Is JHC No Longer Involved with Alexander?

[D'Snowth]

The last I heard about the film adaptation of ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY, it was shelved.

Now all of the sudden, it's being released in the theaters this weekend, yet I've heard nothing of it since it was announced Disney was shelving it.

So, since there's been no news regarding it on this forum, are we to assume the JHC backed out of the movie at some point?

 

[Muppet Master]

I really hope it is not involved anymore, I cringe everytime I saw a commercial for the movie.

 

[D'Snowth]

I'm with you. Knowing Steve Carrell's in this movie, I've no desire to see it. Just when we finally get a break from him, he comes back. Same with NPH, I thought we were finally getting a break from him too and now he's in commercials again.

Anyshoe, I actually checked IMDb, and Lisa Henson is listed as the movie's producer... so... I guess JHC was still involved... I still remember reading that Disney shelved the movie, but I guess that was misinformation.

 

[Drtooth]

Steve's probably the only good thing about this movie. At least he looks like he's enjoying himself. But the fact that they essentially took a kid's book about something completely different and made it into a movie that has nothing to do with the original book. In fact, Alexander looks a couple years older, and therefore even his part of the story has been changed.

Now, I don't like the book. It's essentially about a bratty kid who's ticked off things aren't going his way. I'd stutter to call the movie an improvement by any means, especially since Alexander is worse here. He actually inflicts the bad day on his entire family via the same magic birthday wish that Liar Liar was about. I really don't see the point of taking these classic kid's picture books that take 3 minutes to read and making 90 minute films about them. You made ONE Shrek and a bunch of Mars Needs Moms and Polar Expresses and crap like that. And even then, Shrek was lucky enough to come into its own and become something different.

That said Wikipedia states that JHC is somehow still involved. Someone daring to spend the 10 bucks to see this thing will probably sort it out. Originally Fox was to make the film, but Disney bought the script and the rights. It says JHC and Lisa Henson are still producers, but someone needs to confirm that.

 

[D'Snowth]

That said Wikipedia states that JHC is somehow still involved. Someone daring to spend the 10 bucks to see this thing will probably sort it out. Originally Fox was to make the film, but Disney bought the script and the rights. It says JHC and Lisa Henson are still producers, but someone needs to confirm that.

You can't really trust Wikipedia, but again, IMDb lists Lisa as a producer and JHC as one of the companies, so I guess they're still involved. I just got really confused, again because the last we heard, the movie had been shelved, and nothing more was said about it since then, but now it's out, and there's been no updates about it here, which is why I got confused.

 

[Drtooth]

I don't think anyone has anything to gain about false info on a substandard movie, but I'll take it with a grain of salt. Best I can gather is that they were attached to produce, the film went somewhere else, but they already gave money to its production. Someone's gotta see this movie and give us the skinny on if they're still producers or not. IMDB can be untrustworthy at times as well.

But it sounds overall, if they are still involved, they're trying to make a name for themselves again with this film. Now the awful part is we're going to have to root for its success if that's the case. (in best Tom Slick specator voice) yay?

 

[D'Snowth]

Well, it's kind of like back towards the beginning of the Turn of the Millennium... didn't JHC produce some kind of a lackluster CATS & DOGS knock-off? And CATS & DOGS in and of itself was a fairly average movie - I remember seeing and liking the premise, but I seem to recall getting bored with the movie when it was on VHS and cable.

 

[Muppet Master]

What is even worse is that R.T. gave the film a 60%, not particularily good, and one percent away from a rotten rating, but still for such a terrible movie, how dare they give it a better rating than the likes of Madagascar or Shrek the Third, films ten times better.

 

[minor muppetz]

According to the review at The Mickey Mindset, Henson did co-produce the film.

http://mickeymindset.wordpress.com/...d-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day/

I do want to see this movie, but I don't know when I'll have the time.

 

[Drtooth]

What is even worse is that R.T. gave the film a 60%, not particularily good, and one percent away from a rotten rating, but still for such a terrible movie, how dare they give it a better rating than the likes of Madagascar or Shrek the Third, films ten times better.

The most positive reviews still find the film unmemorable or unremarkable. I'd say that Madagascar and Shrek are the signs of hipster hate, and I remember every indie newspaper ripping all those films apart for the sake of being the cool kid. You know, the film geek that hates anything mainstream for not being an emotionally manipulative pile because True Art is Angsty. Not that they don't have some moderate points, but those guys grew up watching friggin' He-Man (or worse, 70's cartoons) unironically. Their hip street cred is an illusion.

I'm, sure Alexander is going to get bad word of mouth and that freshness rating will go down quite a bit when more reviews come in. Nothing about the film says anything more than "are you bored this Columbus Day Weekend?" Of course, it's not really doing great anyway.

That said, I wonder why JHC hitched its wagon to something like this. Bad enough the "let's ruin films that aren't Oscar Bait, and even then screw with them" brothers had them releasing DTV Shrek ripoffs several years back. They don't need this sort of substandard wacky family comedy to give them street cred or a name for themselves.

Seriously... just Kickstart Happytime Murders. We need a Henson movie not a low budget throwaway Disney kiddy flick.