10-02-2005, 10:28 PM
http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/in...m?columnID=9198
I'm currently reading this thread over on Whedonesque, and while most people are disappointed that their BDM ("Big Damn Movie", a common phrase among Browncoats for their favourite flick) ain't doin' so well, there are those who believe word of mouth, international grossing and DVD sales will save this baby.
It's difficult to get people to watch this movie. Either they don't like Joss, or they hate the trailer, can't watch a movie without Tom Cruise in it, or they simply don't like the poster. All these things tend to overshadow the rating at IMDB and Rottentomatoes. I read about people buying 5 tickets while seeing the movie alone for the 5th time, just so that the movie will do well. It's kinda tragic. People are all too set in their ways.
Quote:Pulling up in second this weekend is Serenity, Josh Whedon's take on what a space opera is in 2005. Serenity did okay over its opening frame, grossing $10.1 million, thanks mostly to the cult success of its creator and its originating TV Series called Firefly. Notable here is that the venue count was actually quite low for an sci-fi flick at only 2,188. That gives Serenity the second best venue average in the top ten at $4,634, which means it stays ahead of new films despite having fewer screens in the per venue battle. We often talk about how the second weekend of a film's release is so crucial, and it's even more important in this case.
Because this movie is based on a TV show that only a renegade few watched and stars no one mainstream audiences would know, the second weekend drop could be inherently precipitous. However, Serenity does seem to have reviews and word-of-mouth on its side. At RottenTomatoes, a much higher than expected 80% of critics gave this one a thumbs up, a number I certainly did not think it would see. Not only is this one fresh in the critics' eyes, but also in the Users of RottenTomatoes. Signed-up users of the review compilation Web site combine to give this a 92% fresh rating. Sure, it may just be a bunch of freaks and geeks, but remember that this same demo made Napoleon Dynamite a $44.5 million winner against a production budget of $400,000.
Universal and partners spent a small $40 million on Serenity, a good investment for this kind of opening weekend. If it doesn't drop crazily next weekend, a franchise could be born. Ah hell, with this sort of open it's probably a franchise already. A decent follow up weekend probably makes it a trilogy. It worked for Transporter 2, so there's no reason not to do it here.
I'm currently reading this thread over on Whedonesque, and while most people are disappointed that their BDM ("Big Damn Movie", a common phrase among Browncoats for their favourite flick) ain't doin' so well, there are those who believe word of mouth, international grossing and DVD sales will save this baby.
It's difficult to get people to watch this movie. Either they don't like Joss, or they hate the trailer, can't watch a movie without Tom Cruise in it, or they simply don't like the poster. All these things tend to overshadow the rating at IMDB and Rottentomatoes. I read about people buying 5 tickets while seeing the movie alone for the 5th time, just so that the movie will do well. It's kinda tragic. People are all too set in their ways.
