Defining ‘Blockbuster’ for the Business-Minded Crowd

My wife reads The Times cover to cover every Sunday. Knowing that I have an interest in the business of entertainment, she pointed out the comments made by several young writers in the magazine’s “Passing Through” feature (“Auditioning for That Writing Credit,” Metropolis, by Michael T. Jarvis). I was struck by these hopeful writers’ lack of understanding of the business world. To ask and answer the question, “What blockbuster film do you hate?” demonstrates my point. To the business person, a blockbuster film (i.e. one that nets, not grosses, a large amount of money) is a good film. It is not a subjective question. Perhaps if a young writer were to look at the industry from that perspective, he or she would find more success.

Trey Adams

Via the Internet