Blockbusters and Fiascoes in the Movie Industry: The Role of Champions on Escalation and Ultimate Results
Résumé
To better understand what makes blockbusters and fiascos in the film industry, I reconcile two opposed perspectives: literature on champions considers persistence as a positive behavior associated with successful innovation, whereas escalation literature considers it as a negative behavior associated with increasing costs and losses. Five propositions highlight why champions favor escalation of commitment to a failing course of action and a sixth one highlights the incidence of champions on the outcome. Propositions are illustrated by two case studies: blockbuster Titanic, championed by James Cameron, and fiasco Heaven's Gate, championed by Michael Cimino.
