I'm hearing across the board from Hollywood marketing mavens that, while Marvel's Iron Man should kick off the summer movie season with a great 3-day weekend opening (not counting tonight's haul), there's also an asterisk: Will women turn out in big numbers? "It's getting better, but it's still weak with women," a source at Paramount, the distributor, acknowledges to me. Said a rival studio's box office guru: "It's the one weak spot. If Iron Man can get any traction with females, then the sky's the limit. It's not going to be a Spider-Man. But it could be a significant title nevertheless, and one of this summer's Top 4 grossing pics. If it can't get female traction, then its total is going to be low $200 million."
While I’m willing to concede that whatever tracking system they are using may be correct, something about it tells me they are not taking into account the “Downey Goatee Factor.”
Comment by Earl Newton — May 1, 2008 @ 3:50 am
If we assume it doesn’t interest women, and low 200M range is worst case scenario, who cares if it’s “weak with women”?
It’s not like it’s something so guy centric that girlfriends and wives would stay home on a friday or saturday night instead of just tagging along with their guy who’s psyched for it?
Comment by milo — May 1, 2008 @ 7:21 am
WOMEN, DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE.
UNTIL STUDIOS START MAKING MOVIES WITH FEMALE HEROES, DO NOT SUPPORT THE STATUS QUO. UNTIL STUDIOS STOP EXPLOITING WOMEN WITH SEXIST CRAP, DON’T SEE THOSE MOVIES.
MAKE YOUR IMPACT FELT AND BE HEARD.
THEY’LL MAKE A MIDDLE AGED GUY A SUPER HERO, BUT THEY WON’T MAKE A WOMAN A SUPER HERO.
DON’T SEE THIS MOVIE.
(let the sexist porn addicts who haunt this site commence their weak defensive mudslinging, IT WON’T CHANGE THE TRUTH)
Comment by studios need female dollars — May 1, 2008 @ 8:01 am
One plus in Iron Man’s favour is the goodwill Downey’s built up with the audience with his hard work as a actor, and his ongoing success with fighting his addictions. Most Americans love a comeback story and might go see it because they feel Downey deserves it.
He’s one of the few actors in Hollywood these days that folks like to see succeed. Which can’t be said for most celebrities in the tabloids these days.
Comment by Furious D — May 1, 2008 @ 8:28 am
Nikki continues to bang away at Iron Man for some unknown reason. This is another in a string of snarky comments from her trying to drag down what looks to be a decent film. Next she’s going to tell us that Robert Downey Jr doesn’t track well with dog psychics. When the movie performs well, can we all send you e-mails using your annoying TOLDJA?
Comment by Nikki an the dead horse — May 1, 2008 @ 8:29 am
THis whole SUMMER is weak for women. It’s great for single geeks and those lucky few women who have girlfriends/wives who happen to be comic book store types, but the rest of us geeks, who date like, “normal” women, and like going to movies with women, are out of luck, because there doesn’t seem to be a decent movie for men AND women til sometime after the fourth. Either it’s pandering b level romcom crap, or ubergeek marketing to those of us in the Harry Knowles set.
Comment by dmann — May 1, 2008 @ 8:29 am
And the hooker-raping cop-killing GTA IV is?
Comment by Ted — May 1, 2008 @ 9:08 am
I have practically zero interest in this film, but I don’t think it’s because I’m a woman.
Comment by hildy — May 1, 2008 @ 9:29 am
Hmmm….in my completely unscientific survey, a group of thirtysomething women that I had over at my house Monday night all said they couldn’t wait to see it.
Something about having a crush on Robert Downey Jr. since ‘Less Than Zero’ days…
Comment by Paloma Pigeon — May 1, 2008 @ 9:33 am
Wow, I had no idea there were so many women who want to destroy anything and anyone that doesn’t kowtow to a feminist agenda…we men have sat through some of the most soul-numbing mindless romantic offal that humanity can come up with,just for our dates/girlfriends/wives..and you want to hurt iron man, for fuck’s sake..GAH!I’m gonna go see it today, TWICE. Fuck it.
Comment by VOguy — May 1, 2008 @ 10:03 am
Just like Star Wars didn’t appeal to women. Not too sure if this argument holds up well.
Comment by unsure in paradise — May 1, 2008 @ 10:06 am
As a thirtysomething woman, I am psyched to see this movie. It will be the first one I see in the theater this year. I do admit to getting the Harry Knowles reference, however and know that most women won’t. I think the movie would have been helped by having a little more Paltrow in the trailers.
Comment by TC — May 1, 2008 @ 10:07 am
When my girlfriend and I saw something a few weeks ago an Ironman trailer came on and she was more excited than I was to see it.
I don’t see how women would be any less interested in this than, say, Spiderman or X-Men, which both did really good box office numbers.
I have to side with Nikki that this thing’s only competition will be Grand Theft Auto.
Comment by College Student — May 1, 2008 @ 10:21 am
“THEY’LL MAKE A MIDDLE AGED GUY A SUPER HERO, BUT THEY WON’T MAKE A WOMAN A SUPER HERO.”
Have we already forgotten CATWOMAN? AEON FLUX? FANTASTIC FOUR?
I know I have.
Comment by Bond — May 1, 2008 @ 10:38 am
In related news, “Sex and the City” is tracking weak with men and is therefore expected to tank.
Comment by Nick — May 1, 2008 @ 11:03 am
I am a 33 year old man- I’ve been interested in Downey’s career since Less than Zero, I appreciate the super hero genre- I look forward to The Dark Knight- I had tickets to the premiere last night at Grauman’s and I would have rather watched paint dry.
Nothing about the trailer interests me whatsoever. The plot is not even revealed just this “costume” and EXPLOSIONS, EXPLOSIONS and more EXPLOSIONS. It is basically a time for comic book fans to circle jerk one another. Sure, it will open with at least 70 mill. No one is interested in watching quality films anymore. It’s apparant that the powers that be are only interested in pandering crap for a fast buck.
Comment by savagemagic — May 1, 2008 @ 11:08 am
I don’t know about “Aeon Flux” but “Fantastic Four” was ok at the box office. As for “Catwoman,” that film was poorly received by both critics and the box office that Halle Berry wishes that “Norbit” was released in 2004 instead of 2007 so that she didn’t have to accept her worst actress award, which she did.
Back to the topic at hand. For those of you that are calling Nikki sexist for saying that Ironman is tracking weak with women, she is just reporting what she knows. Personally, I am not going to see the movie (I’m a man), but a lot of men are going to do so, along with a fair amount of women. FYI, like another poster said, some women don’t really care about Ironman, but they do care about Robert Downey Jr. and they know that he is starring in a new movie this weekend.
A good comparison was the TV show Ally McBeal which had RDJ (Robert Downey Jr.) as a guest star from time to time. Let’s say that Ally McBeal got 10-12 million viewers weekly during the height of its run. If just 10% of women that loved RDJ on that show see Ironman, it will be a hit at the Box Office.
Comment by Jessy S. — May 1, 2008 @ 11:26 am
Gwyneth Paltrow just ruined it for me. I will wait for the dvd, I can’t imagine paying money to see her annoying face on the big screen, of all the actresses that could have been chosen, I wonder why her. I know the movie will still do very well without my $10. I will wait for Wanted in June and Dark Night.
Comment by Independent — May 1, 2008 @ 12:28 pm
I don’t know why there are so many negative comments from others here about the film’s quality itself. Obviously, I have yet to see it, but last I checked, it’s got 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and it just looks like a lot of fun. Isn’t that what summer is for?
I’m just as interested in high art as the next cinephile, but I’m also fully willing to admit that the first two Spider-Man movies and Batman Begins are three of the best films we’ve gotten all decade.
Comment by Arlo J. Wiley — May 1, 2008 @ 12:45 pm
I think it’ll do fine with females 12-34, tracking notwithstanding.
Comment by Tom — May 1, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
I normally don’t do fiskings, but this sort of comment demands one.
Point of presentation: Using ALL CAPS does make you sound more intelligent, or even forceful. It just makes you look like you’re desperate for attention.
Point of logic: Studios make lots of movies for female audiences every year, they’re even making a Sex & the City movie from a show I found boring, but I am not demanding that people outside of the film’s target audience boycott it, that would be rather childish. And there’s more than just romantic comedies, many thrillers, horror films, and even other comic book & action movies have or had heroines instead of heroes.
Point of logic: If women really don’t want to see Iron Man, they don’t have to, and since they’re not the target audience, their impact may not be all that dramatic.
Now if you’re upset about the foot-dragging over the making of the Wonder Woman movie, take it up with DC comics and the family that actually owns the rights to the character. They are often blamed for the painfully slow process and rotating door of filmmakers working on the project. Send them an e-mail in ALL CAPS, it’ll be sure to catch their attention.
Point of Logic: Your attempt to immunize yourself from criticism with childish name calling pretty much destroys your argument, and calls into question your intelligence and maturity. In fact, I’m not even sure where you get your association with a business news and opinion site, and porn.
Now I could well call you a bitter frigid harridan who shares her rickety backwoods house with 50 feral cats, all called Lionel, but I won’t, because that would be childish.
I am not here to sling mud. In fact, I am here to help. If you are sincerely upset about the alleged dearth of female heroes in Hollywood movies, then do your research, present a calm, reasoned argument, without name-calling and grand-standing.
Then maybe a mature and intelligent discussion may arise.
And who knows, if people talk like adults, then something intelligent may actually happen.
Unless of course you are just a comment troll, then you really don’t have a cause, just an excuse to be annoying.
Thank you.
Comment by Furious D — May 1, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
Just make a decent summer flick. Male or female, we’ll all go see it.
Footnote- a multitude of CGI explosions ≠ decent summer flick.
Comment by Ella — May 1, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
Baby Mama is going down…to #2.
Comment by P. Lee — May 1, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
“And the hooker-raping cop-killing GTA IV is?”
Yet another ignorant comment from someone who knows nothing about the game, much less has played any of it. Really, “hooker raping”?
Would it be so much trouble to actually find out what’s in the game before spewing your knee jerk reaction (where it’s completely off-topic, no less).
And to get back on topic, to those bemoaning the lack of good movies, Iron Man is currently at a pretty spectacular 94% at rotten tomatoes. Looks like this may be one of the good ones, I’ll be finding out tomorrow morning.
Comment by milo — May 1, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
Mad props, Ella.
And I’m convinced that the individuals monitoring these boards have given us crackpots like ‘Studios need female dollars’ as a gift so we can all enjoy our smug senses of superiority. Thanks, DHD!!!
I’d also like to point out that by avoiding ‘Iron Man’ simply on the basis that it stars a man, it’s ignorantly depriving half the population what could prove to be a thoroughly enjoyable and occasionally relevant, novel… aww screw it, let’s just accept that ‘Studios need female dollars’ is a crackpot. Agreed?
Comment by Anonymous — May 1, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
Made of Honor will finish at #2, not Baby Mama.
Female superhero movies always bomb at the box office, which is why the studios don’t want to make them. My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Catwoman. Aeon Flux. Elektra. Supergirl. The list goes on and on. It doesn’t help that all of those movies sucked, either.
Iron Man will be huge. More men will see it than women. Big deal. Life goes on. I will be taking my fiancee to see it with me this Saturday. I am very excited; she’s moderately excited.
Bring on The Dark Knight already.
Comment by actionman — May 1, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
Wow, I like romcoms but I also like good superhero movies - I used to read all of my big brother’s comic books! I think Downey is a great actor and am looking forward to his Tony Stark!
Comment by Sandy — May 1, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
I’m wondering if the research matrix on this demographic could be wrong. Becouse not all women like superheros that I understand. But there are some that do. I wonder if the market matrix is based on the fact that it may not be a date movie? Now the teens would love Ironman. That’s where the money makers are for the weekend.
Comment by chuck — May 2, 2008 @ 9:47 am
I have had it up to here with the WOMAN HERO BS. It’s about time that “guy” movies are making a come-back. The woman-dominated media thinks it knows what sells - they don’t. Gone are the days of great guy movies that intertained we MEN..MEN don’t like the crap that the female agenda has been pushing on the vast majority of real men! WE WANT GUNS, BOMBS, CAR CHASES, EXPLOSIONS, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN TO SAVE FROM EVIL…etc….Don’t believe for a second that we men believe that a woman can jump from a 50 story burning building, swing from a nylon rope while holding a 20 pound rifle pointing at the bad guy a mile away and then taking him out with one shot. THAT is believeable only when a MAN does it. What woman can take a punch in the jaw and stand there to take it THEN return a punch to a guys jaw and knock em out??? HELLO?? Any woman want to try that in the real world?? WOMEN should be happy with being a WOMAN. And this is why there are so many unhappy woman out there to begin with. Just like the “beauty” industry trying to make you something you could NEVER obtain, so goes the MALE ROLE MODEL..with a skirt. It is FANTASY. Women need to accept the fact that they are women-not men.
Comment by Dave — May 2, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
Women do attend super-hero movies: they are all held in chains behind the curtain, as servile sex slaves, to hiss and pant for attention from men, shot full of testicular adrenaline from watching the movie, hungry for hot tuna lips.
Comment by pkdarnall — May 2, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
UNTIL STUDIOS START MAKING MOVIES WITH FEMALE HEROES
What utter garbage. Never heard of Alien, Terminator 2, Erin Brockovich, Elektra, Jurassic Park, Resident Evil, UltraViolet or Aeon Flux?
Comment by harispilton — May 2, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
Hey! I’m a 45 yr. old NON femnist female and YES I loved the movie! Saw it today with my 17 yr. old son. I’ve never thought Robert Downey, Jr. as a good looker….until today! Hubba-Hubba! Lookin’ good Bobby! Keep up the clean living, it looks good on you.
Comment by LisaB — May 2, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
I am a woman and I want to see this movie! I think I was also the only single woman in the line for Transformers (knowing that it was the original voice for Prime) I love these kinds of movies. Why would anyone object to a story of a hero? All I have to say is where is my hero!?!
Comment by Shelly52123 — May 2, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
UNTIL STUDIOS START MAKING MOVIES WITH FEMALE HEROES, DO NOT SUPPORT THE STATUS QUO. UNTIL STUDIOS STOP EXPLOITING WOMEN WITH SEXIST CRAP, DON’T SEE THOSE MOVIES.
They did, it was called Elektra. You can find it in the bargain bin at your local Wal-Mart.
Comment by dg — May 3, 2008 @ 8:10 am
All-caps is actually a way to tell people that you’re un emotionally unstable and that you should be ignored. There are other reasons why it’s rarely done too, readability tests show that it’s harder to read.
Comment by Frank77 — May 4, 2008 @ 3:45 am
I wonder what the Iron Man Video game will be like, already it looks “twitchy”.
PS3 is puking out a ton of games with spectacular graphics but have the worst gameplay mechanics.
Comment by AS — May 4, 2008 @ 8:29 am
I am a 15 year-old girl and I have no qualms with seeing this film, it was awesome; mind-blowing CGI, brilliantly paced and they nailed the casting! You should decide whether to see a movie on its quality not some non-existant sexist issue. However ‘Dave’ is a sexist jack-ass “THAT is believeable only when a MAN does it”.
Comment by Catherine — May 10, 2008 @ 1:09 pm