"Yuma" Goes Down
Missed last night's news about the plug being pulled on James Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma, which was going to star Tom Cruise earlier this year and then lost Cruise and got Russell Crowe to step into his shoes. Nicole Laporte's Variety story quoted "sources" as saying that "part of Sony's concern was the back-end gross of Crowe, a $20 million star [on top of} another concern that Westerns don't typically travel abroad." Mangold says Yuma isn't a typical ponderous western, etc., but obviously this is yet another shutdown of a big-star movie over concerns about back-end gross participation. Go, ballsy studio execs...kick those stars in the ass! Cut 'em down to size! Stand tall, hang tough...revolution is in the air! (Claude Brodesser on TMZ.com agrees -- "Hollywood to Gross Players: Drop Dead.")
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 23, 2006 at 5:11 PM
comment #1
Brody says ...
Oh yes, this is fantastic, another promising movie up in flames! This doesn't mean jack shit except that studios won't pay for a quality blockbuster that isn't a sure fire hit with no built in fan base (like Ripley's), but will break a hip greenlighting Pirates of the Caribbean 4: Johnny Depp ruins himself. I can barely contain myself over the next no name horror feature being made for peanuts.
Posted by Brody at June 23, 2006 5:40 PM
comment #2
Anonymous says ...
Russell Crowe seems to be developing a rep for screwing up movies on the brink of being made. He pulled out of two consecutive Nicole Kidman movies -- face it Nicole, he doesn't want to work with you -- then both American Ganster and 3:10 to Yuma fell apart because of astronomical budgets. This guy needs to accept that his last movie flopped, everyone thinks he's insane for throwing that phone, and his next movie won't happen until he gets a hold of his ego and works for a credible fee. And how can anyone demand $20 million+ for a western. That's insane!
Posted by Anonymous at June 23, 2006 6:28 PM
comment #3
delbomber says ...
Back-end gross? Let's be real here, shall we? Back-end gross=opening. Execs are afraid this movie won't 'open'. What a crock of shit.
Congratulations, Mr. Wells, you've contributed to this mindset and made your mark in Hollywood. The man sticking it to the...man? Yeah!!
Keep promoting those tracking numbers...
Posted by delbomber at June 23, 2006 9:05 PM
comment #4
Nick says ...
James Mangold has earned the right to make whatever movie he wants to, in my eyes anyway. He's paid his dues and has earned his shot at the home run, but if a western costs more than 60 million, i'd like to know how its possible.
Furthermore, I'd pay Crowe 10 million tops.
Posted by Nick at June 23, 2006 10:48 PM
comment #5
Larry says ...
Maybe 3:10 To Yuma would be good, maybe it would be bad, but what's all this deference to Mangold. He's a mediocre director at best.
Posted by Larry at June 23, 2006 11:56 PM
comment #6
Rob says ...
:Oh yes, this is fantastic, another promising movie up in flames!
It was a remake of a film that didn't need remaking in the first place. What the hell was so wrong with the original? So it was cancelled - well good - and good on the studio for having the balls to stand up to the greedy salary demands of stars and directors.
Posted by Rob at June 24, 2006 2:57 AM
comment #7
Catherine says ...
Oh right, mr/ms anonymous at 6:28pm, Crowe just this past week is allegedly attached to the film and suddenly Sony pulls out. That makes a whole lot of sense. If Sony wasn't concerned earlier with Cruise's salary and back end participation, I doubt they were that concerned with Crowe's. And Mangold is saying the budget is still $60m so Crowe is probably taking less than his usual salary.
Sorry, Jeffrey, this time I agree with Dave Poland, who says on his blog that he thinks it's less to do with back end participation than it is Sony itself. Sony is apparently getting out of the 'movie' business and is concerned mainly with the movie 'business'. They are definitely after the #1 weekend spot.
http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/
Sony did this exact same thing with Mangold with Walk the Line, led him right up to the gate and then got cold feet. Mangold got WTL made with Fox and it turned out to be a critical and commercial success. I'm not usually a big supporter of sequels/remakes but
3:10 to Yuma would get my support and I hope Mangold finds a studio to make it.
Posted by Catherine at June 24, 2006 9:48 AM
comment #8
cadavra says ...
It might also be a case of Sony getting cold feet after THE MISSING--which had a big-shot director and a huge budget--tanked big-time. The fact that it was a crashing bore apparently doesn't enter into it.
Posted by cadavra at June 24, 2006 4:45 PM
comment #9
Gill says ...
Crowe has recently made A Good Year for Ridley Scott - budget $35 million total; followed by Tenderness - a small indie film for John Polson (small budget). According to reports he was going to take a lower fee for the Luhrmann film and did take a lower upfront fee for both Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind.
So the reports that his $20 million asking price put Sony off ring somewhat hollow...
Back end deals I don't know about: but I can't imagine Crowe's are any different from any other A-list star - and, anyway, aren't they dependent on profits?
Posted by Gill at July 2, 2006 2:45 AM