10 Simple Ways To Build A Cinematic Universe

Its all well and good to boldly claim that your new blockbuster is set to launch a cinematic universe, but the audience are the ones with the real power. If they have no interest in seeing your movie, then they let their wallets do the talking.

Take King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, for example. We were told that this was set to launch a six-film Knights of the Round Table series that would culminate in an Avengers-style team-up. The movie looked terrible, it was terrible, and it became the year's biggest bomb as a result.

The long-awaited adaptation of The Dark Tower was to be the start of a multi-platform shared universe that included both big-screen sequels and television shows. However, the buzz was toxic from the very beginning, the movie got terrible reviews and it still hasn't managed to crack $100m at the box office.

Even the multi-billion dollar Transformers series is running on fumes. Is anybody looking forward to more adventures featuring the Autobots after five terrible movies in a row? Does anybody that had the misfortune of sitting through The Mummy really want to see more star-driven action/adventures with tenuous connections to Universal's stable of iconic monsters?

You can't just decide that you're launching a cinematic universe and expect people to go with it. The trust of the audience has to be earned through making good movies that make them want to see more of the mythology because if they don't care, then the whole thing becomes a pointless exercise.