Tell that to Spider-Man today…
When Tim BurtonsBatman Returnswas released in the summer of 1992, Warner Bros. had high hopes.
Hopes were not small for the sequel.
Enough for Paramount and Skydance to consider more.
But back to the late 80s.
The originalBatmanhad grossed $160 million outside of America.
It greenlit the sequel.
Hence, 1992sBatman Returns.
Certainly, it was seen as a sizeable surprise if they did.
Any film that fell below the 65 percent band?
It was regarded as a disappointment.
Enough, on previous criteria, to makeThe Amazing Spider-Man 3a formality.
The early signs were thatBatman Returnswould comfortably zap the 65 percent obstacle to Arkham.
Whereas the firstBatmanwas deemed appropriate enough for a family audience on the whole, the second wasnt.
The audience tailed off, and $162 million was ultimately banked in the US.
Rounding numbers up, it took 64 percent of Batmans money in America.
The personnel of the series would be heavily changed by 1995sBatman Forever.
How about theHot Shots!series.
Weve a soft spot for the screen adventures of Topper Harley, butHot Shots!
Part Troiswas off the cards when the second film managed just 56 percent of the originals money.
Meanwhile,Lethal Weapon 4took 90 percent of the money ofLethal Weapon 3.
Warner Bros. was happy.
Even a film as hugely successful as the aforementionedHome Alone 2fell prey to the rule.
Despite giving Fox a gigantic hit, it did 61 percent ofHome Alones business in the States.
And the reason New Line kept persisting withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfilms was the sheer economy of them.
But for the studios, it remained a big thing for most of the 90s.
The change began to happen at the very end of the decade.
Then more and more films began to rewrite the rule book.
What were exceptions were turning more towards the norm.
No offence to Jeannot Szwarc.
And if they dont do that in America?
A good burst in China will sort things out.
The films will look pretty in the box set, and make a few extra quid that way.
