x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Failure to Franchise

A bi-weekly podcast devoted to infamous examples of failed film-franchise starters. In a Hollywood landscape dominated by giant tentpole movies, not all attempted franchises can succeed. Many intended first entries of a series fail to generate the planned sequels due to low box office, poor judgement, or, simply put... utter incompetence. This show is a celebration of (or perhaps a memorial for) those failures, as hosts Trev and Chris dissect what went wrong with these cinematic misfires. @F2Fpod

tv & film film history

All Episodes

01:26:55

Episode Thirty-Nine - My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)

Failure to Franchise ·

2022/02/15

It's the second installment of "February Frights 3D," AND it's the most romantic time of the year. So what better way to celebrate than with a look at the remake of one of the 80s' signature slashers, My Bloody Valentine. Sure, horror remakes like this were all the rage in the mid to late 00s, but how many starred one of the leads of Supernatural?? Well, alright, the Friday the 13th reboot from that very same year did, as well...but hey, that one didn't have the added benefit of also utilizing the

en

01:32:13

Episode Thirty-Eight - Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)

Failure to Franchise ·

2022/02/01

In the first installment of "February Frights 3D," we're looking at Lionsgate's 2013 attempt to relaunch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Following two entries from Platinum Dunes that established a brand new continuity, the 2013 film instead decided to follow the lead of previous sequels and simply make a direct follow-up to Tobe Hooper's 1974 classic original - this time with the added benefit of the 3D gimmick. But would the surprising story decisions of the film leave fans of the franchise

en

01:33:01

Episode Thirty-Seven - Robin Hood (2018)

Failure to Franchise ·

2022/01/18

In the second installment of "New Year's Robin-lutions," we're jumping forward just eight years, to 2018's ROBIN HOOD. If Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe couldn't deliver a successful franchise based on the legend back in 2010, would an emerging star and a director known mostly for TV fare much better? Well, I think we all know the answer to that. But does upping the action and utilizing time-tested tropes from a multitude of other films and TV shows at least make this one a more entertaining

en

01:16:58

Episode Thirty-Six - Robin Hood (2010)

Failure to Franchise ·

2022/01/04

Happy New Year! We're kicking off 2022 by sharing with you our "New Year's Robin-lutions," looking at two of Hollywood's many attempts to adapt the classic legend of Robin Hood. First up, the 2010 film, which - despite one of the most baffling pre-production journeys in film history - still seem poised for big things, as the reunion of Gladiator director and star Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe in a similar big-budget historical action drama. So, uh...what the heck happened?? Our Twitter Our

en

01:39:15

Episode Thirty-Five - Tank Girl (1995)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/12/21

When is a Harley Quinn movie NOT a Harley Quinn movie?? When it's the 1995 cult favorite, TANK GIRL! Directed by Rachel Talalay, and starring Lori Petty, Naomi Watts, Ice-T, and Malcolm McDowell, this comic book adaptation introduced the moviegoing public to the titular character, an icon of both indie-comics AND the "Riot Grrl" movement of the 90s. But could a mainstream studio version possibly stay true to the anarchic, anti-authority attitude of the original comic? Find out here, in the second

en

01:28:56

Episode Thirty-Four - Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters...

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/12/07

In the first installment of "Failure to Franchise with Trev and Chris-tmas," we're ringing in the holidays by "gifting" each other a single movie from our long list of potential topic films. First up, with 2013's Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Chris attempts to give Trev what was meant as a harmless little fairy tale/action mash-up, in order to pay tribute to the man of the hour himself, Jeremy "Hawkeye" Renner. However, an unforeseen dark element of the film's director's cut is waiting around the

en

01:45:06

Episode Thirty-Three - Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/11/23

In part two of our special month dedicated to the Wachowski's, in preparation for THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS, we're looking at their last theatrical feature as a filmmaking duo (at least for now) - 2015's ambitious space opera, JUPITER ASCENDING. Is Mila Kunis a worthy replacement for Natalie Portman? Is Channing Tatum best utilized as a half man, half dog super soldier? And just what the hell is Eddie Redmayne trying to do here?? All these questions and more are pondered, as we scrub some toilets and

en

01:53:07

Episode Thirty-Two - Speed Racer (2008)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/11/09

With the eagerly anticipated MATRIX RESURRECTIONS on the horizon, we're spending November looking at two of the Wachowski's failed attempts at post-MATRIX franchises. First up, their colorful, hyperactive, and heartfelt adaptation of the classic 60s anime series, SPEED RACER. Is it a misguided mess, or an ahead of its time masterpiece? We certainly have our very strong opinion on it. Our Twitter Our Facebook Our Instagram Our YouTube Trev's Letterboxd Chris' Letterboxd

en

01:47:41

Episode Thirty-One - The Mummy (2017)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/10/26

Which is ultimately more dangerous - a mummy's curse, or the ego-driven demands of a movie star? Well, one of the two is at least partly responsible for the sinking of not just this episode's movie, but arguably the entire cinematic universe it was meant to kick off. That's right, our two-month "Curse of the Dark Universe" event concludes with the movie that inspired it all - Universal's recent attempt to launch a brand new series of connected franchises starring the classic Universal Monsters. And

en

01:42:23

Episode Thirty - Dracula Untold (2014)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/10/12

Given the immense popularity of the Dracula character over the 100+ years since Bram Stoker's original novel, it's not surprising that many fans and writers alike would be keen to explore the origin of the villainous vampire. But how does one go about crafting an "official," audience-pleasing backstory for a character who has enjoyed so many different interpretations throughout the decades? What version of the character do you want to build to? And should the formula you aim to emulate be taken from

en

01:53:27

Episode Twenty-Nine - The Wolfman (2010)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/09/28

Undeterred by the failure of 2004's VAN HELSING, Universal Pictures were still eager to resurrect their famous Universal Monsters film properties. In 2006, they signed Benicio Del Toro, a superfan of 1941's THE WOLF MAN, to both produce and star in a remake of the Lon Chaney Jr classic. Four years later, following a tumultuous production period consisting of a last-minute director change, costly reshoots, a strange controversy regarding the score, and multiple release date delays, the new WOLFMAN

en

01:31:55

Episode Twenty-Eight - Van Helsing (2004)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/09/14

Failure to Franchise's two-month "Curse of the Dark Universe" event kicks off, with a look at this much maligned Monster mash from the early 2000s. In the wake of director Stephen Sommers' wildly successful THE MUMMY and THE MUMMY RETURNS, Universal was eager to have him potentially relaunch the entire classic Universal Monsters line. His solution for this was to dive right into a crossover-type film featuring several of the monsters, but not focusing on ANY of them. Instead, Sommer's title

en

01:21:02

Episode Twenty-Seven - Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/08/31

When no sequel materialized for 2006's SUPERMAN RETURNS (a tale to be told in a future episode of this show), it might have seemed like star Brandon Routh's dreams of headlining his own comic book movie franchise were over. But the up-and-coming leading man would get a second chance in 2011...and THEN his dreams of headlining a comic book movie franchise seemed more or less over. So, what happened? In this episode, we take a look at the pitfalls of adapting a popular Italian action-horror comic

en

01:14:25

Episode Twenty-Six - Assassin's Creed (2016)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/08/17

If ever the "video game movies always suck" axiom was going to be disproved, 2016 ASSASSIN'S CREED seemed like a great candidate to do so. Based on a very successful video game franchise, the movie version came along with a popular leading man determined to do right by the property, an impressive supporting cast, a critically acclaimed director, and the creative involvement of the actual video game company behind the game. Everyone involved seemed intent on making something quite unique and special

en

01:56:28

Episode Twenty-Five - Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/08/03

Before 2018, the idea of a failed franchise starter in the world of STAR WARS might have seemed somewhat ridiculous. But little did the world know the trials and tribulations that would face SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, the prequel film many fans already considered to be ill-advised in the first place. Between the much publicized change of directors mid-production (leading to major costly reshoots) and being released in the aftermath of one of the franchise's most divisive films ever, SOLO certainly

en

01:33:42

Episode Twenty-Four - Jem and the Holograms (2015)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/07/20

A popular sci-fi/fantasy rock cartoon from the 80s is resurrected for the big screen treatment by one of the most successful production companies in Hollywood. But what seemed like a sure-fire hit was marred by a perceived lack of respect for the source material and a controversial contest that might have exploited the original property's fanbase. We discuss all this and more, as we look at 2015's JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS. Our Twitter Our Facebook Our Instagram Our YouTube Trev's Letterboxd Chris'

en

01:33:31

Episode Twenty-Three - The Karate Kid (2010)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/07/06

Before COBRA KAI resurrected the KARATE KID franchise, another attempt was made to reboot the series on the bring screen - this time with a new set of characters, a different setting, and even a different type of martial arts. Developed by Will & Jada Pinkett Smith as a star vehicle for their young son, Jaden, the new KARATE KID would also feature international mega-star Jackie Chan stepping into the mentor role made famous by Pat Morita. How does this retelling of the story stack up against the

en

01:57:25

Episode Twenty-Two - The Fifth Element (1997)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/06/22

When a giant ball of evil that makes phone calls is one of the LEAST wild things in your movie, you know you got a special one. "May-la June-vovich" concludes with a look at Milla's star-making turn in Luc Besson's bonkers sci-fi epic. It doesn't really get any more 90s than this, folks - an engaged, interested Bruce Willis! A super over-the-top Gary Oldman! A constantly screaming Chris Tucker! A healthy mix of CGI and practical effects! And of course, Milla, in her most iconic role ever (sorry,

en

01:51:03

Episode Twenty-One - Hellboy (2019)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/06/08

When Guillermo Del Toro's HELLBOY franchise sputtered out, it was only a matter of time until Hollywood tried to give Mike Mignola's popular comic series another cinematic try. With a popular horror movie and TV director at the helm, a fan-favorite geek icon actress as the main villain, and a star from the beloved STRANGER THINGS taking over in the lead role, the ingredients seemed promising. Could this new HELLBOY possibly live up to the high standards set by Del Toro's two films? Well, probably

en

01:35:22

Episode Twenty - The Three Musketeers (2011)

Failure to Franchise ·

2021/05/25

Our two-month "May-la June-vovich" extravaganza continues, with a look at a collaboration between Milla Jovovich and her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson. No, not the RESIDENT EVIL movies. And no, not last year's MONSTER HUNTER, either. Instead, we're tackling Anderson's 2011 THREE MUSKETEERS adaptation, in which the writer/director bravely answered the question readers have been asking for almost 200 years - would this story be better with giant flying airships blasting each other with cannons? As for

en

142 results

Similar Podcasts

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Nerd Culture - A Gamekings Podcast

Blammo Media

UPodcast

UPodcast

The Writers Hangout

Sandy Adomaitis

The Sarah Fraser Show

Sarah Fraser