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Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

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101–108 of 108 posts

Re: Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

#101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They'd probably need to spend another $70-$100 million promoting it. So they need to get let's say $170 million returned to the studio to break even. The judgement must be that they won't achieve that. For example, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny failed commercially at the box office: https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Dial... Disney spent $300 million making it and will have spent at least…

Who gets the majority of that 70-100 million? The FAANGs?

Here's an example from the UK in 2018:

https://stephenfollows.com/how-are-movie-advertising-budgets...

TV got most of it 5 years ago in the UK.

Re: Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

#102
post #100
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, how is advertising 100% of the budget? Surely you need to also make a movie?

If you have a $200M movie, you'll need to spend $200M in advertising as well.

Ah, the production and advertising budgets are separate, got it, thanks.

Re: Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

#103
post #83
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's why this should be legislated upon them - because they can't to The Right Thing by themselves.

I definitely would not hate that, though I can't really see such a law being passed, at least given the status quo.

Me neither. And anyone who votes for it can count on being banned from Hollywood for life.

Re: Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

#104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Principle photography is done for this film, but it's effects heavy and there's nothing to suggest the effects work is anywhere near done, and releasing stuff also costs money. You seem to feel like this is a completed master sat on the shelf, but it's likely not more than 60% complete to something that could be released.

I'd assume that it's at least almost complete, as the article states that there have been test viewings. Also, the Wikipedia page [0] says that the the film had been completed , so I'd assume that at least a preliminary fully edited version exists. Maybe my definition of "completed" isn't entirely accurate here, though. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_vs._Acme#Cancellation

> I'd assume that it's at least almost complete, as the article states that there have been test viewings.

Some of the reporting today is suggesting that the film is a lot closer to being completed than previously reported, so fair enough if so.

But for what it's worth it is very common for test viewings to include extremely unfinished animated work, including pencil storyboards with some voice acting over it.

Re: Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

#105
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you saying that it would have sold $30 million in tickets, or that WB would have gotten $30 million from the theaters after the theaters get their cut?

Theaters mostly don’t get a cut on these films. WB gets all the box office and the theater makes money on concessions.

> Theaters mostly don’t get a cut on these films. WB gets all the box office and the theater makes money on concessions.

That's absolutely not true, especially internationally.

Re: Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

#106
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but if they released it, it's pretty certain to make way more than 30 million. It's pretty unlikely this film will make $30 million, and they would have to spend at least another five to ten million to release it (profit participation from talent, marketing (which is probably contractually obligated), finalising post production, mastering, distribution etc etc.). The effects work is nowhere near done etc. > And the…

> and they would have to spend at least another five to ten million to release it That's very optimistic. P&A (print and advertising, but since movies are now released in digital copies, the print part has become negligible) usually is between half and 100% of the production budget.

> That's very optimistic. P&A (print and advertising, but since movies are now released in digital copies, the print part has become negligible) usually is between half and 100% of the production budget.

I was assuming they would do the absolute bare minimum in advertising tbh, that was mostly print costs and just the basics like providing poster art and standees etc. As you say, if you wanted any effective marketing at all you'd be looking at five to ten times that.

Re: Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

#107
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm struggling to see how their costs for releasing with 0 marketing are that much higher than scrapping.

The cost of releasing with 0 marketing is that they forego the $30M tax write-off.

It doesn't. A loss is a loss.

Re: Warner Bros shelves finished ‘Coyote vs. Acme’, takes $30M tax write-off

#108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd assume that it's at least almost complete, as the article states that there have been test viewings. Also, the Wikipedia page [0] says that the the film had been completed , so I'd assume that at least a preliminary fully edited version exists. Maybe my definition of "completed" isn't entirely accurate here, though. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_vs._Acme#Cancellation

> I'd assume that it's at least almost complete, as the article states that there have been test viewings. Some of the reporting today is suggesting that the film is a lot closer to being completed than previously reported, so fair enough if so. But for what it's worth it is very common for test viewings to include extremely unfinished animated work, including pencil storyboards with some voice acting over it.

I've never seen a test viewing, so I apparently had a somewhat naïve idea. Thanks for the heads up!
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