First up, this past weekend The Dark Knight passed the $500m marker in domestic US box office. It is only the second film in history, behind Titanic, to earn over half a billion dollars. (Of course, adjusted for inflation other films have done better, but within the modern era it beats Harry Potter, Captain Jack, James Bond, Jason Bourne, Spiderman and even Forrest Gump).
Earning this much cash is incredible, especially for a film so critically acclaimed. A rare confluence of art and money. I am stuck by a few thoughts:
- You can make high quality, yet mass appeal products. In some regard, network and cable TV are ahead of Hollywood. Lost, American Idol, Mad Men, all our quality mass entertainment. Hollywood struggles to make good blockbusters, yet clearly there is a desire for it. This plays to something I have always believed, people are smart. Brands do not need to play to the lowest common denominator.
- Big, pop-cultural events play an important role in our culture. People want to be a part of something. For all the talk of the long-tail etc, (and it is real), big can still be beautiful.
- I see very little on the cultural horizon that will be as big as this movie has become. Of course, no one can truly predict the next mega thing, but looking at the release schedules and cultural events, there is a real lack of major event experiences to look forward too.
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