Caffeinated Clint
Fails to snag the projected $20-$30 million insiders said it would
Ouch. Someone got bitten.
But, don’t look at us. Because, and despite being robbed of an advance screening, onliners/voluntary marketing executives – mostly – gave it both a deluge of promotion and a surprising thumbs up, too. It just seems nobody much gave a hiss about those “Snakes” by the time they eventually did slither out onto the cockpit floor.
Figures releasing today claim that the much-anticipated “Snakes on a Plane” crashed – well, in comparison to what they were predicting it would do anyway – at the box office over the weekend. Many, it seemed, got their giggle from the trailer (or the title) and left it at that.
The Sam Jackson starrer earned $15.3 million for its three-day opener – which resulted in it taking over from current hit, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” but only because it included in its weekend total $1.4 million from its 10 p.m. Thursday showings.
As Rotten Tomatoes pointed out, of the 62 films in history that have opened in 3,500 or more theaters, 61 have grossed more than Snakes on opening weekend. The only film that fared worse, was, wait for it – – – – – “Herbie : Fully Loaded”. “Snakes” is also the lowest of the money-spinning no.1’s of the year (next to Josh Lucas starrer “Glory Road”).
Many expected “Snakes” to snag at least $20 million in it’s opening weekend – especially with all the hype and buzz that it’s attracted of late. It was a hit, before it was a hit, it seemed. Granted, even with it’s current takings, “Snakes” – which cost only $30 million to make – will stay make money for New Line, especially considering the DVD sales down the track. Don’t count on what-seemed-like an inevitable sequel, though. I’d say they’ve pissed off that idea, now.
I have to say it: might it have helped, after all, if the online community had been granted a special advance screening – we call them media screenings – in lie of the film’s opening? It couldn’t have hurt, especially considering how positive many of the reviews have been. One can’t help but suspect the little ploy of leaving the reviewers in the dark until opening day may have backfired – if even just a tad.
Granted, it might simply have been a case of ‘too much’. The film going public has been bombarded with news and nonsense on “Snakes on a Plane” for about twelve months now – might they possibly have had enough of hearing about it, by the time it finally came out? I have to admit, despite the film only now getting a release, it does seem, well, old (and not only because most of the interviews I’ve done for the film were in July).
New Line have already come out and admitted they’re a bit bummed.
“We’re a little disappointed,” David Tuckerman, president for theatrical distribution for New Line, told The New York Times. “There were a lot of inflated expectations on this picture, with the Internet buzz. But it basically performed like a normal horror movie.”
“We’ll make money with this picture, it’s just more disappointing because of all the inflated expectations,” Mr. Tuckerman added. “Now we have to sit back and figure out how to take the lessons from it.”
Indeed.
