lifestyle MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2014

Citroen owners take part in a utility vehicles and 2 CV parade during the “Euro Citro 2014”, on the circuit of Le Mans, western France yesterday. Almost 2,500 Citroen cars - DS, Traction Avant, TUB, 2 CV - took part in the event dedicated to French carmaker Citroen’s fans and car owners. — AFP photos Hollywood uses sequels to cash in big on the cheap f that film looks familiar there’s a reason: Hollywood is relying more than ever on the cash cow that is the safe-bet sequel. From I“X-Men” to “Transformers” to “Planet of the Apes,” this season’s blockbusters increasingly are sequels-and sequels of sequels-to escape ever more unwelcome financial risks. “Sequels are like safety nets for studios and investors; they consistently deliver the most potent box office punch,” said Jeff Bock, a spokesman for industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, which keeps the numbers at US and Canadian box offices. “Consider this: seven of the 10 top-grossing movies this year are sequels and/or reboots. And that’s very typical, as the last few years have trended the same way,” he said giving examples like “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which has earned a whopping $715 mil- lion worldwide. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” has netted $710 million; “22 Jump Street” a more than respectable almost $300 million; and “How to Train Your Dragon 2” with a noteworthy $465 million. The northern hemisphere summertime is famously thick with sequels, with many people on vacation and most children with more time than usual to catch a movie. A few weeks later, roughly from September onwards, films that are hoping to get attention as poten- tial Oscar candidates jockey for moviegoers attention.

‘That familiar feeling 2’ There is nothing new, really, about Hollywood wheeling out big- Stellar box office budget sequels to successful global hits. Franchises like “James Bond” and “Superman,” “Star Wars,” “Rocky,” “Terminator” and “Harry Potter” debut for ‘Guardians have tended to keep on remaking it big. And “one look at the release schedule over the next few years shows more of the same: sequels, sequels and reboots,” Bock said. 2014 of the Galaxy’ On Friday, the United States will get the rollout of a new “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” flick, the animated favorite; and in weeks to uardians of the Galaxy,” the latest Marvel come there will be premieres for familiar-sounding “The Expendables superhero flick, stormed the North 3” with Sylvester Stallones and Antonio Banderas, and “Sin City 2”, “G American box office over the weekend, with Jessica Alba, Eva Green and Mickey Rourke. “Having a property taking in a whopping $94.3 million, industry figures studios don’t have to sell to new audiences is key: that saves a lot of showed. With an ensemble cast that includes Bradley money on the back end, and it’s much easier to tie-in to companies Cooper, Vin Diesel and Chris Pratt, “Guardians” easily that want to cross-promote and invest in a franchise that is a known bested last week’s number one earner, sci-fi thriller commodity,” Bock said. “Lucy,” which sank to second place with a weekend gross of nearly $18.3 million, according to box office Better safe than creative? tracker Exhibitor Relations. “Get On Up,” a biopic In other words, betting on a “Star Wars” sequel and tie-in toys, is about US soul singer James Brown, debuted in third pretty safe business in a jittery industry. “It is so competitive, to get place with nearly $14 million in ticket sales. In fourth people’s attention, that studios feel like that (sequels help them) place at $11 million was big-budget action film have pre-awareness” benefiting even from potentially short attention “Hercules,” starring Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson. It spans, said Glenn Williamson, a film professor at UCLA. Olivier dropped two places from last week. “Dawn of the Margerie, a spokesman for global heavyweight Disney, said that in Planet of the Apes,” the critically praised latest install- many cases, studio bigwigs decide to rev up the sequel machine ment in the sci-fi film series about apes co-existing even without knowing if the first movie will be a smash. with humans, drew $8.7 million for fifth place. “Production on ‘Planes: Fire & Rescue’ started when the first Disney’s “Planes: Fire & Rescue,” the computer-ani- mated movie about a talking plane that helps fire- ‘Planes’ hadn’t even been released,” he said, describing it as basically fighters save a national park, made $6 million, leaving as a “financial” bet. Of course, not every sequel catches everyone’s it in sixth place. Horror sequel “The Purge: Anarchy,” imagination. There have been plenty of underwhelming bets, from meanwhile, dropped to seventh place at $5.9 million. “Ghostbusters II” (1989) to “The Exorcist 2” (1977) and even “Basic “Sex Tape,” a comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Instinct 2.” Jason Segel as parents frantic to keep their sex tape But Hollywood keeps getting better at tweaking the recipe for off the Internet, was number eight, pulling in $3.5 success. “Sequels if they do their work (help them) not having to edu- million. Not far behind in ninth with $3.3 million in cate audiences about what this movie is,” said Bock, noting that helps receipts was “And So It Goes,” a romantic comedy star- fuel their big budgets. “Big markets like China, Russia, and India are ring Oscar winners Michael Douglas and Diane almost incentivizing them to make these movies,” Williamson said. Yet Keaton. “A Most Wanted Man,” a spy thriller with the he says any hit franchise worth its bucket of popcorn can “run out of late Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his last per- steam” at some point. In this industry with some incredibly big bot- formances, held to 10th place in its second week in tom lines, Williamson was not afraid to throw some shade. “They are theaters, earning $3.2 million. —AFP afraid to take creative risks,” the professor said. — AFP Euro Citro