// Box Office Upset: 'Smurfs' Beats 'Cowboys & Aliens' on Friday - Hollywood Reporter
// July 31, 2011 at 2:04 AM
In a box office upset, kids pic The Smurfs edged past Jon Favreau’s big-budget Cowboys & Aliens to win the Friday race, leaving open the possibility that the 3D toon could steal the weekend crown.
Sony’s Smurfs grossed an estimated $13.3 million, while DreamWorks and Universal’s Cowboys grossed $13 million.
Heading into the weekend, tracking suggested Cowboys would easily win the weekend with a gross north of $40 million. Now, the movie may only reach $36 million or $38 million. If Smurfs continues to overperform, it could reach the same mark.
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Coming in No. 3 at the domestic box office on Friday was Paramount and Marvel’s holdover Captain America: The First Avenger, which gross $7.9 million on its second Friday, upping its domestic cume to $99.8 million.
The third new film of the weekend, Warner Bros.’ Steve Carell-Ryan Gosling comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love got off to a solid start, grossing $6.6 million on Friday. The PG-13 movie, receiving a B+ CinemaScore, is on track to gross $18 million or $19 million for the weekend.
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Cowboys, starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, couldn’t have better pedigree. Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks oversaw production and co-financed the $163 million pic with Universal and Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment also produced the film.
But original stories are always a risk, not to mention mixing the Western and sci-fi genres. Westerns generally draw older moviegoers, and Cowboys has indeed been tracking best among males over 25, followed by males under 25, who are Favreau and sci-fi fans.
Cowboys, receiving a B CinemaScore, grossed a soft $700,000 in midnight runs Thursday night, suggesting that younger fanboys weren’t rushing to see the film.
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Earlier this summer, Super 8 grossed $13.1 million on its first Friday, along with $1 million in special sneaks the pervious Thursday night. Super 8 went on to post an opening weekend gross of $36.5 million.
The big difference between the two movies is their price tags. J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 reportedly cost $55 million to make.
DreamWorks financed half of Cowboys’ budget, while Universal and Relativity Media each put up 25 percent.
Smurfs cost $110 million to produce, and is the latest entry in the CGI/live-action market. The pic received an A- CinemaScore, and A among moviegoers under the age of 18.
The movie Sony’s The Smurfs is the latest CGI/live-action hybrid to hit the big screen, and is benefiting from being the only fresh kids pic in the market.
Based on the comic books and wildly popular 1980s television show, The Smurfs stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays and Hank Azaria. The voice cast is led by Jonathan Winters, Kate Perry and Anton Yelchin.
Sony believes Smurfs will have strong legs throughout August.
// July 31, 2011 at 2:04 AM
In a box office upset, kids pic The Smurfs edged past Jon Favreau’s big-budget Cowboys & Aliens to win the Friday race, leaving open the possibility that the 3D toon could steal the weekend crown.
Sony’s Smurfs grossed an estimated $13.3 million, while DreamWorks and Universal’s Cowboys grossed $13 million.
Heading into the weekend, tracking suggested Cowboys would easily win the weekend with a gross north of $40 million. Now, the movie may only reach $36 million or $38 million. If Smurfs continues to overperform, it could reach the same mark.
PHOTOS: 10 Top Summer Superheroes of All-Time
Coming in No. 3 at the domestic box office on Friday was Paramount and Marvel’s holdover Captain America: The First Avenger, which gross $7.9 million on its second Friday, upping its domestic cume to $99.8 million.
The third new film of the weekend, Warner Bros.’ Steve Carell-Ryan Gosling comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love got off to a solid start, grossing $6.6 million on Friday. The PG-13 movie, receiving a B+ CinemaScore, is on track to gross $18 million or $19 million for the weekend.
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Cowboys, starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, couldn’t have better pedigree. Stacey Snider and Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks oversaw production and co-financed the $163 million pic with Universal and Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment also produced the film.
But original stories are always a risk, not to mention mixing the Western and sci-fi genres. Westerns generally draw older moviegoers, and Cowboys has indeed been tracking best among males over 25, followed by males under 25, who are Favreau and sci-fi fans.
Cowboys, receiving a B CinemaScore, grossed a soft $700,000 in midnight runs Thursday night, suggesting that younger fanboys weren’t rushing to see the film.
VIDEOS: Behind the Scenes at THR's Comic-Con Lounge
Earlier this summer, Super 8 grossed $13.1 million on its first Friday, along with $1 million in special sneaks the pervious Thursday night. Super 8 went on to post an opening weekend gross of $36.5 million.
The big difference between the two movies is their price tags. J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 reportedly cost $55 million to make.
DreamWorks financed half of Cowboys’ budget, while Universal and Relativity Media each put up 25 percent.
Smurfs cost $110 million to produce, and is the latest entry in the CGI/live-action market. The pic received an A- CinemaScore, and A among moviegoers under the age of 18.
The movie Sony’s The Smurfs is the latest CGI/live-action hybrid to hit the big screen, and is benefiting from being the only fresh kids pic in the market.
Based on the comic books and wildly popular 1980s television show, The Smurfs stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays and Hank Azaria. The voice cast is led by Jonathan Winters, Kate Perry and Anton Yelchin.
Sony believes Smurfs will have strong legs throughout August.
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