Filmmaking / Directing : Can the Most Expensive Indie Movie Ever Break Even? by Richard "RB" Botto

My pleasure, Robert. Great to have you here.

I like Sci-fi and the story seems as complex as the Fifth Element. I'm rooting for it but there is so much good Sci-fi out right now, fans of the genre may be sated. Spider Man: Homecoming is cooling off but moviegoers and critics like that film.

I loved The Fifth Element and am really looking forward to Valerian. It does look incredible from the trailer. I hated Spiderman: Homecoming. To me it was just Iron Man in a Spiderman costume. It was all about the suit and not about Spidey. There were some nice touches, and some good action sequences, but overall it was a major disappointment.

I read that this film had more special effects shots than the last Alien. I get that the money was raised independently and there are articles shaping this as a great indie hope, but to me it plays into the blockbuster studio mentality. I'd rather root for the $1M indie any day.

First define 'indie' There are an awful lot of 'indie' films made under a major studio's umbrella so they're not really what I call 'indie' at all. Expensive? The owning corporations are always on the prowl for various tax relief and what better way than to pump corporate income into some money losing project? The 'indie' film doesn't lose money so much as to generate tax write offs for the corporation.

Given that you're talking about a true indie (with a sound business brain), the answer is yes. You don't need to spend a lot of money to make a film, but you can generate a reasonable ROI.

Not so good...Not sure why they chose to open this against DUNKIRK if only for the guaranteed secondary press coverage.

Looks like it’s dead. I was afraid of that. Looks like big brother studio is still in charge. Lol! Distribution is where the money is in the studio system. Their golden goose. Not going to change that right away.