Great post!
Given how many unnecessary "Extended" and "director's cuts" come out and additional editions come out over so many other films that don't seem to have any demand on it--- it is suprising that WB doesn't recognize a demand for a new SII cut--- and how fans continue to talk about it years after the RDC should prove to them that there WILL be sales if its done right.
(I don't have sale figures, but everytime I go to Target/Best Buy, I see STACKS of unsold "ZERO-EFFORT Batman Begins limited dvds" on the shelf. If WB tries to resell the same material with a few images and no new footage, I would suspect a zero-effort new release would gain much attention. I'd be suprised if the cheapie re-releases get many sales, but that's another story.)
But anyways- your post got me thinking: (not always a bad thing)
I wonder how much of these recuts/re-releases are attributed to just one person (within the gates of WB) pushing the studio hard for this/that to happen and trying to sell the marketability of it?
Some observations:
IS THE FIRST FACTOR: That the original director WANTS another cut???
* In the 2nd recut Alexander's case...
Oliver Stone WANTED to do a third 'ultimate' cut. I don't think "Alexander" the second cut sold THAT well, did it? So, the original director wanting a new cut is presumably ONE factor to get it going... ((Presumably the same with the EXCORCIST prequel))
* Factor TWO: (Possibly) Does timing with other projects w/Superman out there/planned affect the approval of an official recut?
Ilya Salkind mentioned that he was pushing for him and Donner to do a recut years ago in a Supescinema interview- but that the president of WB at the time didn't want to conflict with either the tv show "Lois and Clark" or a new Superman movie at the time with Burton/Cage, I believe (My memory is shaky on this- open to correction).
In any case, if creative conflicting is a genuine consideration (odd given how JLA w/Batman was going to be ok for awhile while Nolan's Batman movies were still out--- also weird if they also don't worry about Smallville and a Superman movie conflicting while out at the same time)--- then could a recut be something that WB worries about while another Superman project is in the pipeline?
In other words- the Donner cut and Superman Returns was probably 'ok' because Singer was ok with it--- and--- that the aesthetics supplement each other I'm sure help..... but if a new Superman movie done by Ratner (agh!) or McG (double agh!)
is greatly different, would that have a negative effect on a new Donner recut?
Hard to say, just going by the history of the 'original' recut by Donner and Salkind being nixed by WB....
My guess is that it's primarily those two factors;
That Donner wants another one-
and
That the powers that be see a recut as helping (rather than hurting) a newer version of such.
In the end....
What does it take to get a recut/what can fans do to get one approved?
Does it take a Richard Donner to push for one? (( Or would that seem inappropriate for him to ask, given that the RDC was done?))
Does it take Michael Thau to push for another one?
((I'd have thought that maybe Thau would look at the message boards and want to redeem himself by a thoughtful recut--- but maybe, too, he's either burned out or personally hurt by fans comments to want to revisit it. (He shouldn't take it personal.... he should just FIX the thing if possible with more time).))
Selutron (or Madonnatron or Cheratron or whatever he wants to be called) has the passion for recutting this thing, no one can deny him that--- but apparently he's not in a position to get it going on his own---
Assuming it takes the right person.... I wonder if there's a way to find out WHO that person is and how to support them?
Any thoughts?
