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Steve Coogan or Rainn Wilson: Who Had the Worse Weekend?
Posted by STV at 3:00 AM on August 26, 2008
It's probably asking a lot for a Monday, but pretend for just a second that you're Focus Features, Universal's mini-major offshoot and the folks who last January made the single biggest buy in the history of the Sundance Film Festival: Hamlet 2, which sneaked into Park City at the last minute and left 10 days later with lukewarm (at best) reviews and a check for $11 million. So imagine your signature was on that check, and imagine how much weight you'll lose this week as your appetite plunges with Hamlet 2's box-office prospects: $435,000 on 103 screens, averaging $4,223 per for one of the most profound festival flops of the decade — not to mention the film that bumps Steve Coogan back to ensemble/supporting-class in American movies.
To be fair, the film goes wider later this week, and Focus always has the UK release this fall and whatever slight cult audience accrues for video. So it could be worse — now imagine you're Rainn Wilson.
As we anticipated last Friday, TV viewers' Wilson goodwill isn't exactly multiplex-ready. The Rocker's marketing misfires, non-existent word-of-mouth and release-date follies yielded a $2.8 million, 12th-place opening. We're not in the short-sighted camp that thinks Fox is having the Summer From Hell — not with The Happening and What Happens in Vegas finding very respectable profits overseas — but there really is no positive way to spin this one, at least not for his toplining future. Until further notice, Wilson is Dwight Schrute and the clever bit-parter who has a way with pregnancy-test pitches and other Oscar-winning patois — maybe not in that order, but at least in that zone. Maybe a few scenes in Inglorious Bastards? Our Mondays are too fragile as it is to go through this again.
- Weeken Box Office Results [Box Office Mojo]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Max Power
Posted 3:12 AM 26/8/08
Well, Coogan technically IS in the number 1 movie in America, so I'll go with the beet farmer.
Max Power
Allie Anne
Posted 3:34 AM 26/8/08
Yeah, I'd have to go with Rainn also.
$2.8 million opening - Yikes ...
At least Courtney Love had a fun time as Coogan had to deal endlessly with the Wilson (Owen, not Rainn) accusations in his publicity interviews for "Hamlet 2".
They're both losers as leading-man material - although I'm a LOT more sympathetic to Rainn.
Allie Anne
LouRawlsParadeofStars
Posted 3:32 AM 26/8/08
But The Rocker's ad campaign has been telling me for weeks that it's "The Sleeper Hit of the Summer!" You're not saying that they lied to me, are you?
LouRawlsParadeofStars
Andrew Wickliffe
Posted 4:09 AM 26/8/08
Umm... why's Hamlet 2's $4,223 bad? It's better than the Dark Knight's per theater average for the week?
Andrew Wickliffe
fuddes
Posted 3:55 AM 26/8/08
The Rocker was actually a really good movie. It's a shame whoever created the trailer decided to literally cram it full of every single scene of slapstick in the movie. It made it look like a completely different film.
This trend with trailers seems to be way too common. I wish they'd stop it.
fuddes
britneyspearstears
Posted 3:55 AM 26/8/08
+ Watch video
britneyspearstears
Juancho
Posted 4:23 AM 26/8/08
@Andrew Wickliffe: because they've hyped the shit out of it. I haven't seen that much Internet hype since Grindhouse.
Juancho
Cacafuego
Posted 5:18 AM 26/8/08
Does it even really matter any more what the box office is? Both these films will break-even, if not show a real profit, in DVD release & rentals.
Cacafuego
RonMwangaguhunga
Posted 5:11 AM 26/8/08
Hands down Rainn had the bad weekend. Hamlet 2 opened on 103 screens before a wide release next weekend, so then we'll know what's rotten in the state of Denmark. There's just no excuse for the ugly of a 12th place opening, however.
RonMwangaguhunga
yeodie
Posted 6:19 AM 26/8/08
@Juancho: They hyped the shit out of the fact that it's opening 4/27. I don't think anyone even knew it was in limited release -- I certainly didn't, and only saw the movie this weekend because I randomly went to the theater and saw it was playing.
It was great, by the way.
yeodie
The Cooler
Posted 6:18 AM 26/8/08
@Juancho: Uh ... internet hype costs nothing and we are still talking about an indie movie. I'd say it at least held it's own ... or you should at least wait for the full release (teehee) before writing it off
The Cooler
Juancho
Posted 7:39 AM 26/8/08
@The Cooler: Internet hype costs nothing? Yes, because Nick Denton lets banner ads run out of the goodness of his heart...And while Focus may be "small", anything that's part of GE/Uni can hardly be called "indie".
@yeodie: exactly. I've been hearing about this movie with red-band trailers and "Rock me Sexy Jesus" for so long, I don't even care anymore.
Juancho
gaybot
Posted 10:53 AM 26/8/08
Catherine Keener and Elizabeth Shue steal every scene they're in. Hamlet 2 is fucking hilarious.
gaybot
kylo4
Posted 1:27 PM 26/8/08
@fuddes: That's true. I can't stand watching trailers now because they're completely deceiving. Little Miss Sunshine is not a "happy family comedy". It's a great movie, but that advertising is bullshit.
kylo4
regisgoat
Posted 7:53 PM 26/8/08
The Rocker has better supporting actors. Ham 2 is just plain underwhelming.
regisgoat