CHUD NUMBERS: Box Office Discussion Thread - Page 194

I've never found the "audience testimonial at theater lobby in front of the one-sheet" marketing strategy to be a good one, which is what I've seen mostly from Warrior.

Who gives a fuck about the MMA crowd? I had to listen to these fucknuggets snicker and complain when Redbelt was ending saying " That was it? " yes assholes a great character piece about a dignified, unselfish, heroic human just unfolded in front of you and you snicker.

Warrior looks great if it is I hope it does well. To answer your question more respectfully S.D I doubt MMA fans care much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FilmNerdJamie 

Also the competition against The Hunger Games in March is weak, with the exception of 21 Jump Street. I too think it's going to be a big hit.

Is it really that weak? It's opening against Wrath of the Titans and while the first film wasn't beloved it still made a lot of money. John Carter could be a surprise hit and that Snow White film could go either way with the female audience. Then again, I didn't know anything about any of the Twilight hype before that film came out and look at that franchise now. 

Holy shit, that's March? There's going to bodies on the floor. Most of them will probably be martians.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd 

Holy shit, that's March? There's going to bodies on the floor. Most of them will probably be martians.

And the Gods.

Clash of the Titans was not a well-liked movie. It made that money because the trailers were great, it starred "the Avatar guy," the competition was shit (except for How to Train Your Dragon) and people were still high on 3D. Hell, that's the flick that started to get the folks to turn against the gimmick.

Forgot about Tarsem's Snow White. Have no clue how to gage that one.

John Carter better have one hell of a Super Bowl ad 'cause I have a feeling that thing is gonna tank hard.

Art Decade, I cannot wait for...John Carter!  The only movie or tv series involving JC was an Asylum direct to dvd film.  Marvel did a comic that lasted all of...25+ issues, and that was collected by Dark Horse Comics!  There is just not that much about John Carter, that general audiences will know.  I agree that JC will have a...Huuuuuuuuuuuge uphill battle to win even one weekend in...MARSch 2012!

Some bizarre fuck up just lost me an hour's worth of work in wordpress. No clue what happened. I'm too sick and too tired to make it up, so here are my numbers. Sorry guys (I know all .3 of you will be disappointed).

Contagion    21
The Help    10.5
Warrior     9.5
The Debt    6
Rise of the Apes    4.5

Sounds about right.

Also, from what I heard when I was out and about today (running errands and at work), I think Contagion will make its money this weekend and have a big drop-off next weekend.  The older audience might give it a steady income, but on the whole everyone I overheard today was bitching about how "boring" it was.  I weep for this country.

I've a feeling that The Thing is going to fo Fright Night (2011) numbers. It's a prequel to a remake thats over 20yrs old. Can't bode well right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by felix 

I've a feeling that The Thing is going to fo Fright Night (2011) numbers. It's a prequel to a remake thats over 20yrs old. Can't bode well right?

Not to mention, a near 30 year old movie that flopped hard at the box office. I'm with ya. Can't see this doing well.

I don't think it will tank as hard as Fright Night (and Conan), but I'll be REALLY surprised if it turns out to be a hit.  While I haven't been to the theater much recently, I have NEVER seen the trailer play in front of anything.................or any TV spots for it yet.

I see the trailer all the time, but I think a 10-ish opening is in the cards.

I'll be shocked if it manages to score more than 15 mill opening weekend and it is budgeted at 35 million.  Around 10 does seem about right.........................unless the weak box office string continues.  If Friday's numbers are any indication, this weekend looks to be shaking out as follows:

1. CONTAGION - $23 million

2. THE HELP - $8 million

3. WARRIOR - $5 million

4. THE DEBT - $4 million

5. COLOMBIANA - $3 million

Unless Saturday had a BIG surge in ticket sales, it looks like the weekend total for the Top 5 will be less than $50 million.  OUCH!

I wonder if all the profitable (Blockbuster size) Remake franchises are all done.

FRIGHT NIGHT was a bust. And I can't see THE THING or FOOTLOOSE remakes making enough cash to spawn a sequel (Though they may make money due to their low budget).

Also THE MAN FROM UNCLE? Why would they greenlight a Remake of a show over 30 years ago? Most people these days barely even remember it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by felix 

I've a feeling that The Thing is going to fo Fright Night (2011) numbers. It's a prequel to a remake thats over 20yrs old. Can't bode well right?

What The Thing has over Fright Night is that the original is actually a good movie and has quite a few fans. The original Fright Night wasn't that good of a movie to begin with and hardly anyone knew outside of horror that there even was an original. While I agree The Thing won't be huge, I feel it'll do better than Fright Night for the reason stated before and its October opening. They probably could've done even better if they completely re-invented it ala Dawn of the Dead.

anyone know if contagion is actually good? I have seen some strong marketing that got me interested, be nice to go catch something new that is well done. I guess the marketplace responded pretty well to this one, the numbers are surprisingly strong in my opinion when compared to the slightly to wildly dissapointing numbers most films have put up over the summer (with few exceptions, apes being a big surprise).

If only there was a web site that offered reviews of movies.

http://www.chud.com/67247/chud-does-box-office-91611/

I really hope that Drive manages to take off..................but I fear it will get lost in the Fall shuffle like Warrior seems to have.

I suspect films like Drive are usually ignored by the Mass audience. We should be glad that it was made in the first place and that hopefully it'll be a Cult Hit in the future.

Disney animation is truly timeless. The Lion King is looking at  a 30 M opening weekend! Biggest re-release since the Star Wars: Special Edition.

Just came back from a showing of The Lion King.  Relatively well-attended for a 9:20 pm show.  

Putting aside whatever financial boost it'll get, converting the film to 3D was pointless.  I felt no more depth in the image than I did watching my VHS tape over and over again.  The VHS was brighter too.  But I'll chalk that complaint to the theater that projected it.  Also, the sound mix was weak.  I'm not sure if that was the theater's fault.  It sounded like it was.

I'm absolutely checking out Lion King during the week when the kiddos are in school.  Shit 3D or not, I just want to see that sunrise on the big screen again. 

NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASWVENYAVAVAGICHIMIBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, definitely do it.  The people in my audience were really loving it.  

Just make sure to go to a theater that is reliable when it comes to proper projection and sound levels.  I spent the whole showing stewing in my irritation.  Not that most people in the audience are as anal about it as me.

Warrior is definitely a disappointment.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is STILL in the Top 10.  It has a domestic total of about $172 million (worldwide total = 391) and with a "alleged" budget of around 93 million, there is no way this puppy won't be getting a sequel (or two).  X-Men: First Class has only made 146 million of its 160 million budget back domestically, but is sitting at almost 353 million worldwide.  I'm guess Fox will be greenlighting that sequel in the near future as well.

As for Drive, it made 11 million this weekend and the budget is only 16, so it looks like it should do well as long as it can hold on for a few weeks.

what is amusing is watching Universal try to whip that dead horse that is Cowboys and Aliens to 100 million domestic, many movies that have performed much better seem to have disappeared (i.e. Capt. America) while CnA holds 634 screen hostage.

They need to just give up.  It has only just barely made its budget back WORLDWIDE.  It is definitely their Green Lantern of the year.

Oh man... I just assumed that C&A at least crossed 100 million.  Ouch.

It came in 18th this weekend and is still sitting right below 100 million.  Uni is definitely going to keep it on for another week or two so it can cross the triple digit marker.

Cowboys and Aliens, what a fucking embarrassment. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by S.D. Bob Plissken 

Warrior is definitely a disappointment.

I've been wondering how much of that has to do with the dopey name. A couple of overcooked lines in the trailer may not have helped either.

I wonder which one was the bigger Box Office Loser? Green Lantern or Cowboys And Aliens?

Green Lantern - Budget- 200 Million- Worldwide Gross- $219,738,270- Wasn't there an additional 200-300 million marketing cost attached to this? If so Warner Bros made a huge loss on this.

Cowboys And Aliens - Budget- 163 Million- Worldwide Gross- $162,837,000

Other losers

CONAN 3D - Budget- 90 Million- Worldwide Gross- $48,640,000- Heard it opened way soft even overseas. 

Sucker Punch- Budget- 82 Million- Worldwide Gross- $89,752,502- It didn't even break the 90 million mark.

Priest- Budget- 60 Million- Worldwide Gross- $78,014,960- I wouldn't expect a sequel to this anytime soon.

On the other hand the overseas grosses saved Final Destination 5- $130,727,879- I think there's enough juice for another 1-2 installments more.

In terms of money, Green Lantern by a mile.  Cowboys and Aliens didn't have a Subway sandwich tie-in with an avocado sandwich.  That shit costs money.  It's also the biggest embarrassment because that one was expected to be good by some people.  The studio certainly pushed it all over the place like it actually was good. Cowboys and Aliens was pretty much expected to suck by most.

I also heard there's an additional 50, or even 100m to the budget no one officially likes to speak about. And I'm not talking marketing costs.

I bet Conan would have done more if it had been in 2D, and Cowboys and Aliens more if it had been in 3D. Not even 4D could have saved Priest.

sorry double post

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarleyQuinn22 
Cowboys and Aliens was pretty much expected to suck by most.

Really? I know it's a niche genre Western/Sci-Fi mashup but it was directed by Jon Favreau who had a blockbuster with Iron Man, written by the guys who re-invented Star Trek, produced by Steven Spielberg AND Ron Howard, starred Indiana Jones and James Bond. Maybe it would've hit had Robert Downey Jr. stayed on as lead with his specific brand of humor that helped propel the Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes films. Daniel Craig just isn't as accessible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by User_32 

Really? I know it's a niche genre Western/Sci-Fi mashup but it was directed by Jon Favreau who had a blockbuster with Iron Man, written by the guys who re-invented Star Trek, produced by Steven Spielberg AND Ron Howard, starred Indiana Jones and James Bond. Maybe it would've hit had Robert Downey Jr. stayed on as lead with his specific brand of humor that helped propel the Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes films. Daniel Craig just isn't as accessible.

 

People laughed at the trailers.  People laughed at the Super Bowl spot.  And look at everything I bolded in your statement.  Everything I bolded only matters to online fanboys, not the general public at large.  Most people (general audience) believed it would suck.  Otherwise, the opening weekend would have been a bit higher, don't you think?
 

Ditto for Green Lantern as well. I believe all of us had a bad feeling when the first shitty Teaser Trailer came out.

Still it spawned this hilarious Topless Robot Writeup.

Pirates 4 making over 1 Billion sure was a surprise though. I thought audiences were done with that franchise.

http://www.chud.com/67403/chud-box-office-wrap-up-9192011/

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarleyQuinn22 

People laughed at the trailers.  People laughed at the Super Bowl spot.  And look at everything I bolded in your statement.  Everything I bolded only matters to online fanboys, not the general public at large.  Most people (general audience) believed it would suck.  Otherwise, the opening weekend would have been a bit higher, don't you think?
 

I think people really only laughed at the title as opposed to any of the footage in the trailers.  There was a period of derisive laughter at the title, but I think audiences gradually became open to the concept.  It's just that by the time the movie finally came out, it was an afterthought.  I think it would've done noticeably better business if it had come out earlier in the summer.  Because that's what the movie felt like to me: a movie to kick-off the summer.

That really only concerns the movie's weak opening.  With that lack of momentum, the fact that it seems to have been a truly mediocre movie didn't do it any favors.

Beauty and the Beast is likely to end up with a fairly solid Spring release date now for its 3D re-release.  I think we can easily expect The Little Mermaid and Aladdin to go the same route as well.  Personally, I'm all for it.  I would LOVE to see classic films, be they animated or live action, to start getting re-releases.  There are a lot of movies that I never got to see on the big screen or would love to see again.  Considering where I live, I don't get opportunities like that very often.

If that's what it takes to get hand-drawn animation back into theaters, I welcome it. 

But jesus... please offer it without the 3D.  3D on hand-drawn animation is so damned pointless.  More pointless than usual, in fact.

"Halloween" for Halloween, please. Just not in asshole-tonguing 3D.

I think at this point the ONLY way a movie is going to get a wide re-release is if it's in 3D. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by User_32 

I think at this point the ONLY way a movie is going to get a wide re-release is if it's in 3D. 

Sad but true.

Nick, if you are reading this, I just wanted to pop in here and let you in on something.  I finally managed to see the great Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (such is life with an infant at home) and to my pleasant surprise, the theater was 75% full.  According to a friend I have who works at the theater, Dark is playing very well to the crowd in my area and they'll probably be keeping it around for at least a few more weeks to come.  I'm sure it isn't much of a consolation due to the overall performance of the film, but I just wanted you to know that it has a lot of fans here (myself included).

On the flipside, I also managed to see Warrior (another damn good movie!) this weekend and I was only one of five in the theater.  So depressing.

A friend of mine hadn't seen Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark and wanted to go with me, so we went to a show in Times Square Saturday night.  Not my favorite place/time to see a movie, especially a horror movie based around whispers, subtle sounds, and slow building tension.  The good news: the theater was at least half full.  The bad news: Typical restless NYC audience, complaining audibly, flashing their smartphone screens around, constantly getting up, leaving the theater, and coming back.  Despite all that, my friend liked the movie and I enjoyed seeing it again.

So, people are still going to see it... even if most of them don't seem to like it.

Happy as hell to see Lion King 3D doing so well.  I saw it last Thursday night to avoid the children and potential jackasses, and ended up with an awesome crowd who turned the movie into a Disney version of Rocky Horror.  I knew I was in for it when the entire theater erupted into applause at the opening sunrise.  Everyone sang along to every song, laughed at all the jokes, and you could have heard a pin drop when Mufasa died.  Phenomenal time at the theater.  

Anybody shocked at that thing's box office severely underestimated the goodwill and nostalgia for that film.