Intro for March 24, 2025

Dear Gossips, 

As much as everyone says they’re ready for the era of big IP to end, audiences are still turning out for IP-driven projects while original ideas flounder. To wit: Snow White, Disney’s latest exercise in IP maintenance, led the weekend at the box office, Marvel’s disappointing Captain America: Brave New World is still sitting in the top three, beating out Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17, which is in itself an adaptation of a novel. There are some signs of life beyond IP, as Novocaine, an original idea, is doing okay (albeit against a sub-$20 million budget). Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag, also an original idea, is doing less well, though, against a bigger budget estimated in the $50 million range, but that just goes to my point: audiences say they want fresh ideas, but they’re not exactly putting their money where their mouth is.

Insert obligatory “theaters suck” here, but in so far as people are turning up at the movies right now, they’re opting for movies based on IP. (Though this was another bad weekend at the box office and against its own $250 million-ish budget, Snow White is bombing.) We can only blame the theaters for so much, though, at a certain point, we have to look at audience behavior, too. Cinema is a full ecosystem, everyone plays their part in it. There are original movies out right now, some of which star A-listers, and they’re not doing as well as Snow White. 

That movie that pissed everyone off for a variety of reasons, and STILL people showed up for it—including the Latine audience, which once again turned up for a Latine star. Deadline annoyingly broke their analysis down by red/blue counties, though they had to acknowledge that some of those red counties, like that of Dallas and Phoenix, are large Latine markets that in turn caused those “red” markets to over-index for the film. Framed another way, people can shriek about DEI all they want, but time and again we see underserved audiences showing up for movies that star people of color. Diversity is good business, I cannot believe we have to relearn this lesson.

Anyway, the continuing audience preference for IP-driven entertainment is why it’s notable that some significant rights are up for grabs. In the wake of Amazon securing the rights to the Bond franchise outright, the Robert Ludlum estate is shopping rights for his library, including the Jason Bourne novels, which could see a new Bourne franchise, er, born. Apparently Skydance is one of the suitors, but they have a lot on their plate with the Paramount merger. There are accusations of fraud, multiple lawsuits, and fears that anti-DEI sentiment in the federal government could torpedo the deal. Lots going on there.

Another lapse is from Legendary Pictures, which lost the rights to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Legendary made a streaming movie for Netflix in 2022, but never got a sequel off the ground, so the rights are now up for grabs. The IP is held by Exurbia Films, who gained the rights in 2017 and then made a deal with Legendary for a new set of films, the only product of which was the 2022 Netflix film. Exurbia, headed by Austin-based producer Pat Cassidy, along with original Massacre co-writer Kim Henkel and his son, Ian, are now looking for a new partner to produce new movies under the Massacre banner. 

It should surprise no one that Texan star Glen Powell’s name has come up. This is very thin, though, as it’s basically the film equivalent of an idea of a memory of dream someone had, of Strange Darling filmmaker JT Mollner making a new Massacre. And IF he does, Glen Powell would like to read that script, and IF Glen Powell got involved, A24 or Lionsgate or someone else entirely would MAYBE produce it. Sure, but also…Glen Powell is a writer and producer in his own right. He could just cut out the middleman and get those rights for himself and go directly to A24 or whoever without stopping at “go”. 

With big-name rights up for sale, though, it seems we’re in for a fresh round of IP-driven movies. Whatever the consistency of the Bond franchise was under Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, at least we knew we would never suffer from a glut of 007. Under Amazon Prime, it’s almost guaranteed we’re in for more Bond than anyone ever wanted. And maybe a new Bourne franchise and a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, and, and, and. It’s endless. Only one thing is certain: if we want less IP-driven movies at the theater, we just have to go see more original movies. The less risky they look, the more willing studios will be to back them.

Live long and gossip,

Sarah