Muppets Most Wanted Box Office Numbers

[LouisTheOtter]

I refuse to panic, for a couple of reasons:

(1) Quite simply, this is an excellent movie. I'll say more in the review I plan to post when I have more time, but it's a significant upgrade on TM2011 in many respects - smart, funny, well-paced, fabulous music, terrific visuals, expertly-produced and edited, engaging story and tons of great surprises. I expect the MMW word-of-mouth to create some post-Divergent buzz (especially with no significant competition arriving in theatres for the next couple of weeks).

(2) I saw it in a theatre Saturday afternoon with about 30-35 other people (although I admit that Mrs. Otter and I were responsible for bringing 15 of those people along, via a church-youth-group road trip) and the grand majority of us - adults, kids, everyone in between - had a blast. On the bus ride home, a 30-something friend of mine who had never seen a Muppet movie said he was impressed that he didn't have to be a huge Muppet fan to enjoy it - which might say more about this movie's success as a film than any review or box-office numbers.

(3) It finished second. SECOND. Not eighth. Not tenth. SECOND. Disney can justifiably roll out the "#1 comedy in America" or "#1 family movie in America" ads as it did with the last movie. Every little bit will help here.

(4) We're grumbling about people going to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman (ironically, another Ty Burrell movie) but consider this: That film debuted at #2 and overtook the 300 sequel for #1 a week later. You can't convince me that MMW isn't a good enough movie to do that to Divergent, or at least come a closer second, especially considering the lousy reviews Divergent has been getting.

Keep the faith, folks. This is not John Carter or The Lone Ranger. This is an excellent, high-quality movie that proves the Muppets deserve to continue appearing in new productions. If it finishes at $50-$60 million, which it should, it will still be one of the highest-grossing movies in franchise history.

Just remember Bobo in Muppets From Space: "Baby steps...baby steps..."

 

[King Rupert]

I saw it Sunday and we were 3 of 9 people in the theater.

 

[ConstantineFan]

This movie will be saved as soon as all of the Loki( Tom Hiddleston) and Ross Lynch fangirls find out that they are cameoing in Muppets Most Wanted.

 

[Drtooth]

I refuse to panic, for a couple of reasons:

(1) Quite simply, this is an excellent movie. I'll say more in the review I plan to post when I have more time, but it's a significant upgrade on TM2011 in many respects - smart, funny, well-paced, fabulous music, terrific visuals, expertly-produced and edited, engaging story and tons of great surprises. I expect the MMW word-of-mouth to create some post-Divergent buzz (especially with no significant competition arriving in theatres for the next couple of weeks).

I'm not so much panicking as much as throwing in the towel on this one. Unless there's a HUGE weekday miracle or there was an uptick in Sunday that wasn't reported (I absolutely hate how they call the weekend Box office Sunday morning There's still a WHOLE day to go). There is NO REASON this movie should have had that poor a reception. The characters were splashed everywhere. Disney promoted the heck out of it.

And quality isn't a equation for success in a film. Poorly made films can make money, great films can also bomb and if they're lucky become cult like 10+ years later.

(3) It finished second. SECOND. Not eighth. Not tenth. SECOND. Disney can justifiably roll out the "#1 comedy in America" or "#1 family movie in America" ads as it did with the last movie. Every little bit will help here.

I honestly hope that counts for something. While Divergent is an overrated fan fic with a flat female protagonist and a generic as crap story of her being the Mary Sue Chosen One, it's audience is tweenage girls absolutely gushing that we have female protagonists that, frankly suck so bad, would be called horrid, vapid, sexist stereotypes if a guy wrote it. The real draw was families, and they just didn't care to see movies this weekend, especially MWW. I don't see why they couldn't have been as invigorated as those tween girls were for their crappy film.

(4) We're grumbling about people going to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman (ironically, another Ty Burrell movie) but consider this: That film debuted at #2 and overtook the 300 sequel for #1 a week later. You can't convince me that MMW isn't a good enough movie to do that to Divergent, or at least come a closer second, especially considering the lousy reviews Divergent has been getting.

Keep the faith, folks. This is not John Carter or The Lone Ranger. This is an excellent, high-quality movie that proves the Muppets deserve to continue appearing in new productions. If it finishes at $50-$60 million, which it should, it will still be one of the highest-grossing movies in franchise history.

I mentioned that somewhere, yes. The film opened at number 2, but only got in number one (with weak numbers) the second week because of the huge drop off 300 had.

Now, I'll give you this. This movie was a better investment than Lone Ranger or John Carter. It had a low enough budget that if they lose money on this, it's not too bad. It would make sense to make another Muppet film instead of Lone Ranger (which flopped because it ticked too many people off... thanks for saying you were part Native American, Johnny Depp... why that was more offensive than all of Movie 43 and In APP Propriate Comedy is a mystery to me)... but it really should have opened at least 10-15 Million stronger. Unless March is dying out as a film release month (can you blame it? Like 10 movies came out in a 3 week period... way to make your films bomb, Hollywood). Yeah, I am cautiously optimistic there's some sort of miracle and that 2nd place on a weak weekend counts (at least it made more than Need[less] for Speed)... and that Disney will be VERY generous that Frozen was a Juggernaut that they'll count the DVD sales of MMW (Muppet movies do make their money on home video). And maybe, by terms of risk vs. reward that it will be considered successful enough.

But overall, I am very very annoyed, depressed, and hurt that while The Muppets was a big, great sign of promise that opened up the dormant hearts of the general public, the better put together movie that didn't need to play a nostalgia factor sends the Muppet fandom back underground. At best we'd get maybe some more appearances, maybe another go at a movie. At worst, this will be a forum of 3 people talking about how great that John Cleese episode was, and wondering why there are only 3 members active talking about how great the John Cleese episode was.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

If I'm right didn't TM finish second it's opening weekend as well? I think it was beat out by Twilight or something?

 

[Drtooth]

If I'm right didn't TM finish second it's opening weekend as well? I think it was beat out by Twilight or something?

But it made back most of it's budget to be a modest success, opening at 45 mil and closing at 88 mil in the US.

Of course, the real difference is it was during a Holiday weekend that started on Wednesday, so it was able to get 2 more days worth of Weekend count, and availability.

Of course, it fell off huge after the second week, with every single movie with it. It had a strong opening in a weak period. If we're really lucky things will perk up next weekend, and maybe through the week.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

But it made back most of it's budget to be a modest success, opening at 45 mil and closing at 88 mil in the US.

Actually, it opened to $29 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Plus, it was the holiday weekend, which is a really busy time at the movies anyway. Who goes to movies on an average day in March? I know I don't, and most people I know don't even have time to go to one, and most parents aren't taking their families to movies during the spring, at least not the many people I know.

Of course tweens can go to movies by themselves, and the stupid tween-flick drew them all in this weekend. That's where the problem went. There's plenty of tweens who would've ended up at Muppets Most Wanted (and trust me, there's a lot of tween girl fans of Animal for some reason) but of course, Divergent pulled those people in. I'm hoping they'll end up seeing the World's Most Dangerous Frog on the big screen next weekend.

 

[muppetlover123]

Awesome not that bad!

 

[Drtooth]

Who goes to movies on an average day in March?

Cough cough. Made more than the 2 DW films that came after it in a short time. A sequel and TV series was announced the second it hit the weekend BO.

If this did manage to at least get to 20 Mil opening, would that count for something? It was reported at 16 mil by noon Yesterday. If nothing else, it should be at least 16,000,010 by now with my ticket at 5:15 last night.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

According to Muppet wiki it finished second with 16 million.