The box office results for Oscar weekend has “Gnomeo and Juliet” outlasting the competition. Meanwhile, “Drive Angry 3D” and “Hall Pass” struggle to get out of the starting blocks. Here are the studio estimates:
1. Gnomeo And Juliet ($14.2 million)
2. Hall Pass ($13.4 million)
3. Unknown ($12.4 million)
4. Just Go With It ($11.1 million)
5. I Am Number Four ($11 million)
6. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never ($9.2 million)
7. The King’s Speech ($7.6 million)
8. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son ($7.5 million)
9. Drive Angry 3D ($5.1 million)
10. The Roommate ($2 million)
Analysis
Overall, the spots 1-8 were separated by just $7 million dollars this past weekend (Feb. 25th-27th). Nice to have balance, but the trade-off in individual profits is taking its toll on some releases in the top ten.
The Farrelly Brothers’ “Hall Pass” was the most notable debut but failed to draw the openings the brotherly duo were used to seeing over a decade ago. Somehow this comedy rang up a production bill of $36 million and will likely need a kind boost from the DVD/On-Demand run after it bows out of theaters. Which looks to be sooner rather than later. Critical reception has been piss-poor yet word-of-mouth within the male population may help this sucker out just a bit. In the end, the flick will be lucky to gross a theatrical total in the ballpark of its budget.
Moving to the other new release signals the early arrival for this staple portion of this column…
Flop Alert: “Drive Angry 3D.” Summit Entertainment decided to play coy with audiences with regards to their promotion for this flick. Unless you went to IMDb.com and read the synopsis, no one had a clue what the latest Nicholas Cage “movie of the month” was going to be about. Well allow me to enlighten my audience (the hundreds…and hundreds) on where this critically split flick is going. A write-off for Summit Entertainment. The production budget was at least $45 million. Need I say more?
While we’re at it…
Sleeper Hit: “Unknown” is the 2011 poor-man’s version of 2009’s “Taken.” Both of which starred Liam Neeson. With a domestic total of $43 million thus far, the flick should be able to earn profits off the $30 million production budget during its theatrical run.
Oscar Watch: “The King’s Speech” jumped up 17% from last weekend. Of all the remaining Oscar contenders for Best Pic still in theaters, Speech is the only one that’s occasionally risen within the top ten, as we’ve been inching toward the Academy Awards.
Speaking of going up, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” benefited from a sleazy marketing plan and moved up a notch in the top ten. By releasing “new footage” in theaters, the savvy business plan helped Paramount avoid the steep drop most of these concert flicks receive after two weeks. That said, yours truly has no respect for the people behind this tactic. Classless and greedy.
Four flicks invade the box office this Friday and it will be a toss up between two of these said four, in vying for the top spot. The animated “Rango” will try to hold off “The Adjustment Bureau.” Playing the alternate card will be CBS Films’ “Beastly” and the comedy “Take Me Home Tonight.” Reviews will be right here kids.
Report by Joe Belcastro
