Articles by Ryan Scott

Technology

Live-Action Jetsons Movie Taking Flight With A Head-Scratching Actor-Director Duo

Though it may seem odd at first glance, one can see why Trevorrow and Carrey would be an appealing pairing to Warner Bros. Trevorrow directed "Jurassic World," one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. He also helmed 2022's "Jurassic World Dominion" which, despite lousy reviews, still crossed the $1 billion mark. The man has proved that he knows how to bring a franchise back from the dead. His other credits include the acclaimed "Safety Not Guaranteed" and the maligned flop "The Book of Henry." As for Carrey, he's a superstar whose films have grossed over $6 billion globally. While he was at one point threatening retirement, he's revived his star power in a big way thanks to his involvement in the $1 billion "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise. Carrey has played the evil Dr. Robotnik in all three films thus far, with "Sonic 4" currently in development. While certain viewers might question Trevorrow's prowess in light of some of his misfires, Warner Bros. cares primarily about a director's ability to bring in an audience. Trevorrow had done that, which is why he was also the original choice to direct "Star Wars: Episode IX." Pairing him with a guy like Carrey, with this material, does make business sense on paper. The original "Jetsons" cartoon series initially aired for three seasons on ABC, spanning 75 episodes between 1962 and 1963. Its characters have remained part of the culture through video games, comics, and movies ever since, with "Jetsons: The Movie" arriving in 1990. But can Trevorrow and Carrey make modern audiences care about this property? That is the very expensive question Warner Bros. is seeking to answer. "The Jetsons" does not currently have a release date, but stay tuned.

Technology

Disney Spent Nearly $600 Million Making The Most Divisive Star Wars Movie - Was It Worth It?

Although it came out nearly six years ago, we've only just learned how much money Disney spent making 2019's "Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker." While the original estimated budget for the "Star Wars" trilogy capper was in the $275 million range (which is still an eye-popping amount of money), it turns out the cost was actually much, much higher. A report from Forbes has revealed that Disney spent nearly $600 million making the intensely divisive "Rise of Skywalker." However, the actual budget was lower than that, relatively speaking. Per the report, the gross spending by Disney was $593.7 million. But that was before tax credits from the U.K. kicked in. That's where things get interesting. Disney was ultimately reimbursed $103.8 million in tax credits from the U.K. government, bringing the net budget to $489.9 million. Assuming that's accurate, "Rise of Skywalker" is, indeed, one of the most expensive movies ever made, right alongside director J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" ($447 million) and "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" ($465 million). Again, assuming those numbers are accurate. Studios go out of their way to hide budgets from the public. It's easier to do in the U.S. since they're generally folded into a company's total expenses for an individual quarter, as opposed to an individual basis. However, to get these coveted U.K. tax credits, everything must be documented. Hence, studios set up companies for each production, allowing them to do precisely that. The reports are then revealed, slowly but surely. That's where we get this utterly absurd price tag for "Rise of Skywalker." Granted, franchise budgets have been spiraling out of control for years now, but this is egregious even in an era where we hardly bat at an eye at a $200 million budget.