Green Lantern box office performance disappointment figured prominently in AP press releases announcing Time Warner’s second-quarter 2011 performance. While expressing disappointment with the film’s box office take and reservations about a sequel, Time Warner spokesmen indicated that DC superhero movies will continue to play a prominent role in the company’s marketing plan. As Barbara Ortutay and Ryan Nakashima reported:
One big disappointment in the quarter was the performance of “Green Lantern,” a superhero flick from Warner Bros.’ DC Comics unit. It brought in just $154 million at the box office worldwide since its June 17 release, despite costing an estimated $200 million to make and likely tens of millions of dollars more to market.
CEO Jeffrey Bewkes said the movie did not live up to expectations, prompting the company to reconsider whether to continue with the franchise even though the end of the movie strongly hinted at a sequel involving good-guy-turns-bad Sinestro.
Still, Bewkes said Warner Bros.’ strategy will continue to rely on DC Comics for blockbusters, especially with the “Harry Potter” franchise winding down. He pointed to a new Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises,” next year and a new Superman film in 2013.
“We think DC is going to be a major contributor of franchises for Warner,” he said.
For the full article, see Time Warner 2Q Upbeat but Economic Worries Drag