Knight Duds Out?
Proportionately-speaking, Thursday’s box-office figures were almost the exactly the same as Wednesday’s. Toy Story 3, in its seventh day of commercial release, did more than triple the business of Knight and Day, which was in its second day of release — $13,056,000 vs. $3,477,879. (Wednesday’s figures had TS3 pulling down $13.458,000 vs. K & D‘s $3,810,649.)
I don’t know what to expect from the James Mangold-Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz action cartoon on Friday, but a weekend figure of less than $15 million looks like a possibility. Or will it do a bit more?
Fandango has sent out a release saying that advance ticket sales for Adam Sandler‘s Grown-Ups (which opens today) are over twice as large as those for Knight and Day — 12% vs. 5%. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is the biggest, of course, with 51% with Toy Story 3 capturing 23% of advance sales.
Knight and Day cost about $125 million to produce and God knows how much to market — $50 or $60 million? I don’t want to jump the gun and call it a flop, or say that this is further evidence that the Cruise brand is a shadow of its former self, but if it was your $185 million that had been invested, how would you feel about K & D earning a guesstimate of less than $25 million after five days?
I for one believe that however people may feel about Cruise personally, they know he’s almost always shown good taste in choosing his projects ( The Last Samurai, Lions for Lambs and Knight and Day excepted), and that they respect the results of his “hard-case guy with a bent personality” approach. I’m guessing that the trailers persuaded them that Knight and Day was some kind of loose-shoe, high-style throwaway, and they decided to let it go. Nothing more than that.
I liked the trailers okay, and I like Cruise a lot, but I haven’t been able to muster the give a damn to actually get up and go see this. It just feels like, without walking into the theater, I already know this movie. That might be a problem for a lot of people.
I liked the trailers okay, and I like Cruise a lot, but I haven’t been able to muster the give a damn to actually get up and go see this. It just feels like, without walking into the theater, I already know this movie. That might be a problem for a lot of people.
I had no idea this was opening on Wednesday. Aren’t midweek openings usually for must-see camping-outside-the-theater kind of things?
But it’ll do more than $15 mil Fri-Sun if its making 3.8 on a Weds
I had no idea this was opening on Wednesday. Aren’t midweek openings usually for must-see camping-outside-the-theater kind of things?
But it’ll do more than $15 mil Fri-Sun if its making 3.8 on a Weds
I think they overmarketed the thing. it became an assault. i went from loving to absolutely hating that Muse song.
I think they overmarketed the thing. it became an assault. i went from loving to absolutely hating that Muse song.
And here i thought this would be Cruise’s breakout role…
And here i thought this would be Cruise’s breakout role…
Not to sound like DZ, but I predict Salt will do no better. Completely uninspiring, been there, done that, trailers for the both of them.
Not to sound like DZ, but I predict Salt will do no better. Completely uninspiring, been there, done that, trailers for the both of them.
Having a child a little later in life I only discovered in the past two years how carefully I have to pick and choose which films I go to see in the theaters. With a nice large mounted TV in the Den, surround sound system installed, and a Blu Ray player, my wife and I do find ourselves looking at the coming films and saying “theater or blu ray”. Knight and Day gets a resounding “Blu Ray”. There’s no secret to why people are staying away from the summer movies this year. Give us middle of the road crap and we’re going to wait. There’s only two films this summer I feel the need to see on the big screen– Toy Story 3 (which we saw) and Inception (which we’ll pay to see in IMAX). Anything else we see this summer will be a bonus. The fall looks much more promising.
Having a child a little later in life I only discovered in the past two years how carefully I have to pick and choose which films I go to see in the theaters. With a nice large mounted TV in the Den, surround sound system installed, and a Blu Ray player, my wife and I do find ourselves looking at the coming films and saying “theater or blu ray”. Knight and Day gets a resounding “Blu Ray”. There’s no secret to why people are staying away from the summer movies this year. Give us middle of the road crap and we’re going to wait. There’s only two films this summer I feel the need to see on the big screen– Toy Story 3 (which we saw) and Inception (which we’ll pay to see in IMAX). Anything else we see this summer will be a bonus. The fall looks much more promising.
*sigh* Looks like I was indirectly right about Grown Ups p0wning Knight & Day. Though I guess if I were Cruise, I’d feel more pissed about ceding my former “heart-throb” image to a dead-weight like Robert Pattinson. I just hope, for Cruise’s sake, it doesn’t kill off MI IV.
bob: Salt’s only going to make money if Inception doesn’t live up to expectations.
*sigh* Looks like I was indirectly right about Grown Ups p0wning Knight & Day. Though I guess if I were Cruise, I’d feel more pissed about ceding my former “heart-throb” image to a dead-weight like Robert Pattinson. I just hope, for Cruise’s sake, it doesn’t kill off MI IV.
bob: Salt’s only going to make money if Inception doesn’t live up to expectations.
Daniel Fienberg wrote what looks to be the definitive bad review of GROWN UPS:
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-fien-print/posts/movie-review-grown-ups
Daniel Fienberg wrote what looks to be the definitive bad review of GROWN UPS:
http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-fien-print/posts/movie-review-grown-ups
It’s terrible marketing. It’s showing Cameron Diaz firing the uzis backwards on the motorcycle like she stepped out of The School of Chow Yun Fat, then following it with her slapstick ineptitude a moment later. With that obnoxious Muse song. Repeatedly.
I know everything that’s gonna happen in this movie already. Just like I did with A-Team a few weeks ago. And just like what will happen with Predators in the upcoming two weeks. (And I was really looking forward to that too).
It’s terrible marketing. It’s showing Cameron Diaz firing the uzis backwards on the motorcycle like she stepped out of The School of Chow Yun Fat, then following it with her slapstick ineptitude a moment later. With that obnoxious Muse song. Repeatedly.
I know everything that’s gonna happen in this movie already. Just like I did with A-Team a few weeks ago. And just like what will happen with Predators in the upcoming two weeks. (And I was really looking forward to that too).
I think the title for this is a dead giveaway as to what we can expect. It’s got the “double name” ring of an 80s TV show that nobody can quite remember liking too much — like “Hardcastle & McCormick”, “BJ & The Bear”, “MacGruder & Loud”, and so on. There’ s no clear indication of a compelling high-stakes story from the trailers, just scenes full of Cruise and Diaz hamming it up that look like they were taken from other movies like ‘True Lies’. So it looks like something we’ve seen a thousand times already. Maybe it’ll be a hit, but only if word-of-mouth is really strong?
I think the title for this is a dead giveaway as to what we can expect. It’s got the “double name” ring of an 80s TV show that nobody can quite remember liking too much — like “Hardcastle & McCormick”, “BJ & The Bear”, “MacGruder & Loud”, and so on. There’ s no clear indication of a compelling high-stakes story from the trailers, just scenes full of Cruise and Diaz hamming it up that look like they were taken from other movies like ‘True Lies’. So it looks like something we’ve seen a thousand times already. Maybe it’ll be a hit, but only if word-of-mouth is really strong?
btw, K&D dropped 9% yesterday. It’s dead, at least until Netflix. BTW, whether the movie is or bad or not, it’s not good news for any true movie fan a non-sequel, non-comic-book event movie targeted at adults is being ignored. it just means more movies that appeal to kids.
btw, K&D dropped 9% yesterday. It’s dead, at least until Netflix. BTW, whether the movie is or bad or not, it’s not good news for any true movie fan a non-sequel, non-comic-book event movie targeted at adults is being ignored. it just means more movies that appeal to kids.
The Cruise brand has been damaged much more than Hollywood insiders understand. Audiences might have put up with mediocre nonsense like this before the fall but not now.
The Cruise brand has been damaged much more than Hollywood insiders understand. Audiences might have put up with mediocre nonsense like this before the fall but not now.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
WW and the Dixie Dancekings
Little Fauss and Big Halsey
Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Tango & Cash
Chu-chu and the Philly Flash
Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday
OC & Stiggs
Freebee and the Bean
Dusty and Sweets McGee
Cohen and Tate
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
WW and the Dixie Dancekings
Little Fauss and Big Halsey
Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Tango & Cash
Chu-chu and the Philly Flash
Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday
OC & Stiggs
Freebee and the Bean
Dusty and Sweets McGee
Cohen and Tate
Turner & Hooch
Turner & Hooch
Mark,
” BTW, whether the movie is or bad or not, it’s not good news for any true movie fan a non-sequel, non-comic-book event movie targeted at adults is being ignored. it just means more movies that appeal to kids.”
See, this is where the whole “movies for kids”/”movies for adults” thing breaks down for me: K&D (which, for the record, is just a completely empty, lifeless thing) is “for adults” as opposed to various other things because… why, exactly? The action/stunt stuff is as cartoonish and improbable as anything seen in any superhero or kung-fu movie, the hunt-the-magic-battery storyline wouldn’t pass muster as setup for a video game and the lead characters are so arch they might as well be named “Barbie” and “G.I. Joe.” Put a domino-mask on Cruise and you’d have something indistinguishable from the Green Hornet trailer.
Meanwhile, “Toy Story 3″ – which is LITERALLY made for children, has a more “mature” storyline and richer more detailed characters than this could HOPE to. Hell, even “Iron Man” has more depth and ressonance even while it’s doing the same basic comically-overpowered-hero-in-relationship-banter schtick better. So what makes K&D a more “grownup” movie? Because Cruise wears sunglasses instead of a cape or whatever?
Mark,
” BTW, whether the movie is or bad or not, it’s not good news for any true movie fan a non-sequel, non-comic-book event movie targeted at adults is being ignored. it just means more movies that appeal to kids.”
See, this is where the whole “movies for kids”/”movies for adults” thing breaks down for me: K&D (which, for the record, is just a completely empty, lifeless thing) is “for adults” as opposed to various other things because… why, exactly? The action/stunt stuff is as cartoonish and improbable as anything seen in any superhero or kung-fu movie, the hunt-the-magic-battery storyline wouldn’t pass muster as setup for a video game and the lead characters are so arch they might as well be named “Barbie” and “G.I. Joe.” Put a domino-mask on Cruise and you’d have something indistinguishable from the Green Hornet trailer.
Meanwhile, “Toy Story 3″ – which is LITERALLY made for children, has a more “mature” storyline and richer more detailed characters than this could HOPE to. Hell, even “Iron Man” has more depth and ressonance even while it’s doing the same basic comically-overpowered-hero-in-relationship-banter schtick better. So what makes K&D a more “grownup” movie? Because Cruise wears sunglasses instead of a cape or whatever?
I work at a semi rival of Fox and while they clearly fucked up the marketing, I gotta say that the drop between Wednesday and Thursday would actually be encouraging to most studios as it is less than the usual wed to thursday drop. At least that thats the NRG and Rentrak analysis on my desk.
I work at a semi rival of Fox and while they clearly fucked up the marketing, I gotta say that the drop between Wednesday and Thursday would actually be encouraging to most studios as it is less than the usual wed to thursday drop. At least that thats the NRG and Rentrak analysis on my desk.
Anyone know how much “Grown Ups” cost to make and market?
Anyone know how much “Grown Ups” cost to make and market?
THE MovieBob; you’re getting into details of the actual movie, which are irrelevant. The ages of the leads alone aims to a more mature audience, one that is proving that they won’t support movies at the actual theater. Duplicity, Invictus, State of Play, Green Zone, etc.
It doesn’t matter whether K&D is lifeless. What matters is that some producer is saying “Tom Cruise wants in, but The Hills crowd prefers Ashton Kutcher, so let’s go with him.” It’s a problem for us when 17-year old girls set the market for what gets made and how. The Thomas Crown Affair would not get made in today’s market, unless of Meryl Streep played Thomas. (Even with the built-in audience, I’m surprised they were able to greenlight a sequel.)
THE MovieBob; you’re getting into details of the actual movie, which are irrelevant. The ages of the leads alone aims to a more mature audience, one that is proving that they won’t support movies at the actual theater. Duplicity, Invictus, State of Play, Green Zone, etc.
It doesn’t matter whether K&D is lifeless. What matters is that some producer is saying “Tom Cruise wants in, but The Hills crowd prefers Ashton Kutcher, so let’s go with him.” It’s a problem for us when 17-year old girls set the market for what gets made and how. The Thomas Crown Affair would not get made in today’s market, unless of Meryl Streep played Thomas. (Even with the built-in audience, I’m surprised they were able to greenlight a sequel.)
Claudia Puig of USA Today must have been in a good mood when she saw the film. She calls it a light and breezy way to while away a couple of hours on a hot, summer evening. One headline calls it “fun” and “action-packed.” Meanwhile, I just bought a copy of Friday’s Globe and Mail, Canada’s best national newspaper. It has a review of “Grown Ups” with Adam Sandler and pals by Rick Groen, giving it only one lonely star. The headline asks: “How Low Can They Go? Just Watch.”
Claudia Puig of USA Today must have been in a good mood when she saw the film. She calls it a light and breezy way to while away a couple of hours on a hot, summer evening. One headline calls it “fun” and “action-packed.” Meanwhile, I just bought a copy of Friday’s Globe and Mail, Canada’s best national newspaper. It has a review of “Grown Ups” with Adam Sandler and pals by Rick Groen, giving it only one lonely star. The headline asks: “How Low Can They Go? Just Watch.”
How much did Grown ups cost? Probably not much more than anyone else’s home movies of hanging out and goofing off with their buddies.
How much did Grown ups cost? Probably not much more than anyone else’s home movies of hanging out and goofing off with their buddies.
Mark,
“you’re getting into details of the actual movie, which are irrelevant. The ages of the leads alone aims to a more mature audience, one that is proving that they won’t support movies at the actual theater. Duplicity, Invictus, State of Play, Green Zone, etc.”
I’m not really seeing it there, either – i.e. the ages thing, at least. I’ll go back to “Iron Man” again: Not only is it a smarter, deeper and more thematically mature movie in the same vein K&D is aiming for, it’s stars are mostly in the same age brackett: RDJ is only three years younger than Cruise, Paltrow and Diaz are the same age. The only thing that seemingly makes K&D the more “adult aimed” of the two is that Cruise doesn’t have a suit of armor.
Mark,
“you’re getting into details of the actual movie, which are irrelevant. The ages of the leads alone aims to a more mature audience, one that is proving that they won’t support movies at the actual theater. Duplicity, Invictus, State of Play, Green Zone, etc.”
I’m not really seeing it there, either – i.e. the ages thing, at least. I’ll go back to “Iron Man” again: Not only is it a smarter, deeper and more thematically mature movie in the same vein K&D is aiming for, it’s stars are mostly in the same age brackett: RDJ is only three years younger than Cruise, Paltrow and Diaz are the same age. The only thing that seemingly makes K&D the more “adult aimed” of the two is that Cruise doesn’t have a suit of armor.
Re Mark’s comment:
In terms of Ashton Kutcher, it’s not as if KILLERS (called by one critic “the Roger Corman version of KNIGHT AND DAY”) is doing smash business.
Re Mark’s comment:
In terms of Ashton Kutcher, it’s not as if KILLERS (called by one critic “the Roger Corman version of KNIGHT AND DAY”) is doing smash business.
I didn’t hate KNIGHT & DAY, but I’m sure glad I didn’t have to pay for it – it’s just too calculating to be “fun.” Only Viola Davis comes off well here.
I didn’t hate KNIGHT & DAY, but I’m sure glad I didn’t have to pay for it – it’s just too calculating to be “fun.” Only Viola Davis comes off well here.
Just a question. How many of you folks have seen this movie?– Cause I caught it last night at a 10p show at the AMC Santa Monica. And, well, it was a lot fun. And the theater was laughing. I can see where for some it is too breezy and without logic and how for others all that expository stuff is a bore and cliche and that it is just right but –what it is always is is fairly smart. You feel what at least seemed like Scott Frank’s touch with dialogue. And you feel Cruise and Diaz in a place that is much more assured and bold and risky than any of their last three or four outings. Anyway. Bottom line– it aint gonna make any top tens but is a big fun ride. agree with the people bitching about the quality of the CGI but that’s no reason to dance on its grave, is it?
Just a question. How many of you folks have seen this movie?– Cause I caught it last night at a 10p show at the AMC Santa Monica. And, well, it was a lot fun. And the theater was laughing. I can see where for some it is too breezy and without logic and how for others all that expository stuff is a bore and cliche and that it is just right but –what it is always is is fairly smart. You feel what at least seemed like Scott Frank’s touch with dialogue. And you feel Cruise and Diaz in a place that is much more assured and bold and risky than any of their last three or four outings. Anyway. Bottom line– it aint gonna make any top tens but is a big fun ride. agree with the people bitching about the quality of the CGI but that’s no reason to dance on its grave, is it?
To paraphrase a certain someone:
JESSE the yodeling cowgirl POWER.
To paraphrase a certain someone:
JESSE the yodeling cowgirl POWER.
You saw a different movie than me, lipranzer. I thought Viola Davis seemed out of place
You saw a different movie than me, lipranzer. I thought Viola Davis seemed out of place
Iron Man did not make a ton more money because it was smarter and deeper and more mature. It made more because it drew in 13 to 25 year olds. K&D doesn’t. You want a big budget? You won’t attract teens? You don’t expect a best picture nomination? Fuck off.
Iron Man did not make a ton more money because it was smarter and deeper and more mature. It made more because it drew in 13 to 25 year olds. K&D doesn’t. You want a big budget? You won’t attract teens? You don’t expect a best picture nomination? Fuck off.
If the budgets were lower, it wouldn’t be a problem that adult audience attendance has dropped. It’s because they spend $150m on Green Zone and $200m on Robin Hood that they’re considered flops. If they resolve to reduce the mega-budgets, I’m sure some of these kinds of films can still turn a profit. Just not break records anymore.
If the budgets were lower, it wouldn’t be a problem that adult audience attendance has dropped. It’s because they spend $150m on Green Zone and $200m on Robin Hood that they’re considered flops. If they resolve to reduce the mega-budgets, I’m sure some of these kinds of films can still turn a profit. Just not break records anymore.
Had it been Robert Downey Jr. or Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp & Cameron Diaz as Knight & Day, it would’ve been a hit.
Tom Cruise was the biggest movie-star in the world for so long, it’s painful to make this paradigm shift.
Had it been Robert Downey Jr. or Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp & Cameron Diaz as Knight & Day, it would’ve been a hit.
Tom Cruise was the biggest movie-star in the world for so long, it’s painful to make this paradigm shift.
He probably just did Knight & Day too soon; he should have got back into the blockbuster business with Mission Impossible 4, and then done K&D the following summer or something. It’s been four years since he was an action hero on screen. Some of the primary current moviegoers were 12 at the time. Should have reminded the world who he is first with an old familiar franchise.
He probably just did Knight & Day too soon; he should have got back into the blockbuster business with Mission Impossible 4, and then done K&D the following summer or something. It’s been four years since he was an action hero on screen. Some of the primary current moviegoers were 12 at the time. Should have reminded the world who he is first with an old familiar franchise.
Nikki’s calling it a 7 mil Friday with a possible 20 mil weekend… Not that bad. Well, against that budget, sure, but not a Hex-level disgrace. Didn’t Valkyrie kinda amble along nicely and do nice, middle-age appeal adult movie numbers? Which is why the Wednesday opening was kind of mystifying here, and will dilute a semi-respectable weekend take– as someone said upthread, KNIGHT AND DAY just wasn’t something people are gonna CAMP OUT to see or have to see RIGHT NOW. It’ll do fine with date couples and grown-ups. I think the legs might surprise on this.
Nikki’s calling it a 7 mil Friday with a possible 20 mil weekend… Not that bad. Well, against that budget, sure, but not a Hex-level disgrace. Didn’t Valkyrie kinda amble along nicely and do nice, middle-age appeal adult movie numbers? Which is why the Wednesday opening was kind of mystifying here, and will dilute a semi-respectable weekend take– as someone said upthread, KNIGHT AND DAY just wasn’t something people are gonna CAMP OUT to see or have to see RIGHT NOW. It’ll do fine with date couples and grown-ups. I think the legs might surprise on this.
Fuck off, weight-loss.
Yeah, someone mentioned a few threads ago that Cruise has staying power. I guess if he has an older following, it makes sense that he sticks around a few more weekends. Shit, I’m 26 and Toy Story 1 & 2 are two of my all-time favourite movies, and it still took me a week to finally see Toy Story 3 (which, by the way, was a cast-iron masterpiece). So no wonder the old-timers can’t be relied upon to see Cruise right away.
Fuck off, weight-loss.
Yeah, someone mentioned a few threads ago that Cruise has staying power. I guess if he has an older following, it makes sense that he sticks around a few more weekends. Shit, I’m 26 and Toy Story 1 & 2 are two of my all-time favourite movies, and it still took me a week to finally see Toy Story 3 (which, by the way, was a cast-iron masterpiece). So no wonder the old-timers can’t be relied upon to see Cruise right away.
I think Lex is mostly spot-on.
It’s not so much that “adult audiences” don’t matter to Hollywood as much as the WAY adult audiences see movies doesn’t matter: NOTHING makes money until foriegn and DVD now, so no one pays attention to “legs” unless it’s something major like an “Avatar.” All anyone “keeping track” cares about is being able to say they opened at #1 and maybe broke some record; because it’s the only “bragging rights” that count.
That said, I don’t know that K&D actually HAS those kind of legs: There’s just not much too it.
I think Lex is mostly spot-on.
It’s not so much that “adult audiences” don’t matter to Hollywood as much as the WAY adult audiences see movies doesn’t matter: NOTHING makes money until foriegn and DVD now, so no one pays attention to “legs” unless it’s something major like an “Avatar.” All anyone “keeping track” cares about is being able to say they opened at #1 and maybe broke some record; because it’s the only “bragging rights” that count.
That said, I don’t know that K&D actually HAS those kind of legs: There’s just not much too it.
if you look at Cruise’s typical early 00s output, most of them opened unremarkably in the 20s but ended up past 100 mil. if Cruise and the film are truly appealing to older moviegoers, they’re not necessarily going to show up on day one. And you’ve got the long July 4 weekend – adults ain’t seeing Twilight or The Last Airbender, that’s for sure.
if you look at Cruise’s typical early 00s output, most of them opened unremarkably in the 20s but ended up past 100 mil. if Cruise and the film are truly appealing to older moviegoers, they’re not necessarily going to show up on day one. And you’ve got the long July 4 weekend – adults ain’t seeing Twilight or The Last Airbender, that’s for sure.
dinovelvet: You wrote, in response to my question, “How much did Grown ups cost? Probably not much more than anyone else’s home movies of hanging out and goofing off with their buddies.”
Quite a bit more according to Nikki Finke, who says the film was some sort of bargain at a negative cost of $70 million. That’s a bit more than a home movie (I know you were making a joke, but thought I’d answer my own question by way of quoting you) but still sort of staggers me. $70 million?? And that’s considered a bargain? I know, I know. Most movies cost, on average, something like $120 million, although I can’t remember if that figure (which may be off; been a while since I read it) includes marketing/P&A.
dinovelvet: You wrote, in response to my question, “How much did Grown ups cost? Probably not much more than anyone else’s home movies of hanging out and goofing off with their buddies.”
Quite a bit more according to Nikki Finke, who says the film was some sort of bargain at a negative cost of $70 million. That’s a bit more than a home movie (I know you were making a joke, but thought I’d answer my own question by way of quoting you) but still sort of staggers me. $70 million?? And that’s considered a bargain? I know, I know. Most movies cost, on average, something like $120 million, although I can’t remember if that figure (which may be off; been a while since I read it) includes marketing/P&A.
drbob
Don’t know how Salt will be doing in the box office but the word from the test screenings is very good. People say it’s a good movie and Jolie is very good in it.
The same didn’t happen with Knight and Day. Test screenings weren’t so good and the tracking was bad.
drbob
Don’t know how Salt will be doing in the box office but the word from the test screenings is very good. People say it’s a good movie and Jolie is very good in it.
The same didn’t happen with Knight and Day. Test screenings weren’t so good and the tracking was bad.
Love the article, keep it up!
Love the article, keep it up!
Pretty good post,thank you for sharing.I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon.
Pretty good post,thank you for sharing.I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon.