It takes a leaked email to say what Hollywood heavyweights are actually thinking.
This time the leaked emails in question show how little interest there is in making action movies with women in the lead.
Marvel CEO, Ike Perlmutter, sent a private email to Sony Entertainment CEO, Michael Lynton, explaining why “Female Movies” are not a good idea.
The leaked correspondence from August 2014 lists examples of female-led comic-book hero movies that were box-office flops.
Here is the email in its entirety:
Michael,
As we discussed on the phone, below are just a few examples. There are more.
Thanks,
Ike1. Electra (Marvel) – Very bad idea and the end result was very, very bad. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=elektra.htm
2. Catwoman (WB/DC) – Catwoman was one of the most important female character within the Batmanfranchise. This film was a disaster. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=catwoman.htm
3. Supergirl – (DC) Supergirl was one of the most important female super hero in Superman franchise. This movie came out in 1984 and did $14 million total domestic with opening weekend of $5.5 million. Again, another disaster.
Best,
Ike
The gist appears to be three critically-panned movies that happened to have female protagonists did badly at the box office, so obviously female-fronted superhero movies are a bad idea.
Never mind that there have been countless male-led superhero films that have been completely critically eviscerated and box-office failures during this same time period, such as Daredevil starring Ben Affleck, Hulk starring Eric Bana and The Green Hornet with Seth Rogan.
It’s important to note that this email is not in context, so perhaps he was listing these box office bombs to make a different point (he has refused to comment) – but combined with the limited investment in female superhero films, it all seems to fit together.
Check out some lady heroes we love.
Post continues after gallery.
The email’s discovery comes at a time when Marvel is under scrutiny for its treatment of female superheroes, particularly Black Widow from Avengers: Age of Ultron, played by Scarlett Johansson.
Despite her popularity, she’s been sidelined in the film’s merchandise, and has so far been denied a standalone film.
Watch Scarlett Johansson spoof a Black Widow standalone film. Post continues after video.
Despite Perlmutter’s apparent reservations about lady-led hero films, Marvel is going ahead with at least one: Captain Marvel. Yes, Captain Marvel’s a woman!
However, that film is still being developed and won’t be released until late 2018. Until then, the Marvel lineup appears to be the usual sausage-fest.
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Top Comments
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Sigourney Weaver, Alien-. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Continuum - Hit Girl from Kick Ass- Zena- if I had more time, I could think of more. Audiences do like to watch female superheroes and I mean both male and female audiences. But the story and script and overall material has to be good. We won't watch them just because they are there!