Another Hollywood sequel as directors ensure payday
Has it really been a week already? That went quicker than the spaceship in the latest Indiana Jones , writes Andrew Tjaardstra, editor, Professional Broking.
Yes, over the long week-end I went to see George Lucas [co-writer and executive producer] and Steven Spielberg�s [director] latest chapter of the disbelieving professor�s journeys into the unknown. Sequels are all the rage in Hollywood and having recently interviewed Adrian Colosso, chief executive of Heath Lambert, reminds me of the film finance debacle it was involved in when many brokers and insurers began underwriting the future incomes of films - unfortunately a costly process (see June�s Professional Broking for the full interview).
Safe bet
It appears the safe bet in Hollywood to make some money these days is to revive a popular, tested formula (although in Spielberg's defence he said he did it for the fans). We have had Star Wars, Spiderman, Indiana and soon we will have the Incredible Hulk � to come just five years after the Hulk. Indeed Wikipedia reveals: �After the 2003 film Hulk, Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to the character, and writer Zak Penn began work on a reboot that would be closer to the comics and the television series.� Forget originality, why not pick up a successful format brush it off and remodel it!
Any good?
Does it work for Indiana � full name: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Well it depends on your point of view � and it did make �12.2m over the weekend in the UK whatever you think - but I liked it and it �does what it says on the tin�. Harrison Ford looks like he has never been away and the cinematography is great. The only gripe is the sci-fi ending where we aren�t really given an explanation of what the journey was really all about � but then that is part of the fun.
Press week
This week has been press week and a short one at that so the June edition of Professional Broking should be hitting your desks at the end of next week.
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