Weekend Wrap-Up
Melissa McCarthy Puts the Boots to Insidious, Entourage
By John Hamann
June 7, 2015
That puts Insidious Chapter 3 in third, and for the umpteenth consecutive time, a Jason Blum film has a first day gross ($10.4 million) that outdoes its production budget ($10 million). Given that information, it is hard to come down on the weekend result, despite opening to almost $15 million less than the second chapter in this series, as Chapter 2 opened to $40.3 in September of 2013 (yes – September). This time around, Chapter 3 turned its $10.4 million opening day into a weekend of $23 million, again not bad, given the $10 million production budget. The big cost for a film like Insidious Chapter 3 has to be the marketing cost, which I have to assume is at least $30 million for a film like this. Despite the production cost, it is still going to need to earn $50 million stateside, and then try and eke out the same amount overseas in order to see a theatrical profit.
Entourage, despite a strong start on Wednesday, has to settle for a fourth spot finish this weekend. The bro-pack comedy earned a sizzling $2 million on Tuesday night from previews (notably more than Spy and the Insidious sequel did via Thursday previews), and turned that into a combined Tuesday/Wednesday of $5.4 million. While it was a good start, that opening day will be the high point of the entire run, as it dropped 63% on Thursday to $2 million, and then earned $3.7 million on Friday. Entourage went on to earn $10.4 million over the Friday-to-Sunday portion of its opening, and $17 million over its first five days.
Word is that Entourage cost $30 million to make, but like Insidious, must have had a bigger marketing budget than production cost. If it plays like the first Sex and the City – which it should – Entourage would end up with an opening-to-total multiplier of about 2.7, and finish at the domestic box office matching its production budget with earnings. That is not enough, and a key question is how Entourage will play overseas. I’m thinking it is going to need at least $60 million from over there for Warner Bros. to see a theatrical return, although I’m sure this one will play well on small screens following the theatrical run.
Mad Max: Fury Road finds itself in a battle with Pitch Perfect 2 for fifth, with the action film coming out on top. The Tom Hardy starrer earned another $8 million this weekend, dropping a not bad 44%. Fury Road has now had three consecutive less than 50% drops, which is somewhat surprising given the post-apocalyptic nature of the film and its high level of violence. It looks like Mad Max will match its $150 million production budget stateside, but is going to need more help than the $177 million it has so far from overseas theaters. It has earned $130.8 million stateside so far and did manage to cross the $300 million worldwide mark this weekend.
Sixth place goes to Pitch Perfect 2. Now in its fourth weekend, the a capella musical movie earned another $7.7 million, which means it was off 48% compared to last weekend. The running domestic total for the $30 million film has reached $161 million, which is impressive, but when adding the $80 million it has earned overseas, it becomes a little mind boggling. PP2 is in position to earn ten times its budget worldwide, which has to make those at Universal quite happy.
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