There’s a guy by the name of Edward Jay Epstein, who writes a column for Slate called “The Hollywood Economist”. I can’t recommend it enough for getting the real lowdown on that blackest of arts, money and movie industry. You know, all the stuff about various blockbusters that haven’t made money according to arcane Hollywood accounting practices, despite having turned over squillions of dollars at the box office?
Epstein does his best to explain what Hollywood’s doing. Here’s his latest column from Slate in which he examines the Paramount/Dreamworks deal that was announced over the weekend.
It’s a fascinating explanation about how it came to pass that Paramount simply didn’t have a slate of movies to release during 2006/7 due to managerial decisions. Remarkably, Epstein states that even Mission Impossible 3, surely Paramount’s biggest film of the coming year, came close to cancellation.
I urge you to read more of Epstein’s columns which you can find linked at the foot of the Paramount one. In particular, check out how a very so-so film like Tomb Raider, was guaranteed to turn a profit before the cameras had started rolling.