Serenity opens at #5 in Germany—All now depends on DVD
POSTED BY: StakeTheLurk
UPDATED: Thursday, December 1, 2005 23:25
VIEWED: 14604
PAGE 1 of 4
The BDM has finally opened in what’s probably the last big overseas market (Japan has cancelled distribution), and it hasn’t been doing so great (see: http://whedonesque.com/comments/8868). Here’s what Gossi, a poster at Whedonesque with contacts at Universal and UIP, had to say:
Quote:Looks like it's down to the DVD, like we’ve suspected for a while. But Serenity hasn’t even hit #1 in the US yet, much less internationally. Like Gossi said, if anyone’s got an idea how to do this, please speak up now.
Originally posted by gossi on Whedonesque:
Reuters report places it 5th with $406759 USD.
Which is better than 9th, but still quite bad. Apparently parts of Germany had very bad weather this weekend which will have effected the outcome (snow storms).
By the way, if anybody is in Japan, I believe the distributor is planning to do a one off cinema screening for fans in December as a thank you.
I've spoken to people from both Universal and UIP over the last few days, the general feeling they give is that they need to DVD to go internationally #1 now to secure a sequel, so if anybody has any idea how to achieve that, I'm all ears.
In good news, also, it appears Blockbuster US is planning to carry Serenity now.
…
Total is $36m'ish at mo. I think it'll finish around $38m in terms of box office, which is about on target with estimates from a while ago.
NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Some one formulate an idea how many each Browncoat will have to purchase to do this, and then give us our marching orders and we'll pick up and carry for folks that can't buy that many and we'll keep trying to convert as many new Browncoats as we possibly can. That is all I know to do and I'm willing. I'm purchasing at least 4 of the BDM DVD's now, but I can up that.... by at least 4 more. I know there are folks out there who are gonna be lucky to get 1 for Christmas, so let us know and we'll all try to pick up slack as we can. I know there are other Browncoats who will be purchasing several and maybe quite a few. We'll just have to all work together. And there will be new converts along.... this fanbase is growing... all you have to do is notice the newbies joining our ranks.
I've made up my mind that I'm going to buy "Firefly" for my local video store ( little store, known the owner all my life- everyone in my town goes there) and have them rent it. Also going to get one for my local library and donate it. That will bring in converts.
Then I'll do the same with the movie.
I read somewhere on a thread that "Wonder Woman" should do quite well for Universal ( I agree with that by the way) and I think that will have some influence with the powers that be, too.
This isn't over yet... I believe.
"You want to meet the real me now?" Mal
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
By my own calculations, every browncoat needs to buy at least three copies of the BDM--but not everyone will actually purchase that much so by all means buy as many as you feel appropriate! 
While a successful Wonder Woman might give Joss some extra clout, the effect on Universal will be diminished by the fact that Wonder Woman is not a Universal pic, but rather is funded by Warner Brothers.
I've been hammering this for months ( http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=14173), but I'll say it again: The DVD will not be successful if we sit idly by hoping it does well--we have to make it successful by buying multiple copies, spreading guerrilla marketing (and the R. Tam Sessions), and by continuing to convert as many as possible. We have to sell an enormous amount of DVDs--and we haven't even beat the record set by Firefly yet (which made it to #1 at Amazon on preorders alone).
NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Keep hammering it StakeTheLurk, I'm listening and so will others.
I just went to Amazon and changed my order to 8... and I called my Mom and she is ordering some ( I hope 3) for Christmas gifts now. I convinced her that some of the folks on her list will like this much better than what she had down. She's a new fan too, by the way.
All the folks that worked so hard to get us the BDM started this, we'll ALL just have to keep moving forward.
I'm writing some more letters tonight too. I've written one each to Universal and SciFi, but I'm going to keep it up. It can't hurt for them to hear how much we love this 'verse, or how appreciative we are to them for taking this chance for us, or how much more we want another movie.
I'm going to call my daughter, she's young, a new fan, very motivated and she'll rally some support among her friends to order the DVD.
If she hasn't already done it. 
I don't think it's a good spot, sir.
She still has the advantage over us. ZOE
Everyone always does.
That's what makes us special. MAL
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Please God don't let there be a sequel!
This franchise belongs on TV or nowhere at all. Period. Hopefully the right people will get that message from the mediocre reception for the movie.
I'll buy one copy of the movie on DVD, but I bought 12 copies of the Firefly set. And I'll probably buy more.
Die, Serenity! Die!!
---
"If wishes were horses, we'd all be eatin' steak."
NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Please God don't let there be a sequel!
This franchise belongs on TV or nowhere at all. Period. Hopefully the right people will get that message from the mediocre reception for the movie.
If a movie sequel is all we get, then we should be grateful. A TV series would obviously be better, but I wouldn't complain if there's only movies from now on.
"I aim to misbehave."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
That's wonderful that Gossi has contacts at Universal, and I hope he will ask them two things:
1) Of course Japan has cancelled distribution, and the screening will be a disaster, because Japan has been in huge diplomatic conflicts with China recently over the atrocities Japan committed there in WWII, and Japan hates anything Chinese right now (I know because I live in China). Why didn't Universal distribute it in China and Hong Kong, because of the Chinese language used in it? Which one is the bigger market, do they think: China or the island of Japan?
2) Why don't they investigate the way the film Serenity was promoted, for example, in Spain, where after the film opened to excellent critical reviews there, the promoters showed it at only ONE cinema in Barcelona, and a few tiny towns, while maybe not at all in Madrid? It didn't do well because it wasn't shown at the cinemas.
3) Why is the DVD opening in Germany before the USA, or am I mistaken about that? I don't understand!
NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
This is a crazy idea but how about holding the telvision companies at gun point. Theres enough of us they can't arrest us all 
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Sorry! I should have read the Whedonesque comments first! I thought the film had completely closed everywhere now, and the DVD was coming soon. Yes, I know: Woman a complete prat...
NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:Unlikely. If the movie does poorly, the ‘verse is dead on any screen. Dead. Why? Because “Firefly” was and still largely is considered a failure by the industry. The movie was the second chance to prove everyone wrong, to prove that the ‘verse had a market. If it had done well, suddenly there would have been a whole flurry of interest in the film. Everyone would want a peace of the pie. But the movie hasn’t done well. Studios don’t throw good money after bad. Or at least they don’t back a proven loser. Sci-fi won’t start up a series; it’s too expensive and besides the first show and its movie failed. Fox will just sit and let the money keep trickling in from the “Firefly” DVD. I think the ‘verse belongs on TV, too, but it ain’t gonna happen unless the Big Damn Movie does Big Damn Well on DVD. So, glad you’re gonna buy a copy of the film. You support Serenity and the chances of a return to TV improve.
Hopefully the right people will get that message from the mediocre reception for the movie.
Quote:Nellie, I really don’t see what the cancellation of the film distribution in Japan has to do with the simmering feud between Japan and China (and the rest of East Asia). Odds are UIP Japan simply decided it would be more profitable to go direct to DVD. As for why there is no opening in the China or Hong Kong, that is due to the massive pirating that occurs there. It’s just not profitable to pay for film reels and theater space and advertising, when anyone who wants to see the film has already seen it or can buy a copy on the street for little money. That’s why Japan is seen as the bigger market, because there’s less piracy there. As for whether the Chinese dialogue would have turned viewers away, I doubt it. There’s, like, five lines of Chinese in the whole film--and plenty of written Japanese. I don’t think that’s enough to get most people to blow off a whole movie, especially when most of them won’t even know about it going in. Oh, and I’ve no idea when Germany is getting the DVD, certainly not before the US.
I hope he will ask them two things
NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME