'Fanboys' Update: We're Getting Two Editions, But Will We Ever See It?
Filed under: Comedy, Deals, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Distribution, The Weinstein Co., Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek
In a move highly reminiscent of Fanboys idol George Lucas, the Weinsteins have announced they will be releasing two editions of the still-unreleased movie on DVD. The problem is, they still haven't announced a theatrical or DVD release date for either version.The Hollywood Reporter has the long and torturous story. If you've been following this poor film's route, you know that the movie centers on a group of friends trying to sneak into Skywalker Ranch so that their cancer-stricken friend can see The Phantom Menace. The Weinsteins decided the entire cancer subplot should be removed, and spent $2 million on reshoots, only to have the film begin failing test screenings.
Now, fans (led, it must be said, by the 501st Stormtrooper Legion) have gone on the warpath. 30,000 e-mails have been sent to the production company, along with threats of a boycott of all Weinstein films, a picket line at Superhero Movie, and cries of "Darth Weinstein!" have forced the company's hand -- slightly. The Weinstein Co has agreed to release two versions of the film on DVD -- the original, and the reshot version, and are pondering whether to release both in the theatre.
But the wrath of the 501st has not been appeased. "This is clearly a vain attempt by the Weinstein Co. to avert Star Wars fans' impending boycott of all of their films," the group said. "It's not going to work, Darth Weinstein. There was never any doubt that you would release both versions of the movie on DVD, probably months apart, so as to leech as much money from Star Wars fans as possible. Our boycott will continue until the Weinstein Co. announces that they are returning control of Fanboys to the Star Wars fans who made it, releasing the original version in theaters and doing away with their anti-fan version of the film altogether."
This is just so unbelievably crazy, I don't even know what to say. I saw a few clips from Fanboys at BNAT 8 and thought it was really funny -- and certainly not the kind of film that should provoke so much drama. I can't believe the Weinsteins have wasted so much time and effort in tinkering with the movie rather than simply releasing it. At this point, if they release the original theatrical version, they stand a chance to profit from overjoyed geeks (the 501st alone can probably turn a profit in ticket sales), but it certainly won't do a thing sitting on the shelf. Madness.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-25-2008 @ 2:05PM
Andrew said...
The 501st isn't behind this - we probably have members who are involved, but the group as a whole isn't backing this one way or the other.
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3-25-2008 @ 11:09AM
Bradford Oman said...
There's a lot of drama around Fanboys. I'm just baffled by it all really. This is sort of a fan rant, but not on the side that the rest of the Star Wars pack has apparently taken.
Who do the fans think they are? I'm all for letting them be heard, and really giving the people what they want, but this has gone too far. Only within the past decade have people really been given a voice on the Internet. As we can see it's gotten to the point that people on the Internet can control the destiny of a motion picture produced by a major studio. Impressive, definitely, but reasonable? No.
Here’s a group of protesters where probably something like 10 percent (definitely a guess, but probably an accurate estimate) truly know what they are protesting. Sure the website dedicated to bringing down “Grand Moff Brill-o-Head” and “Darth Weinstein” claim that they’ve seen the film, but most certainly not all of them have. This protest is the equivalent of groups claiming the Passion of the Christ was too violent and bloody only understanding word of mouth. But that’s a whole other story.
The fact is absolute. Most of these people haven’t seen either cut of this film. And with only 2 points different in test screenings, it clearly doesn’t make that much of a difference. While fans are using this as the end all be all argument in their case, it really just neutralizes the debate. The so-called “reviewers” at the protest site aren’t anymore fuel for their cause either. The only filmmaking most Star Wars fans know about is from Lucasfilm Ltd, and rotoscoping their own lightsabers into their fan films. Sure that’s a hasty generalization, but so is their cause.
I’m a Star Wars fan, and I have been for 15 years. I’m also an amateur filmmaker studying film in college. So this is a neutral party looking at a debate in the film industry. An industry recently crippled by a strike and being brought down even more by another impending strike and an in-progress/looming recession in the economy. Elisabeth Rappe is right when she simply says “Madness.” Sure this type of argument might be worth fighting for, but only when both parties involved know what they are fighting for. The fact that a film that can be fun and charming liked Fanboys is being delayed by some bloggers is ludicrous. Because, I think everyone knows that the original Star Wars Trilogy couldn’t have been made without the faithful help of the blogosphere.
Everyone needs to calm down. We’ve got a voice Internet, but this isn’t a democracy. It’s Hollywood. Go make your own movie instead of claiming somebody else’s as your own.
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3-25-2008 @ 2:09PM
Andrew said...
I agree and disagree here. Science Fiction fanbases seem to be really vocal - just look at the responses that Firefly, Jericho, Chuck and a bunch of other shows have brought about when those shows were cancelled or in question - it really gets people to come out of the woodwork.
I'm not happy about the new version of Fanboys. I'm still going to see it, but I'll put forward my opinion online and places like that.
The main problem that I have with the Darth Weinstein movement is the way that they're going about it. Their correspondence is crude, downright rude and unprofessional, the same teenage mentality that they're railing against for this movie. I mean, just look at the youtube video that they've put up. I just don't get it.
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3-25-2008 @ 2:27PM
Elisabeth said...
I have to agree. I'm always pleased to see what a grass roots movement can do -- and I think it is important for studios to take note of the little guy.
But all this over Fanboys? To be honest, I'm so tired of hearing about it and the controversy that I barely want to see the film anymore. And I think that's where the Weinstein Co has *really* messed up, because I imagine plenty feel the way I do.
And did they not think for a moment that releasing it for the Star Wars anniversary could have made them a chunk of change?
It's all so silly.
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