Disney Gets Out of Joseph Kosinski Business; Drops Oblivion

While a studio is high on a filmmaker, they’ll go ahead and option properties left and right. "Hey if so-and-so is behind it, then it's gotta be worth our time!" Said mentality is fine and dandy if the director in question has a couple of hits under his/her built. If we’re talking about someone unproven and this is a formality in case they, and the big tentpole they’re currently working on, explode, then there's always the chance of reneging down the line. You know, in case that big 4000-screen release doesn’t meet up to expectations.

I remember that happening with McG leading up to Terminator: Salvation and every studio in town were conducting knife-fights just to get his name attached to something of theirs. Then it opened and all those optioned properties went kaput. Here’s another example.

Variety reports Disney has pulled the plug on Oblivion, an adaptation of the illustrated novel by filmmaker Joseph Kosinski.

Check out the plot synopsis:

"Book is set in a future where the Earth's surface has been irradiated beyond recognition and the remnants of humanity live above the clouds, safe from the brutal alien Scavengers that stalk the ruins. But when surface drone repairman Jak discovers a mysterious woman in a crash-landed pod, it sets off an unstoppable chain of events that will force him to question everything he knows."

Yes, that's the same Joseph Kosinski whom the Mouse pined all their hopes and dreams (with images of sequels, animated spin-offs and merchandising dancing in their head) on Tron: Legacy. Until it opened. While prospects for Tron 3 are slim-to-Who are you fucking kidding, Kosinski is free to take Oblivion to competing studios.

Comments

[I SEE SPIDEY]

So much for the fanboy claims that Tron Legacy was a hit. I'm not trying to rub it in anyone's face because I feel bad that a sequel won't be coming out for people who did enjoy the film but it was obvious after it's opening weekend that the movie was a failure/disappointment.