Today: Kabletown Studios
MOVIES IN RELEASE
FAST FIVE
US Release: April 29
US Gross: $208,769,000
Overseas Gross: $392,831,354
Worldwide Total: $601,600,354
BRIDESMAIDSUS Release: May 13
US Gross: $158,186,000
Overseas Gross: $48,500,000
Worldwide Total: $206,686,000
BEGINNERS (Focus Features)
US Release: June 3
US Gross: $2,697,327
Overseas Gross: n/a (Focus only controls certain territories)
Worldwide Total: n/a
LARRY CROWNE
US Release: July 1
US Gross: $26,526,000
Overseas Gross: $8,400,000
Worldwide Total:: $34,926,000
THE MONEY
Universal’s summer score comes with a big asterisk: properly speaking,
FAST FIVE‘s April 29 opening placed it outside Hollywood’s “summer.” Deleting that $600M from its numbers would make quite a difference. But since the film opened just a week before the summer’s “official” start with
Thor, it was marketed as a summer movie and had the bulk of its playing time during summer, it (sort-of) counts. Financially the picture was a bonanza, the franchise’s highest grosser both domestically and overseas, and a particularly huge hit internationally–it could end up doubling the second-highest overseas gross of the series. (Needless to say, a sixth installment is on the way.)
BRIDESMAIDS is a much smaller hit, but an even bigger surprise for the studio: the low-budgeted R-rated comedy with no stars has turned into the biggest smash ever from Judd Apatow’s production company, and kicked off a summer of R-rated comedy success. Since no one except Apatow will get a large back-end on this picture, there should be plenty of profit for the studio.
LARRY CROWNE is a flop, but Universal was strictly a distributor on it, with no financial investment beyond marketing costs. Even so, the picture may take a while to hit breakeven, but Universal is in much better shape than the film’s financiers.
On the limited release side, BEGINNERS is taking its time expanding beyond art houses–this weekend it added 47 theatres for a total of 155, and saw its per-theatre gross decline to a still-acceptable $3500 or so. If it can play out the rest of the summer, it could develop into a modest success.
THE QUALITY
Fast Five successfully pushed the franchise into the heist genre, and may have had the smartest casting idea of the summer by adding The Rock to the movie’s crew. The result wasn’t brainy, but it was fun.
Showbuzzdaily was in the minority on Bridesmaids (89% positive on Rotten Tomatoes), which was undeniably enjoyed by vast numbers of moviegoers. Director Paul Feig, writer/star Kristen Wiig and her co-stars are all big talents, so more power to them. Larry Crowne, on the other hand, was a misfire that left a bad aftertaste.
Beginners is a marvelous, very little movie that probably won’t reach a wide audience, but is at least being seen.
STILL TO COME
COWBOYS & ALIENS – July 29: Universal can’t seem to figure out how to sell this big-budget, high-concept whatsit. There have been multiple trailers, some playing up the western genre, some the star power of Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, others the scifi special effects. That kind of muddled sell usually doesn’t help at the boxoffice.
THE CHANGE-UP – August 5: Jason Bateman’s new hit with Horrible Bosses may boost this R-rated body-switch comedy, which seemed doomed after Ryan Reynolds failed to thrill anyone as the Green Lantern. Although it follows Friends With Benefits and Crazy Stupid Love in the summer line-up, this one could skew more to a male audience.
ONE DAY (Focus) – August 19: This initially seemed like a no-brainer: Anne Hathaway in a romantic comedy drama based on a bestselling (and extremely good) book, from the director of An Education. The decision to push opening day from midsummer to the last couple of weeks before Labor Day doesn’t bode well, though.
MIDSUMMER GRADES:
THE MONEY: Split grade — B+ if Cowboys & Aliens succeeds, C+ if it flops.
THE QUALITY: C+, higher for the rest of the world that loved Bridesmaids.
Click HERE to read the other studio report cards.
