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Sunday June 02, 2013

Hollywood B.O.: 'After Earth' is Real; Attending is a Choice

When was the last time a Will Smith movie opened in more than 3,000 theaters and grossed less on its opening weeked than the $27 million “After Earth” grossed this weekend?

Never. It's never happened.

Eleven Will-I-Am movies have opened in more than 3,000 theaters in the U.S., and the previous low was $27.6 for “Wild Wild West” back in 1999, when $27.6 wasn't a bad open. The rest grossed between $43 and $77.

Meaning what? People still have a bad taste in their mouth from “MIB 3”? They're not interested in the Smith clan making movies together? They see the film primarily as a Jaden Smith movie? They're aware of the shitty reviews and bad word-of-mouth? On Rotten Tomatoes, it's got a 12% overall rating. That's worse than Tyler Perry's “Temptation” (16%). Ouch.

Whatever the reason, “After Earth” finished third in the weekend box office, behind the second weekend of “Fast & Furious 6” (72% — really???) and “Now You See Me” (43%).

In other news, “The Hangover Part III” (21%) continued to do great business for a comedy, earning another $16 million for a two-weekend total of $88 million. Which is absolutely shitty business for the sequel to “The Hangover Part II,” which by its second weekend was at $185 million, on its way to a $254 million domestic gross and $332 milion international gross for a total of $586 million.

Everything in more than 2,000 theaters fell off badly: 51% for “Epic,” 53% for “Gatsby,” 56% for “Star Trek Into Darkness,” 58% for “Iron Man 3,” 62% for “The Hangover Part III,” 64% for “Fast & Furious 6.”

Apparently the movies need a savior. Hey, look! Up in the sky!

After Earth poster horizontal

Posted at 06:14 PM on Sunday June 02, 2013 in category Movies - Box Office