Movie Musicals following Dreamgirls success?

[AdamBritten]

Does anyone think that Hairspray and Sweeney Todd will be able to attract as much attention as Dreamgirls did?

I'm really hoping Sweeney Todd will be good enough to get noticed.

[shesamarshmallow]

I wouldn't say Dreamgirls was a success.

[Kringas]

?

[StickToPriest]

How would you say DREAMGIRLS wasn't a success????

It grossed over $100 million. It won two Oscars. It was extremely high-profile.

Maybe it didn't live up to the hype (it wasn't as good as I thought it would be by far), but it was still a success.

[wickedfan]

As of right now, Dreamgirls is not a financial nor is it a critical success. In a way, all of the hype surrounding it really worked against it. I loved it, as did many, but because Dreamworks was building it up to be the best thing since sliced bread, numerous critics and audience members left underwhelmed.

That being said, it's hard to say what Sweeney or Hairspray will be. Hairspray could be fun, but I'll remain skeptical until the day it opens and Sweeney isn't at all a property that defines "box office smash". It would be great if it became surprisngly popular. But unless it scores big with critics and awards, I doubt that it will do nearly what even Dreamgirls did domestically.

[perfectliar]

How is it not a financial success? I'd heard its budget, after marketing, was $70 million. It's grossed $100 million. Is my info wrong?

[bwayboi4life42]

Sweeney will probably do well at the box office, however, because it's Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.

[wickedfan]

It's budget was 75 and the studio only takes in half of what the movie does domesticaly and a little less than half internationally.

[wickedfan]

So, depending on how much makes in both ventures, we'll have to wait until Dreamgirls makes about 150-160 million worldwide to call it a financial success.

[jacobsnchz14]

I know HAIRSPRAY will be a hit! They are getting so much publicity like DREAMGIRLS did! I think there will be more merchandise for 'SPRAY though when the movie comes out.

[ashbash1990]

Sweeney will definatly gross a lot...

[MLE]

I think it's really the studio's own fault that they didn't make as much money as they wanted with Dreamgirls. They released it in such an odd way. It took months before we got it in theaters around here and it was gone again in a blink of an eye.
Same thing with The Queen.

[wonderfulwizard11]

I think if Hairspray markets its star cast well, it could do very well. Same with Sweeney. They have to advertise Johnny Depp like crazy, and play up the horror movie aspect of it a lot.

[keen on kean]

I get the feeling that DREAMGIRLS had great word of mouth. I don't know if SWEENEY will have that - once the first wave of Depp plus horror fans recedes, there may not be a lot of people out there anxious for the substance. I adore SWEENEY but the play does not have a large pre-sold audience and I am afraid the musical won't either. Even after I go to it like a zillion times, which I probably will.

[SeanMartin]

There was nothing odd about the way DG was released: it's a fairly common practice to have a movie released first in a larger market, then to the smaller ones. DG simply wasnt a great film, sorry. It'll probably recoup its investment on DVD, but not in theatrical release.

I agree that SWEENEY is problematic, but Burton's pulled stranger rabbits out of hats (EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, anyone?).

HAIRSPRAY? It all depends on the film. It could be a huge hit or it could go down in flames. I dont thnk there'll be any middle room.

[Urban]

I just read on Broadway.com that 'Dreamgirls' is the 4th most successful musical of all time (after 'Grease', 'Chicago' & 'Rocky Horror'). Yikes.

I don't think that takes in inflation adjustment (I figure at the very least 'The Sound of Music' would be up there if that was the case), but it goes to show that Musicals just ain't the biggest money makers BUT in terms of the genre as a whole, 'Dreamgirls' was a success.

[NS]

Dreamgirls wasnt really a hit over here in the uk. Only grossed £3-£4million, so not as big a success as Chicago, and got a mix of reviews.

Hairspray has an amazing cast, but it looks a bit dull and muted in the pics, not as bright as I was expecting.

I think Sweeney Todd will be amazing, with Johnny Depp and Tim Burton its the dream team!

[TonyaFanatic]

DREAMGIRLS is definitely a success over here. A minor success, but definitely a success all the same. The budget was a little over 70 million. It has grossed about 100 million and it will continue to do more. It is not out of theatres yet.

[just_me1981]

Dreamgirls wasn't a success here in Australia either. Outside of the Theatre community it isn't very well known as a musical, and because it wasn't marketed as a musical (at least here) it was recieved very poorly - the night I saw it I had the entire audience groaning whenever they sang if it was not on stage or in a studio - quite extraordinary to hear!

Sweeney could possibly do well here as Opera Australia is presently in the middle of their second national tour of the show (the first one being in 2001), so it may be fresh in the public's mind! Tim Burton and Johnny Depp always seem to do well together - here's hoping!

[NS]

yeah i agree, many people didnt realise it was a musical in the UK. They knew there would be songs, but its not promoted as a musical

Anyoen who says it's not a success financially I think would have to claim that VERY few of the movies out there were successes (wasn't Superman Returns deemed ultimatley a minor success even though it cost upwards of 180 mill and din't win too much more?)

Boxofficemojo has its breakdown at:
Domestic: $101,233,784 78.5%
+ Foreign: $27,680,910 21.5%

-------------------------------------------------------------
= Worldwide: $128,914,694

Which is at any rate the biggest gross for a musical since Chicago--Phantom never made as good a profit (did it?) and Rent and Producers didn't even come close...

Also who said it was a critical flop? Metacritic, which gathers the major reviews has it at a 76% positive review (http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/dreamgirls) which plac3es it review wise in the top 20--high up (the numbers below are the percentage of good reviews of films currently in release):

98 Pan's Labyrinth
91 Queen, The
89 Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
89 Letters from Iwo Jima
85 Departed, The
85 Zodiac
84 Children of Men
83 Volver
80 Casino Royale
80 Little Miss Sunshine
77 Happy Feet
76 Dreamgirls
74 Flushed Away
74 Bridge to Terabithia
74 Breach
73 Notes on a Scandal
70 Curse of the Golden Flower
69 Babel

[folkyboy]

well i loved Dreamgirls. a LOT.

[Sumofallthings]

It's such a disappointment to scroll down these threads and not seeing Margo or Michael Bennett's names.

[best12bars]

I think the real (serious) problem here is not the success of the movie Dreamgirls... it's how some people on this board judge and evaluate "success."

You're either the best that ever was in the history of "ever"... or your a failure.

What a f*cked up society we live in, if that's the case.

[tazber]

I think that Dreamgirls will be a money maker after you add in dvd, cd, and other ancillary markets.

Sweeney is a different story all together. I love it dearly, in fact it is in my top 5. But I think the movie will not do well.
Johnny Depp as Sweeney? Love Depp, don't see this working though.
Sweeney should be an imposing figure. Depp seems a little slight to me. Picture him singing epiphany. I can't see it.

Also, the score is not as mainstream as Dreamgirls. That film used a fairly contemporary idiom musically. And Chicago had very definitive songs. Sweeney is border-line operetta. I'm not sure Burton can translate that without it losing some of its gravitas.

And lastly, Rachel Weisz(sp)? IMO, Mrs. Lovett is one of the greatest female roles in musical theatre history. Weisz also seems too young.

I make these points to stimulate discussion. I am curious to hear all of your opinions.