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Why Studios Continue Banking on Franchises Like 'G.I. Joe'; Which Sequels Can You Do Without?

News

"G.I. Joe Retaliation," a sequel to 2009's "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra," took in more than $130 million at the worldwide box office this weekend--although its three-day $40 million domestic number was half its foreign take. (The studio cleverly beefed up the weekend number with a Thursday preview.) Part of what's wrong with movies today is that the studios are willing to throw foreign-driven movies into the domestic market, where they often get bad reviews and turn people off, because they'll make their money overseas theatrically and via TV output deals, plus licensing and merchandising, action figures, DVDs, and the like. So it's no surprise that today sees news of Paramount already exploring sequel options for "G.I. Joe."

By Anne Thompson
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April 1, 2013 4:20 PM
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5 Comments

News

Eva Green will play the lead role of Ava Lord in Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's long-gestating "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," a character described in the graphic novels as "every man's most glorious dreams come true, she's also every man's darkest nightmares."

By Beth Hanna
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January 30, 2013 1:00 PM
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2 Comments

Festivals

As usually happens every year, the Sundance Film Festival has added four late entries to its 2013 lineup.

By Anne Thompson
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December 13, 2012 4:28 PM
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0 Comments

Festivals

Robert Rodriguez was on the roof of the Cannes JW Marriott the other day talking about the two sequels next on his plate: 'Sin City 2: A Dame To Kill For' and 'Machete Kills,' which he’ll shoot first, starting in the next few weeks.