At the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference the other day, NBC Universal’s CEO Steve Burke laid out the company future’s film plans (strange how we’re getting all of this CEO stuff huh?). According to Deadline, in order to maintain financial stability, Burke wants to do “as many franchises as [they] can.” While stating that “[we’ll] see future Bourne films” and that Universal is increasing the production of their animated properties to two a year basically whether we like it or not.
Burke’s most haunting statement though concerns Ted, Universal’s most recent moderately successful/hilarious film. Burke wants Ted 2 as soon as they could make it. So just because Ted brought in some money from the Family Guy crowd, Universal is going to run the idea into the ground. Unique as it was, I don’t think Ted has the legs to support a franchise anyway. I saw Ted as Seth McFarlane’s dream project, and now that it’s been made, where can he go from here (assuming McFarlane would even want to make another one)?
It shows the terrible slope the industry’s in right now. There’s no more real room to experiment now (at least at Universal). If the unique looking properties get produced and don’t succeed, then there’s no reason to invest in any other risky types. And if a property does succeed, we’ll see it dragged through the mud in order to make that quick buck. With the way Universal’s plans are now expect to see The Bourne Grocery: Jason Bourne Goes Shopping for Artichokes in the near future.
[Deadline, via /Film]
