Eddie Murphy: No one wanted to 'Meet Dave'
Eddie Murphy has pulled off an almost unprecedented achievement with "Meet Dave." He's delivered a movie that even 20th Century Fox couldn't market.
Buried in bad reviews, the Brian Robbins-directed "Meet Dave" barely grossed $5 million over the weekend, making it a contender, along with "Speed Racer," as the summer's top flop. For the past several years, Fox has been the marvel of the movie industry, having had more success with more awful movies than anyone in Hollywood. As I noted in my blog last Friday, with the exception of this spring's Dr. Seuss movie, "Horton Hears a Who," Fox has released 16 consecutive movies since last summer that have earned such awful reviews that they haven't even hit the 50 mark on Rotten Tomatoes, the minimal grade the online review aggregator gives for an average movie.
Fox has made money--or at least avoided losing its shirt--with all sorts of drek over the past year. The critics dismissed "Alvin and the Chipmunks" as dim-bulb fare, but the holiday season film was a huge hit. "Jumper" was written off as barely comprehensible action fare, but had a great opening weekend and performed well, especially overseas. More recently, Fox did a perfectly good job of opening the dumb comedy "What Happens in Vegas" and has kept M. Night Shyamalan's hapless thriller "The Happening" alive, so alive that it's managed to top the $140-million mark in global box office.
There have been movies that were so dreadful that they pretty much disappeared without a trace, notably the anonymous thriller "Shutter," the Hugh Jackman vehicle "Deception," and the forgettable spoof "Meet the Spartans." But Fox's investment in those films was minimal, so it avoided taking a bath. "Meet Dave" has a steeper price tag, costing somewhere in the $75- to $80-million ballpark. Even though Fox has a partner on the film, New Regency, it will be hard pressed to make back any money. Fox Co-Chairman Jim Gianopulos bravely told Variety that "Meet Dave" was a "seven-day movie--families can go all week; that's the beauty of summer." The seven-day part was right. After seven days, exhibitors will be falling over each other to boot "Dave" out of the theaters.
Murphy must've seen what was coming, since he was a no-show at his own premiere. In true Hollywood fashion, everyone made excuses for him, with one of his producers saying he was busy working on another film. The only problem, as various online accounts pointed out, was that the director of that other film, "Dave's" Brian Robbins, was at the premiere himself. So Eddie's alibi didn't exactly hold up.
So what went wrong with "Meet Dave"? And what does it portend for Murphy's career? Here are a few theories:
Even though they're madly envious about Fox's ability to turn lemons into lemonade, rival marketers say Fox made a rare but fundamental misstep with "Meet Dave" by running away from the film's concept. The idea may be dumb--Eddie Murphy is actually a spaceship from a distant planet visiting Earth, taking the form of, well, Eddie Murphy--but at least it's a viable comedy premise, offering Murphy the chance to be a comical fish out of water, doing stranger in a strange land bits of business.
But people who saw the ads had virtually no idea what the movie was about. Whenever I quizzed various potential moviegoers about the film, I got a lot of puzzled shrugs. Even people who'd seen the trailer or the TV spots couldn't grasp the premise. Fox had ignored a primal marketing law: If you have a concept, market to the concept, not away from it.
But Fox seemed uncomfortable marketing the idea of a sci-fi based comedy. In fact, the studio ditched the film's original title, "Starship Dave," for that very reason, even though the title made it far more clear than "Meet Dave" what the movie was about. Fox's reluctance to promote the film's sci-fi nature is actually in keeping with studio Co-Chairman Tom Rothman's long-held belief that sci-fi films and films set in the future are box-office poison. In 2006, the studio had Ben Stiller, Jim Carrey and filmmaker Jay Roach all signed up to do a big comedy called "Used Guys," but got cold feet, killing the project.
Why? Rothman thought it was too expensive. But more important, the studio chief was worried about the subject matter--it was a sci-fi comedy about men living in a women-ruled world. Not long after the project was axed, when I was having lunch with Rothman, I asked him why he was so adamant about dumping the film. He threw a question right back at me. "Can you name one sci-fi comedy that's ever made any money?" When I couldn't come up with an answer, he said, triumphantly: "See!" (I was halfway home before I thought of the perfect comeback: "Men in Black.")
Fox must've thought that since "Meet Dave" is largely set in New York City, not another planet, it could pass the movie off as an earthly delight. But audiences didn't bite. It's another big dent in Eddie Murphy's box-office armor, making you wonder if his lack of popularity inside the industry--where he is viewed as a spoiled, self-absorbed jerk who barely ever bothers to turn on the charm--will soon spread to the outside world.
Murphy doesn't have any get-out-of-jail cards in his back pocket. He rarely does any interviews and as his no-show at the premiere proves, he's not much of a team player. He's managed to rebound from flops in the past, but his act--both on screen and off--is getting stale. He turned in a bravura supporting role in "Dreamgirls," but otherwise, he's spent the last decade skating by, starring in a variety of ambition-free movies. It's sad, because Murphy has all the talent in the world. But when it comes to flexing their muscles, comedians are a lot like athletes--either you use it or you lose it.
The bad thing about a flop is that it quickly becomes somebody's else's problem. If you think Fox is peeved about "Meet Dave's" disastrous opening, imagine what Brad Grey is thinking: Paramount is releasing Murphy's next two films, "A Thousand Words" and "NowhereLand." Maybe the studio should consider having the next premiere at Eddie's house. That way he might actually show up.
Photo of Eddie Murphy in "Meet Dave" from 20th Century Fox; Murphy photo by Gabriel Bouys / AFP/Getty Images.
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My wife and I went Saturday to see this flick. We had about 10 others in the early show in Burbank. It was a nice Saturday afternoon film. Enough laughs (more would have been better). Decent plot with a happy finish.
Have I seen better? Yep. Have I seen worse? Absolutely. It was a B-minus movie that I will plan on watching when it comes to (no addtionaly payment) cable.
Posted by: Greg | July 14, 2008 at 02:18 PM
Win some lose some!
Posted by: widollar | July 14, 2008 at 02:31 PM
Eddie just doesn't seem to care anymore. He stars in ridiculous, often mysoginistic films that worked when he was in his 20's, but he ain't 20 anymore. He obviously picks his roles for the big bucks. Too bad he's no longer worth the big bucks.
Posted by: Dianne | July 14, 2008 at 02:56 PM
the movie was funny...i have seen a lot worse....we liked it....nothing brilliant but for what it was...they acheived what they set out to do...if anything blame those douchebags in development..who read the script and loved it so much they invested 80 million in it...most of the development nitwits are chicks and chicks know shit...every so often they come up with a hit but they're batting averages are like .050. americans are broke and i find restaurants, movie theaters that we frequent that were once packed are now empty...good for me...i get a the best table like i was...eddie murphy.
Posted by: tyrone | July 14, 2008 at 03:00 PM
Murphy has been phoning in his roles and acting for quite some time. Daddy daycare was a worthy effort only because of his interaction with co stars. Dreamgirls was a break for him that he took seriously he now laughs all the way to the bank but one day soon, he will be begging to work. He is old school and no Jack Black
Posted by: mark | July 14, 2008 at 03:53 PM
Didn't SPACEBALLS make money? THE INCREDIBLES? WALL-E?
The genre is replete with wonderful stories that are both hysterically funny and true SF...many perfectly suitable for film adapation (I have two of mine under option right now). Now if the folks responsible for making such decisions only read books, instead of basing all their references on other films....
Posted by: Alan Dean Foster | July 14, 2008 at 05:35 PM
Is it a bad film, or simply one that did not draw an audience because its premise was not communicated?
Too often good films that don't make money are considered bad. Actors and directors have no idea if a film they enjoy making will reach its audience. That factor is most often beyond their control.
So if it is good, be proud. Don't let $ be that which determines artists' success.
- Arye Michael Bender -
Posted by: Arye Michael Bender | July 14, 2008 at 09:38 PM
The last truly funny and wonderful film that Murphy made was in 1983. "Trading Places" with Murphy, Dan Ackroid and Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the best holiday set films ever. Even BH Cop #1 was good (1984). That is when Murphy was funny.
Posted by: clint | July 15, 2008 at 05:27 AM
It also doesn't help that Eddie Murphy fathered a child w/ former Spice-girl Mel. B. and ditched her while she was pregnant...and since then, he's gotten married to someone else. I know he's not in the spotlight like he used to be...but to his fans, they've had to have heard about this...and there's no way it's helped his reputation.
Posted by: Scott C. | July 15, 2008 at 07:17 AM
You've disappointed me! Any sci-fi comedy fan (or movie reviewer) could certainly pull GALAXY QUEST out of his hat!!!!!
Posted by: Anne Huard | July 15, 2008 at 07:29 AM
I was really excited that when I opened the paper today and read the second paragraph of your article, it mentioned that you had a blog. I was really excited because I had only heard about the new blog like fifteen times, and I won't be satisfied until we reach twenty.
Congrats, and be careful, one of the problems with blogs is excessive self promotion.
Posted by: scott | July 15, 2008 at 09:56 AM
Oh yes, Eddie Murphy. Stellar talent, great actor, hilarious comedian.
Actually, a hopelessly overpaid has-been who hasn't done anything of value since "Boogie in Your Butt." Had to have his narcissistic ego stroked for a great role in--drum roll--Dreamgirls?
Proving again the critics are on the take.
Posted by: Lamb Cannon | July 15, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Spaceballs
Men in Black
Galaxy Quest
Repo Man
Wall-E
The Incredibles
Dark Star
Tank Girl (eventually)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Short Circuit
Weird Science
Real Genius
The Nutty Professor(s)
Twins
and so on
Posted by: Julia | July 15, 2008 at 10:11 AM
If the premise didn't appear crystal clear in the advertisements, then isn't the studio (or at least the marketing division) the true culprit in the flick's failure? The reliance on promoting a movie because of an actor's star power seems lazy, especially when dealing with a Murphy film. i.e. EDDIE MURPHY in EDDIE MURPHY is EDDIE MURPHY.
As for blaming the genre, sure Pluto Nash and What Planet Are You From? were flops, but was it because of their premises (well, kinda) or was it poor marketing campaigns that had trouble explaining what these movies were exactly about. I recall Tim Allen's Galaxy Quest being surprise hit with a marketing campaign that nailed the flick's premise instead of solely parading the movie's star power.
Oh, and to note, something tells me Eddie Murphy's career will be just fine, even if his next film tanks as well.
Posted by: E Z Dunn | July 15, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Tom Rothman also forgot one of the biggest hits of the 80s:
GHOSTBUSTERS.
Posted by: P. Carumba | July 15, 2008 at 11:06 AM
I think "Mars Attacks!" was a pretty decent moneymaker, too? Not sure, I'd have to look it up. Even "Flubber" made close to 100 million, pulling most of its audience from the kids-n-family market. Some others: "Innerspace", "Hitchhiker's Guide to teh the Galaxy (I think it made about 50 mil, but maybe not enough to make it really profitable...), and "Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai" (mostly based on eventual cult following(.
I think we've all proved that Tim Rothman is just a Conehead whose brain has been Zapped! because his Stepmother is an Alien. I'll bet he thinks that Earth Girls are Easy, too...
Posted by: Cy | July 15, 2008 at 12:48 PM
No one can argue that Eddie Murphy has been anything less that STELLAR as the voice of Donkey in the Shrek films. If anyone thinks he's lost his comic sense of timing, please watch these films again!
Posted by: Cy | July 15, 2008 at 01:02 PM
I had the misfortune of working with Eddie on a few of his films. He's extremely talented and extremely unwilling to deliver his talent. He's late, arrogant, surrounded with buffoons and hangers-on and couldn't care less.
Glad to see someone broke the 'Hollywood Omerta' and spoke up and out about how this guy operates. Nobody should bother seeing his movies until they've heard a reivew they trust.
Posted by: joe | July 15, 2008 at 03:07 PM
Ghostbusters.
Posted by: D S | July 15, 2008 at 05:20 PM
To be clear, more people met Dave than will ever see Goldstein's empty observations.
Posted by: R Hartley | July 16, 2008 at 08:10 AM