A funny thing happened on the way to 2010 at the box office; the motion picture industry has converted to geek power. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the numbers. Of the current top-10 highest-grossing motion pictures of all time – not adjusted for inflation or climbing ticket prices – nine were released in the last decade (Titanic is the only exception, but James Cameron appears poised to break his own record as his CGI powerhouse “Avatar” continues its rapid approach to the top). Of those nine, eight were born from previously established franchises. “The Lord of the Rings” has two entries on the list. “Harry Potter” has three. But just about every franchise owes the bulk of its success not to the typical moviegoer but to the most revered of media demographics: the nerd.
The nerd is a valuable resource that can be difficult to stir into action: Fiercely territorial of their coveted IPs, nerds take it upon themselves to inspect every frame of leaked footage, every rumor making its rounds in the forums, to be sure that their favorite franchises remain faithful to the source material. A nerd scorned in this regard is overwhelmingly difficult to win back but if a studio succeeds and the prey is properly coaxed, it can mean explosive opening weekends, and with luck, long, successful runs. Producers everywhere learned an important lesson with “Titanic,” which climbed to the top of the box office heavyweights not because everybody saw it once, but because a large enough circle of moviegoers saw it over and over. A rabid fan base can equal repeat viewings, which means long legs at the box office.
It’s a power that Hollywood struggled to tap in the decade’s early years but generating geek buzz has since been fashioned to a science. Major studios’ presence at conventions like E3 and Comic-Con steadily grew as the decade wore on, and teasers for the next big superhero flick or old-school cartoon reboot are now as commonplace as cosplayers and free samples of Mountain Dew. Ad campaigns for “The Dark Night” and “Cloverfield” both ran year-long media blitzes, featuring everything from quick glimpses of footage to internet scavenger hunts to studio-sanctioned flash mobs, which whipped fans into a frenzy that burst forth on opening weekends.
It seems appropriate that this, the geekiest decade in cinematic history, is capping off with astounding mainstream success, with a sci-fi fable spun from the most unabashed of geek cloth. The plot of Avatar is little more than a glorified sci-fi pulp novel, complete with sexy blue aliens, giant mech suits and the cheesiest of cheesy dialogue (“Out there, beyond that fence, every living thing that crawls, flies or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes for Jujubes!”). But despite all the potential stigma against it, Avatar is dazzling audiences worldwide and finding an enormous mainstream audience. For all of its CGI wizardry, Avatar’s greatest trick appears to have been drawing out the nerd in everyone.
The oughts have come and gone, true, but with a sequel to Avatar already confirmed and no end in sight to the lineup of comic book and videogame adaptations, it appears this gravy train has only left the station. So watch out cool kids: in Hollywood at least, it truly is hip to be square.
Stale Popcorn: The decade of the nerd
Published: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, January 19, 2010
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