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2024 is turning out to be a fresh breath of year for films, as it appears, mainstream Hollywood might be once again leaning towards original releases. FromChallengerstoCivil War, we’ve witnessed some exciting original releases in the past few months, and Glen Powell’s new action comedyHit Manis the new addition to this summer’s slate.
Sitting at a whopping 97% on the Tomatometer, the film has further added to Powell’s reputation as the next big thing in Hollywood, but making this film a reality was a bumpy ride for its creator.
Studios Weren’t Keen on Betting on an Original Idea
Since the rise of big-budget blockbusters, mainstream Hollywood has strayed away from investing in original ideas, as most execs prefer banking on familiar ideas. So when directorRichard Linklaterand hisFast Food NationcolleagueGlen Powell, who co-wrote theHit Man, decided to pitch the film to execs of various studios, the conversations didn’t go too well.
Glen Powell’s Lowest-Rated Movie is So Atrocious That Not Even Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins Could Save It From Bombing at the Box Office
Considering it wasn’t based on familiar ideas or IP, the execs weren’t keen to greenlight the project despitePowell’s involvement, who is one of the most bankable actors right now, thanks toTop Gun 2.
Linklater toldBBC:
You don’t get fired for doing a sequel or an origin story, something that already exists. You don’t get in trouble for what’s obvious and commercial. What changed is that films got greenlit by the marketing department and then it’s become really safe choices.
After facing rejections from several studios, the duo decided to produce the film independently. and it wasn’t until its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival that Netflix acquired the film for $20M.
Richard Linklater Recalls Studios’ Condition for the Glen Powell-Led Film
When they initially pitched the idea, which is loosely inspired by the real-life story of Gary Johnson, the studio wanted a more traditional story that they could bet on. Instead of the premise of a fake hitman, the studios wanted it to be a real hitman, as it’d have been familiar with the stuff that had come before. Fortunately, Netflix was on board, especially after it was received greatly upon its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, which Powell and Linklater wrote without getting paid.
They wanted Ron to be a real hitman, something they’d seen before. Anyway, then we made the film, and it got a wonderful response. Netflix was always passionate about it, but the others kinda weren’t, I think they weren’t sure if they could sell it to an audience
But with blockbusters struggling to make their money back, we might finally once again see the rise of original stories, and hopefully, true ideas will once again become the norm moving forward.
“Only reason Glen Powell has a career right now is because Armie Hammer ate people”: Image Comics Boss Ignites Intense Fan Debate With a Harsh Take
Hit Manis available to stream on Netflix.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2540
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
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Glen PowellRichard Linklater
