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The saga of the screen adaptation of Marvel's Inhumans has finally gotten a public assessment, with Imax CEO Rich Gelfond blaming its disappointing reception, at least in theaters, on a "misalignment of customer expectations."
Corporate-speak translation: movie ticket buyers realized they had paid top dollar for a TV show.
Initially planned as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe at Disney, the film project then became a TV series at ABC, in the vein of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Imax signed on to co-produce and struck a deal to premiere the first two episodes in its large-format theatres for a two-week engagement before it would air on ABC this fall. Box-office receipts of $3.5 million disappointed all involved, and the show drew negative reviews from critics.
Imax signed a deal to co-produce the series and exclusively premiere the first two episodes for two weeks in theater worldwide. The box office reception — $3.5 million—was below Imax's expectations. With negative buzz already in the air, producers asked during TCA summer press tour about the unusual move to play it in theaters said critics should not judge it based on the version that existed at that time, which they called "not finished."
Another experiment like Inhumans is not likely for Imax, based on Gelfond's post-mortem. "Going forward, we intend to take a more conservative approach consistent with the Game of Thrones approach to capital investments and content," Gelfond said on the call. "We will be more conservative when considering whether to invest our own capital; and if so, to what extent."
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