
This is what’s fashionable about cinema today, even for top actors (with the imaginable exception of Kevin Hart). The audience is not shown for original movies, wonderful concepts and/or movie stars unless they know or care about the protagonist. They will apply for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Venom or Bohemian Rhapsody because they love Jack Sparrow, Eddie Brock or Freddie Mercury. “This guy you love like Thor” is dead when he plays “no Thor.” That’s what makes DiCaprio’s execution so incredible in today’s theatrical environment. It does the opposite of what Hollywood says it works, and yet the audience is still there.
I like to think it’s a massive draw, especially since their possible choices go against traditional wisdom (and also because, with all due respect, their star cars tend to be bigger than Jim Carrey’s stereotypical comedy, Will Smith’s fantasy or Johnson’s Dwayne Actor.). But anyway, it’s the last one we have, so we’d better give him a few more Oscars. The Array creation with Avatar by James Cameron, Interstellar de Nolan and Gravity by Alfonso Cuaron ($724 million in 2013), the last sigh of big-budget Hollywood originals before the public becomes addicted to intellectual property. And the presence of the last living movie star is one of the main reasons for this success.
I studied the film industry, both academically and informally, and with an analysis in the workplace, for almost 30 years. I’ve written a lot about everything
I studied the film industry, both academically and informally, and with an analysis in the workplace, for almost 30 years. I have written extensively on all these topics over the more than 11 years. My media for film reviews, workplace reviews and film bias scholarships have included The Huffington Post, Salon and Film Threat. Follow me on @ScottMendelson and like The Ticket Booth on Facebook.