Forum - View topicNEWS: Appleseed Box Office Numbers
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Gamelore
 Posts: 76 |
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It was 35th as far as per-theatre aveages go, however. I blame the lack of advertising, and the fact that mostly the expensive art-houses/independent theatres carried it.
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Tenchi
 Posts: 4548 Location: Ottawa... now I'm an ex-Anglo Montrealer. |
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I think the mistake was that they clustered the film in certain areas. I understand that Geneon probably doesn't have the sort of dough to give the film even a limited release on the scale of Disney's initial release of Spirited Away, but at least they could have spread the theatres out a little more evenly so that most of the, at least, Major League Baseball cities could have gotten the film.
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silentjay
Posts: 304 |
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I blame the fact that it's Appleseed and not GitS.
GitS is almost a household name, and despite it's history, Appleseed doesn't really have the recognition outside of serious fandom. Yeah, sure it's Shirow, but, in the mainstream North American market, billing a film as "From the Creator of...." tends to put audiences off anymore. It's been a marketting tool for studio pandering for so long that potential audiences are almost immediately jaded by it. It's up there with "In a world..." and 'Instant Classic'. Having not seen it, I can't vouch for it even worth being successful. If it's crap, then we really should hope that it dissappears, as not to give anti-anime critics a target. If it's good, then word of mouth is probably better than any marketing that money can buy. Spirited Away proved that rave reviews, an Oscar and an ad blitz won't neccesarily bring in the mainstream audiences, so we should be the ones to shoulder some of the burden if we really want it to succeed. We're also talking Geneon here, who don't exactly have the clout or ad budget that either Disney or Dreamworks does. The fact that it did as well as it did, with the little promotion that it got, is pretty impressive. |
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one3rd
 Posts: 1818 Location: アメリカ |
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Not really. It only puts off those who are already jaded. The public at large wants something familiar. |
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kyouto
 Posts: 5 Location: Phoenix, AZ |
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Personally I agree it's the release. If even just one theater in Phoenix, AZ (Over 3.5 MILLION residents), I'd be there to watch it myself. However, since there's really no place to go to, I'll wait for the DVD release. I'd love to support theater releases but, well they don't give that great of an option. If GITS:Innocence was a wide release... it probably would have topped the box office judging from the number reports given over time. While I doubt Appleseed would have (like said, although Appleseed has the potential and so forth, GITS is well known name if from nothing more than being the Matrix's primary inspiration). It's too bad really, but at least we're getting better than nothing eh?
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Tenchi
Posts: 4548 Location: Ottawa... now I'm an ex-Anglo Montrealer. |
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Well, GitS was one of the inspirations ffor The Matrix, but it was mostly stylistic. Gibson and Dick seem to be far greater influences.... |
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silentjay
Posts: 304 |
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Which is exactly what Appleseed isn't. The point I was getting at is that the whole "By the creator of..." tag doesn't work, if it did, movies like Paycheck and Catwoman would've been huge, despite their quality. The only time that North American audiences pay attention to ad copy is when the visual money shots in the trailers catch their attention, otherwise it's 'ho-hum'. North American audiences are jaded, and fickle, by default. It's the result of media hype overload, which has gotten to the point of meaninglessness. |
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pjd1965
Posts: 1 Location: Highlands, NJ |
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that has always been the problem for anime on the big screen. i have been lucky and lived near big cities that would eventually get the release at the local art house. i always tried to see a film at least once on opening weekend, if not more to show my support for seeing more anime in theaters. films are opening in many more places (and at the same time, i.e. more prints) than in the past. GiTS has a much larger fan base, and was advertised on tv (cartoon network, sci/fi and spike tv that i saw) Geneon probably did what they could in promoting the film, and should make their $$ back on dvd sales. i liked the film, and cant wait to see steamboy and howl's moving castle! (next 2 big screen films i know of) --- edit forgot to mention that i saw appleseed at the regal union square 14, not a small arthouse. sad thing was of all the posters i saw in the joint, not one of them was for appleseed >.< |
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one3rd
Posts: 1818 Location: アメリカ |
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Which is why they would add some amount of familiarity by using "By the creator of..." to market the movie.
But their quality is a factor that can't be so easily disregarded. No amount of marketing, whether mentioning the creator's previous works or not, is going to make up for the quality, or lack of quality, of the movie. |
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Sword of Whedon
Posts: 683 |
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I want you to go to your local mall, and stand away from the EB and Suncoasts Now quiz 300 people if they know what GiTS is Hardly a household name |
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ShellBullet
 Posts: 1051 Location: I hit things, with my fist. |
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When you do so, make sure to say "GiTS" and not "Ghost in the Shell," just so that people will be even more confused by what your're asking them. |
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AnimeHeretic
 Posts: 179 |
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I think it shows just how obscure anime is outside of the CN and other kids shows. I look through my collection and wonder if *anything* could have any chance of success. I'm inclined to say no. I think that the kid's stuff does best because the idea of "cartoons are for kids" mentality prevelent here.
My suggestion for next time though: Forget the classics and the famous directors and the "deep" stories. Meet the American audiences who don't know anything about anime half way and release some totally off the wall screwball comedy that would rank a PG-13 here. The comedy would work because Americans expect "cartoons" to be funny. The PG13 would work because the teens could go see it without being hassled for ID like they would for the R rated stuff. Maybe it would suffer the same fate as other anime movies, but since the current plan hasn't worked yet, what do they have to lose? |
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GATSU
Posts: 15578 |
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I think Appleseed did ok, despite all the obstalces against it. And if Geneon keeps it in theaters a little longer, the mostly positive WOM will help it at least make $150-$200 grand.
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10461 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Given this week's result, and the fact that no new theaters are planned, I don't think it will reach $150k. If you haven't already seen Appleseed, better go see it quick. -t |
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Sword of Whedon
Posts: 683 |
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Like virtually all anime, they'll roadshow it. A weekend here, 2 weeks there. Most of the 'clumping" is in places like LA, where there is a huge audience of people who will go see something like this. LA/NYC, maybe Chicago and Dallas are the only places you can do this
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