Pamela McClintock of Variety:
If there's a Fourth of July box office superhero, it's Will Smith.
Smith has starred in three of the 10 top-grossing films released over the holiday -- "Independence Day" and both "Men in Black" films. Sony will look to continue that streak when opening "Hancock" today in 3,965 locations.
"Hancock," about a derelict, boozy superhero, is different in tone than Smith's other Fourth of July films, but with Smith's name on the marquee, the decision to release the pic on July 2 wasn't difficult. Smith is now the world's biggest box office star, and "Hancock" is expected to do big business over the five-day holiday frame.
"It's a perfect fit. It's the heart of the summer, and every day sees great business," said Sony prexy of distribution Rory Bruer.
The decision to put "Hancock" over the long weekend was easy, but when to date a movie isn't always so clear-cut.
That's why studios rely so much on the past. Patterns begin to emerge; Universal is opening musical "Mamma Mia" on July 18, the same weekend that "Hairspray" bowed last summer. Disney-Pixar's "Wall-E" opened exactly one year after the debut of Pixar's "Ratatouille." Warner Bros. released Steve Carell starrer "Get Smart" on June 20, the same weekend that Carell starrer "Evan Almighty" opened last year.
But despite the patterns, sometimes studios have to take a risk and go against the established order.
Warner Bros. did that in 2007 when opening the R-rated "300" in March, a time of year usually dominated by family titles. But "300" opened to more than $70 million and shattered records, so Warners tried to tap into the same vein this year with "10,000 BC," but without the same degree of success.
More recently, Disney decided to give sequel "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" a summer release, while the original "Narnia" opened in December.
"Caspian," released on May 16, has grossed $137.8 million domestically. The movie isn't considered a failure, but it will fall far short of the $291.7 million earned by "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which opened Dec. 9, 2005.
A movie's performance is never determined by just one factor, such as when it opens, but release dates are an easy target for criticism. Disney prexy-CEO Bob Iger told Wall Street analysts that "Caspian's" May 16 release date was too competitive. Most box office observers don't agree with that thesis, saying "Caspian" was older and darker in tone than the first film.
Hollywood was abuzz for months over the decision to open both "Get Smart" and "The Love Guru" on June 20. Box office observers questioned whether the two comedies would divide the audience.
As it turned out, "Get Smart" was the clear victor, while "Love Guru" stumbled. And it's likely that the poorly reviewed "Love Guru" would have had the same trouble anywhere else on the calendar....
Despite soft critical reaction Hancock will provide plenty of box office noise over the long holiday period...And has even found its TV home alteady in 2010...
Next Week: Guillermo del Toro leads Hellboy and The Golden Army in the comic book sequel; Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brendan Fraser in the remake of the 1959 classic; And you can also Meet Dave....
No comments:
Post a Comment