Why Lady In The Water Suffered At The Box Office

July 20th, 2007 | 2006 Releases

This post was originally written August 8, 2006: 

Warner Bros screwed up big time. They finally got what they wanted, M. Night Shyamalan. He wrote an original, really cool story and they panicked. They thought they had to market as a horror film because thats what Disney had done with his other films and been successful. The previews made the movie look like you would have to endure 2 hours of pure terror. 

I am a big Shyamalan fan and would have seen this movie no matter what the preview was, but even I thought to myself, “Is that all this movie is going to be? A wierd looking wolf attacking people for the whole movie? It doesn’t sound appealing.”  

I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was not about the wolf but instead was an original story about the amazing role normal people can play in someones life. Days after I had seen the movie I couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

I have spoken to many people asking them if they will go see Lady and many said that it looks too scary. Even when I tell them it isn’t scary at all, they won’t believe me. Instead they are going to see Pirates 2. Everyone has to see that right? I mean, it’s Pirates 2. 

So what has happened, is a good original story that should have been seen by the masses is quickly moving out of theatres while a below average sequel continues to break box office records.  

Here is the message we have implanted in the minds and hearts of

Hollywood: Make more sequels and make lots of money. Make original movies and lose money. Great, I can’t wait to see Transporter 3 or Posiedon 2. It is a crime against movie goers and we’re the one’s to blame. 

What I intend to do: 

Now that the previews have stopped playing people should start to forget how “scary” the movie looks, I am going on a grass roots campaign to tell as many people as I can how good the movie was and that they have to go see it. Im going to go take my wife and see it again. Im going to do my part to help support one of the very few people in Hollywood that actually comes up with their own original ideas instead of using a book, comic or video game to make a quick buck.  

Support Originality! That’s my motto now. If you agree with what I have said, then please tell everyone you know to see the movie. Let’s make sure that more original ideas come to the big screen and less below average sequels.


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