From the inside looking out, the anatomy of a box office flop

2 September 2011

Sean Hood, screenplay co-writer of recently released — and less than spectacularly received — Conan the Barbarian, describes how a movie that flops feels from the point of view of its producers.

By about 9 PM it’s clear when your “candidate” has lost by a startlingly wide margin, more than you or even the most pessimistic political observers could have predicted. With a movie its much the same: trade magazines like Variety and Hollywood Reporter call the weekend winners and losers based on projections. That’s when the reality of the loss sinks in, and you don’t sleep the rest of the night.

What a horrid feeling. But do read Hood’s full article, there’s hope in there amongst the despair.

Originally published Friday 2 September 2011.