Monday Morning Quarterback Part I
By BOP Staff
April 9, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Brett Ballard-Beach: I think it could have made significantly less than this and that result would have still been good considering the low budget (although I was overzealous in my head and as the weekend approached thought this might crack the low 30s): Here is a beloved horror film franchise whose last related film was 20 years ago, whose total theatrical grosses of prior installments was $20 million, and which lacked a Jason/Freddy/Leatherface core. Couple that with the series’ iconic cult status and there was potential for the film to be underwhelming, sliding into disaster. Having Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell on board was a good blessing (although I am not sure exactly what the film would have been if they weren't at all involved) and what remains to be seen is how this can be pushed into an all new direction that audiences may continue to follow to a viably commercial degree.
Side note for whoever can answer: I see that this got a C+ Cinemascore, but that this was qualified as being not bad for a horror film. If something like this isn't to the A+ liking of the opening weekend audience then what is? And why are horror audiences so sanctimonious hard to please?
Jay Barney: I almost hate to say it because there have been so many cheap horror successes over the last six months, but this genre is alive and well. Even if some of the choices being brought out are remakes, audiences are definitely willing to spend money on hack and slash. The budget numbers are the ones that matter, and there is no question that any studio would love to have the numbers that Evil Dead has in just one weekend. Even if marketing and advertising are well above the $17 million production budget, the film is already making money. The first weekend is done and everything from this point on is just going to be gravy. $26 million for its first weekend is a huge success. From this point on, even if the drop is more than 55% next weekend, it is entirely possible Evil Dead will make somewhere between three and four times what it took to make it. Who can disagree with those numbers or that level of success?
Matthew Huntley: On the one hand, it's a win for distributor Sony and I'm glad the horror remake was able to breathe some more life into the box office. And I agree this movie will definitely be in the black before it reaches the home market, which is great news. On the other, it means we're in store for yet more horror remakes because movies like this reinforce the only thing studios need to do is rehash old projects with relatively cheap budgets because the built-in fanbase will allow them to recoup their costs on opening weekends. My worry is the success of remakes will continue to prevent original material from getting produced, which is a shame. I'd rather the film industry make money while moving forward with new ideas.
Edwin Davies: This is an emphatic win, no two ways about it. Not merely did it do very well in relation to its budget, but it did so despite not having an iconic figure to build the marketing around (after all, fans would have been livid if someone stepped in to replace Bruce Campbell) and despite being R-rated, which is one of those things that is meant to limit horror films. I think this film was handled expertly, with the studio working hard to appeal to both the hardcore fans of the original - a film whose appeal has grown considerably over the last 30 years - and new fans. Getting Raimi and Campbell to stump for the film and talk it up helped assuage concerns that it might be an empty cash grab (or at least not a completely empty cash grab) and the trailers were creepy as hell. I doubt anyone who saw the trailers will forget the one, horrifying shot that was included in it, and I think the sense of danger that grew around the film probably made it enticing to people who weren't alive when Army of Darkness was released, let alone The Evil Dead.
Shalimar Sahota: Take a well known horror film, remake it cheaply and then watch as it turns in a profit, regardless of quality. It worked for Evil Dead, but unlike most of the horror remakes of the last decade, this one at least had the backing of the original creators (Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell) and even won some favorable reviews. Also, showing people that the film was not going to skimp on the gore with those nasty red band trailers most likely made fans want to check out just how evil this Evil Dead was. What I find really intriguing is where this might go in the future, with Fede Alvarez revealing that his sequel(s) could potentially crossover with Raimi's Evil Dead IV.
David Mumpower: I have always felt that Evil Dead has two things going for it. The first is a fantastic title; the second is a claustrophobic setting. The remake of the project, done with the blessing of Raimi and Campbell as Brett noted, maintains both of those advantages. It also has the benefit of the pedigree of arguably the most beloved horror franchise of the '80s. I have been operating under the assumption that the film would open very well, which means that I too had believed even more opening weekend revenue was plausible. Settling for exceptional is the best kind of settling. While the gore factor has disappointed some diehard fans of the original and the quality seems to have disappointed most of the opening night zealots, it's still a solid hit no matter what happens next.
Max Braden: That's a pretty great opening for this movie. The original series of course was a must-see when I was younger, and in my mind is one of the classic non-franchise franchises in the horror genre. So the status has held up among my generation, but I wonder how well it (the original trio) had penetrated the 20-something market before this movie started being advertised. I would expect that high school and college kids were the drivers for this box office, though I wonder if Campbell managed to pull over some of the Burn Notice crowd (who I wouldn't immediately expect to go for a heavy horror like this). Considering that the very similar setup The Cabin in the Woods, which got great buzz from audiences, only opened to less than $15 million in mid-April last year, $26 million for Evil Dead & co. is huge.
Kim Hollis: I think it’s a great opening, though I was thinking it might have done a bit more. Considering the financial outlay, the studio must be very pleased. As far as Brett’s Cinemascore question, I don’t even think C+ is good for horror. Anything below a B is generally viewed as dismal. I wonder who is downgrading it – newcomers to the series or fans of the old one who are disappointed?