‘Green Hornet’ a Hero for Sony Pictures
By BROOKS BARNES“The Green Hornet” was No. 1 at North American theaters over the weekend with about $34 million in ticket sales — proof that a studio, in this case Sony Pictures Entertainment, can fix a troubled movie on the fly. After a sneak peak for “The Green Hornet” was greeted with ridicule from fanboys last summer, Sony performed triage. The film, based on the 1930s radio serial and 1960s television show, was re-edited, new scenes were shot and the advertising plan was reworked. The upshot: While sales were on the squishy side for a 3-D release costing at least $110 million, “The Green Hornet” is far from the flop that many expected.
The weekend was uglier for “The Dilemma,” a poorly reviewed comedy directed by Ron Howard — yes, the Oscar-winning one — that sold about $17.4 million for second place. The inauspicious debut for “The Dilemma,” which cost at least $70 million to make, adds to a track record for Universal Pictures that is increasingly troubling. “True Grit” (Paramount Pictures) was third with about $11.2 million for a total of $126.4 million, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box office statistics. “The King’s Speech” (the Weinstein Company) was fourth with about $9 million for a limited-release total of $44.6 million. “Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight), was fifth with $8 million, lifting its total to a $73 million.
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