Thursday, November 13, 2014

Mystery Mansion Movie

For the start of the ideas series, go here.

This next idea is one that a movie studio would have to do.  The basic idea is simple.  The studio would build a mansion in which it would shoot a number of mystery movies.  Movies about a mystery in a remote mansion used to be fairly popular but they've fallen off in the horror craze.  These are stories of a group of people, often strangers, who end up at house on a stormy night.  A murder happens and they struggle to figure out who among them, has done it.
The studio would build its own mansion.  This would allow them to make interesting rooms and territory.  It would let them add in unusual spaces to allow for extra lighting and cameras.  It would also give them control over the mansion when it wasn't being used.  I'll return to that.
Our hypothetical studio would commit to making (and releasing) one movie from this mansion per year.  They would invite top directors to make these movies, giving them free rein to do their best.  What kind of movie would they make?  How would a Nolan movie compare to one from Wes Anderson?  Would a Scorsese movie be better than a Fincher one?  They'd probably be radically different, maybe all excellent.  This annual movie would become something of an event.
During the off season, when the house isn't otherwise being used, the studio could provide tours.  Maybe they could rent it out for events or over-nights.  This source of income, on its own, could help offset the cost of building and maintaining the mansion. 

With a little bit of foresight, a studio could create a unique setting and a franchise of sorts.

1 comment:

carrster said...

Love it!!