turnaround (filmmaking)

{{Filmmaking sidebar}}

The outside help needed to get a film project into turnaround may appear in the form of new money being invested into a project in development hell, or it might come along as another outside studio taking interest in a project which the original studio may find difficult to move forward into the pre-production phase. When an outside source takes over a film project from development hell in one studio and transfers the film project to another studio which is willing to invest further resources to move the project into pre-production, then the project is said to have gone through a 'turnaround'. The film project can now move forward out of development hell in one studio into the pre-production phase of filmmaking at another studio.

The term 'turnaround' is borrowed from business operations and management consulting where it is used to describe business ventures which are in some form of insolvency and require a 'business turnaround' or 'management turnaround' to become profitable and make a 'turnaround' in business performance. In the case of the filmmaking process, the transfer of the film project from development hell, at one studio, leading to the project receiving a green light to begin pre-production, at another studio, is referred to as a 'turnaround' for that film.

A 'turnaround' or 'turnaround deal' is occasionally used to describe an arrangement in the film industry whereby the production costs of a project that one studio has developed are declared a loss on the company's tax return, thereby preventing the studio from exploiting the property any further. The rights can then be sold to another studio in exchange for the cost of development plus interest.{{cite news |title=The Murky Side of Movie Rights |author=Michael Cieply |date=2008-08-23 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/business/media/24steal.html}}

Michael Cieply defined the term in The New York Times as "arrangements under which producers can move a project from one studio to another under certain conditions".{{cite news |title=Studio War Involving 'Watchmen' Heats Up |author=Michael Cieply |date=2008-08-29 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/movies/30watc.html|access-date=2008-09-01}} Some examples include:

• Columbia Pictures stopped production of Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, but Universal Pictures picked up the film and made it a success.McDonald, Paul & Wasko, Janet (2008) Hollywood Film Industry. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. p. 54{{Cite book | first = Joseph | last = McBride | title = Steven Spielberg: A Biography, Second Edition | publisher = University Press of Mississippi | year=2011 | pages = 323–38 | isbn=978-1-604-73836-0 | author-link = Joseph McBride (writer)}}{{Cite news | first = Deborah | last = Caulfield | title = E.T. Gossip: The One That Got Away? | work = Los Angeles Times | date = July 18, 1982}}
• Back to the Future was under development at Columbia Pictures, while Columbia was developing a satire of the Universal-owned noir film Double Indemnity (1944) called Big Trouble (1986). Its similarities to Double Indemnity meant the studio would violate Universal Pictures' copyright. With production imminent, Columbia asked for the rights from Universal; in exchange, Universal obtained the rights to Back to the Future. The film wound up being a hit.{{cite web |last = Koknow |first = David |title = How Back To The Future Almost Didn't Get Made |url = http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a35559/back-to-the-future-production/ |website = Esquire |date = June 9, 2015 |access-date = July 14, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160726055320/http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a35559/back-to-the-future-production/ |archive-date = July 26, 2016 |url-status = live}}{{cite book|last=Gaines |first=Caseen |title=We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy |date=2015|publisher=Plume |location=New York City | isbn=978-0-14-218153-9 |url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=WgQbBQAAQBAJ}}}}{{cite web |last = Fleming |first = Mike |title = Blast From The Past On Back To The Future: How Frank Price Rescued Robert Zemeckis' Classic From Obscurity |url = https://deadline.com/2015/10/back-to-the-future-frank-price-rescued-robert-zemeckis-classic-1201590119/ |date = October 21, 2015 |access-date = October 22, 2015 |website = Deadline Hollywood |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151022204947/http://deadline.com/2015/10/back-to-the-future-frank-price-rescued-robert-zemeckis-classic-1201590119/ |archive-date = October 22, 2015 |url-status = live}}
• Dirty Dancing began development at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but management changes at the studio put the film in limbo. Vestron Pictures eventually picked up the film and it was a success.{{cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20120819__Dirty_Dancing___Panned_as_a_dud__but_dynamite.html|title='Dirty Dancing': Panned as a dud, but dynamite|work=The Inquirer|last=Rickey|first=Carrie|date=August 19, 2012|access-date=December 20, 2018|archive-date=December 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221182540/http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20120819__Dirty_Dancing___Panned_as_a_dud__but_dynamite.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|date=August 17, 1997|author=Kolson, Ann |work=The New York Times|page=2.11|title=Fairy Tale Without an Ending}}
• Total Recall originally began work at De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG), but after DEG suffered some box-office failures like Dune and filed for bankruptcy in 1988, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger convinced Carolco Pictures to buy the film. The film was a hit.{{cite magazine |last=Murray |first=Will |date= May 1990 |title=Postcards From Mars |magazine=Starlog|publisher= Starlog Group, Inc. |location=United States |url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-154/page/n27/mode/2up |access-date=October 1, 2021 |ref={{sfnref|Murray|1990b}}}}{{cite web|first=Pat H.|last=Broeske|title=Spaced Out|website=Los Angeles Times|date=December 4, 1988 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-04-ca-1188-story.html |access-date=November 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020022210/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-04-ca-1188-story.html |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}{{cite magazine | last=Murray | first=Will | date= July 1990 | title=Man Without Memory | magazine=Starlog | publisher= Starlog Group, Inc. | location=United States | url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-156/page/n49/mode/2up | access-date=October 1, 2021}}{{Cite book |last=Hughes |first=David |title=Tales from Development Hell: The Greatest Movies Never Made? |isbn=9780857687234 |location=London, England |publisher=Titan Publishing Group|date=2012 |edition=New |chapter=We Can Rewrite it for You Wholesale |pages=60–89}}
• Home Alone and Edward Scissorhands were originally developed under Warner Bros., but the studio shut down the projects after their budgets increased. 20th Century Fox took control of Home Alone after secret meetings with producer and screenwriter John Hughes, and it was a hit. Warner Bros. also sent Edward Scissorhands to 20th Century Fox after Tim Burton collaborated with Warner on Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Batman (1989).{{cite news |last=Bucklow |first=Andrew |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/home-alone-secrets-revealed-in-netflix-show-the-movies-that-made-us/news-story/7dd4896680c9c157e18b7f4e264c418f |title=Home Alone secrets revealed in Netflix show 'The Movies That Made Us' |date=December 4, 2019 |newspaper=news.com.au|access-date=December 4, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212233609/https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/home-alone-secrets-revealed-in-netflix-show-the-movies-that-made-us/news-story/7dd4896680c9c157e18b7f4e264c418f|archive-date=February 12, 2020}}{{cite news | first = John Evan | last=Frook | url = https://variety.com/1993/film/news/canton-product-at-colpix-starting-gate-105853/ | title = Canton Product at Colpix starting gate | work = Variety | date = 1993-04-13 | access-date = 2008-12-04 | archive-date = 2012-11-05 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121105163903/http://www.variety.com/article/VR105853 | url-status = live}}
• The 1993 film My Life's in Turnaround, starring Donal Lardner Ward, Eric Schaeffer, Martha Plimpton and Phoebe Cates, tells the story of two friends who attempt to sell the story of their lives to a variety of studios.
• Tim Burton's Ed Wood was originally in development at Columbia Pictures, but the studio put the film in "turnaround" over Burton's decision to shoot in black-and-white. Ed Wood was taken to Walt Disney Studios, which produced the film through its Touchstone Pictures label.{{cite web | url = https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/danny-elfman-presents-his-tim-burton-movie-scores-at-adelaide-festival-20141016-116qbg.html | title = Danny Elfman presents his Tim Burton movie scores at Adelaide Festival | work = Sydney Morning Herald | date = 16 October 2014 | access-date = October 16, 2014 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141018183803/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/danny-elfman-presents-his-tim-burton-movie-scores-at-adelaide-festival-20141016-116qbg.html | archive-date = October 18, 2014}}{{cite book|editor-last1=Salisbury |editor-first1=Mark |chapter=Cabin Boy and Ed Wood |title=Burton on Burton |year=2006 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|isbn=978-0-57-122926-0}} The film became box-office failure.
• Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction began production at TriStar Pictures, but the studio turned it down after deeming the script to be "too demented". Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein picked up the project and it was a success.{{cite book|last=Dawson |first=Jeff |year=1995a |title=Quentin Tarantino: The Cinema of Cool |location=New York and London |publisher=Applause |isbn=1-55783-227-7}}
• Carolco Pictures sold off the rights to several films in production, including Stargate (to Le Studio Canal+ and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), Last of the Dogmen, and Showgirls (the latter, to Chargeurs{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1995/film/features/chargeurs-engages-in-risque-pic-business-99128585/|title=Chargeurs engages in risque pic business |magazine=Variety|last=Williams|first=Michael|date=October 5, 1995|access-date=April 9, 2014}}). This was done due to their financial troubles and in order to fund their next big-budget film, Cutthroat Island.Prince, Stephen (2000) A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980–1989. University of California Press, Berkeley/Los Angeles, California. {{ISBN|0-520-23266-6}}{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/recall-in-new-dimension-1117433616/|title='RECALL' IN NEW DIMENSION|date=14 January 1997|magazine=Variety|access-date=24 July 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-14-fi-31810-story.html|title=Company Town: Carolco May Be Close to Restructuring|date=14 February 1995|newspaper=LA Times|access-date=24 July 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1996/01/03/Kassar-signs-deal-with-Paramount/9852820645200/|title=Kassar signs deal with Paramount|date=3 January 1996|work=United Press International|access-date=25 April 2020}}{{cite web | title=Carlco Pictures Contract | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/801441/0000801441-94-000015.txt | date=November 15, 1994 | access-date=April 25, 2020}} Cutthroat Island wound up being a massive box-office bomb and led to the demise of Carolco Pictures.
• The turnaround of The Boondock Saints is documented in Overnight, a 2003 documentary that mainly focuses on the perspective of how director Troy Duffy "fell" in Hollywood.
• The Lord of the Rings film trilogy originally began development at Miramax, but after Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein tried to force the project into one film, director Peter Jackson argued his way until Weinstein agreed to allow Jackson to take the project to New Line Cinema, and was a massive success.{{cite book |last=Thompson |first=Kristin |title=The Frodo Franchise: The Lord of the Rings and Modern Hollywood |publisher=University of California Press |date=2007 |pages=25–35 |isbn=978-0-5202-5813-6}}{{cite book |last=Sibley |first=Brian |title=Peter Jackson: A Film-maker's Journey |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2006 |isbn=0-00-717558-2 |location=London |pages=329–387 |chapter=Quest for the Ring |author-link=Brian Sibley}}Sibley (2006), pp. 388–392{{cite video |title=The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Appendices|medium=DVD|publisher=New Line Cinema |year=2002}}
• After the rights to adapt Stephenie Meyer's novel Twilight were purchased by MTV Films in 2004, they were optioned by Paramount Pictures where it remained in turnaround before they let the rights lapse in 2007. Summit Entertainment picked them up and released Twilight in 2008.{{cite web |title=How Paramount missed out on making Twilight|author=Mark Harrison|date=2021-01-21 |work=Film Stories|url=https://www.filmstories.co.uk/features/how-paramount-missed-out-on-making-twilight/|access-date=2022-02-13}}{{cite web | url=https://www.thewrap.com/twilight-witch-hunt-over-paramount-1009/ | title=Is the "Twilight" Witch Hunt over at Paramount? | date=27 January 2009 | access-date=29 November 2022 | archive-date=29 November 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129002904/https://www.thewrap.com/twilight-witch-hunt-over-paramount-1009/ | url-status=live}}{{cite news | author=Dave McNary | url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/new-summit-unveils-new-projects-1117964521/ | title=New Summit unveils new projects | work=Variety | publisher=Reed Business Information | date=2007-06-07 | access-date=2008-02-18 | archive-date=2009-09-12 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912120417/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964521.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 | url-status=live}}{{cite news | author=Steven Zeitchik | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/pattinson-bites-twilight-role-157755/ | title=Pattinson bites into 'Twilight' role | work=The Hollywood Reporter | publisher=Nielsen Business Media | date=2007-12-26}}{{cite news | author=Carolyn Giardina | author2=Borys Kit | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i76626e51c49f8a0a6b92e0d4c7e5a3ea | title=Stewart enters 'Twilight' zone | work=The Hollywood Reporter | publisher=Nielsen Business Media | date=2007-11-16 | access-date=2008-02-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081123034749/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i76626e51c49f8a0a6b92e0d4c7e5a3ea | archive-date = 2008-11-23}}
• Watchmen originally began development at 20th Century Fox before moving to Warner Bros., where it remained in development hell for over two decades before it was finally released in 2009.{{citation|last=Hughes|first=David|title=The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made|publisher=Chicago Review Press; updated and expanded edition Titan Books|year=2008|edition=4th|isbn=978-1-84576-755-6|chapter=Who Watches the Watchmen? – How The Greatest Graphic Novel of Them All Confounded Hollywood|pages=144–151}}{{cite news|author=Cieply, Michael|title=Battle Over 'Watchmen' Surrounds a Producer|work=The New York Times|date=2008-09-20|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/movies/20watc.html?pagewanted=all|access-date=2008-09-20}}
• The 2012 film Argo makes several references to the film that was faked for the 1980 CIA Iranian hostage extraction operation as being "in turnaround".{{Cite web |title='Argo': Too Good To Be True, Because It Isn't |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/162785168 |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=npr}}
• Vivo was originally developed at DreamWorks Animation, but was cancelled due to the restructuring at the company. It was later revived by Sony Pictures Animation and was successful.{{cite web|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|title=Sony Animation Sets Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Vivo' For 2020 Bow|url=https://deadline.com/2016/12/sony-animation-sets-lin-manuel-mirandas-vivo-for-2020-bow-1201870566/|date=December 14, 2016|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=July 15, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Han |first1=Angie |title=Lin-Manuel Miranda's Vivo Coming From Sony in 2020 |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/lin-manuel-miranda-vivo/ |access-date=October 8, 2019 |work=SlashFilm |date=December 14, 2016}}

{{Reflist}}

{{filmmaking}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turnaround (Filmmaking)}}

Category:Film production

Category:Intellectual property law