Every Film Doesn’t Need Its Own Universe

With the just lately introduced Poohniverse, one factor has turn out to be abundantly clear: franchises are getting uncontrolled.

A number of months in the past I talked concerning the onslaught of Public Area Horror Movies we have been being subjected to. And whereas these movies would have been relegated to straight to DVD in a unique period, Fathom Occasions has come alongside and given a platform to those smaller initiatives. So as an alternative of toiling within the cut price bins at Walmart, they’re given temporary theatrical runs. One such movie was the just lately launched Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2. Shockingly, the movie wasn’t horrible (you may take a look at my constructive assessment right here) however what I used to be struck by was the temporary introduction by the filmmakers.

Star/Producer Scott Chambers and Author/Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield speak to digicam about their plans for what they describe because the Poohniverse. What precisely is the Poohniverse? Nicely, it’s an MCU-style world the place characters like Pooh, Bambi, and Peter Pan exist collectively and homicide individuals. As confirmed by Blood and Honey 2, there’s some leisure available watching traditional characters homicide teenagers, slasher-style. The bar is fairly low as long as they embody a surplus of kills. After collaborating in their very own particular person movies, the horror-slanted characters would come collectively Avengers-style for Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble.

The largest concern I’ve is that the filmmakers aren’t merely ready to see if there’s a need and demand for this, they’re merely displaying their filmmaker roadmap. And positive, I’m positive there’s a little bit of poking enjoyable on the MCU approach of doing reveals, but it surely doesn’t make theirs any much less ludicrous. There’s no telling how profitable these movies will probably be and, given their heavy reliance on gimmick, it wouldn’t shock me if the joke rapidly dissipates. As a result of I think about “traditional literary characters killing individuals” has a shelf life.

Fortunately, not like the MCU which might typically span years forward, the plan for the Poohniverse merely extends to 2025. However even nonetheless, it feels very cocky to even anticipate to have the ability to make such dumb motion pictures and anticipate others to have any semblance of connection to it. One of many appeals to this type of movie is that you may go in with none data of something, and simply take pleasure in your self. Deliver a bunch of mates and simply chortle at it. However by making a universe, there’s an expectation positioned on the viewer that they should know previous occasions so as to perceive the complete story. Even when that’s not the case, the MCU and different collection have conditioned basic audiences to a unique world.

And whereas it in all probability looks like I’m choosing on the Poohniverse, that is merely probably the most related instance. However this could possibly be stated for a lot of totally different makes an attempt at launching a franchise earlier than there was even a need from audiences for one. Within the seek for a profitable collection, firms are wanting previous a very powerful factor: an viewers’s need for extra. And after they know there’s one other one across the nook, what’s to get them to purchase a ticket?

What do you assume? Does each movie want its personal universe of movies? Can we ever simply have standalone motion pictures anymore? Has the MCU ruined all the pieces? Tell us within the feedback under!