Fantasy, Franchises, and Frodo Baggins: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood
2003; University of Texas Press; Volume: 52; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/vlt.2003.0020
ISSN1542-4251
Autores Tópico(s)Digital Games and Media
ResumoThree of the seven films that have grossed over $800,000,000 worldwide were released within a five-month period, and all three were fantasy films: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (number 2, released November 2001, gross $965,700,000), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (number 5, December 2001, $860,200,000), and Spider-Man (number 7, April 2002, $803,600,000). 1 Indeed, except for the highest-grossing film, Titanic, the top ten are all fantasies (assuming The Lion King can be put into that category) or science fiction. The rapid succession of three big hits launching franchises, the publicity drama of New Line's risk in making all three Lord of the Rings (LOTR) films simultaneously, and the enthusiasm of fan bases created a high profile for Harry Potter, Fellowship, and Spider-Man. Two of these films were wizard tales adapted from prestigious British fantasy series with an appeal to both children and adults, and the advantages of such largely overlooked source material for franchises struck a chord in the industry. As I finished revising this article this trend was continuing: The Two Towers was in its sixth week of release and was approaching a worldwide gross of nearly $800,000,000, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, though not doing as well as the first film, will probably cross the same figure eventually.
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