How did Alice in Wonderland make 1 billion dollars?

[Not G. Ivingname]

I was watching a video by the Moviepreviewcritic, who was listing the money made on several 3D movies during a discussion on the upcoming "Cowboys vs. Aliens" not using 3D even though the studio was pushing for it. One of the Examples was Alice and Wonderland, and I was shocked that he showed the box office to have been over 1 BILLION DOLLARS. I never heard about this, I was shocked. I never saw any major news on it, nobody had mentioned it. Somehow, it silently became the 5th highest grossing film of all time. The reviews are pretty average and mixed, nobody was talking about it a week after it came out, and it was 1# for only 3 weeks. Is this kind of film liked more internationally? Did it somehow remain at second for quite a while? Was there a devoted group of fans that just loved it so much they saw it each week? How did this film make so much money?

 

[swolf]

Johnny Depp brought in his fans, the goth look brought in an audience, curiosity about it (people wondering about the story continuation), and some parents saw "Alice in Wonderland" and Johnny Depp and figured that it would be good for their kids. That's my guess, I haven't seen it.

 

[Kagim]

Two reasons.

1)Tim Burton was attached to it, so instantly millions of people went to see it, a large number went to it probably not even knowing what the movie was called.

Honestly he could release a film called "Tim Burton made another movie!" and have NO details about what its about and he would make a profit.

2)its Alice in Wonderland. Which a large group of people have attached to, from emos to goths, to anything else that can be mass marketed to.

Why that bothers me Is because Alice in Wonderland was my favorite kids book. And the American McGees rendition of it was spectacularly awesome.

Yet you have people dissecting it to pieces to explain all sorts of crap when it was something the author made up to entertain the girl he had a crush on, Alice Liddel.

its random nonsense people. Nothing else.

God damn...

 

[I Max95]

it made most of its money outside of the US
i heard the japanese loved it

 

[lacktheknack]

Johnny Depp brought in his fans, the goth look brought in an audience, curiosity about it (people wondering about the story continuation), and some parents saw "Alice in Wonderland" and Johnny Depp and figured that it would be good for their kids. That's my guess, I haven't seen it.

This. It appealed to a very wide audience.

Also, I saw it, and it was actually pretty good. Maybe that contributed.

 

[Insane_Foxx]

This video will offer a possible explanation to that... so.. take it away Yogurt - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvmZ9SPcTzU

 

[Kialee]

It was actually a pretty solid movie, save for that steaming pile of shit they called an ending.
I didn't know Alice in Wonderland was supposed to be chasing down Narnia movies for hokey battle inspiration and whatnot.

But like I said, solid otherwise. Depp did his thing, Burton slapped his name on it, money was made.

...I still prefer the Disney version. There, I said it!
"kia this is sort of a sequel" I stand my ground.

 

[Skorpyo]

Johnny Depp brought in his fans, the goth look brought in an audience, curiosity about it (people wondering about the story continuation), and some parents saw "Alice in Wonderland" and Johnny Depp and figured that it would be good for their kids. That's my guess, I haven't seen it.

This. It appealed to a very wide audience.

Also, I saw it, and it was actually pretty good. Maybe that contributed.

Maybe because it was the first "original" retelling of a classic?

Seriously, the movie was beyond different, which made it excellent.

 

[Unesh52]

It's a two hour family friendly gothic drug trip with Johnny Depp.

Boom.

It doesn't even do the drug trip thing right. It's much too coherent for that. Apparently Burton took a lot of effort to work in flimsy, retconed motivations and character relationships, but they don't work because they're too stupid, tangential, and unnecessary to stand up for themselves and too organized, causal, and sensible to just be fucked up -- the way Alice is supposed to be, IMO.

Look, I gotta hand it to Burton for always presenting a compelling and delightful aesthetic, and to Depp for always being enigmatic (or at least sillier than hell) in his character work, but this movie was poorly executed. It's just not my favorite. They should make music videos together -- that would be something I'd pay to watch.

 

[ae86gamer]

A lot of people went to go watch it. That's how it made so much money..