Dear Chris Noth: Critics Killed SATC? Seriously?
Apparently Chris Noth, aka Mr. Big of the Sex and the City franchise, thinks the power of the film critic pen is strong enough kill off any future SATC movies. New York Magazine caught up with Noth at the premiere for Jack Goes Boating, where he had these words of wisdom to share about SATC’s future sequel prospects:
“It’s over. The franchise is dead. The press killed it. Your magazine fucking killed it. New York Magazine. It’s like all the critics got together and said, ‘This franchise must die.’ Because they all had the exact same review. It’s like they didn’t see the movie. Got any more gum?”
Um, wait a minute. Aren’t we always being told how irrelevant film critics are? Now all of a sudden we’re collectively being blamed for the demise of SATC? I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I did see SATC2. And it was just not a good movie.
But in spite of it being not a very good movie, SATC2 still made $95 million domestic and another $193 million foreign (off a bloated $100 million budget, but still). I can think of a couple better places to lay the blame for there being no more SATC sequels in the works, such as:
1) Bloated production costs, which likely include salary demands that are just too high to be justified;
2) The script, which for the last film in particular, was just wretchedly bad;
3) People like me, who were at least somewhat fans of the TV series, growing weary of Carrie’s incessant whining and general unwillingness to GROW UP already and be satisfied with her TWO NYC apartments and rich, attentive, loving husband. Criminy, Carrie. Go live it up in the projects for a while, or even blue-collar middle America on a tight budget, and then come to us with your whiny BS.
4) Audiences generally, and the female audience in particular, being fed up with SATC’s shallow materialism and male-centric view.
There are times, I think, when the voice of critics can make a real difference to a film — particularly in championing smaller films that might otherwise get lost in the Hollywood shuffle. But for big franchises like SATC, or Spider-Man, or Transformers? Critics don’t make or break those films, period. These movies need to do one thing and one thing only: Make the movie the fans want to see, over and over, and you will keep making money and keep making sequels. Ride it for as long as you can, lather, rinse, repeat … if the fans grow tired eventually and move onto something else, so be it.
SATC had a long, long ride. Be glad for the success it had, but seriously … don’t look to critics for the reasons the ride is over.
P.S. Lindy West’s review of SATC2 is still one of the funniest film reviews I’ve ever read.
Holy crap, that Lindy West review is AWESOME.
Also, STFU Chris Noth.
In what way, exactly were the audiences fed up? Last I checked, the movie still made a sizable profit, big budget and all.
I am not advocating that the franchise is continued. I am just pointing out the truth that, at $290 million worldwide, there’s still audience for the franchise out there.
Beat me to it… Point being, the second film was more profitable than any number of films (Salt, Last Airbender, GI Joe) that are probably getting sequels, so the blame lies in Warner Bros for killing a series while it was still making money for them. Cut the budget to $75 million and don’t open it on a friggin family-friendly holiday weekend, and part 3 would have been just fine.
Hear, hear.
Even if the series was to take another dip in gross next time out, there is still profit to be made. Especially if they actually make a movie worthy of the finer moments in the TV show.
The blame really does lie on WB for giving up so easily.