“Hunger Games” scores big at box office
April 1 Film Clips: Analysis of highest-opening films
Even the staunchest film fans sometimes complain that Hollywood studios deliver too many franchise titles and sequels and not enough original movies.
For the reason why, just follow the money.
Last weekend, “The Hunger Games,” which is the first in a three-title franchise based on the fantasy novel series by Suzanne Collins, arrived with a whopping weekend opening of $155 million. The PG-13 picture, directed by Gary Ross, ranks as the third highest-grossing opening in history (after the last ” Harry Potter” installment and the second Christopher Nolan “Batman” title, which earned $169.1 million and $158.4 million, respectively).
Franchise titles usually lend themselves to merchandising fortunes. “The Hunger Games,” for example, will earn multimillions for its releasing company, Lionsgate, through the sale of everything from calendars to jewelry, with no end in sight.
The website Box Office Mojo offers a list of the top opening-weekend titles in Hollywood’s history. In the first 35 spots, all but two (Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” and Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” at No. 11 and 33, respectively) were part of a franchise.
Last week, Walt Disney Pictures received very negative publicity when it became clear that its $250 million title “John Carter,” based on a fantasy adventure novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, had bombed and would cause red ink to flow in the hallways of the Mouse Factory.
But the management team that pushed “John Carter” (originally titled “John Carter of Mars”) shouldn’t necessarily be reprimanded.
Although “Carter” didn’t work, at least Disney’s creative team attempted to launch a new franchise (as it very successfully did a few years ago with producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s wildly popular “Pirates of the Caribbean” titles). If the first installment, which was presented in 2-D and 3-D, had clicked, the Mouse House folks would be celebrating and setting meetings to launch a sequel as quickly as possible.
How popular are franchises? Some titles arriving this year include “Finding Nemo 3-D,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Men in Black III,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Taken 2,” “The Expendables 2,” “Halloween 3-D” and, of course, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” Also on the way is Daniel Craig for the third time as James Bond in “Skyfall.”
According to Box Office Mojo, the 25 biggest-opening weekends belong to:
1. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” ($169.1 million)
2. “The Dark Knight” ($158.4 million)
3. “The Hunger Games” ($155 million)
4. “Spider-Man 3” ($151.1 million)
5. “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” ($142.8 million)
6. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1” ($138.1 million)
7. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” ($135.6 million)
8. “Iron Man 2” ($128.1 million)
9. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” ($125 million)
10. “Shrek the Third” ($121.6 million)
11. “Alice in Wonderland” ($116.1 million)
12. “Spider-Man” ($114.8 million)
13. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” ($114 million)
14. “Toy Story 3” ($110.3 million)
15. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” ($108.9 million)
16. “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” ($108.4 million)
17. “Shrek 2” ($108 million)
18. “X-Men: The Last Stand” ($102.7 million)
19. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” ($102.6 million)
20. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” ($100.1 million)
21. “Iron Man” ($98.6 million)
22. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” ($97.8 million)
23. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” ($93.6 million)
24. “The Matrix Reloaded” ($91.7 million)
25. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” ($90.2 million)
In its opening-weekend analysis, Box Office Mojo lists 122 titles.
Two micro-budget sequels made the list. The shot-on-video chiller “Paranormal Activity 3” (No. 107) and the no-frills comedy “Jackass 3-D” (No. 119), which grossed $52.5 million and $50.3 million, respectively, enjoyed huge profits on their opening weekends.
And one last thought about “The Hunger Games.”
The film is a smash, but it might have landed at the top of the opening-weekends list if available in 3-D. The extra money spent on special glasses goes toward the film’s overall gross, something that helped the 3-D-enhanced “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” take the top spot.
The second “Hunger Games” installment, “Catching Fire,” begins filming in July. Don’t be surprised if the studio adds 3-D to the theatrical mix.
Lou Gaul can be reached by email at lgaul@phillyBurbs.com