7/30/2004

Turner "committed" to Last Full Measure

According to this story, red ink has not dampened the hearts of Maxwell or Turner:

Ron Maxwell said he "fully intends" to adapt "The Last Full Measure," the final book in the series that includes the films "Gettysburg" and its prequel, "Gods and Generals."

You can get a sense of the economics of this proposition from The Numbers:

GETTYSBURG
Total US Gross $10,731,997
Production Budget $25,000,000

Gods and Generals
Total US Gross $12,882,934
Production Budget $55,000,000

Here are a couple of non-Turner projects:

Glory
Total US Gross $26,593,580
Production Budget: N/A

Ride with the Devil
Total US Gross $630,779 (Source: "The Numbers")
Production Budget: $38 million (Source: Box Office Mojo)

Needless to say, "Glory" had good press and a broader audience base than Turner's movies but did poorly - very poorly. As for Ride with the Devil - cineastes will immediately recognize that it was directed by Ang Lee and starred Tobey Maguire. It was also a much better movie than the other items on this list.

Turner and Maxwell are trying to reach mass audiences and failing. At the same time, I don't think any kind of Civil War reader, well-informed or not, is happy with the history content of their "product."

"The Last Full Measure" can be drunk after pop culture figures out the successful transition of ACW book to movie. So far, only "Cold Mountain" has suggested new clues.