State of the Franchise: RED
By Jason Barney
July 24, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
The answer is in the eye of the beholder.
This summer, however, studios have given us a number of “part twos”. They have produced flicks that carry on stories from previous films. In some cases, this is exactly what fans want. In other instances, it’s a roll of the dice.
Grab a coffee, sit back, and enjoy the periodic discussion about which of this summer’s sequels may be expanding into the franchise territory.
The basic equation of box office success earning a sequel definitely applies here.
RED (2010) - 8/10
In the fall of 2010, Summit Entertainment released this adaptation of one of DC Comics' graphic novels. It featured an interesting mix of stars unlikely to come together for such a project. RED was billed as a combination of action and comedy and displayed a very memorable gun fight sequence in a few of the trailers. It wasn’t Batman, Transformers, or Star Wars, but this venture was never intended to be. It just made a lot of money.
October is a curious time for films to open. Studios generally try to muscle in their bigger projects in the summer months or around the holidays. As the leaves are turning, temperatures are falling, and Halloween approaches, there is usually some hack and slash on theater screens. The 10th month of the year lies in that transition between fall and winter and the box office releases reflect that.
RED was not a sure bet. Bruce Willis, who is one of the most recognizable names out there, has had his share of misses. He was all over the advertising, though, and was woven into a very bankable group of stars in an intriguing way. Willis plays Frank Moses, a retired special agent whom elements of the American government want eliminated. When those factions move against him, his talents and training as a killer are displayed. As he flees, he must rely on an odd mix of previous relationships and randomness for his survival. Mary Louise Parker plays his romantic interest, Sarah Ross, very well; her kind brown eyes and beautiful long hair contrast Willis nicely. The pairing works. Along for the ride are two well established talents, John Malkovich and Morgan Freeman. Freeman’s grandfather-like presence almost always shines, and Malkovich’s ability to portray random behaviors and intense frustration are priceless. Rising star Karl Urban plays the agent in charge of trying to dispatch Willis. Perhaps the oddest addition to the cast is Helen Mirren. Her name is always associated with quality and respectability. Her career started out with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been marked by countless award nominations.
With this eclectic list of actors involved, everything just came together for RED.
The major competition going into opening weekend was Jackass 3-D. Not exactly a film vying for the same demographic, it was never assumed that RED would take down the younger audience pleaser. However, like a person who shows up for work every day, punches in, and just does the job expected, RED earned a solid $21 million, good for second place. Summit Entertainment put in a decent chunk of change to make the film, $58 million, and the start ensured they hadn’t made a bad investment. At the very least the film was going to break even.
If the first weekend was the guy doing what is expected of him at work, the second frame meant RED had earned a stellar job evaluation. The new arrival over the October 22nd weekend was Paranormal Activity 2, an effort to attract Stephen King type audiences. Red fell to number three, but had a fantastic drop of only 30% of its audience. For an action film skewed toward older viewers, this was an amazing accomplishment.
Week three provided more of the same stellar news. Another entry into the Saw franchise opened at number one, but Red maintained its number three position at the box office. Jackass 3-D, the picture which had opened so far above it on opening day, fell to fourth. Red experienced another great hold of about 70%, which is as leggy as you can get. To top it all off, Red had effectively matched its production budget after three weeks of release. Everything else was going to be gravy.
And there was plenty of it. RED went on to collect $90 million from the domestic box office.
The international workforce turned out as well, and at the end of the day RED had amassed a surprising $199 million in theaters. For those counting, that’s more than Jackass 3D, Saw, or Paranormal Activity.
What was that equation again? If enough money is made…what happens?
Red 2 (2013) - 6/10
We are just past the middle of the summer box office, and things are calming down a bit. The movies which had the biggest summer anticipation, Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, and Despicable Me 2 have all hit the screens and are raking in loads of cash. There may still be a few huge earners out there, but tracking for the rest of July and most of August has a lot of films opening in the $20-$40 million dollar range.
That is probably what Summit was hoping for when they pegged the release of RED 2 for late July. It wouldn’t have huge competition from the heavyweights, and it had some interest based on the positive reception of the original. A second installment does not make a franchise, but you can bet the studio was looking at the calendar, wanting to scribble in future release dates involving these characters.
Based on the initial results for RED 2, this may not develop into a franchise.
The sequel returns most of the original group of characters. Helen Mirren was key, as her presence just denotes integrity. Mary Louise Parker, Bruce Willis, and John Malkovich all reprise their roles. Added to the cast were the aging Anthony Hopkins and still alluring Catherine Zeta-Jones. South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun was brought in to add more international flavor. In producing this sequel , Summit invested a lot more money than the original. Remember, RED was made for $58 million, with marketing costs driving the total budget a bit higher. RED 2 was much more expensive. They sunk another $26 million into the production costs, putting the official tab at $84 million. When marketing is added, RED 2 may have had a budget as high as $120 million.
The potential for this becoming a franchise took a fairly large hit when RED 2 opened over the July 19th frame. Competition was tough, but there are no excuses in show business. The action/comedy being marketed to older folks opened a disappointing fifth in the United States. Two of the flicks above it in the top ten weren’t even new releases. Coming in behind Despicable Me 2 can sort of be rationalized, as that is the hottest film in the world right now. However, franchises are built on either very large openings or great legs, and RED 2 may not have either. It started below the poorly reviewed Adam Sandler offering, Grown Ups 2, which was in its second weekend. The horror flick, The Conjuring, more than doubled RED 2’s take. Turbo, another kid’s movie, marketed to a demographic RED 2 isn’t even competing for, opened better.
One might argue RED 2 has a decent chance at legs. With the outstanding long run of the original, it is certainly what Summit is hoping for again. However, in 2010 RED had a 76% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. RED 2 is getting hacked up pretty badly by the critics and there may be blood in the water for this potential franchise. RED 2 has a rotten 40% rating. The difference is not surprising.
The studio has to be holding its breath right now, partially because RED 2 is just not as good as the original. Bruce Willis and John Malkovich still play well off from one another, and Malkovich’s ability to deliver aggravation in a comedic way is priceless. However, this entry is a bit clumsy in spots. Even Mary Louise Parker’s portrayal of Sarah Ross and her developing romance with Frank Moses don’t provide the same magic. Having Catherine Zeta-Jones as the Russian agent Katya comes across as writing a well known actress into the script, rather than a flowing addition to the story. The first RED had a conspiracy element to it, similar to the Jason Bourne series, but done in a more playful way. The tension and mystery of secret government operations aren’t as well explored in this film, partly because the villain’s role is totally different.
In order for these characters to launch a true franchise, RED 2 is going to have to do at least as well as the first did overseas. As of this writing in late July, the international rollout has been limited, and a wait and see attitude is warranted. There is a chance the impressive cast will compel significant foreign interest. The film unfolds in several different international locations, so that may help.
To sum it all up, the state of this franchise is precarious at best. The studio is in a position of crossing its fingers and hoping for a strong result overseas, because the American reception is just not going to be there. The $90 million domestic tally of the original is certainly out of reach and the international box office is a big question mark.
Will there be a RED 3? Will this entry earn enough to justify future exploits?
At this point, it is not looking good.