Muppets Most Wanted Box Office Numbers

Plaid Fraggle

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I think there could be a show that exhibits a healthy dose of both the traditional "vaudeville" Muppet sketches and a bit more character depth, which Drtooth is stressing. And I think "The Muppet Show" as a label and as basis for production would garner the nostalgia factor that is so important, like heralde is expressing.

I personally liked Muppets Tonight, but it did try too hard for the "modern" factor and Kermit as the host was dearly missed. (Nothing against Clifford; I like the character, but why replace Kermit? You know? His personality is iconic and more endearing.) It kept the stagnate vaudeville format while trying to be modern in minor, silly ways. I think by becoming a whole other show, it misplaced some of its "The Muppet Show" brand along the way, which could have made it a more successful endeavor.

IN SHORT I think character depth/growth over the course of new Muppet media is a good solution :smile: But it's also risky because the characters are iconic, so it's tough to mess with in new material.

P.S. - This thread is originally about something different from "What Should a Muppet TV Show Look Like?", so I do apologize there. But that's kind of where it's leaning currently in talking about box office success :big_grin:
 

Muppet Master

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MMW's legit box office numbers are out. Turns out it made $11,279,128 which is only a bit less than the estimate, and still more than the 2011 film's second weekend. Through 10 days MMW has made $33,116,817 at the domestic box office and $7,500,000 outside of the US and Canada bringing its current worldwide total to $40,616,817. A final worldwide total of $100 million or more should be expected. In fact, if you subtract the Wed. and Thurs. totals of TM'11 than it made $44 million through 10 days. Compared to how most live action family films come no where near their predecessors, MMW isn't doing that bad.
 

Drtooth

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I thought the estimate was supposed to be 10.

Yeah, it doesn't so much seem bad, since this month is one of too many movies, not enough interest. I REALLY hope Peabody and Sherman is considered a success at least...it would suck for BOTH them and the Muppets to be considered failures, especially since Jay Ward Films never had anything remotely successful or well reviewed. There were, like, what? 5 movies that opened this weekend, and Muppets managed to stay in the top 3? Not horrible, actually. I'm sure Divergent and Noah will drop off horribly when Captain America comes out. Hopefully younger audiences will still go see MMW, since CA's a little too intense for them. It'd be great if it domestically made back its budget in the next 2 weeks. Then the dollar theater crowd will just tack on a little more to it.

Still sucks it couldn't get that measly 3 million on it's opening to be considered successful.
 

Pinkflower7783

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As Kermit said they'd have to find celebrity guests that are still alive.
 

pezbalubah

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As much as I would love a 3rd movie from this creative team, James Bobin is moving onto the Alice sequel which will be a big budget blockbuster even if it does half the business of the first one. I think The Muppets need a new Muppet Babies series. As much as we as fans don't like that people still associate the Muppets with the Babies series first, it was the right thing at the right time. Yes it would probably be CG, but I think it would make The Muppets a must have for young kids again. With that said, of course they also need a new Muppet show that would appeal to the Phineas and Ferb demographic of tweens/teens/adults. In fact that Phineas and Ferb format of having several storylines and songs in every episode would suit the Muppets well. Maybe a few years down the line we could get a film with a dream line up of Frank Oz directing and Robert Lopez/Kristen Anderson-Lopez composing songs...
 

Drtooth

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Muppet Babies should start small, as a line of baby goods. I'd tend to think they have more momentum to do more with the Baby characters now, but if it's too much at once, it will dominate the franchise.

As for a third movie, a change of hands might be a good thing, provided they don't go for jaded pop cultury stuff that only worked in VMX, or giving them a gimmick or classic retelling film.
 

Muppet Master

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MMW dropped to fifth on Monday, but weekday totals don't count too much, and its $672,000 is still bigger than what TM had at the same point, so still no worries.
 

Drtooth

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MMW dropped to fifth on Monday, but weekday totals don't count too much, and its $672,000 is still bigger than what TM had at the same point, so still no worries.
It's also a random day in the middle of a work/school week. The fact it's making any money in a random day like that is something. Besides, it would only get matinee ticket prices anyway. It's almost at 34 mil now. Not terribly impressive, but closer to the budget. Noah's going to be blown out of the water by Captain America next week, and it probably cost a fortune to make.
 
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