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Movie Flops
Moviemaking is a risky business. Even a simple movie can cost millions of dollars to make. Actor salaries and special effects all add to a movie's cost. Money is also needed for promotion and advertising. But sometimes, movies don't make their money back.
A. (🎧3-05) Listen. Based on the speaker's definition, which of the American movies below are "flops"? Circle the movies.
| MOVIE | COST (MILLION) | U.S. TICKET SALES (MILLION) | INTERNATIONAL TICKET SALES (MILLION) |
| Pacific Rim | $190 | $101 | $309 |
| R.I.P.D. | $130 | $34 | $45 |
| Despicable Me 2 | $76 | $368 | $603 |
| 47 Ronin | $175 | $38 | $113 |
B. (🎧3-06) Listen. Check (✔) the claims that the speaker makes.
1. One reason a movie can flop is that it gets terrible reviews. O
2. Big-name actors and actresses don't always help make a movie successful. O
3. Movie studios make sequels and remakes because they aren't creative. O
4. Hollywood is very careful when it selects which movies to make. O
Discussion. Do you know any movie that didn't do well? Do you think it was a flop?
