Monday Morning Quarterback Part I
By BOP Staff
August 13, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Jason Barney: This opening is just fine for Sony and everyone involved with Elysium. While it is not the breakout success that every project hopes for, this will be a money maker. I think the comparisons to District 9 are okay, but they can be a bit overdone. If you take Elysium on its own, a pretty good science fiction film released over a very crowded weekend, you can’t be disappointed with much. Sure it underperformed by a few million, but as the weeks play out and the international numbers come in, this should be a decent plus for Sony. The $115 million dollar budget will be met and surpassed, maybe a little slower than hoped.
Felix Quinonez: I think it's a fine opening. I believe that people got a bit carried away with their expectations. Yes, District 9 was a big success and a lot of people were excited for the director's next project but it takes more than one hit for a director to become known enough that his name alone will draw crowds. I believe that a large part of the mainstream audience doesn't normally pay attention to the name of the director. I feel confident in saying that I know more about movies than the "average Joe" and I can't even remember the director's name right now without googling it. As for Matt Damon, he's never been a huge draw. And as for the plot of the movie I think it's a little heady for some people and the reviews weren't good enough that they would convince people to see it if they were on the fence about it.
Bruce Hall: I think it's a solid result, for a thematically dense, R-rated sci-fi thriller starring Matt Damon as a cyborg and Jodie Foster as a villain. It's going to need some legs to cross the $100 million mark domestically, and a solid international result wouldn't hurt if we eventually want to call this a success. I'm not holding my breath for either, but it's certainly possible.
Kim Hollis: Since it looked fairly inscrutable from the trailers, a $30 million debut is more than okay. It was pretty clear that the movie had a significant political message, and I think that a certain segment of the population is going to be automatically turned off by that since they're being beaten over the head with it in the news and in their social media. Also, the message didn't really look subtle. With that said, I totally want to see the movie, but I can understand why it wasn't the breakout some were hoping for.
David Mumpower: Okay, I'll take con on this one. As I mentioned in the Friday Numbers Analysis column, I consider this result disappointing. I understand why all of you are viewing the project through the lens of a new property without a built-in base. A roughly $30 million debut for such a title is acceptable. The problem is that we know that this director is capable of much more. Elysium's advertising did everything but shout from the rafters that it was the de facto sequel to District 9, at least thematically. Another science fiction action film from Neill Blomkamp should be marketable enough to open much better. And that is before we introduce the presence of legitimate A-list actors Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. Why did the sum prove to be less than the parts here? I just cannot describe Elysium as anything other than a missed opportunity. Yes, the movie will probably wind up in the black but $30 million is a lukewarm result rather than the blockbuster this should have been.
Kim Hollis: We're the Millers, a comedy featuring Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston, earned $26.4 from Friday-to-Sunday and has accumulated $37.9 million since it debuted on Wednesday. What do you think about its performance?
Jason Barney: We're the Millers is looking to be a pretty big success story going into the next couple of weeks. Measuring it against its budget is always the first test of a film’s success, and this one will have that covered in the next couple of days. For me this continues to show how much Saturday Night Live continues to be a launching pad for big careers. Kristen Wiig struck it big a few years ago with Bridesmaids and now Sudeikis is off and running. That show will still spawn the occasional MacGruber, but there is no question some cast members do very well on the big screen.
Felix Quinonez: I think this is a great opening. It's already matched its budget in five days and received an A- Cinemascore so it should have decent legs. I also believe that We're the Millers will benefit from headlines that will either dub Elysium a disappointment or even a flop. The fact that We're the Millers grossed almost as much over the weekend as Elysium but cost almost $100 million less is something that will not go unnoticed by newspapers and the comedy will benefit from that.
Bruce Hall: A raunchy, $38 million R-rated comedy makes its money back in five days despite coming in second place for the weekend, AND it stars Jennifer Aniston? That's a success in anybody's book.
Tim Briody: It earned its production budget back in its opening weekend and audiences didn't completely hate it. Your move, Elysium!
Kim Hollis: I guess that Jennifer Aniston using a stripper pole was enough to get people into theaters. Basically, this is a pretty harmless retread of a formula that's been used a number of times. Jason Sudeikis is genial enough, and people were yearning for a comedy that was even halfway decent. We're the Millers fit the bill.
David Mumpower: We're the Millers reminds me a great deal of Along Came Polly, another moronic looking comedy whose immediate popularity bordered on the inexplicable. And it too prostituted Jennifer Aniston for every dollar possible. Sudeikis strikes me as every bit as vanilla and talentless as Dane Cook, but he had a good week. He had a strong appearance on Hollywood Game Night then followed it up with the instantly viral Mumford and Sons video. Those two tidbits may not have been a huge factor in the opening weekend, but every little bit counts. Jennifer Aniston promising lapdances helps more, though.