What Makes A Movie A Super Hit? ...Starcast?... Story?... Budget?... Promos?

What Makes A Movies Super Hit? - What are the factors involved in making a film super hit. What determines that a film will be a hit?
Some movies with big budget have become flop.
The success or failure of a movie is often determined by the sales of tickets during the first weekend it is premiered. Performance on first weekend predicts a lot about movies, but some movies have geared up their collections in later weeks and then became super hits.
Trend of remaking also became popular. A lot of remake films were released in good hopes, but this illusion soon disappeared.
Some movies are really very good. They become blockbusters and generate huge profits. Super-blockbusters really have something special, which is hard to say about. It is very difficult to predict what makes a movie hit as there are movies with big star cast, but were flop. A lot of movies had huge budget, but were flop.
@nishant5n (1067)
India
January 30, 2011 12:52pm CST
Dear All, Some movies are really very good. They become blockbusters and generate huge profits. Super-blockbusters really have something special, which is hard to say about. It is very difficult to predict what makes a movie hit as there are movies with big star cast, but were flop. A lot of movies had huge budget, but were flop. Story is soul of a movie, but films with good stories get flop. Trend of remaking also became popular. A lot of remake films were released in good hopes, but this illusion soon disappeared. There are many low-budget films which were not only hits, but also proved super-grosser. There are many movies which have big star cast, huge budget, and good story, but still they did not turn out to be a blockbusters. Is it promos that brings audience to theaters? The success or failure of a movie is often determined by the sales of tickets during the first weekend it is premiered. Performance on first weekend predicts a lot about movies, but some movies have geared up their collections in later weeks and then became super hits. What do you think makes a movies super hit? STORY?...BUDGET?...STAR CAST?...PROMOS?...or it us, "the audience?" . . . what do you think?
2 people like this
11 responses
@vandana7 (98526)
• India
30 Jan 11
It is timing along with story, budget, promos, and starcast. :) Release the best of the movies at the time of children's exams, and you would notice the difference. Children would not be around for obvious reasons, and so will their parents, because they would be supervising children's studies.
1 person likes this
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
31 Jan 11
Correct , Aunt .. timing is perfect .. if it's during the holiday period , ticket sales will sky rocket for sure..
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
31 Jan 11
Hi Vandana! How are you doing? Yes, timing can play a role, but I think the population of pupil and their parents is not that much which can adversely affect the outcome of a film. It has a great effect on collections, but I think not that much that it could make or not make a film hit. If the film is children-oriented movie or like, film for children, a cartoon movie or film like Harry Potter, then I think we can count that population. On the very same time, I think, you are correct as a film can only become hit if it is viewed by a whole family and when it entertain children as well as parents. If a film is not suitable for a family viewing or it is released when a family cannot view it in theater(due to any reason, like exams), it has low chances. Many thanks for sharing your valuable views...Have a good day!
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
31 Jan 11
@Vandana @Zed Yes, it is correct that collections increase in the periods of holidays, maybe because a population is free to enjoy, and to enjoy one of great choices is movies.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
31 Jan 11
Hi nishant, Today, it all depends on the Hype that you can create to get a good start. Then comes anything else. In Indian context, you MUST have great songs nothing else - Aashiqui was the best example of this from the last 20 years. Glitz matters - Movies like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Lamhe - were the best movies for their year of release - but failed at the Box Office as there was not hi-quality costumes, no great star cast Budgets are not the things that matter - Failures of Devdas, Jeans, Roop Ki Raani Choro Ka Raaja... so many of them Promos - so very correct - Sooryavansham flopped because no one noticed its promos on the TV/media REPEAT VALUE - this missed your list - but this is 100% needed for any movie to be a success... I watched DDLJ 35 times at the theatre and just loved the whole move - each and every bit of it(it is a different factor that both SRK and Kajol are my favs)
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
1 Feb 11
Hi Buddy, how are you doing? Oops! I missed the "Repeat Value"--Yes it has a great role in making any film hits as this multiplies the ticket count on ticket windows. I too have seen DDLJ more than 5 times. Glad to know your favorites. You have given a good analysis of facts. I concur with you that glitz matters. You have enumerated good examples. Roop Ki Rani Choro Ka Raja was well known for its budget but it couldn't help the film. And promos also can bring audience in the very first week, but later the fate of film is decided by other aspects and one of them is "story." Have a great day.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
1 Feb 11
Hi Nishant, You are right I missed the story point... Thanks for completing the list
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
2 Feb 11
Anytime Sids! Friends are complementary to each other.
@tigeraunt (6326)
• Philippines
31 Jan 11
first and foremost is the promotion. but of course it is the right combination of all and everything there is.. budget, starcast and the story. audience get attracted to watch it when it is well promoted. and when they get to know the story, they start to talk about it and hence everyone wants to see already. then it becomes a super hit movie. ann
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
2 Feb 11
Hi, You have given a conclusive response. Good promo brings the audience in theater, and when the story is good with good star cast, the film has good chances of getting hit. Promos bring awareness of the movies beforehand and draw an outline of the movie, so people develop an attraction towards the movie. Have a great day.
• Philippines
31 Jan 11
I am not really a fan of movies but on what I observe, I feel that what makes a movie become hit on the story itself and how it was market. I am not sure though it if still works.
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
2 Feb 11
I understand that you are not a movie buff, but your observance is great. Story is the soul of any movie and without a good story, movie gets flop. Rest things like promos, star cast, budget, etc. comes later. There are many movies which have good mix of all these elements, but were flop movies only because of bad story. Keep observing things, it makes us wise. Have a great day!
@tvarasu10 (101)
• India
31 Jan 11
The story and the way it is naratted become blockbuster.Budget and big star cast are secondary. If you involve in the interesting narration you will be tempted to see the movie again.repeated audience make the movie blockbuster.
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
1 Feb 11
Nice response, Narration also determines success of a movie. I remember many movies which I did see twice because of their narration only. I agree, you have a point. Have a great time.
@edb225112 (124)
• United States
31 Jan 11
The miracle of a movie hit is not so hard to understand - a great story, good acting, a directoral concept that illuminates the themes of the story and enough money to make it all happen. Hollywood has taken to letting authors direct their own movies. They should know the story, but so often they let the emotional context behind the story blind them to the universal themes. The director who is not the author believes he must put his stamp on it so adds his own themes to the story. That can be deadly. Bad acting can damn the project. If the audience can't believe the characters they don't want to watch that long. No wonder we see so many special effects and action movies. Then of course you have the producers who put their own stamp on the project, change the story, themes, and casting. My take on this is then, Find a good script, a director who uses the themes in the script and does not try to "make it is own," then cast good people who know the craft of acting as well as the art, get a producer who won't mettle in the project and you will have a hit everytime. Get just one element in the above out of balance and the chance of a hit just dropped by 50%. With all the problem in getting a film project started, let alone completed it is a wonder a hit ever happens.
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
1 Feb 11
Well said, special effects and all other things are useless unless the acting is not good enough to keep the audience in the theater. It is the art of acting that propels people to watch the movie. I like your formula and the relationship between different elements used in making a movie. Have a great day.
@ebuscat (5935)
• Philippines
31 Jan 11
For me they study how to convince people so that the money would be gold in this project.
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
1 Feb 11
Hi, I didn't fully understand but like you idea that movie makers try to convince people to come and watch the movie made by them, right? And this is done by star cast, promos, etc., right? Thanks buddy, I think, I got your point.
@JohnMach (550)
• Philippines
30 Jan 11
For me, a movie becomes a hit because of its plot or storyline. I don't care how expensive the movie's production is, if the storyline sucks I'm betting it won't be a hit.
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
31 Jan 11
Hi, Exactly, there are many movies which I have left in between; I walked out of the theater without having viewed the movie in its entirety. Reason, I did like the storyline. Some movies have indigestible story. It is hard to bear with them even for a few hours... But, there are movies with extremely good story, which were not able to even compensate their production cost. I wonder why?
• India
31 Jan 11
Hi Nishant, I think budget and star cast both do not play any role in making the film hit. Similarly promos contributes very little to make it a hit. In our country, music and songs of film has very important role in making a film hit. When music is hit, the film gets hit. Music is released long time before the actual film, and when it is hit, the film gets hit. Did you remember Ram Lakhan. It's music was released before one year and the songs got hit and consequently the film got hit. There are many films we can count like this. Story also has great effect on film, rather it is a main reason for making a film hit. A film with good story is always liked by audience and has great chances of getting hit. Star cast is somewhat important as it draws the fans of that particular star into theater. For example films of Mithun Chakraverti. They are neither big budget films nor have great story, but they make enough money to make it a semi-hit and earn profit. Did you remember, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai -- It did not have any star cast at all. Promos do not have any significant role in our country; however, they do bring audience in cinema halls. One example is Sanwariya -- It flopped after all great promos and everything. So, I think, film should have a good story first of all and then other things comes, like, star cast and budget and promos.
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
1 Feb 11
Hello Narendra, how are you? Wow! What an elaboration with examples! Kaho Na Pyar Hai -- I saw it more than 5 times. Despite any star cast it was a super hit movie. You have explained all aspects and I agree with you. It is a fact that music plays an important role in our country. But I am recalling a film, Yuddha, music was released many months ago and it was hit music. But, when movie released it was a flop. I think, we are reaching at a group opinion, a consensus, regarding the fact that story is most important aspect of a movie. Thanks dear for such an interesting response. Good luck!
@raj7shot (838)
• India
31 Jan 11
The most important asset to hit a movie is audience only. All things are ok then only audience welcome that movie.So the hit of the movie is decided by the audience only.Let it be any star or story or director.
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
1 Feb 11
Hello Raj, I agree audience are the king. They can convert a flop into a hit and hit into a flop. You have stated the key point, the audience, who are always unpredictable and do per their cognizance. Have a great day.
@Marmot (590)
• United States
30 Jan 11
I think whether a movie is a super hit for their starcast, story or others depends on what kind of movies they are defined. For example, if it is a action movie. I think the starcast and the action part is the most important. Most people like Chinese Kongfu and Boxing, and if there are superstars like Schwarzenegger and Stallone in the movie, it is more likely that movie will be a success one. However, if the movie is defined as a love story, the action part and stars may not be very important because the love story is the main core of the whole movie. People come for and only for the tearful story. Moreover, whether a scientific movie will success is probably rely on the special effects. So, what makes a movie super hit, it depends.
@nishant5n (1067)
• India
31 Jan 11
Hi, That means if the films are somewhat subject-oriented or theme-oriented then only star cast plays a role. Like for a comedy film, presence of famous comedians can make it a hit. Or for a film based on action, famous action heroes are accepted by audience. If they have orientation towards an action movie, film with heroes like Schwarzenegger will be their choice. You have a point.