Monday Morning Quarterback Part I

By BOP Staff

September 24, 2012

I was wondering how your family is doing! Jerk!

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Jake Gyllenhaal: The World's Blandest Cop

Kim Hollis: End of Watch opened to $13.2 million over the weekend. What do you think of this result?

Bruce Hall: I think it's great. I believe End of Watch was budgeted at around $7-10 million, and it ends up in first place. It's also receiving good audience feedback, so it might hang around for a little while. I'd say it was a solid weekend.

Edwin Davies: This is a very strong and definite win all around. Considering that End of Watch went into the weekend being seen very much as the underdog compared to Katniss and The Chair Whisperer, for it to take the top spot is more than anyone expected. Having said that, the numbers themselves are pretty low, so this is not by any means a breakout hit, but considering that it had most likely covered its production budget by Sunday morning and will likely wind up with around $30-$40 million, this is still a very good result.




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Matthew Huntley: I think the numbers say something about the quality of the film and the marketing campaign. True: generally speaking, the trailer for this movie made it look like just another L.A. cop movie a la Training Day, S.W.A.T. or Street Kings, but it also took things a step further with its unique camera work and uncommonly gritty style. On top of that, the relationship between the two cops seems genuine and credible, which is conveyed with just a few clips in the previews and TV spots, so it's clear the cast and filmmakers have taken the material seriously. In such a sluggish movie-going period, this kind of dedication feels fresh and audiences responded in kind. Granted, the figures aren't explosive, but they suggest the movie will be around for a little while (at least longer than expected). To the writer-director David Ayer, who was so humble at the End of Watch panel at Comic-Con, I say, "Good for you, man."

Felix Quinonez: I think it's hard not to call this a win. It's a solid opening and because it's got great reviews and its Cinemascore was an "A-," I think it could even have some legs. I think it's all the more impressive because it seemed to be the least storied of the three opening movies.

Jason Barney: As pretty much everyone else has stated here, this has to be seen as a win. I think from a box office perspective we all get a little nervous talking about such small totals as good news, but the numbers just don't lie. A project that makes its money back on its first weekend is a solid investment for the studio. Yes, we would all like to be discussing opening weekends tied to blockbusters, but money is the real discussion here, and End of Watch will make money during its run.


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