Friday Box-Office: Amazing Spider-Man 2 Drops Big in Second Weekend

[MovieBob]

Friday Box-Office: Amazing Spider-Man 2 Drops Big in Second Weekend

Peter Parker gets beaten up by a bunch of frat boys (and The Green Hornet)

Hollywood entertainment writers have their first big "underdog story" of Summer 2014 early, as modest-budget R-rated comedy Neighbors [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/escape-to-the-movies/9177-Neighbors-Genuinely-Funny] shocked box-office prognosticators with a huge #1 opening that has analysts projecting a possible $50 million opening weekend - the biggest of star Seth Rogen's career and a potential starmaking-moment for Disney Channel graduate Zac Efron. But the more visible feather in Neighbors' cap, as headlines go, will be its "defeat" of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which got knocked down to the #2 spot with a steeper-than-expected tumble of nearly 72% (Friday to Friday) and 59% overall.

That's excellent news for Universal, which reportedly spent only $18 million to produce what's now looking like a $100 million+ comedy hit in Neighbors, but grim tidings for Sony Pictures. The troubled studio bet big on the Spidey-sequel, abandoning it's original "reboot" plans for a lower-budget, relationship-focused franchise for a $200 million+ blockbuster intended lay the groundwork for an entire universe of sequels and spin-offs a'la Disney/Marvel's Avengers franchise; but a soft opening, poor reviews and now weak-looking legs have them revising domestic expectations down to around $225 million - over $30 million less than the much cheaper first installment earned.

The international box-office, meanwhile, was kind to both films. ASM2 has been out for almost a month in some overseas markets and is widely expected to reach the $755 million worldwide total require to begin turning a profit - though investors can't be happy that it likely won't do significantly better business than its predecessor. Further large drops are expected over the next two weeks, as the film will begin losing prime screen space to fellow PG-13 actioners Godzilla and X-Men: Days of Future Past.


Source: Box-Office Mojo [http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/box-office-neighbors-vs-amazing-spiderman-2/]

Permalink

 

[ShirowShirow]

lawl @ Bob's continued hate-on.

Can't say I really blame him. I can't judge either of the Amazing Spider-man movies until I actually see them, but I've been in similar situations. Schadenfraude is a legitimate form of geek rehabilitation.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

I'm not sure if it was a good idea to give Bob the reins over the TV & Movies section of the Escapist's news XD

I am bit afraid that he might turn into a supervillain by the end of the TASM2 ordeal.

 

[Xman490]

The way that criticism (and Bob's overwhelming disappointment) crushed ASM2's box office results - despite marketing campaigns like movie tickets coming with the hastily-made, potential-wasting tie-in game and Sony Rewards having a few dollars-worth of points for seeing it - reminds me of how the Xbox One slowed down in sales due to lukewarm reception.
Marketing isn't a panacea to the threat of poor sales. If it's for a product consumers know is inferior, it won't matter much.

 

[Scribblesense]

Ouch for Sony, but the US Box Office is becoming less important due to the goliath earnings many films are seeing from releasing worldwide. But expectations for a third Amazing Spider-Man can't be high, and I'd imagine the people behind the series will be fighting to save their vision for the project.

It would be pretty awesome if Sony somehow got Disney to agree to a "co-ownership" of Spider-Man for a nice infusion of cash, but no matter how that pie is sliced it wouldn't be appetizing to anyone.

There is always the possibility, however slim, that the Amazing Spider-Man movies will just suddenly stop sucking and actually be good, even great, but no way you could convince moviegoers of that.

 

[bluegate]

Rooting for you Spidey!

All the more motivation for them to keep on trying to make even better Spiderman movies in the future. Even though they are stumbling sometimes, I would like to see more of the new Spiderman.

 

[Marter]

In what world is 71.3% "nearly 72%"? There's spin and then there's spin.

Also, I'm glad we reported on when Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Friday-to-Friday drop was 68%. Oh, wait, that didn't happen. I forgot that a 68% drop is a success while a 71% drop is a failure.

Edit: In your "How can Sony fix Spider-Man?" article, you said it needed $800 million just to start turning a profit. Now it's $755 million? Which is it? Consistency, please.

 

[Itsthefuzz]

In what world is 71.3% "nearly 72%"? There's spin and then there's spin.

Also, I'm glad we reported on when Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Friday-to-Friday drop was 68%. Oh, wait, that didn't happen. I forgot that a 68% drop is a success while a 71% drop is a failure.

Edit: In your "How can Sony fix Spider-Man?" article, you said it needed $800 million just to start turning a profit. Now it's $755 million? Which is it? Consistency, please.

Can we not have the guy with an obvious bias towards the film writing these news stories about it? It's just really shallow.

 

[TallanKhan]

I watched this film last week and while I know I have no one to blame but myself, I had read the reviews, I mourn for those hours of my life lost forever. I have my fingers crossed this film will flop, Sony will pull the plug and we get a third time lucky reboot of Spiderman.

In an ideal world I would love to see the rights revert to Marvel, not because I'm particularly sold on Spiderman as an Avenger or anything, but rather I would be really pumped to see supporting characters from the Spiderman universe like Norman Osborn show up in the MCU. However, above all I just want to see someone do Spiderman justice.

 

[Kurt Cristal]

In what world is 71.3% "nearly 72%"? There's spin and then there's spin.

Also, I'm glad we reported on when Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Friday-to-Friday drop was 68%. Oh, wait, that didn't happen. I forgot that a 68% drop is a success while a 71% drop is a failure.

Edit: In your "How can Sony fix Spider-Man?" article, you said it needed $800 million just to start turning a profit. Now it's $755 million? Which is it? Consistency, please.

From the article:
Sony is said to have spent over $200 million on TASM2 (before marketing, and either way it's a lowball estimate) and some analysts project that it will have to earn $800 million worldwide just to start turning a profit ... and at this point it's not looking good for the film to even equal the $750 million final take of its (much less expensive) predecessor.

Grasping at straws much? New information as it is given. The 800 was a projected amount, the 755 in this article is more precise. And then the complaint about rounding 71.3% to 72%...... really? We're griping about rounding up fractions? It's not like the article here turned 71.3% into 75 or 80.

 

[Nowhere Man]

They are both decent movies. I just wish somehow Marvel got the rights back to Spidey.

 

[MCerberus]

So, Bob's dancing on this movie's grave then.

 

[lacktheknack]

In what world is 71.3% "nearly 72%"? There's spin and then there's spin.

Also, I'm glad we reported on when Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Friday-to-Friday drop was 68%. Oh, wait, that didn't happen. I forgot that a 68% drop is a success while a 71% drop is a failure.

Edit: In your "How can Sony fix Spider-Man?" article, you said it needed $800 million just to start turning a profit. Now it's $755 million? Which is it? Consistency, please.

Can we not have the guy with an obvious bias towards the film writing these news stories about it? It's just really shallow.

I agree. However, there's nothing Marter can do about it. How about you contact an actual staff member about it?

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

Besides the negative publicity from reviews and word of mouth this movie is getting, I think a major hit is the Spidey/Marvel fanboys aren't seeing it twice, like they would pay to see Avengers like 10 tens. The fans are either pissed at the movie (story, effects, acting,etc) or at Sony for not giving Spidey up at least temporarily for an Avengers cameo or small part. It also probably won't help that theaters have probably already dropped some showtimes that aren't in 3D or Imax making many with a passing interest say "screw waiting an hour or paying $4-5 extra a ticket when this Seth Rogen movie looks good and is gonna start soon." (I've seen this first hand many times.)

 

[Marter]

From the article:
Sony is said to have spent over $200 million on TASM2 (before marketing, and either way it's a lowball estimate) and some analysts project that it will have to earn $800 million worldwide just to start turning a profit ... and at this point it's not looking good for the film to even equal the $750 million final take of its (much less expensive) predecessor.

Grasping at straws much? New information as it is given. The 800 was a projected amount, the 755 in this article is more precise. And then the complaint about rounding 71.3% to 72%...... really? We're griping about rounding up fractions? It's not like the article here turned 71.3% into 75 or 80.

1) How is asking for clarification and consistency "grasping at straws"?

2) Yes, I'll gripe about that. So?

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

They are both decent movies. I just wish somehow Marvel got the rights back to Spidey.

I don't. i used to, but I don't now. No Spidey means Marvel have had to invest heavily on the rest of their catalog

 

[Alpha Maeko]

Yes, Movibob no like Spidermang.

No, you don't need to exaggerate every detail in order for someone to see that.

Leave the guy be, his information isn't wrong.

 

[TheMemoman]

Please die already horrible franchise!

I know there's a lot of reactionary folks out there unable to grasp why this production is cancer to the future of cinema, and who might be feeling personally engaged to defend the property of an international conglomerate bent on milking the acquired brands they claim to love, down to the last possible cent; to them I say: remain still, like thick, polluted dark waters, friends, for if you like this abhor, you'll definitely like whatever else comes after. The benefit of not having a particular discernible taste, without any sort of meaningful criteria outside of brand recognition means that you shouldn't have a problem finding something else to sparsely turn your disperse attention and anger towards. Any sort of loud, fast moving special effects bonanza will do the trick. That's one comforting advantage for living a life without any artistic ethical compass. I guess.

Hey look over there! It's Transformers 4 or 5, or whatever!

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Yeah, it dropped big. All the way to only being the second most successful movie this weekend. Don't get me wrong, the percentage drop is large, and recalculating the profit projections is a reasonable course of action. But anti-ASM people shouldn't start celebrating yet. It's still making money.

I'm glad to see, also, that we have moved past the dark ages, where people could have differing opinions on something without being looked down on. Now, we can treat those plebes as they deserve to be treated. Opinions? Pah. Everyone knows that if someone else likes a movie they don't, clearly those people need to refine their tastes. The more that like something, the worse it is. *puffs on pipe, attaches monocle*