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The Jaeger is © Legendary Pictures. Minions are © Felonious Gru. Click on the image to enlarge it[/caption]
Pacific Rim's lacklustre opening weekend shows anime themes still don't have mass market appeal in North America, but there's always the rest of the world to consider.
Pacific Rim, which opened July 12, came third in North American weekend box office receipts, with only $38.3 million US, behind Despicable Me 2, with $44.8 million US, and even the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2, with $42.5 million US. according to The Hollywood Reporter. ► Pacific Rim finishes it's opening weekend with an estimated worldwide box office total of $91.3 million US. Despicable Me 2, in it's second week of release, finished the same weekend period with a worldwide box office of $100.5 million, making it's total global box office $472.4 Million US.
Various sources estimate Pacific Rim cost at least $190 million US. Various sources report the budget for Despicable Me 2 was 76 million US, and for Grown Ups 2, around $80 million.
The Hollywood Reporter article attributes what success Pacific Rim had to "fanboys," citing strong IMAX sales, which they describe as "the favored venue for fanboys." Basically it's a weird movie which has appeal for geeks and otaku fanboys, but not the mass audience of normal people necessary for blockbuster success.
Everyone expects Pacific Rim will perform well in Japan, and other Asian countries. In fact, the filmmakers may have anticipated the cool North American response. With it's story featuring an international alliance of 21 nations -- each getting their own nationally-themed Jaeger robot, for a kind of anti-kauju World Cup -- Pacific Rim might be a rare American film designed, and engineered to succeed, first and foremost, in the international market.
The Jaeger is © Legendary Pictures. Minions are © Felonious Gru. Click on the image to enlarge it[/caption]Pacific Rim's lacklustre opening weekend shows anime themes still don't have mass market appeal in North America, but there's always the rest of the world to consider.
Pacific Rim, which opened July 12, came third in North American weekend box office receipts, with only $38.3 million US, behind Despicable Me 2, with $44.8 million US, and even the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2, with $42.5 million US. according to The Hollywood Reporter. ► Pacific Rim finishes it's opening weekend with an estimated worldwide box office total of $91.3 million US. Despicable Me 2, in it's second week of release, finished the same weekend period with a worldwide box office of $100.5 million, making it's total global box office $472.4 Million US.
Various sources estimate Pacific Rim cost at least $190 million US. Various sources report the budget for Despicable Me 2 was 76 million US, and for Grown Ups 2, around $80 million.
The Hollywood Reporter article attributes what success Pacific Rim had to "fanboys," citing strong IMAX sales, which they describe as "the favored venue for fanboys." Basically it's a weird movie which has appeal for geeks and otaku fanboys, but not the mass audience of normal people necessary for blockbuster success.
Everyone expects Pacific Rim will perform well in Japan, and other Asian countries. In fact, the filmmakers may have anticipated the cool North American response. With it's story featuring an international alliance of 21 nations -- each getting their own nationally-themed Jaeger robot, for a kind of anti-kauju World Cup -- Pacific Rim might be a rare American film designed, and engineered to succeed, first and foremost, in the international market.
My personal review of Pacific Rim ►
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