In the latest movie directed by Chris Columbus, based on a young adult fantasy novel, a boy and his two friends discover their magical heritage and protect a deadly mystical weapon. Sound like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone much? Sure, we're oversimplifying, since the movie is about Greek gods and not wizards, but the people launching this new franchise clearly hope to emulate the success of the Harry Potter films, although the Percy Jackson books would have to have been as popular as the Potter books for that to happen. Regardless, ever since Pottermania exploded in 2001, studios have been plundering the kids' fiction aisle for new fantasy franchises to turn into moneymakers, with little success. Here's a guide to the films that hoped to wingardium leviosa, but ended up just petrificus-ing totalis. -- Zach Oat
Expecto success-o!
Eragon (2006)
Similarities: The story follows 15-year-old Eragon, who lives with his uncle, finds a dragon egg and becomes a Dragon Rider, like his long-lost father. His enemy is an evil Dragon Rider who betrayed all of his comrades and became king, with the help of an evil sorcerer. CoughVoldemortcough.
Failures: Despite (or because of) a first-rate cast that included John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons, the movie itself was dull and boring. However, it does hold the distinction of being the highest-grossing film starring a dragon, so that's something.
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007)
Similarities: 14-year-old Will Stanton is the last warrior of the Light, a dwindling group of sorcerers who fight against evil in general, and The Dark in specific, which seems to consist mostly of The Rider and his shape-shifting henchmen.
Failures: Again, a top-notch cast, with Christopher Eccleston, Ian McShane and Frances Conroy, failed to buoy a dark, not particularly kid-friendly movie. It's 5th-place opening grossed less than the cost of providing prints of the film to the 3,000 theaters it ran in.
The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-present)
Similarities: While arguably inspired more by the success of The Lord or the Rings, with its tale of innocents thrust into a war between men and mythological creatures, the fact that it starred four British kids surely was of some consideration when green-lighting this costly series of films. Plus, talking animals and centaurs!
Failures: The first film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was definitely not a failure -- at least, not financially. While it had its weak moments, it made a bundle, and a sequel was a no-brainer. Of course, then they increased the budget for the second movie, Prince Caspian, and it bombed. The third movie has changed distributors from Disney to Fox, and we're assuming the budget has been slashed considerably.
The Golden Compass (2007)
Similarities: Kids with animal sidekicks, adults with secrets and dark intentions, a world completely different from ours, with crazy rules and bizarre people, including a race of talking polar bears. Also, Christian groups think it threatens their religion. Sounds like a hit, right?
Failures: Holy Jesus. Sure, the books have their fans, but when you throw everything from the book at the screen, it's like Philip Pullman's brain exploded. The race of warrior polar bears is awesome, but animals holding our souls? Dust from space entering our bodies? A truth compass? Cowboy Sam Elliott flying a blimp? It's a lot for an adult to process, let alone a kid. Plus, Nicole Kidman is pretty goddamn scary.
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Similarities: Three teenagers find a guide to a mystical world all around them, populated by fairies, ogres and goblins. And they ride a griffin, which is a lot like a hippogriff.
Failures: It did okay at the box office, but not spectacular, given its high budget -- most of the characters were computer-generated, after all. Even two Freddie Highmores couldn't make it a hit.
Stormbreaker (2006)
Similarities: Raised by his uncle, orphan Alex Rider finds out when his uncle is killed that not only was he a spy, he was training Alex to be a spy, so he gets drafted to complete his spy training. Sure, it's a spy movie and not a fantasy, but when the British school system is about to blindly accept a free computer system called "Stormbreaker" from Mickey Rourke, that sounds pretty fantastical to us.
Failures: Apparently, James Bond-style plots are beyond even children's ability to suspend their disbelief. The movie never made back its budget in the theaters.
The Thief Lord (2006)
Similarities: Two orphaned brothers run away from their cruel aunt and uncle and head to Venice, where they join a band of thieves, led by a kid in a bird mask, and search for a magical merry-go-round.
Failures: A British/German film made on a tiny budget, it wasn't released theatrically in the U.S., but any time you have a kid dressed like someone from the orgy scene at the end of Eyes Wide Shut, you're gonna have problems.