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rottenwatch box office:

72% Fast & Furious 6

43% Now You See Me

12% After Earth

61% Epic

87% Star Trek Into Darkness

metacritic box office:

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*click pic(s) for source*

‘Now You See Me’ Pulls $28 Mil-Plus Rabbit, Beating ‘After Earth’ With $27 Mil. Universal's 'Fast and Furious 6' wins weekend with $34.5 mil, down 65%

In an unexpected box office showdown, Liongsate-Summit’s magic-themed thriller “Now You See Me” grossed an estimated $28.1 million, trouncing Sony’s post-apocalyptic Will Smith starrer “After Earth,” which estimated $27 million in three days. Neither film, however, managed to beat Universal holdover “Fast and Furious 6,” collecting $34.5 million.

“Fast 6,” which had another massive weekend overseas estimating $75 million, reached $480.6 million worldwide, including $170.4 million Stateside.

The Universal blockbuster had little competition internationally as Sony bowed “After Earth” only in one day-and-date territory — South Korea. It was a strategic move that certainly didn’t help the studio’s publicity efforts this weekend, since the $100 million-plus pic relies now on overseas grosses from becoming an all-out disaster.

“Certainly we would have liked to have done more,” said Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer. “But this was always going to be a worldwide play.”

“After Earth” bows throughout most of the international market place next weekend.

The head-to-head battle between “After Earth” and “Now You See Me” — which some studios have the former pic winning, by the way — wasn’t a complete shock, even though “After Earth” definitely had the edge in pre-weekend tracking. The Lionsgate film actually caught up to “After Earth” in advanced ticket sales by late last week.

Regardless, the $28.1 million domestic puts “Now You See Me” on solid footing financially as it cost just $75 million, for which Lionsgate is responsible for only 2/3 after foreign pre-sales and licensing.

At the specialty box office, Fox Searchlight’s cult thriller “The East” scored a solid — though not shining — per-screen average of $18,889 from four theaters in New York and L.A. Meanwhile, CBS Films’ coming-of-ager “The Kings of Summer” averaged $14,500 per screen this weekend, also from four locations.​

*click pic for full list/source*

 

[3N16MA]

 

[Exterminieren]

Ouch at After Earth. Eventually studios are just going to stop giving Shyamalan money, surely? Dude made a bomb out of a Will Smith movie.

 

[Matt_]

Appalling showing from After Earth
Overseas might be able to save it, but Sony cannot be happy

 

[zero_suit]

Haha

 

[Clevinger]

How come they don't want me, man?

 

[gdt]

How come they don't want me, man?

Goddammit.

 

[Smellycat]

For someone who is supposed to be very smart about picking his movie roles, Will Smith decided that it was a good idea to have MNS direct a movie for him....wtf

 

[Slayven]

People actually saw "Now you see me"? Thing seems like something the studios sat on for years because they didn't know when to release it so that didn't bomb superhard.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Here's an interesting bullshit Scientology angle that the media HAS NOT seized on yet:

How much of After Earth's lack of interest can be traced back to Tom Cruise's "Oblivion" achieving marginal success w/ the same "Abandoned Earth" sci-fi conceit a couple months previous?

People actually saw "Now you see me"? Thing seems like something the studios sat on for years because they didn't know when to release it so that didn't bomb superhard.

It really does feel like a studio said "This thing that we'd normally license straight to DVD/Blu/Netflix - what happens if we release it? Fuck it!"

 

[Alrus]

Well there's still the off chance that Overseas will save After Earth, Will Smith is still a big pull in most territories.

Shamalyan is box office poison though, I don't know why he keeps getting high budget gig.

Edit: Now You see Me's budget is pretty high, I doubt they planned a direct to dvd release, but it sure looked terrible though (CG effects everywhere!)

 

[Jim Harbaugh]

How come they don't want me, man?

Haha yes

 

[odiin]

Michael Cera a bigger star than Will Smith confirmed.

 

[Messofanego]

More Scientology weirdness for After Earth:

Same amount of Metacritic critic reviews and user reviews. 35. What do the numbers mean, Mason?!

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

Holy shit, After Earth bombed harder than the Coalition Forces in Iraq.

Also, this poster for STiD is terribly apt:

 

[strafer]

Wow, M Night puts out bomba after bomba

 

[3N16MA]

Iron Man 3
Domestic: $384,751,000
Foreign: $795,200,000
Worldwide: $1,179,951,000

Star Trek
Domestic: $181,156,000
Foreign: $147,400,000
Worldwide: $328,556,000

The Croods
Domestic: $180,538,000
Foreign: $388,600,000
Worldwide: $569,138,000

 

[vehn]

So is it really magic in now they see me?

 

[gdt]

Holy shit, After Earth bombed harder than the Coalition Forces in Iraq.

Well....alright then.

 

[statham]

After Earth looks boring, something I wouldn't spend money on to watch unless it was on netflix.

 

[mr stroke]

Had After Earth been a 90%+ Rotten Tomatos would it have been a blockbuster or was the hard scifi premise too much for general audiences?

 

[Tucah]

While I'm not surprised After Earth bombed (I find Jaden insufferable, the trailers/premise were fucking awful and reviews just as bad), I am surprised that Now You See Me did better than it. I had no idea what that movie was until like three days ago, haven't seen a single trailer for it.

 

[Betty]

Had After Earth been a 90%+ Rotten Tomatos would it have been a blockbuster or was the hard scifi premise too much for general audiences?

Wouldn't matter, Jaden Smith is too much for general audiences.

 

[Slayven]

Monday morning.

Will:" Martin, Mike, Bad Boy 3 is on. Mount up."

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Had After Earth been a 90%+ Rotten Tomatos would it have been a blockbuster or was the hard scifi premise too much for general audiences?

No, because audiences really dont' give a shit what Rotten Tomatoes says.

It would have been a blockbuster if people gave a shit about a sci-fi movie starring Will and Jaden vs. bad CGI creatures. They didn't. Then once word got out (even though marketing hid it completely) that Shyamalan had something to do with it, they REALLY didn't.

The reviews were just salt in a big-ass wound.

 

[Weenerz]

FF6 crushing it.

 

[odiin]

Had After Earth been a 90%+ Rotten Tomatoeswould it have been a blockbuster or was the hard scifi premise too much for general audiences?

That would be a twist even M. Night Shyamalan wouldn't see coming.

 

[Blablurn]

M Night Bomba!

 

[killertofu]

Is this the lowest opening for a Will Smith film?

 

[jett]

Bombed Earth could've use a couple more operating thetans.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Well there's still the off chance that Overseas will save After Earth, Will Smith is still a big pull in most territories.

Shamalyan is box office poison though, I don't know why he keeps getting high budget gig.

Edit: Now You see Me's budget is pretty high, I doubt they planned a direct to dvd release, but it sure looked terrible though (CG effects everywhere!)

That's not true. He has only directed on clear bomba: Lady In The Water. Everything else has made back its budget handily for the most part.

The problem here is that it's another abandoned earth sci fi flick, something audiences are tired of, and it's a horrible movie with a horrible script. If this was a decent movie it probably would have done better; nearly everyone I know is quite aware of the bad reviews and poor word of mouth.

I honestly think the film would have done better if it had remained a smaller family drama about a car crash, and the son having to save his father. That sounds like it would work instead of a generic sci fi movie with a bad script.

 

[Sapiens]

Unless Whitta is getting one of those paydays that is contingent on the profits of a film, I'm pretty sure he ain't care.

 

[Krev]

No, because audiences really dont' give a shit what Rotten Tomatoes says.

It would have been a blockbuster if people gave a shit about a sci-fi movie starring Will and Jaden vs. bad CGI creatures. They didn't. Then once word got out (even though marketing hid it completely) that Shyamalan had something to do with it, they REALLY didn't.

The reviews were just salt in a big-ass wound.

The concept of the film is just really unappealing. Emotionless dude talks his son through a bunch of endurance tests and monster battles via radio? No thanks.

 

[Darklord]

Had After Earth been a 90%+ Rotten Tomatos would it have been a blockbuster or was the hard scifi premise too much for general audiences?

M Night is notorious for bad movies now. Plus the trailers made this movie look boring as hell. So no.

 

[Majmun]

Good, getting tired of this nepotism.

 

[border]

Now You See Me has some irritating flaws, but damn it's satisfying to see it beat out After Earth.

At least Now You See Me had a refreshing and interesting premise, and didn't feel like it was engineered to make 200 million dollars and launch some annoying kid's career.

It's all the more satisfying to know that Will Smith is actually going to lose money on this turkey, since he was one of the producers.

 

[John Dunbar]

Is this the lowest opening for a Will Smith film?

just the movie before his last one had a lower one. seven pounds opened with about 14 million, but of course that wasn't exactly a blockbuster.

 

[starchild excalibur]

Good, getting tired of this nepotism.

Best emoticon use ever.

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

Unless Whitta is getting one of those paydays that is contingent on the profits of a film, I'm pretty sure he ain't care.

You honestly wouldn't care if a project that you were partially responsible for from a creative stand point failed to attract crowds, and was pissed on by the majority of online critics? If this doesn't upset Whitta professionally, I'd assume he either doesn't give a fuck about his career or he's just that laid back.

I mean, shit, it's not even like this was written and directed as an art house film where the revenue doesn't matter. They clearly meant for it to be a blockbuster and failed miserably.

 

[mr stroke]

Wouldn't matter, Jaden Smith is too much for general audiences.

 

[Currygan]

 

[jett]

Shoulda dun Karate Kid 2: Kung Fu Boogaloo.

Too bad nobody welcomed him this time.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

I want to see Now You See Me, but that can wait until the Blu-ray.

There isn't much that can be said for After Earth. If After Earth really is a bad vanity project, M Night was probably the only one desperate enough to take it.

 

[Ridley327]

I love the smell of box office bombs in the morning. Sadly, the budget for it means that it won't be that much of a mess, so we will continue to look to World War Z for the ultimate laughs.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

You honestly wouldn't care if a project that you were partially responsible for from a creative stand point failed to attract crowds, and was pissed on by the majority of online critics? If this doesn't upset Whitta professionally, I'd assume he either doesn't give a fuck about his career or he's just that laid back.

I mean, shit, it's not even like this was written and directed as an art house film where the revenue doesn't matter. They clearly meant for it to be a blockbuster and failed miserably.

I'm sure it affects him professionally, as a matter of pride. I doubt it affects his career though. Aside from how much the final product even reflects his original script, screenwriters get a lot of work based on their reliability and just knowing how to turn in a script. Plenty of established writers have bombs on their resumes.

That said, if this doesn't finally land Shyamalan in director jail for a while, nothing will.

 

[kswiston]

You honestly wouldn't care if a project that you were partially responsible for from a creative stand point failed to attract crowds, and was pissed on by the majority of online critics? If this doesn't upset Whitta professionally, I'd assume he either doesn't give a fuck about his career or he's just that laid back.

I mean, shit, it's not even like this was written and directed as an art house film where the revenue doesn't matter. They clearly meant for it to be a blockbuster and failed miserably.

From what I have read, it was Will Smith's story premise that he turned into a script (which was then heavily reworked by MNS). If he wasn't a GAF member, we wouldn't even be talking about him.

 

[twinturbo2]

M. Night Shamalyadingdong flops again? WHATATWEEST!

My parents are going to see Star Trek Into Darkness tonight. I may see Fast 6 tomorrow.

 

[Branduil]

Unless Whitta is getting one of those paydays that is contingent on the profits of a film, I'm pretty sure he ain't care.

I think most people would prefer to make a film which doesn't bomb critically and financially, regardless of how much money they get from it.

 

[Currygan]

they banking on worldwide sales? Haha, they're in for a surprise

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Welcome to After Erf