One year ago, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ Marvel Studios’ biggest gamble to date, hit theaters. And hit HARD! The ragtag production seemed like the ‘Bad News Bears’ of super hero movies, with a cast of known, but not huge actors (with the biggest names, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel only providing voices), an intergalactic plot that completely separated it from the existing Earth-centered Marvel movies and a fairly untested director, James Gunn. Yet despite that, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ blew away expectations, outperforming Marvel’s other 2014 hit ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier.’
The Marvel stamp certainly helped, but the movie kept going and going, dominating the box office for several weeks with many fans returning for repeat viewings. Even the soundtrack, consisting of 70s light rock classics became a bestseller. Considering that even in the world of comics, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ wasn’t a huge brand, there was something special about this film that simply clicked. Was it the right movie at the right time? What was the alchemy that turned what could have been Marvel’s first failure into one of its biggest hits?
Whatever the mixture, director James Gunn knows to what to attribute the movie’s main success: the fans. On this one year anniversary of the film’s opening, Gunn penned a heartfelt thank you letter, which he posted on his Facebook page:
One year ago today, Guardians of the Galaxy opened up in the U.S. and many places around the world. The movie massively…
Posted by James Gunn on Saturday, August 1, 2015
Gunn is one of the more active movie makers on social media, interacting with fans and answering questions about his work. One important factor he mentions is that ‘Guardians’ was a labor of love. The film was his vision, not some hollow corporate construct. And that showed in the finished product, which resonated with warmth and humor, something not lost on viewers.
Now Gunn and the cast are returning, although not until 2017, when ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ is scheduled to arrive in theaters. Can you stand the wait?
What do you think made ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ such a huge draw? If you are a fan, what was it that hooked you? Comment below!
Source: Cinema Blend
