Culture news This 180 million sci-fi film was a resounding failure at the cinema. Sacrificed by Disney, it is available on Disney+
Despite all the good will in the world, five-star casts and budgets running into hundreds of millions of dollars, certain films are doomed to disappear into general indifference. This was the case of a Disney project which was a victim of Disney’s strategy.
An unexpected adaptation
After the unexpected and totally deserved success of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy, Disney sniffed out the vein of adaptations of attractions and quickly began work on a science fiction project based this time on a land, a thematic sector of a park. The North American firm has set its sights on Tomorrowland, present at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and more recently Shanghai Disneyland Park. In France (Disneyland Paris), this land is known as Discoveryland.
Serious things really began in 2012 when Brad Bird left the future Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens to join the project. Three later, the film Tomorrowland (2015) was released in theaters with George Clooney in the lead and suffered a scathing setback. With its comfortable budget of 180 to 190 million US dollars, In Pursuit of Tomorrow of its French title must be satisfied with a final sum collected at the box office hardly exceeding 200 million (209 million precisely).
The synopsis of “In Pursuit of Tomorrow”: Frank, a former prodigy disillusioned by life, and Casey, a teenager sparkling with optimism, find themselves united by a common destiny. Together, they embark on a perilous adventure that will lead them to unravel the mysteries of Tomorrowland, an enigmatic place located outside of time and space. Their extraordinary mission will bring them face to face with revelations capable of shaking the world and transforming them forever.
The Pursuit of Tomorrow is available on Disney+.
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A project sacrificed by Disney
Brad Bird’s feature film nevertheless had everything to attract an audience acquired from Disney blockbusters. Tomorrowland was carried by star George Clooney and could count on the talent of its actors to bring to life a science fiction epic worthy of the name. What’s more, the film attempted to educate its audience on strong themes such as the frantic race for technological progress and ecology while offering striking visuals.
Unfortunately for Brad Bird and his creative teams, Disney literally sacrificed The Hunt for Tomorrow by releasing it just after two other “SF” blockbusters. Tomorrowland arrived in theaters just two short weeks after Avengers: Age of Ultron. Worse still, Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller’s post-apocalyptic epic, had been roaring in theaters for seven days. Faced with these two behemoths, Brad Bird’s film could do nothing. Success depends on many things and the release window is essential.
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