Post by ebnpresident on Jun 21, 2009 3:01:10 GMT -5
One Very Crowded Weekend
4th of July weekend always produces strong box office numbers, but this fourth of July weekend could be just about one of the most crowded ones ever. With 5 expensive, big-name films all opening and competing for audiences. Casey Affleck, hot off his Oscar win, will star as the titular character in superhero film The Flash. Hugh Jackman stars in The End Game, a movie whose advertising is instantly enthralling while giving little away. Will Smith stars in the action film Theme Park. Meryl Streep leads a mostly high school-aged cast in The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark, a family adventure film featuring beloved Disney characters. Academy Award Winner Uma Thurman leads an ensemble cast in the middle-aged comedy Pushing 40. Although all will have their audiences, the fact is that 5 new films, all with at least somewhat large price tags, are arriving in one week in the already crowded marketplace of the summer.
The End Game is likely to lead the way, with its mass disaster appeal. The advertising has given little information, but the element of surprise along with a big budget and Hugh Jackman could help it become one of the biggest films of summer. The Flash and Theme Park are late entries yet both have positives and negatives. The Flash should appeal to audiences of all age groups searching for a good action film, although there have been a lot of big superhero films already this summer. But The Flash should still do well, as it looks to be a well-made superhero film with a built-in audience. Theme Park has the advantage of Will Smith and Shia LaBeouff, but Smith has not been as dependable as he once was, and the film was just announced a couple weeks ago. It is also rated PG, which seems odd considering the subject of gangsters in a theme park. Theme Park may be more action thriller than summer blockbuster. The Kingdom Keepers should be able to capture younger audiences and their parents. It has elements of adventure, fantasy, and seems to be an all around fun film. Young audiences can recognize faces like Demi Lovato while older audiences can dwell on the always dependable Meryl Streep. Pushing 40 is the definition of summer counter-programming, clearly aiming for female audiences. The film, about the reunion of 5 friends involved in the modeling industry 15 years earlier, could be the perfect getaway for audiences not in the mood for action, and with a cast who have good box office pull it should do well.
Some of the films could potentially hurt each other, especially in their opening weekend, so the question remains which films will audiences respond to and which will they wait for DVD on? Sometimes there is only room for one huge hit. Below I have posted very large ranges, realistically what do you think the box office would look like?
POTENTIAL RANGE [WEEKEND]
The End Game: 65-95 million
Kingdom Keepers Disney After Dark: 50-70 million
The Flash: 45-60 million
Theme Park: 25-45 million
Pushing 40: 20-35 million
4th of July weekend always produces strong box office numbers, but this fourth of July weekend could be just about one of the most crowded ones ever. With 5 expensive, big-name films all opening and competing for audiences. Casey Affleck, hot off his Oscar win, will star as the titular character in superhero film The Flash. Hugh Jackman stars in The End Game, a movie whose advertising is instantly enthralling while giving little away. Will Smith stars in the action film Theme Park. Meryl Streep leads a mostly high school-aged cast in The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark, a family adventure film featuring beloved Disney characters. Academy Award Winner Uma Thurman leads an ensemble cast in the middle-aged comedy Pushing 40. Although all will have their audiences, the fact is that 5 new films, all with at least somewhat large price tags, are arriving in one week in the already crowded marketplace of the summer.
The End Game is likely to lead the way, with its mass disaster appeal. The advertising has given little information, but the element of surprise along with a big budget and Hugh Jackman could help it become one of the biggest films of summer. The Flash and Theme Park are late entries yet both have positives and negatives. The Flash should appeal to audiences of all age groups searching for a good action film, although there have been a lot of big superhero films already this summer. But The Flash should still do well, as it looks to be a well-made superhero film with a built-in audience. Theme Park has the advantage of Will Smith and Shia LaBeouff, but Smith has not been as dependable as he once was, and the film was just announced a couple weeks ago. It is also rated PG, which seems odd considering the subject of gangsters in a theme park. Theme Park may be more action thriller than summer blockbuster. The Kingdom Keepers should be able to capture younger audiences and their parents. It has elements of adventure, fantasy, and seems to be an all around fun film. Young audiences can recognize faces like Demi Lovato while older audiences can dwell on the always dependable Meryl Streep. Pushing 40 is the definition of summer counter-programming, clearly aiming for female audiences. The film, about the reunion of 5 friends involved in the modeling industry 15 years earlier, could be the perfect getaway for audiences not in the mood for action, and with a cast who have good box office pull it should do well.
Some of the films could potentially hurt each other, especially in their opening weekend, so the question remains which films will audiences respond to and which will they wait for DVD on? Sometimes there is only room for one huge hit. Below I have posted very large ranges, realistically what do you think the box office would look like?
POTENTIAL RANGE [WEEKEND]
The End Game: 65-95 million
Kingdom Keepers Disney After Dark: 50-70 million
The Flash: 45-60 million
Theme Park: 25-45 million
Pushing 40: 20-35 million