Comic book movies--why the renaissance?

[Guynemer]

After the impossibly bad "Batman & Robin", it was widely believed that the comic book movie was dead. And apart from the "Batman" franchise, it had been dead already for sometime.


But, suddenly, in the past five years, we've had no less than six very good-to-outstanding films based on comic book superheroes. Granted, there have been some stinkers as well, but they have been outweighed by the below sextet.

X-Men
Spiderman
X2
Hellboy
Spiderman 2
Batman Begins


Now, I've never read a comic book in my life, but I love these films. Each is great as a simple popcorn movie, but each can also be appreciated on a deeper level. Why the sudden shift in this genre's fortunes?

[DinoDoc]

Re: Comic book movies--why the renaissance?

I'm just glad that they've started paying more attention to the source material. As for the resurgence, hit movies inspire a gold rush.

Now, I've never read a comic book in my life, but I love these films.

I could recommend a few the movies you listed borrowed liberally from if you're interested.

[Commy]

I think a new superman is coming out...is this so?

[Donegeal]

Possibly because technology has reached a point where the comics can be rendered in real life on a far greater scale than before.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Marvel Comics

Marvel was going bankrupt (or at least losing money) and needed something to revitalize it. X-Men was a popular property that had never realized a full motion picture.

Obviously, the company was saved.

[Pyrodrew]

Others I've heard are in the works...

X-Men3
Spiderman (another one)
WonderWoman
Superman (not ChrisR. obviously)

[ajbera]

There is a correlation between waves of horror films and periods of social friction. I wonder if there's a similar correlation between superhero films and the social need for heroes?

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Originally posted by Pyrodrew
Others I've heard are in the works...

X-Men3
Spiderman (another one)
WonderWoman
Superman (not ChrisR. obviously)

You've heard so little, my young friend

Not only X-Men 3, but a Wolverine movie as well.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458525/

Superman Returns stars Brandon Routh (up-and-comer) as Supes, Kevin Spacey as Luthor, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane...and Marlon ****in' Brando as Jor-El.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348150/

In addition to your list, you've got:
Ghost Rider, starring Nicholas Cage: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259324/
Captain America: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/
Sub-Mariner (which is actually being planned as a trilogy): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436803/
Iron Fist: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202406/
The Flash: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439572/

and I've heard rumbings for Iron Man, Thor, The Preacher, and others.

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by Donegeal
Possibly because technology has reached a point where the comics can be rendered in real life on a far greater scale than before.

I think this is a big part of it. There's alot of untapped source material in comic books that would have been hard to put on screen in any credible way until recently.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Actually, I was wrong with my previous statement about Marvel, but only slightly.

Marvel took one of its smaller heros, Blade, and made a movie about him. The reason was that he wouldn't necessarily (at least in the mainstream) have the comic book stigma associated with more high-profile heroes.

The movie was a success, and Marvel both had the money and the clout to make their next film, X-Men.

[Zkribbler]

Hmm, no mention of Swamp Thing or Swamp Thing II with Heather Locklear.

Thankfully, no mention of Daredevil (wish that I could burn the memory of that one out of my brain). And Judge Dredd.

And wasn't the 5th Element based upon a comic book?

[Barinthus]

I'd love to see a movie made based on Watchmen but only if it's done well naturally.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Originally posted by Barinthus
I'd love to see a movie made based on Watchmen but only if it's done well naturally.

Well, you'll get your chance next year.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/

[Theseus]

I think it has something to do with the mainstreaming of the graphic novel, and the quality work that has come out of people like Frank Miller, Dennis O'Neill, Alan Moore, etc.

There is a whole new generation of creative moviemakers that think of real stories when the words "comic book" or "superhero" are mentioned... as opposed to the campy crap we had to put up with before.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Hollywood has very few to no new ideas. Comic books translate well as the graphics are essentially a story board for the (un)creatives for the movie.

That and the recent success of the movies generate a host of imitators.