Case Studies in Intellectual Property: Dick Tracy

[Undrave]

I think marketing killed that movie. If they'd sold it as an alternate steampunk style universe I think it would have done better. Instead they proffered it like the books assuming that all the 1890's to 1920 pulp scifi was something reasonable and not surprising. ' the cognitive dissonance between the psuedoscience and actual reality was just too much.

The titled didn’t even mention Mars. No ‘Princess of Mars’ no ‘John Carter of Mars’, just ‘John Carter’ and trailers that mostly showed a long haired Taylor Kitsch dressed in brown in a pale brown desert and MAYBE a CGI creature or two it was really boring looking.

This also reminds me that, from what I’ve read, EVERY Tarzan adaptation is really boring, except for Tarzan the Epic Adventures. Tarzan and John Carter are meant to be in the same universe! Tarzan visits an Inner Earth realm! Any movies is just boring white savior in the jungle…

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The titled didn’t even mention Mars. No ‘Princess of Mars’ no ‘John Carter of Mars’, just ‘John Carter’ and trailers that mostly showed a long haired Taylor Kitsch dressed in brown in a pale brown desert and MAYBE a CGI creature or two it was really boring looking.

This also reminds me that, from what I’ve read, EVERY Tarzan adaptation is really boring, except for Tarzan the Epic Adventures. Tarzan and John Carter are meant to be in the same universe! Tarzan visits an Inner Earth realm! Any movies is just boring white savior in the jungle…

They did do a Pellucidar Movie in 1976. Curious that their marketing mentions The Land that Time Forgot, but also fails to mention Tarzan, or like actually name the author.

I remember my parents taking me to see this movie!

 

[nevin]

Pellucidar was a different story than Tarzan at Earth's Core. But in 1976 you were only 20 or so years away from the Tarzan tv shows and most people had probably seen at least one episode of that or at least heard the books or read a tarzan comic, so back then that kind of scifi show didn't need to be explained.

 

[ValamirCleaver]

This also reminds me that, from what I’ve read, EVERY Tarzan adaptation is really boring, except for Tarzan the Epic Adventures.

Lou Scheimer has a bone to pick with you...

Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (TV Series 1976–1978) - IMDb

Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle: With Robert Ridgely, Ted Cassidy, Barry Gordon, Alan Oppenheimer. This series is based on the adventures of Tarzan who seeks to champion the less fortunate, to right wrongs and to protect both the animals in his jungle as well as the human visitors.

www.imdb.com

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

eta- I also want to mention that we must be in the darkest timeline, as we can rank movies inspired by theme park rides.

The Muppets Haunted Mansion at least was a treat.

The titled didn’t even mention Mars. No ‘Princess of Mars’ no ‘John Carter of Mars’, just ‘John Carter’ and trailers that mostly showed a long haired Taylor Kitsch dressed in brown in a pale brown desert and MAYBE a CGI creature or two it was really boring looking.

This also reminds me that, from what I’ve read, EVERY Tarzan adaptation is really boring, except for Tarzan the Epic Adventures. Tarzan and John Carter are meant to be in the same universe! Tarzan visits an Inner Earth realm! Any movies is just boring white savior in the jungle…

Tarzan, John Carter, Carson of Venus, Pellucidar, Burroughs connected them all, frequently relying on the Gridley Wave conceit. The ambition and scope of his worldbuilding is truly impressive.

 

[Beleriphon]

At this point, it kinda feels more like this is a hobby to Beatty rather than a business move. Beatty may just be a big Dick Tracy fan. But the kind of fan that's rich enough to own the rights instead of memorabilia.

I wonder what the median age of a Dick Tracy comic reader is.

85? Same as Warren Beatty probably.

 

[Undrave]

Tarzan, John Carter, Carson of Venus, Pellucidar, Burroughs connected them all, frequently relying on the Gridley Wave conceit. The ambition and scope of his worldbuilding is truly impressive.

There’s an episode of Tarzan Epic Adventure that’s basically a crossover with John Carter, but they use Carson in his place (probably because Disney already had an option on the John Carter movie at the time of the show.

 

[Cadence]

Speaking of Tracy, this just started this week in the comic strip...

Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for February 26, 2023 | GoComics.com

View the comic strip for Dick Tracy by cartoonist Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger created February 26, 2023 available on GoComics.com

www.gocomics.com

 

[ValamirCleaver]

View attachment 276904

 

[Voadam]

What is the deal with putting out broadcast little pieces to use the IP?

I've seen this referenced a couple of times for different properties but I am not familiar with that area of law.

A contract could be written to require the licensee to use the rights or have them revert so things do not stay fallow too long, but this seems a bit more common than something in individual contracts.