Jesse James Movie Company Goes Belly Up

[Eric James]

The Wrap reports that Inverness Distribution has filed for bankruptcy In New York. Inverness was the successor of Morgan Creek International, the film production company that produced the Jesse James movie American Outlaws.                                                                                                                                                                

Film producer James Robinson was the firm’s president and sole stockholder. Robinson’s company also produced  Ace Ventura, Last of the Mohegans, Young Guns, and Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.

American Outlaws helped launch the film career of actor Colin Farrell. While Farrell went on to success, American Outlaws proved typical of most films about Jesse James. The film was a box office flop.

When the film was first screened for me at Morgan Creek offices at Warner Brothers Burbank studios, it was immediately clear that neither Robinson nor Morgan Creek had intended to make an authentic Jesse James movie.

But the great grandson of Jesse James, Judge James R. Ross, nailed the reason why American Outlaws was a failure.

As the Judge stated in his review of the film on the James family’s web site... "American Outlaws mythed it." 

My personal favorite Jesse James movie is still The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, starring Missourian Brad Pitt.Here's my take on it.

[Buck Grizzly]

But didn't TAoJJbtCRB, starring Missourian Brad Pitt fail miserably at the box office too???

[Eric James]

Yup! So did the bible when it first came out, and many other fine works of art.

[Buck Grizzly]

The point is that money dictates the Hollywood scene. I enjoy the artistic value and the attempt at being as authentic as possible but at the end of the day the movies that get made are gauged by the box office not the arm chair critics.

 

 

American Outlaw cost 34 mil, made 13.3 mil world wide box office sales.

 

Jesse James (Brad Pitt) cost 30 mil and made 15 mil.

 

Cowboys and Aliens cost 163 mil and made 174 mil.

 

True Grit cost 38 mil and made 250 mil.

 

Jonah Hex cost 47 mil (???) and made 10 mil.

 

As compared to;

 

Unforgiven cost 14.4 and made 159 mil.

 

Dances with Wolves cost 22 mil and made 424 mil.

 

Tombstone cost 25 mil and made 56 mil.

 

Now a movie has to make 3 times the cost to "start" being profitable, of the newer movies only True Grit actually turned a profit. A Novel/remake.

 

And of the older bunch, Dances takes the prize, with Unforgiven coming in with prominence but no Dances with Wolves as far as grasping the attention of an audience.

[Buck Grizzly]

Not talking tastes or preferences on my part Janice as much as I'm looking at them statistically speaking.

 

I like a lot of different movies for many different reasons, and Dances is definitely in my "alright category".

[Eric James]

Buck Grizzly, if possible, please list the awards given to the films you list. Thanks.

Profit assuredly dictates the movie business climate, a clear indicator of why Hollywood movies have been in decline the past several years. Also a clear indicator of why JJ movies consistently fail at the bock officer as movie producers pander to commercially salable tastes.

Profit is no valid indicator whatsoever when it comes to art. If you read the film journals, TAoJJbtCRB from its first screening has been building a reputation as an exceptionally fine work of film art.

If you read my take on it, as I indicted above, you know I like it for the unusual accomplishment that it made in matching historical fact to the film's art - something no other JJ movie has ever done.

[Buck Grizzly]

Jesse James- Brad Pitt

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443680/awards

　

Dances with Wolves

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099348/awards

　

True Grit

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/awards

　

Unforgiven

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105695/awards

　

Tombstone

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108358/awards

Cowboys and Aliens

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/awards

Jonah Hex

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1075747/awards

American Outlaw

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244000/awards

　

If you want more search; IMDB- (title)

　

Before you get to the cast listing if they won awards they will be noted in a colored band, and punch more on awards in the band.

　

　

I agree to a point but even if the JJ movies are based on reality they don't do that good, so there has to be a good story, lots of action and it doesn't hurt to have a western icon attached to it, to make it a winner. Unfortunately there are not that many icons still able to keep up with grinding action movies routine.

　

　

I'm with you also on the art thing, but art is a matter of taste as well. JJ- Brad Pitt version was very good movie they did some bleaching in the processing and that is what gave the film that hazy, pained effect. Very well done, but probably wasted on most of the viewing audience. So pegging art these days isn't an easy task easy. Reality ghost flicks, comic book super heroes, and blood & guts, lots of flash seem to be the only thing that keeps the attention span of today’s audiences.

　

Sorry if I came across offensive towards your opinion, but we are on the same side here. I also like the authentic take, thought they did a good job with it, it just didn't do much for the modern movie goer.

　

　

My comments were more directed at the fact the company is going bankrupt, and the business indicators in general. I really was just pointing out that if they want to stay in business and make a profit the movies they choose to make can make or break them. It also doesn't seem to matter if it is a campy action flick, or authentic artistic work, neither seems to draw the larger audience needed to make those ventures profitable is all I was pointing out.

[Eric James]

Interesting article by movie insiders on what ails Hollywood & ideas to cure it. Some perspective from Mike Medavoy, who bought one of my homes in the Hollywood Hills many years ago. Also comments by Gavin O'Conner, director of The Warrior, which I believe was produced by Morgan Creek also.

[Janet Erwin]

I think The Assassination of Jesse James etc. is a masterpiece, but then I'm a huge Terence Malick fan and it was a very Malickian film, so there you are.

I just wish someone would do the same for Billy. Peckinpah's film is masterful in its own way, but just once--JUST ONCE--I'd like to see Billy the Kid played by a KID. Somebody who's 17 and looks it (and no, not Justin Bieber, though he's a fine actor--check him out on Lawn Order SVU.)

On reflection though--why the heck not not Justin Bieber?? Hmmm.... 

[Janet Erwin]

oops...just one "not."