The Hits and Misses of the Summer
So how have the big summer blockbusters performed this year? Let’s take a look shall we?
First out of the gate was Mission Impossible III, and with a sub $50 million opening this was widely condemned as a major disappointment. But how do things look now its theatrical business is more or less complete? Surprisingly good I think. While it only managed $133m in the US, its takings for the rest of the world are almost double that ($247m) giving it a worldwide gross of almost $381m. With a budget of £150m (small compared to some of the summers other big films) that’s not a bad return at all and I think at some point we’ll see Mission Impossible IV.
Poseidon opened next and must rank as the major flop of the summer. Budgeted at $160m Wolfgang Petersen’s remake only managed $60m in America and, while it did better overseas ($114m) is still a big disappointment. After Troy and now this I wouldn’t expect to see Petersen given this kind of money to play with again any time soon, so don’t hold your breath for his adaptation of the Ender’s Game SF novel.
Up to bat next was The Da Vinci Code, a film that got mostly poor reviews but coming from a bestselling novel should have had a built in audience. It did very nicely in the States (216m) but absolutely amazing everywhere else ($527m) and further cements Ron Howard as one of the most successful and versatile directors working in Hollywood at the moment. His next project should be a remake of East of Eden. The success of this will probably have the knock-on effect of studios looking for other bestselling novels to adapt. They have a core audience almost guaranteed and they are much cheaper to produce than the usual explosive summer action fare.
X-Men: The Last Stand surprised everyone by coming off the blocks like an Olympic sprinter. There were major doubts about this film, most of them stemming from Brett Ratner replacing Bryan Singer in the director’s chair and it received mixed reviews, but it had a monster opening ($103m.) Sadly, the film proved to have more in common with a sprinter than just its start and didn’t have the legs for distance running. Still it managed a respectable $233m in the US, but it did better at home than in the rest of the world ($207m). With a budget of $210m it’s made a nice profit and we can no doubt expect to see the spin-off Wolverine film fairly soon.
Cars was the new Pixar film and, as they’ve yet to have a flop, a lot was expected of this. It did well, taking $236m at home and, so far, $111m elsewhere (with more to come) although not quite as well as The Incredibles. Pixar it seems is the only studio that can do no wrong and got a nice return for there relatively small investment (a mere $120m). With the guaranteed hit Toy Story 3 next there’s no stopping them.
Warner’s have had a bad summer, first Poseidon sank with out trace and then Superman Returns failed to fly as high as expected. The film Bryan Singer left the X-Men to make has only taken $190 in America and has already dropped out of the weekly top ten. Its foreign business isn’t outstanding either, just $132m (although there are a few countries it hasn’t opened in yet.) So while Singer may be talking up a sequel don’t expect to see it in the near future, and I’d be surprised if he’s attached if it does get made. Makes you wonder if he regrets abandoning the X-Men.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest has been the US box office champ of the summer with $380m already taken and still doing decent business (11m last weekend.) It’s not done quite so well on foreign turf (302m) but it’s still making money there too. Having exceeded the previous film and with the third a sure fire hit next year it seems fair to say Gore Verbinski can pick any project he wants. The film has also turned Johnny Depp into a major box office draw. It’ll be interesting to see how his career progresses now; I hope we won’t see him playing it safe and that he’ll continue to make the quirky movies he’s always done. His involvement with a big budget version of I Am Legend with Will Smith has me worried though.
Michael Mann’s reworking of his old TV show Miami Vice doesn’t seem to have set the box office alight. Only $45m after its second weekend and its already dropped to number four in the weekly top ten. It’s too early to say how it will fare abroad but it will have to do extremely well to make a profit. Will this relative failure affect Mann’s forthcoming projects? I don’t think so; Miami Vice’s budget was a comparatively small $135m and Mann’s been around so long now he’s weathered flops before and come back. I’d expect him to make something a little smaller for his next film though so probably not his long talked about WWII film, The Few with Tom Cruise.
US Box Office Totals
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest $379,709,000
Cars $237,498,000
X-Men: The Last Stand $233,524,650
The Da Vinci Code $216,385,837
Superman Returns $190,223,000
Mission: Impossible III $133,501,348
Poseidon $60,618,199
Miami Vice $45,740,000
Worldwide Box Office Totals
The Da Vinci Code $744.2m
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest $681.6m
X-Men: The Last Stand $440.6m
Mission: Impossible III $380.9m
Cars $349.2m
Superman Returns $321.8m
Poseidon $175.1m
Miami Vice $46.8m
Worldwide Box Office less Production Budget
The Da Vinci Code $619m
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest $457
X-Men: The Last Stand $231
Mission: Impossible III $231
Cars $229
Superman Returns $61m
Poseidon $15
Miami Vice -$88m
The production budget is only the cost of making the film and doesn’t include various other expenses that a film incurs, most notably advertising. Warner’s probably spent over £60m pushing Superman Returns so it’s doubtful the film is in the black yet. It does give some idea of how well a film has done though.
