CMU School of Drama


Monday, April 24, 2006

Hollywood battle on Broadway: Tarzan vs vampire

Reuters.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

How can Lestat even hope to compete with the likes of Tarzan?

A) Far less widespread potential audience.

Everyone can picture a good evening of entertainment with Tarzan. It spans generational gaps. It is based a hugely successful film which is, itself, based on a CLASSIC story. Anyone who wouldn't be excited to see Tarzan himself will surely be dragged along by the nearest Disnified child.
Lestat, while based on both a book and a movie, neither were nearly the successes of their Tarzan counterparts. The show hopes to capitalize on the same demo as Spamalot? This is absurd. The difference is massive. Spamalot was about the humor, making Python fans flocked from everywhere. Spamalot knew what they had would work. Lestat doesn't even know what they have.

B) More money.

Tarzan - rumored 15-20M
Lestart - rumored 10-12M

C) More Past Experience/Success

Disney's b-way track record is undeniably stellar. Warner's is barely existent.

D) Better Press

No one has anything nice to say about Lestat. Even their big press is about how they don't know what they're doing with the show yet. While, in theory, no press is bad press, $111.25 is just too much for most people to risk on a show that is searching for itself.

E) Existing Branding

Tarzan is established. Littel kids already go to school with Tarzan Lunchboxes and teens already download Tarzan (Phil Collins) Singles. When was the last time you saw little Johnny eating out of his "Interview with a Vampire" Lunchbox?


While an upset is not impossible, Lestat really has nothing going for it. This will hardly be the fight implied by the article's title. We're talking blowout.