ListNook

Careful-Music-8283 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Warner bros literally gave this dude a quarter of a billion dollars just for him to produce absolutely nothing and then casually downsize his entire company tbh. absolute finesse of the century ngl.

1

kacperp Apr 3, 2026 +1

Phoebe Waller-Bridge got 120 mil (20 mil a year) and did nothing. And she doesnt even own a company

1

LeafBoatCaptain Apr 3, 2026 +1

I thought she was involved with the Tomb Raider animated series and the upcoming one?

1

kacperp Apr 3, 2026 +1

I think that specific contract was for making her own tv shows like "Fleabag" not for working on other stuff. But i might be wrong

1

MondoDukakis Apr 3, 2026 +1

Harry and Meghan got tons of money from Netflix and gave them jack shit back

1

UltimateArtist829 Apr 3, 2026 +1

One of the biggest scam in Hollywood, lol

1

pehr71 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Is it really? You do sort of pay for the track record and the record of bad robot is pretty f*ing great. Alias, lost, fringe, westworld. Cloverfield, a number of Mission Impossible movies etc. What’s happened since is hard to say. How many shows did they stop before WB even got to production.

1

le_sighs Apr 3, 2026 +1

Having known someone who worked on a WB JJ Abrams show that was fully written but didn’t go to air, at least one. But I remember there were announcements about others too.

1

industrial-shrug Apr 3, 2026 +1

So much overrated c*** in one comment. But definitely mainstream enough to be worth a pretty penny, so agreed.

1

bawng Apr 3, 2026 +1

Yeah it's the money that counts, not the quality.

1

Booster_Tutor Apr 3, 2026 +1

I mean, I’m no fan of JJ but he’s produced 2 documentaries and 2 TV shows for Warner brothers in the last 2 years and has like 10 movies for them he’s produced coming out. One he’s directing himself.

1

rivieredefeu Apr 3, 2026 +1

Quarter of a billion is a fun way to say 250 million. Sounds way bigger eh.

1

Aduialion Apr 3, 2026 +1

Actually, it was an eight of 2 billion. Those are even bigger numbers

1

japanistan500 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Canadian?

1

rivieredefeu Apr 3, 2026 +1

Keep your stick on the ice

1

Arma104 Apr 3, 2026 +1

That sounds like an insane amount of money for doing no work and would lift me and all my future generations out of poverty until the sun dies.

1

MrBudissy Apr 3, 2026 +1

Yeah that’s how numbers work. I can explain it to you if you have about three score and ten minutes.

1

littlebiped Apr 3, 2026 +1

Do you think people will struggle to know how much a quarter of something is? Like that it’s some sort of riddle?

1

allanbc Apr 3, 2026 +1

It's a football field of pallets with $1 bills stacked about a quarter of normal shipping height. At least, that's how some 'news' shows would report it.

1

Syphin33 Apr 3, 2026 +1

\^ This He scammed the hell out of them

1

BlastMyLoad Apr 3, 2026 +1

I feel like there’s been a ton of those deals that go unfulfilled in recent years.

1

Guyver0 Apr 3, 2026 +1

These deals have been around for decades. The new thing is studios not actually following through with the projects being developed.

1

thesuavedog Apr 3, 2026 +1

Interesting move to leave Calif for NY though....

1

TepacheLoco Apr 3, 2026 +1

Santa Monica ain't the same anymore, but going across the country is a touch excessive

1

Chewbakkaa Apr 3, 2026 +1

He got bored of swimming past the breakers

1

mjs_pj_party Apr 3, 2026 +1

There's only so many times you can watch the world die.

1

The_Prince1513 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Hes likely doing this (along with a lot of other wealthy people) to avoid the possibility of being subject to the controversial wealth tax on unrealized gains for people over a certain net worth set to become CA law shortly.

1

2BlueZebras Apr 3, 2026 +1

It's why it needs to be a national law. They'll run as long as they can.

1

Clemario Apr 3, 2026 +1

It's amazing how JJ Abrams was on top of the world after making The Force Awakens, then completely squandered all his goodwill with The Rise of Skywalker.

1

Dreigatron Apr 3, 2026 +1

I'd argue that he shot to the top after doing *Star Trek* (2009).

1

FinAdda Apr 3, 2026 +1

Lost propelled him.

1

occono Apr 3, 2026 +1

Eh it was MI3. Which he actually left Lost very early on to do, he was only working on Lost for like the first ten episodes before Tom Cruise asked for him to direct. Damon and Carlton ran the show.

1

_Middlefinger_ Apr 3, 2026 +1

A feel like of a lot of the goodwill he had has been reappraised. Star Trek and The Force Awakens got good initial results and positive feedback, but have since been seen in a different light. Neither are actually very good, and both have had consequences for their respective franchises. He is good at making milquetoast generic movies that fool the audience once, but he cant follow through on it. If anything he is franchise poison, there is always payback after the high.

1

TheMadBug Apr 3, 2026 +1

He is great at all shine no substance, and a mystery box he can’t be bothered to work out what’s inside

1

roxxtor Apr 3, 2026 +1

You forgot to mention lens flares

1

pehr71 Apr 3, 2026 +1

I think he’s great at a tv series level. He’s arguably the best at setting up a premise with lots of mystery boxes sprinkled all over, that a good writing room can pick up on and run wild with over a couple of seasons. On a movie level it’s not quite as effective. Specially on something like Star Wars where the audience expect you to deliver on what you hint at in later movies.

1

_Middlefinger_ Apr 3, 2026 +1

I'll be honest I never liked his TV shows either. They all just 'lost' me (no pun intended) before the end. Just contrived nonsense.

1

IronVader501 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Should already have had none left after The Force Recycles

1

do_you_even_climbro Apr 3, 2026 +1

Force Awakens was not the feather in his cap you think it was.

1

brunoDILLA Apr 3, 2026 +1

I’d argue he squandered with “the force awakens”.

1

samcuu Apr 3, 2026 +1

That's not something arguable. Regardless of your opinion on the film, it was objectively a huge success.

1

darkjurai Apr 3, 2026 +1

Financial success and good will are two different things. Remember bands in the 90s being worried about being seen as sellouts? Make a ton of money, lose a lot of good will.

1

Arbyssandwich1014 Apr 3, 2026 +1

J.J. Abrams is the definition of "We have Steven Spielberg at home." The man so clearly wants to be his inspirations but ends up always making soulless copies of them. There's so little art in anything Abrams has done honestly. He can make a mildly competent movie but they don't have any real depth and they'd have no staying power if most of them weren't giant franchise movies.

1

jj_camera Apr 3, 2026 +1

He's never landed a third act outside of Mission Much better at Hype and mysteries but can never make anything truly great. Master of marketing, including creating his entire successful persona.

1

Decent_Two_6456 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Good takeoff, interesting flight, crash in the mountains.

1

BeanieMcChimp Apr 3, 2026 +1

Crash on a tropical mystery island.

1

Crazy_Particular_743 Apr 3, 2026 +1

If it weren’t for him we wouldn’t have the masterpieces that are LOST and Fringe

1

Bringyourfugshiz Apr 3, 2026 +1

While technically true, all he did with Lost was set up the premise with the first episode.

1

wallabee_kingpin_ Apr 3, 2026 +1

I liked Fringe and watched it all, but it's an incredibly stupid show with the worst science I've ever seen (literally below a child's understanding of basic science)

1

OverSoft Apr 3, 2026 +1

That’s why it’s fiction, as in science fiction.

1

wallabee_kingpin_ Apr 3, 2026 +1

I know, I know. But you can't suspend your disbelief when the "greatest scientist in history" is telling you there's a virus the size of a cat or a human ear growing on an apple. Other shows like Eureka do a much better job of making the "science talk" believable while still being obviously impossible.

1

Bariumdiawesomenite Apr 3, 2026 +1

His movies are just like his name. ‘J. J.’ sounds cool and mysterious for the beginning initials of a name. But it’s immediately followed by an ‘Abrams’ that sounds too simple to what could’ve been an ‘Andor’ or a ‘Cale’ or a ‘Jameson’.

1

TripMaverick Apr 3, 2026 +1

Hes filmed one film since last Star Wars right?

1

ferg286 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Did some terrible netflix stuff. 3? Plus batman?

1

gankindustries Apr 3, 2026 +1

I think he has a movie coming out this year

1

Sudden_Ad7716 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Turns out the ultimate mystery box was actually just figuring out where all that hbo max development money went dude. bro really just packed up the empty mystery boxes and left town lmao.

1

yandere_lily Apr 3, 2026 +1

J. J. Abrams has always bounced back, wouldn't count him out just yet.

1

Bobby_Haman Apr 3, 2026 +1

I think him and his millions of dollars will be just fine.

1

MrCooky_ Apr 3, 2026 +1

Somehow...J J Abrams returned

1

Particular-Lake-5238 Apr 3, 2026 +1

I don’t think he’s ever really bounced back. Just failed to meet the numerous opportunists given to him.

1

yandere_lily Apr 3, 2026 +1

That's fair, but I'd argue projects like Mission Impossible 3 and even parts of Star Trek kept him in the conversation for a long time.

1

Preskomesko12345 Apr 3, 2026 +1

Jar Jar

1

justnopaym Apr 3, 2026 +1

It's wild how fast the perception shifted from him being the franchise savior to the guy who squandered it all. You can really see the ambition to create something iconic, but the execution always ends up feeling like a hollow replica. It's like the initial excitement of his projects is the only thing with any lasting power. Warner Bros writing that massive check just feels like the perfect, expensive capstone to that whole cycle.

1

ElGourmand Apr 3, 2026 +1

250 mill to keep him out of directing, seems like a pretty good deal for humanity.

1

theonlyxero Apr 3, 2026 +1

Biggest flop of a creator of all time easily… his first Star Trek movie was f****** fantastic. Every single thing he’s made since then has been all sizzle no steak. What wasted potential.

1

gankindustries Apr 3, 2026 +1

I think people give him a lot of flak but I think he's pretty solid working on his films if he's not double dipping or tripple dipping in their creation. He needs to stick to either writing, directing or producing so he can focus just on that because imho he's done his best work when he's not stretching himself.

1

_ecthelion_95 Apr 3, 2026 +1

r/Cloverfield is gonna be even more disappointed.

1

Syphin33 Apr 3, 2026 +1

There is a movie from them coming out called Flower Vale Street aka End Of Oak Street which i will say does look pretty amazing, it's about a families entire street getting teleported back to the age of dinosaurs... looks fun!

1

Ok-Bar601 Apr 3, 2026 +1

The Force Awakens is a serviceable film, it has Disney’s fingerprints all over it or at least their expectations. The Rise of Skywalker was abominable and I think that’s where he fell off the wagon and retreated into relative obscurity. But if I ever met him in person I would say to him “I love your Star Trek films, and no matter what anyone says I think Star Trek: Into Darkness is the greatest Star Trek film ever”.

1

do_you_even_climbro Apr 3, 2026 +1

Hard disagree that FA is a serviceable film. I thought it was trash and a re-tread of ANH. And they totally wasted the potential with bringing original cast back. How you going to bring the OG cast back and then decide they never have a scene together? It's just total trash decision-making, of which JJ is definitely not exempt.

1

J.J. Abrams scaling down Bad Robot as he moves to New York, after shutting down Santa Monica headquarters

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