Woe to Snakes on a Plane

[blackheart]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/20/box.office.ap/index.html

'Snakes' slithers into first with modest opening
Movie's box office take doesn't live up to Web hype

Sunday, August 20, 2006; Posted: 4:14 p.m. EDT (20:14 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The Internet buzz over "Snakes on a Plane" turned out to be nothing to hiss about.

The high-flying thriller preceded by months of unprecedented Web buildup technically debuted as the No. 1 movie, but with a modest $15.25 million opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Distributor New Line Cinema included $1.4 million that "Snakes on a Plane" raked in during 10 p.m. screenings Thursday to get a head start on the weekend. Without those revenues, the movie's weekend total would be $13.85 million, putting it just behind "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which took in $14.1 million in its third weekend.

David Tuckerman, New Line's head of distribution, said it was customary for studios to include late-night previews in a movie's opening-weekend total.

"It's an industry standard to do that, to roll that in," Tuckerman said. "Also, with this kind of picture, I would tell you unequivocably that at least 90 percent of that business would have gone to see it Friday night if not Thursday."

Rory Bruer, head of distribution at "Talladega Nights" studio Sony, declined to comment.

Box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations ranks movies according to numbers provided by studios, putting "Snakes on a Plane" in first place based on New Line's figures, said company president Paul Dergarabedian.

Starring Will Ferrell as a NASCAR driver obsessed with winning, the comedy "Talladega Nights" was No. 1 at the box office the previous two weekends and raised its three-week total to $114.7 million.

With its campy, tell-it-like-it-is title and the star power of lead actor Samuel L. Jackson, "Snakes on a Plane" became an online phenomenon, prompting endless Web chat and parodies long before anyone saw the movie.

That buzz proved fairly hollow when it came to show time, with the debut weekend a respectable but unremarkable return for a movie with a production budget of just over $30 million.

New Line's Tuckerman said "Snakes on a Plane" would turn in a solid profit but that he did not know why the movie failed to live up to its Internet hype.

"I think people were more excited about the marketing than the actual movie," said Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations. "New Line did not set out to create this Internet buzz. That's actually a marketer's dream, but when marketing translates into awareness but does not inspire people to get out from behind their computers and into the theater, that's a problem."

The movie stars Jackson as an FBI agent battling killer snakes that have been put on a red-eye flight to do away with a witness about to testify in a murder trial.

Universal Pictures' comedy "Accepted," about slackers who start their own college, had the next-best showing among new movies, debuting at No. 4 with $10.1 million. MGM's "Material Girls," starring Hilary and Haylie Duff as cosmetics heiresses, opened at No. 9 with $4.6 million.

The year's biggest hit, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," was No. 8 with $5 million, lifting its domestic total to $401 million.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Guess all that hype for nothing

 

[North King]

One of my friends asked if I wanted to see it with him.

I laughed.

In a friendly way.

 

[Godwynn]

The only reason I would go to see it is for Samuel L. Jackson and hear him say mother.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Oh I plan on seeing it - after one of my friends does first.

 

[7ronin]

Perhaps they should have made Snakes at Nascar.

 

[Cuivienen]

Perhaps they should have made Snakes at Nascar.

No one wants to get on a plane, but everyone wants to go to NASCAR races. Sad, but true.

 

[dh_epic]

The hype really only reaches a very curious type of fan.

The real test if the hype will translate into huge success is if the word-of-mouth from the initial buzz creates a huge second weekend.

 

[Markus6]

Oh NO! It's only just the number 1 film? If the public isn't going to see it then it must be rubbish!

Actually this gives me a lot more respect for the movie, I'm definitely going to see it at some point. Unfortunately my friend in Singapore who I would go and see it with is afraid of snakes. Perhaps they'll be showing it on the plane back home, or perhaps there'll just be snakes?
Good review of snakes on a plane from Dreadnet

 

[El_Machinae]

I think that the video release of this movie will go rather well.

Of course, I thought Serenity would bring back Firefly ... so what do I know?

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I think this episode of Theatre Hopper and the accompanying rant below offers a good theory why Snakes didn't do so well.

Basically, all the hype was generated to early in the year, and by the time the film was actually released the amusement factor had generally died down.

 

[Blazer6]

I think it was because this movie is just like every SciFi channel movie involving giant/many animals killing people.
I will wait to see it when it shows in the cheap theaters.

 

[JerichoHill]

you really need to have a theater full of people to make this movie worthwhile

and it is a very worthwhile and fun movie to see.

 

[downtown]

totally agree. Went last night to a packed house...rubber snakes a' flying. It might be my new favorite film

 

[Masquerouge]

Isn't that kind of movie exactly what Netflix is for?

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

I think this episode of Theatre Hopper and the accompanying rant below offers a good theory why Snakes didn't do so well.

Basically, all the hype was generated to early in the year, and by the time the film was actually released the amusement factor had generally died down.

This seems like a good explination.