THE ROUNDUP WITH JEFF STOCKTON (SEASON 36 ROUND 8)

 

This round we got a worthy sequel, a strong showcase for one of LRF's brightest stars, and another reminder that good writing doesn't always translate into ticket sales. We also got one of the season's biggest disappointments. Here's The Roundup....

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 2

Sometimes a sequel doesn't need to reinvent the franchise. It just needs to remind you why you liked it in the first place. That's exactly what Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2 accomplishes. The film embraces the wonderfully weird balancing act that made the property such a cult favorite to begin with: genuine horror, tongue-in-cheek satire, and just enough self-awareness to keep everything from becoming too serious. The vampire action is fun, the humor lands more often than it misses, and the PG-13 rating gives the filmmakers enough room to deliver satisfying monster mayhem without losing the broader audience.

Is it perfect? No. But sometimes "worth the wait" is the highest compliment you can give.

CHLOE GRACE MORETZ

Every season seems to produce another reminder that Chloe Grace Moretz is one of LRF's most dependable leading actresses. She isn't always attached to the biggest hit. She isn't always attached to the highest-rated film. But she's almost always one of the best things in whatever she's in.

Fading Star certainly didn't approach the commercial success of Supergirl, and it is unlikely to generate the same awards buzz that surrounded her transformation into Madonna in Material Girl. But this performance reinforces something we've known for a while now: give Moretz substantial material and she'll deliver.

HOLDEN ABBOTT

Holden Abbott deserves better than his box office resume suggests. Yes, the numbers are ugly. Yes, another one of his films failed to catch on commercially. But if we're judging the work instead of the receipts, I genuinely don't think Abbott has written a bad pitch yet.

Formulaic occasionally? Sure.

Predictable in spots? Absolutely.

Poorly written? Not at all.

THE BOUNTY HUNTER

This one just never came together. Chris Evans never convinced me he belonged in this role. It's not that he's untalented—far from it—but this character required a rougher, more unpredictable presence than Evans naturally projects. It felt like star casting rather than right casting. Then there's Zack Snyder. Again, talented filmmaker. Wrong filmmaker. Nothing about his visual style or storytelling instincts felt like a natural match for this material. Instead of elevating the premise, the direction often made it feel oddly stiff and self-important. Throw in a villain who never feels remotely threatening, and you've got a movie that constantly asks the audience to invest in conflicts that never become convincing.

The disappointing box office doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

FADING STAR

This is one of those movies that's... fine. And that's kind of the problem. I enjoyed watching it. I admired several of the performances. Christopher Storer directs with confidence, and Chloe Grace Moretz carries the emotional weight beautifully. But I kept waiting for the story to surprise me. It never really did. Every major emotional beat felt exactly like the one I expected was coming. The themes are worthwhile, the execution is competent, but the screenplay rarely takes risks once it establishes its premise. Sometimes predictability isn't fatal.

In this case, it kept Fading Star from becoming something truly memorable.

BOX OFFICE

Well... We finally have our second losing round of the season. Round 3 earned that distinction thanks almost entirely to the financial crater left by Stretch Armstrong. Round 8 gets there the old-fashioned way: nobody showed up in large enough numbers. Even with Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2 turning a respectable profit, The Bounty Hunter and Fading Star combined to drag the entire round into the red. That's becoming the defining financial story of Season 36. Every time the studio seems ready to build momentum, another disappointing round pulls it right back down.

At this stage, the pressure on the final six films of the season is immense. The slate needs more than just solid performers. It needs hits.

ON LOCATION (SEASON 36 ROUND 8)

 

Fading Star

- Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2

- San Diego, California, USA

The Bounty Hunter

- Atlanta, Georgia, USA

BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN (SEASON 36 ROUND 8)

 

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 2

Budget: $40,000,000

Total Box Office: $131,525,669

Total Profit: $55,194,234

The return of the Slayer proved to be another smart investment for LRF, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2 comfortably turning a profit despite its modest budget. While not one of the season's mega-hits, the sequel reinforced the franchise as a consistently reliable performer.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Writer Walter McKnight remains one of LRF's most dependable commercial voices. Across eight films dating back to Season 17, every one has turned a profit despite wildly varying budgets and genres.

GENRE RANKINGS

Horror: #45

Comedy: #40

THE BOUNTY HUNTER

Budget: $85,000,000

Total Box Office: $80,094,428

Total Profit: -$53,001,701

Despite its star power and action pedigree, The Bounty Hunter failed to recoup its sizable investment and became one of Season 36's biggest financial disappointments. The result continues an alarming downturn for one of LRF's previously most dependable blockbuster directors.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Director Zack Snyder's last two LRF films—Spelljammer and The Bounty Hunter—have now combined to lose more than $150 million, a dramatic reversal after successes like the Gears of War franchise and Kill Zone.

GENRE RANKINGS

Action: #281

FADING STAR

Budget: $27,000,000

Total Box Office: $23,730,087

Total Profit: -$15,509,333

Prestige drama once again proved to be a difficult sell at the box office as Fading Star became another financial setback. While its budget limited the damage, the loss continues a frustrating trend for one of the studio's newest writers.

BOX OFFICE FACT

Through five LRF films, writer Holden Abbott is still searching for his first profitable release. Collectively, his films have now lost approximately $80 million, averaging a $16 million loss per film.

GENRE RANKINGS

Drama: #354

Season 36 Round 8 Total Box Office:

$235,350,184

Season 36 Round 8 Total Profit:

-$13,316,800

Round 8 became the second unprofitable round of Season 36, as the combined losses of The Bounty Hunter and Fading Star outweighed the solid performance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2.

Season 36 Total Box Office:

$4,532,320,483

Season 36 Total Profit:

$854,332,540

With just two rounds remaining, Season 36 now finds itself in an interesting position. The year has delivered three Blockbusters, two major Hits, and a healthy collection of profitable mid-budget films, but those successes have been offset by several expensive disappointments. Barring an extraordinary finish, the season appears headed for a solid but unspectacular financial result by LRF standards.

SEASON 36 BOX OFFICE STANDINGS

1. Boba Fett — $763,673,771 👑

2. Donkey Kong Country — $720,434,668 👑

3. The Hulk 3 — $641,110,407 👑

4. Lobo — $480,893,956 🔥

5. Assassin's Creed: Eternal — $421,105,411 🔥

6. The Song of Roland — $263,839,608 💰

7. Luke Cage: The Purple Man — $249,978,106 💰

8. Stretch Armstrong — $144,189,611 ☠️

9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2 — $131,525,669 💰

10. Fletch — $123,159,160 💰

11. Echoes of Red — $82,814,137 💰

12. Double Date — $80,369,160 💰

13. The Bounty Hunter — $80,094,428 ☠️

14. Gray — $62,441,218 💣

15. Darkness — $43,316,174 💰

16. 1995 — $40,003,252 💰

17. Pirouette — $39,100,555 📉

18. Three Rounds — $34,386,590 💣

19. The Quiet Between Us — $26,319,562 📉

20. Heartbeat — $25,404,407 💣

21. Fading Star — $23,730,087 💣

22. Voice — $23,437,788 💣

23. Diary of a Wimpy Kid — $18,000,669 💣

24. 1016 West Monroe — $12,992,089 💣

LRF TRIVIA TIDBITS (SEASON 36 ROUND 8)

 

Round 8 of Season 36 highlights just how fragile film development can be. One sequel nearly collapsed before production began, another major role had to be recast after an early rejection, and a first-time feature director finally got his opportunity after the original filmmaker stepped aside.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 2

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2 came remarkably close to never entering production. First, Jacob Elordi declined to reprise his role as Oliver Pike from the original film. Then, star Meg Donnelly's superhero vehicle The Saints became a costly box office disappointment for LRF. Faced with those setbacks, writer Walter McKnight and director Cathy Yan seriously considered abandoning the sequel before ultimately pushing forward.

THE BOUNTY HUNTER

Natalie Portman was the filmmakers' first choice to play Angela, but she declined the role after feeling the character's limited screen time did not justify her involvement. Her departure opened the door for Mackenzie Davis, whose casting was enthusiastically supported by both star Chris Evans and director Zack Snyder.

FADING STAR

Fading Star marks Christopher Storer's feature directorial debut, though he wasn't the project's original choice. Todd Haynes was initially offered the film but opted to take time away from directing after the demanding awards campaign surrounding Season 34 Best Picture nominee Starlight, paving the way for Storer to make his first feature.