Why Career Best Numbers Aren't Enough for Tier 2 Heroes

Tier 2 heroes are increasingly trying to make larger-than-life films with big worlds, grand visuals and massive action sequences. The aim is to expand their market, but there is a problem. Even a hero's career-best box office numbers may not be enough to reach breakeven.

Nani’s The Paradise is a clear example. The film has already registered career-best numbers for Nani, but it has reportedly failed to recover even 80 percent of its investment. This raises a serious question about the budgets being set for Tier 2 heroes. If a film's biggest box office performance is still not enough to recover the investment, the problem could be with the budget itself.

There is nothing wrong with filmmakers dreaming big or making films with passion. Bigger films can help heroes expand their market, but cinema is also a business. Producers need to consider what a hero's existing market can realistically support before investing huge amounts.

The success ratio in the industry is already low. Spending beyond a hero's market value only makes the risk higher for producers and distributors.

The real issue is not making bigger films, but spending more than the market can support. Unless budgets and market value grow together, even a career-best result may not save a film from losses.