One Month Out Part I
By BOP Staff
March 18, 2010
Max Braden: Were it not for some ridiculously large openings in the past year or so, I'd say they were dumping it in April because it's not up to summer tentpole standards but see it as a big fish in a little spring pond. It reminds me a lot of The Scorpion King, which was released April 17, 2002. That movie opened to $36 million but couldn't pass the $100 million mark in total domestic grosses. To me, the effects of the original Clash of the Titans (and it pains me that most of the target audience for Worthington's version have no idea this is a remake) look superior to the current one. What's with the starburst effects on Neeson's chrome armor? I expect this movie to mimic the box office behavior of Scorpion King's: an undeserved big opening and a fizzle in the later weeks.
Jason Lee: I don't think any of the actors will help this movie - I think it'll live and die on how cool the special effects look. That said, I'm looking for something in the middle between Warner Bros' previous March CGI spectacles: 10,000 BC ($35.9 million opening) and 300 ($70.9 million) . . . so say maybe $50-$55 million opening weekend.
Kim Hollis: I think people are underestimating this thing. It's got tons of appeal plus 3D, along with two actors who have have plenty of recognition thanks to Avatar and Taken. It's going to open around 300's range, and I don't necessarily see it fizzling out immediately, either.
David Mumpower: I think Jason Lee has touched upon the key aspect here. In terms of re-making Clash of the Titans, the conversation that drives the project is, "Think about how great the Kraken will look." Then, they enhanced that by bringing in a couple of the best character actors in the world in Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes to assure audiences that independent of the leads, there were would be some quality performances in the film. Then, the project caught a pair of breaks when Taken took off right before production began then Avatar did what it did, thereby establishing Sam Worthington as the next big thing in the industry. This is a potent mix and, most importantly, The Kraken DOES look great. I expect this to open better than 300 did and fully expect a finish north of the $200 million range.
McLovin!
Kim Hollis: Kick-Ass, a comic book adaptation about a powerless guy who becomes a viral video sensation as a presumed superhero, stars Nicolas Cage (that's bad) but is directed by Stardust's Matthew Vaughn (that's good). Is this going to be one of the Nic Cage movies that does really well or one of the Nic Cage films that in no way involves National Treasure or Ghost Rider?
Josh Spiegel: Based on the previews and advance buzz, I think it's safe to say that this won't be the same type of movie as Ghost Rider or National Treasure. For better or worse, this looks like one of those movies where Nicolas Cage gets a part to play. I don't know if it's good or bad, but at least it's different. I'm hoping it does well, if only because of Vaughn's involvement, and the raunchy humor infusing the preview footage. But, of course, the movie might do better than expected, if certain groups continue the pointless shouting about how shocking - shocking! - it is that a girl swears in the movie. Any publicity is good publicity.
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