“It’s simple to work the numbers…
–Debbie Reynolds (Singin’ In The Rain)
June 5th, 2012
Pardon the the delay! Traveling kept me from getting this out more promptly, but we do get to look at the actuals, so three cheers for non-studio spun facts!
1. Snow White and the Huntsman($56 million)
[Total: $56 million | Worldwide: $95.5 million | Budget: $170m]While Fifty-Six Million Dollars isn’t really a gasp-inducing number in a year that’s already had three other bigger opening (including the biggest of all time!), it’s still a solid heap of dough for the first weekend of a gritty Snow White-based war film that can’t seem to catch a break with film geeks and critics. That it’s actually a visually stunning, well-acted, interestingly expanded fairy tale that trumps your average blockbuster on virtually every level hasn’t stopped the raised eyebrows I’ve gotten for endorsing the film, but what are you gonna do? I wish I’d seen it earlier and could have gone to bat for it when it really mattered, though you shouldn’t be surprised to see some kind of catch-up review from me at some point soon. In any event, it’s an expensive movie and needs to keep up a good pace and some hearty international numbers to truly be a hit, but this is definitely a win. Keep in mind that it has already outgrossed Battleship domestically!
2. Men In Black III ($28 million)
[Total: $111 million | Worldwide: $385 million | Budget: +$200m]
This film continues its track of doing not-quite-as-well as its predecessors, but still managing some rather solid numbers considering the context. If you look and notice that it’s already got nearly $400 million worldwide, you’ll see that this was a smart move from Sony and a clear sign that Will Smith is still a star across the globe. This should have no problem doing half-a-billion all said, which won’t take it past the original’s numbers, but should leave it above MIIB. That said, we’re comparing numbers with 10 years of inflation between them, so it’s also absolutely clear that the franchise hasn’t aged like wine or anything. One hopes they consider this a healthy, final milking of the cow.
2. The Avengers ($20.5 million)
[Total: $553 million | Worldwide: $1.359 billion | Budget: $220m]
It’s all cleanup at this point, but The Avengers is still on a record-breaking pace and has $600 million dollars in its sites. Which is stupid. Just the dumbest amount of money.
At this point, even if you’re adjusting for inflation it’s clear the film will crack the top 30 of all time. Serious, serious dough.
***
4. Battleship ($5 million)
[Total: $55.5 million | Worldwide: $290m | Budget: $209m]
Still sinking.
***
5. The Dictator ($4.5 million)
[Total: $51 million | Worldwide: $111.5m | Budget: $65m]
This one will leave Cohen’s BO graph pretty much flat after Bruno, which I’m hoping will send him in a new direction. Hell, I haven’t even caught up with this one myself. It never really entered the conversation, so it will soon fade away as an infinitely forgettable comedy that neither offended nor excited.
***
The Rest…
The incremental expansion of Moonrise Kingdom has led to another excellent weekend for the film, putting at 1.7m in a mere 16 theaters. Next week is a much bigger expansion that will more than triple its number of locations- I can’t wait to catch it myself. Meanwhile, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has paved the way as another quirky, expanding indie that’s now crossed $25m.
Thanks for reading!
Comment Below
Message BoardNumbers (rounded off to nearest .5m) via BoxOfficeMojo
5 comments
I’m right there with you, Renn, on SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN, and I anticipate your proposed catch-up review of the film.
Just got back with the kiddies from Snow White. Boring. One man started to snore through right after the apple bit. That was the biggest laugh of the day. The acting was good, the creature design was good for the most part, but what a horrible script. “You can’t have my heart”, I nearly laughed at the gem.
I was pleasantly surprised by Snow White and the Huntsman myself. Thought it was a well made, well acted alternative take on the fairy tale. In fact, out of all the summer movies I have seen so far this year, it’s easily in the top 5. Likely to drop out once Prometheus and Dark Knight Returns enter the picture… It’s leagues better than dreck like Battleship, that’s for sure.
Snow White and the Huntsman was really bad… the material and the adaptation have a lot of interesting ideas, but there’s little motivation moving from one point to another. Things just happen. and then there’s the unforgivable lifting of the scene from “Princess Mononoke”, which is the best thing in the film, by virtue of it being stolen from a better film.
See, this makes no sense to me. There’s totally, absolutely motivation from scene to scene. There’s a very easy of “because of this, this happened” statement you can make for each transition. It has a very strong, consistent narrative energy that fills out the gaps between the fairy tale beats. And one man’s “lift” is another’s homage. That’s not one they were trying to sneak by you as if nobody was going to notice.
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