Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four has been released… and regretted in a matter of seconds. It is possibly the most turbulent release in comic book film history, other than Affleck’s Daredevil of course. In the aftermath of the bomb that is this film, the finger pointing has started with many agreeing the destruction lies in the dissention between Trank and Fox Studios.
Back in 2005 a little film that is easy to forget was made also bearing the title of Fantastic Four. A movie not bad enough to cancel the sequel but not good enough to garner praise, the film left an overwhelmingly large amount of fans unsatisfied and wanting for much, much, more than was given. It’s very rare in the hungry, hard to please world for a franchise to fail so hard, on two different chances given. What is so elusive about the Fantastic Four? Widely considered the founding family in Marvel comics, with decades of engaging, standard shattering storylines to follow, it is inevitably going to be remade again, but will this next time get it right? Here are four ways to make sure it is.
4. Have A Unified Production Team
Movies do not work if the director wants to make a different movie than the studio does. Assuredly, to make a solid motion picture that both allows a studio to make back the millions of dollars it will put into the picture, and gives the director the freedom to make the movie he or she wants to make, there can be no dissention between the two. From studio heads, to producers, to camera men, everyone must be on the same page. Trank’s dissention and disgust with the new film is a crystal clear reminder, and warning, of the necessity for this.
3. Pay Attention To The Genre The Film Exists In
Comic book movies were forever changed after Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight film was released. For the first time in years, this generation of filmmakers could truly see the full potential of these films. The Dark Knight changed how viewers watched these films, and set the bar for how epic and moving these movies have to be to stand out. One can let a film influence another film, without copying or ripping off. The 2005 Fantastic Four didn’t latch onto fans because honestly it felt like half a comedy, half an attempt at a dramatic science story. Some are saying that Trank’s delved too deeply into the sorrow and darkness of the genre. A middle ground can be found without sacrificing creativity. When Fantastic Four is made again, it must listen to itself and be sure of its vision, which relates back to #4.
2. Don’t Be Afraid To Update – But Be Careful
As Nolan’s films show once again, characters can be changed and updated to match the world a film creates without sacrificing the personality and the unique vision that the comic book version of these characters showed. Nolan updated villains appearances, origins, and ideals to fit a new, gritty age that he set his films in, and yet he still made these characters instantly recognizable and reminiscent of their comic forms, such as Bane and Harvey Dent for example. One can stay true to the skin and bones of a character and still dress him up a little differently than once seen. Trank’s film was not bad because it differed from the source material, as its problems lied elsewhere. The 2005 version was heavily faithful but still didn’t make for a unique film. It is possible to update without ripping the essence out of them. A balance can be found between faithfulness and adapting.
1. Don’t Listen To The Popular Opinion
Don’t listen to my opinion. Don’t listen to the fanboy’s opinions. Don’t listen to other directors. Don’t listen to anybody but one’s own creative team. Make a confident movie that doesn’t bog itself down in attempting to make money over making an interesting film. Build a team composed of dedicated writers, earnest producers, a director with a unique vision of themselves, and a dedicated cast, and leave behind the turmoil of Trank’s – and the clichés of 2005’s. That is what it takes to make the Fantastic Four fantastic.
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