10. Leave A Big Hint For A Sequel
What The Studios Think: No matter how standalone a movie is, always have your eye on the second, third and eighth installment. Getting the cast and crew to drop hints in interviews about how its planned as a story told in eleven chapters (with the final part split in two) is a good way to get the message out . If you've not already, shoot a scene to come after the end credits. Include the only villain from the franchise anyones heard of (that you really should have used in this film) to make sure they want to come back.
Pro Tip: Dont wuss out and put the scene midway through the credits. Cinema staff love standing around while one group of geeks sit through a ten minute list of animators.
Why It Doesn't Work: The painful legacy of Iron Man is that now pretty much every major blockbuster comes with a sequel grabbing post credit sting. They can work, but for the most part come off as desperate. Lets not forget that Iron Mans was incredibly daring, while The Avengers' delivered on a plot point set up earlier; they were directly relevant to the films, not just tacked on. This year Pacific Rim and Iron Man 3 has brought more light hearted stings in, which are much more rewarding in the long run when there isn't a sequel.
So there you have it. Making a Hollywood flop just got a lot easier. Know any more major tops on how to make a film bust? Let us know in the comments below.