Alvin and the Chipmunks (Fox)

[Dacey]

Playing devil's advocate here, but no, cancelling the "Alvin" franchise would be a very stupid thing for Fox to do at this point.

Whether we like it or not, studios NEED films that they can depend on to be hits. Yes, Fox just had the biggest movie of all time with "Avatar," but 2010 was a dissapointing year for them overall, with tentpole releases such as "The A-Team" and "Knight and Day" underperforming. And with the exception of "X-Men: First Class," they don't have that much coming out next year that they can really depend on.

I know that people like to condemn Hollywood for wanting to make a profit, but the bottom line is, studios MUST make a profit. Otherwise you wind up in deep you-know-what like MGM has (even though they've been bailed out recently).

And regarding "The Muppets," I don't think we need to worry too much about a "Kermit Vs. Alvin" fight taking place. The week before Christmas release has done wonders for both previous installments in the franchise, so Fox won't want to mess with a formula that works.

(And Estefan, studios never make "appologies" or "donations" to their enemies. You only feed the competition that way. )

[EricJ]

Nothing would please me more than to see the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise be completely abolished, but the Bagdarsarians know they have a massive cash-cow on their hands and I doubt they would ever stop production on the third film.

Playing devil's advocate here, but no, cancelling the "Alvin" franchise would be a very stupid thing for Fox to do at this point.
Whether we like it or not, studios NEED films that they can depend on to be hits. Yes, Fox just had the biggest movie of all time with "Avatar," but 2010 was a dissapointing year for them overall

If someone...steals your character...that your two-generation franchise based its entire license income on, you don't turn around and say "Aw, heck, the money was good, let's do one more, ya nutster".
Yes, Ross Jr. "would like" the money, and Fox "would like" it even more, and "should" have one more franchise hit. W, C, S. That's a little different from a plug that may have already been pulled.
I was trying to confirm a news item I'd read on other boards (And my mistake, it was Janice Karman, not Ross, who reportedly sued Fox.), anyone have anything else to offer besides abstract theory, industry cynicism and market strategy?

As for Disney and the Muppets, they're now in the position where they literally have no one else to blame if it doesn't deliver--Thanskgiving is usually the uncontested spot, and nowadays doesn't have the mall problems that a mid-December slot has. With Disney's other two Henson-purchase movies in trouble, Kermit now really does have to put on a show or lose the theater, and all he's got is a dopey new inexperienced hero-worshipping naive kid to help him.

[Dacey]

Eric, I seriously have no idea where you're even getting this "information."

I've even done a google search on the matter, and guess what I found? Nothing.

[Darkblade]

I remember there being a simpson's episode joking on Alvin 3 calling it "Alvin gets rabies"

[EricJ]

Eric, I seriously have no idea where you're even getting this "information."
I've even done a google search on the matter, and guess what I found? Nothing.

Yes, there ARE some times when even Wikipedia is Better Than Nothing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_and_ ... .27_future

20th Century Fox had announced that "Alvin and the Chipmunks 3D" would be released worldwide on December 16, 2011.[9] The announcement was reportedly made without the Chipmunks’ permission—as Janice Karman reportedly sued the studio for lost royalties and intellectual property theft, a move seconded by Ross Bagdasarian Jr, who had canceled the Bagdasarian/Fox licensing deal over the studio’s unwillingness to consider the Chipmunks a real band during the post-production of Alvin and the Chipmunks.[10]
However, on October 26, 2010, according to 24 Frames, from the LA Times, Mike Mitchell, the director behind "Shrek Forever After," is now in negotiations with to direct the new installment in the live-action/animated franchise, now entitled Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked, according to several sources familiar with the project, but 20th Century Fox may or may not shoot the film in 3-D. It is, however, expected to involve the Chipmunks and the Chipettes getting shipwrecked.[11]

(And which is about the ONLY news which has surfaced since March, considering the suit was in April--even the website hasn't been updated since the second movie came out on disk--which could be seen as just Eisner/TS3-style saber-rattling by a Fox confident they'd win out in time for filming. Even the one picture on Cartoon Brew's list is "conceptual" fan-art.
And let's be honest: If the lawsuit didn't kill off Fox's annual CGI Christmas "presents", the one-two box-office punch of Yogi Bear and Gulliver's Travels DID....Or at least seriously wounded them beyond short-term hopes of recovery.)

[Ben]

There's been a ton of stuff on Alvin 3 in the past couple of months. It is happening.

Director Betty Thomas walked in October, to be replaced by Shrek 4's Mike Mitchell. Shooting is confirmed to be starting in January with Jason Lee, in Vancouver. I recently saw a very brief teaser - it was either a 30 second preview on front of a theatrical film or recent home video release, or it could have just been a poster in the theater - but it was in the last two weeks somewhere and the message was clear: "Alvin 3. 2011".

And the success/failure of other films has nothing to do with it: Yogi is a WB property while Fox knows that Alvin has an inbuilt audience, and Gulliver was really aiming for the Night At The Museum crowd, not the Marmaduke/Alvin kids. If anything, the failure of Gulliver (and Narnia 3) is why they've more than likely solved any Alvin wranglings, so that they know they have a surefire hit this time next year.

Our only worry now is if they try and swamp the Muppets' Thanksgiving opening: I certainly wouldn't put it past them even though there's room for both.

[Daniel]

And if that isn't conformation enough, Matthew Gray Gubler, the voice of Simon, confirmed there will be a Chipmunks 3 on his Twitter and said he's going to start recording, of all days, tomorrow.

[Darkblade]

Seeing how this was being discussed about in the new muppet movie, i figured its own topic would be suitable for it. Now it turns out that money talks in Hollywood as it was just announced that there will be a 3rd live action chipmunks movie. It looks like the chipmunks are and chipettes are going to get lost at sea on a cruise. I know a few certain people who are excited about this, while others do this reaction about it



Jokes aside, I think I might see this. But I just hope they approve of the story this time. The second one was rather predicable.

[Ben]

The second one was rather predicable.

I'm sorry. I just can't describe in print how much that remark not only astounded and amazed me...but also had me falling about with incredulous laughter until my side actually hurt.

Heck, the FIRST one was predictable. The THIRD one is already predictable and they haven't even made it yet! The Surfs is predictable! This is the understatement of the year (just in time, too).

Thanks for the entertainment value!

[Darkblade]

Its just the same thing recycled over again but done different.

[Dacey]

*sighs* It would nice if they would actually make a NEW promotional image for these posters, instead of taking the same group shot and tweaking it a bit to suit each film:

http://impawards.com/2011/alvin_and_the ... ecked.html

[Whippet Angel]

My goodness, that is some of the LAZIEST work I've ever seen. All they did was chop the heads off of the last poster.

[Darkblade]

Like I said, its the recycled thing all over again. And even the poster PROVES it!

[Ben]

At least they changed the background color, right?

[Dacey]

Actually...no:

http://www.impawards.com/2009/alvin_and ... kquel.html