io9 
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San Francisco, 5:24 PM
Tue Dec 8
27 posts in the last 24 hours
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12/02/09
12/02/09
12/01/09
12/01/09
Mur Lafferty, in "Playing for Keeps", came up with the idea of a mutant who can produce vast amounts of shit on demand and hose them out through his hands.
Something tells me, though, that this wouldn't look very appealing on a TV show.
12/01/09
Yeah, I'm pretty sure those are the guys who write for Heros.
12/02/09
You need a power?: The awesome ability to change genders. How's that for a change?
This would even help come to fruition all those shippers dreams...
12/02/09
The writers for Heroes do produce vast amounts of shit on demand, which they unceremoniously throw at us, the audience.
+1 to you, m'am.
12/02/09
12/02/09
Ever heard of Ranma 1/2?
12/01/09
they can't pay somebody to come up with a few cool, interesting powers that we haven't seen before?"
There are thousands of X-Men. Or at least it feels like there are thousands of X-Men. Anyway, it would be hard to come up with a new power that hasn't been done before. You would have to go into the weird Tick meets Warehouse 13 territory of powers.
Like "Dialtone," with one single thought he can change anyone into a 1961 Crosley Princess phone. Oooooooo!
Or "Lord Flavor" with the ability to make anything you eat taste like three day old lasagna. Aaaahhhhh!
Yeah, I'd rather stick with the more normal powers of flying and healing and leave such weirdness to the likes of The Middleman. Heroes is too straight lace for that sort of thing.
12/01/09
12/01/09
12/01/09
And the guy playing the puppeteer, was that the same actor? He was always overweight, but it looked like he had gained about 60 pounds and a couple of chins.
12/01/09
12/01/09
Also, it took THIS long for Peter to realize that besides Hiro, Renee has the most useful ability against Sylar? Wow.
12/01/09
What kind of lame-ass evil carnival is this, that joining it makes you LESS creepy?!
12/01/09
Sprint!
12/01/09
12/01/09
Wait, he's STILL not Superman yet?? I stopped watching 5 seasons ago. Can he at least hold flight yet or is it still a Greatest American Hero sort of deal?
12/01/09
12/01/09
It's been in development hell since 2007, it looked like it was finally 'green lit' (sic) in April '09, when Warner Bros. announced it was going to be shot at Fox Studios in Australia with a budget of $150m US.
March was the absolute low of the stock market (and high of the US dollar), since the start of the credit crisis, so it looks like that announcement (like many others) was prompted by the rocketship recovery of the stock market (up 60%+ now) that was clearly underway by April.
'Unfortunately' it was also the point at which the US dollar started to plummet (US issuing new debt like confetti, unemployment rocketing, tax take plummeting) and the Australian dollar started to rocket (Oz, commodity producer bouncing back, fast).
By October this added up to a 35% combined currency move, in the 'wrong' direction, filming in Oz was cancelled and no new location announced [New Orleans is now being floated as an alternate location (tax incentives, anyone?), for sometime next year, maybe, for release in mid-2011, maybe].
What this actually means, is that Warner Bros borrowed the $150m US dollar budget (so that's where your TARP funds went!) in March, bought Oz-dollars with it, and by October this pile of Oz-dollars was worth $200m+ US dollars.
So, Warner Bros said "Peachy!", sold the Oz-dollars for US dollars, paid off the loan (yeah, right!) and pocketed a $50m US dollar profit without ever filming a single frame of 'Green Lantern'.
It's no coincidence that just prior to the October announcement, the upper levels of Warner Bros management was 'rearranged' and control of its previously autonomous, DC Comics division, was taken in house.
New boss, new plan. Out with the old movie.
It's the way of the corporate gun.
Ryan Reynolds is an asset, he'll be reassured by Warner Bros that it's just 'delayed', until they've found a cheaper, less risky, more profitable franchise to use him in, then 'Green Lantern' will be quietly forgotten.
Until the next time.
12/01/09
it's unlikely WarnerBros is pleased with the amount of money they've already spent - and now lost - in the development of this film.
12/01/09
How Warner Bros locked in that exchange rate doesn't matter (currency futures, a custom-written over-the-counter currency option etc.), except for the fact that if they borrowed a specific sum ($150m US), for this specific purpose (making 'Green Lantern'), then "changed their plans, due to exigent circumstances" and close the production down, the $50m 'windfall profit' would be treated much more favourably, for tax purposes, as all costs incurred in the development of 'Green Lantern' would be set-off.
A straight $50m US profit, on $150m US of capital employed, in seven months, is hugely more profitable, than going ahead and making the film.
Warner Bros divisions were expected to meet a 17% annual growth target last year ('08), nobody cares how they make their targets this year. Just that they do.
The announcement of the 'cancellation', of the 'Green Lantern' production, will be determined by Warner Bros's accounting purposes. Nothing else.
12/01/09
these types of loans are contingent on actually using the money for the film...they are lines of credit - if you don't use all of the money you don't get all of the money...
I sure I'm wrong on a bunch of this...but I don't see where you're getting this $50mil 'windfall profit'...I'd be very interested in any actual information you might have.
12/01/09
For the very simple reason, that a line of credit is a guarantee, by a bank, that finance will be made available at some future date on specified terms.
Bank guarantees simply became worthless.
Those that could (Warner Bros, for example) borrowed all they could upfront (for a short time, there was a wall of 'government' bank rescue money) and hoarded it (who knew what might be coming next) and then used it to 'speculate' with.
Those that did, made +35% on currency moves, +60% on the Dow, +1500% if they 'borrowed' from the 'right' bank and then bought stock in that bank etc. etc. etc.
Those that tried to borrow money to run their businesses, either couldn't borrow or found that they couldn't sell what they'd made, because their customers couldn't borrow.
Oil has doubled since March and so has unemployment, you guess which one is the better indicator for the health of the economy next year.
Warner Bros is doing the sensible thing, realising a short term speculative profit and waiting ....
.... waiting for Magrathea [en.wikipedia.org] to return.
12/01/09