Among the different film genres, there is one that stands out for its ability to reach a greater number of people: the blockbuster. However, not everyone is clear about which titles fall into this category or why.
We have prepared this article with all these people in mind, so we are going to explain what a blockbuster is and we are going to give you the 10 best examples of blockbuster so that you understand the idea.
- You may want to know: What is a McGuffin?
And the 10 best examples of cinema.
What is a blockbuster?
The most accurate translation that we can make of blockbuster into Spanish is that of “blockbuster” or “popcorn movie”, that type of cinema in which pure entertainment prevails, although that does not mean that blockbusters have to give up a good story, a good treatment of the characters or a script that does not take the viewer for a fool.
Although it may seem like a random word, given the variety of themes of the films considered as such, there are a number of features that help distinguish a blockbuster from others.
1. Big budget
Generally, blockbusters are movies that have a wide array of special effects, thanks to the fact that the production companies that support them invest large amounts of money to achieve the greatest possible spectacularity.
However, there are occasions in which a large budget has not been necessary and in which titles that did not aspire to that much ended up being hits.
2. A great director and a stellar cast
Also, the cast of a blockbuster is usually made up of big-name stars. Perhaps there are exceptions to popcorn movies in which the main roles do not fall on well-known faces, in which case starring in a work of this magnitude can be a springboard to success, although it is not a cause-effect relationship.
On the other hand, to manage the project, it is usual to hirea director with experience in big blockbusters ; or to someone who augurs as a promise capable of reaping great success.
3. Merchandising
Before and after the premiere of a blockbuster, a number of promotional products for each film are marketed (toys, posters, items for the little ones…).
This promotional strategy aims to raise many extra millions at the expense of the film that is going to be exhibited, beyond what will be pocketed from attendance at movie theaters.
4. Successes (almost) assured
In the end, thanks to a more or less aggressive promotional campaign through the media, during the months before the arrival of a blockbuster in the cinema; as well as marketing and word of mouth,the public flocks to theaters , positioning these films in the top positions of the collection rankings of each country and worldwide.
5. Possible franchises
If the move goes well for the producers, a blockbuster can aspire to become a franchise that gives rise to sequels, prequels or spin-offs, with the aim of fully exploiting the goose that lays the golden eggs. Still, not all blockbusters will have sequels.
However, it seems that there is a recurrent tendency to opt for this type of tactics to make easy money in abundance, instead of risking with fresh and innovative proposals that can surprise the public and critics.
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10 examples of world-famous film blockbusters
According to what they say, the term blockbuster began to coin sometime between the mid-70s and, especially, during the 80s, a decade in which it seems that there was a real boom.
Here we bring a list of 10 movies that have been real blockbusters and have become milestones in cinema:
1. Jaws (1975 – 1987)
Jaws is usually considered one of the first blockbuster movies , due to a massive advertising campaign that moved millions of people to theaters on opening day.
However, honoring the truth,Tiburon is far from being a big-budget movie , quite the opposite: it was shot in record time (a few months, something rare in these cases) and its budget was reduced if we compare it with other productions (4 million dollars that ended up being 9).
Is there anyone who doubts what this movie has had on the collective unconscious?
By the way, it gave rise to 3 sequels, each one worse than the previous one.
2. Star Wars (1977 – present)
The saga of galactic adventures from a galaxy far, far away, is also an example of a blockbuster that began without any pretense of becoming the macro-success that it has been, nor of having half impact over several generations; and that it had very few economic resources (the budget of the original film was laughable if we compare it with what the last episode of the saga cost).
After three trilogies , three planned spin-offs, three television series, and the threat of yet another trilogy, Star Wars is a clear case of blockbuster turned franchise success.
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3. Indiana Jones (1980 – present)
Steven Spielberg had already earned the trust of Hollywood thanks to the collections of his films prior to the adventures of the part-time professor and archaeologist, Indiana Jones.
After a first incursion with Raiders of the Lost Ark, the adventures of the hero would lead to three more films and a fourth scheduled for 2020, making each installment a number 1 blockbuster at the box office.
4. Terminator (1984 – present)
Why is it a blockbuster
Just look at the millions that each movie has cost, its collection in theaters, added to the innumerable collection of figures and varied merchandising that is marketed; as well as the fame achieved by its original director (James Cameron) and leading stars (Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton).
Terminator is a saga of blockbusters that has undergone more changes, after a first trilogy that ended more or less well in 2003. After that, the franchise tried to try its luck on television with the failed series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) , which was canceled after two seasons. A year later, they tried to start a new saga with the movie Terminator Salvation (2009), an idea that did not prosper either. However, in 2015 he tried his luck again with Terminator: Genysis, another failed project.
However, the desire for dollars from Hollywood producers does not end there: a new film will be released again, a project that has fallen into the hands of the original father of the creature and that, presumably, will ignore everything that happened after Terminator 2: The Last Judgment (1990).
5. Jurassic Park (1993 – 2001)
Again, Spielberg at the controls of a great blockbuster. Combining animatronics with computer effects (which were still in their infancy), Hollywood’s King Midas entered the public and critics in his pocket , managing to shoot a second part four years later and producing a third.
Although it seemed that Jurassic Park had been buried and forgotten, the dinosaurs would return to the fray with a new trilogy of blockbusters, renamed Jurassic World, which will soon see its second part released.
6. Titanic (1997)
James Cameron, author of Terminator, shot a mammoth movie about the most famous shipwreck in the world, with a gigantic budget (at the height of the project) and using a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as a leading couple whose love It took place on the ill-fated transatlantic.
One of the most successful blockbusters and one of only three films (along with Gone with the Wind and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) to have won the most Oscars to date ( eleven).
7. Harry Potter (2001 – 2011)
The adventures of the wizard boy Harry Potter began in 2001 with 975 million dollars earned around the world , enough for the producers to decide to adapt the entire literary saga to film.
With each premiere, thousands of fans have filled the projection rooms to enjoy each new film, consecrating Harry Potter as one of the blockbusters with the best reviews and numbers of the 21st century.
8. The Lord of the Rings (2001 – 2003)
3 movies (all number 1), 17 OscarsIn total, a star cast and an army of fans around the globe is the result of this macro-production by Peter Jackson, who until then was only known in the smallest sectors of low-budget gore movie buffs.
Needless to say about the marketing created around the One Ring trilogy, or the boom in sales of the books on which the films are based… A gold mine . The Lord of the Rings is an example that you can enjoy a visually spectacular blockbuster, without giving up a good story, script and psychological depth of the characters.
- It may interest you to know that: The Lord of the Rings will return in series form thanks to Amazon.
9. Pirates of the Caribbean (2003 – present)
An attraction lasting just 15 minutes was enough to inspire Disney producers to film a movie that would recover the pirate genre, which had long since fallen into oblivion, and become a blockbuster for all audiences.
Pirates of the Caribbean has elevated its leading trio (Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom) and has generated millions, consolidating the bases for its sequels to receive a huge influx of public.
10. Transformers (2007- present)
It has been more than ten years since the Autobots and DecepticonsThey made the leap to the big screen, led by the specialist in pyrotechnic blockbusters, Michael Bay. To this day, the Transformers have already five movies and it does not seem that they plan to stop.
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