Turnaround (filmmaking)

Turnaroundinfilmmakingis the use of outside assistance to resolve problems preventing a film project from completing its development phase and entering thepreproductionphase. A project stuck in development phase is said to be indevelopment hell.

Background

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 ofinsolvencyand 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.

Informal descriptions

A 'turnaround' or 'turnaround deal' is occasionally used to describe an arrangement in thefilm industrywhereby the production costs of a project that onestudiohas 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.

Examples

Michael Cieply defined the term inThe New York Timesas "arrangements under which producers can move a project from one studio to another under certain conditions".Some examples include:

• Columbia Picturesstopped production ofSteven Spielberg'sE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.However,Universal Picturespicked up the film and made it a success.
• Back to the Futurewas under development at Columbia Pictures. however, Columbia was developing a satire of the Universal-owned noir filmDouble Indemnity(1944) calledBig Trouble(1986). Its similarities toDouble Indemnitymeant the studio would violate Universal Pictures' copyright. With production imminent, Columbia asked for the rights from Universal; in exchange, Universal obtained the rights toBack to the Future.the film wound up being a hit.
• Dirty Dancingbegan development atMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer,management changes however at the studio put the film in limbo.Vestron Pictureseventually picked up the film and was a success.
• Total Recalloriginally begain work atDe Laurentiis Entertainment Group(DEG). however, after DEG suffered some box-office failures likeDune,and filed for bankruptcy in 1988, actorArnold SchwarzeneggerconvincedCarolco Picturesto buy the movie. the film was a hit.
• Home AloneandEdward Scissorhandswere originally developed underWarner Bros.,but the studio shut down the project after its budget increased. however,20th Century Foxtook control of the film after secret meetings with producer and screenwriterJohn Hughes,and it was a hit. Warner Bros also sent Edward Scissorhands to 20th Century Fox afterTim Burtoncollaborated with Warner onPee-Wee's Big Adventure,BeetlejuiceandBatman(1989).
• The 1993 filmMy Life's in Turnaround,starring Donal Lardner Ward,Eric Schaeffer,Martha PlimptonandPhoebe Cates,tells the story of two friends who attempt to sell the story of their lives to a variety of studios.
• Tim Burton'sEd Woodwas originally in development at Columbia Pictures, but the studio put the film in "turnaround" over Burton's decision to shoot inblack-and-white.Ed Woodwas taken toWalt Disney Studios,which produced the film through itsTouchstone Pictureslabel.this was blamed for the film'sbox-office failure.
• Quentin Tarantino'sPulp Fictionbegan production atTriStar Pictures,but turned it down after deeming the script to be "too demented". however,Miramaxco-chairmanHarvey Weinsteinpicked up the project and it was a success.
• Carolco Pictures sold off the rights to several films in production including;Stargate(toLe Studio Canal+),Last of the Dogmen,andShowgirls(the latter, toChargeurs). this was done due to their financial troubles, and in order to fund their next big-budget film;Cutthroat Island.Cutthroat Island wound up being a massive box-office bomb and wound up ending Carolco Pictures however.
• The turnaround ofThe Boondock Saintsis documented inOvernight,a 2003 documentary that mainly focuses on the perspective of how directorTroy Duffy"fell" in Hollywood.
• The Lord of the Ringsfilm trilogy originally began development at Miramax. however after Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein tried to force the project into one film, directorPeter Jacksonargued his way until Weinstein agreed to allow Jackson to take the project toNew Line Cinema,and was a massive success.
• After the rights to adaptStephenie Meyer's novelTwilightwere purchased byMTV Filmsin 2004, they were optioned byParamount Pictureswhere it remained in turnaround before they let the rights lapse in 2007.Summit Entertainmentpicked them up and releasedTwilightin 2008.
• Watchmenoriginally began development at 20th Century Fox before moving to Warner Bros., where it remained indevelopment hellfor over two decades before it was finally released in 2009.
• The 2012 filmArgomakes several references to the film that was faked for the1980 CIA Iranian hostage extraction operationas being "in turnaround".
• Vivowas originally developed atDreamWorks Animation,but was cancelled due to the restructuring at the company. It was later revived bySony Pictures Animationand was successful.