Over at Forbes, Mark Hughes writes about the financial prospects of Batman v. Superman, an incoming, big-budget film. He’s addressing concerns that the film won’t make enough money. The fretting reduces to the worry that since the film cost a lot to make and market (yes, indeed) it will have to do amazingly well at the box office. That seems reasonable, of course. But a view like that looks at only some measurements, and not others: there are many ways for a film to make money.
The story’s about a film, but it’s really a cautionary tale about looking at information superficially.
Hughes writes:
Is Batman v Superman shaping up to be a failure? Is Warner worried about the film? Are the future DCU plans all in jeopardy of falling apart? Is Justice League likely to be delayed? Will Batman be brought in to sort of rescue and restart the whole plan? There’s a lot to talk about here, fans, and I’ve crunched a whole lot of numbers and talked to a bunch of people in order to bring you as clear, definitive, and detailed a reply to these rumors and speculation as I can right now. So sit back and get ready, and hopefully you’ll feel a little better after I’m done. It’s a lot of information, comparisons, box office numbers, estimates, and points, but stick with me and I think you’ll find it’s worthwhile….
See, Relax, Fans: ‘Batman V Superman’ Won’t Flop, Despite Rumors @ Forbes.
Sometimes superficiality leads to worry, and at other times to overconfidence. In both cases, inadequate work leaves gaps in understanding that lead to error. It seems reasonable to think the film’s financial success is a subtraction of simple cost and marketing expenses from box office receipts, but it’s not like that.
Hughes’s article is a solid, lengthy reminder to look at information thoroughly. That takes time, but it’s worth the effort.
Worry not.