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Kim Hollis: This Is the End opened to $33 million, $20.7 of which came from the weekend. What are your thoughts on this performance?

Jay Barney: I actually think the numbers for This is the End are very good. It was never going to be a breakout success against Superman and the other competition coming up. It was slotted as counter programming, and it has worked. With the first five days of its run equaling the production budget, the rest of its time in theaters will allow it to recoup the marketing costs. This one will show a nice profit when all is said and done.

I loved the trailer, and apparently the reviews are fairly good. The actors involved in this project all have a solid fan base, so putting them all in one apocalyptic film works nicely. I also believe the twist of having them play themselves on screen wasn’t much of a risk. These guys. It was a great idea for a comedy.

Bruce Hall: I think this represents a best possible outcome. Just when it looked like Superman was going to suck up all the money in the world, a slacker farce starring James Franco and Seth Rogen as themselves was either going to look like suicide, or brilliant counterprogramming. Clearly, it was the latter. I know lots of people who couldn't have cared less about Superman. Also, this is the kind of film where I can actually see a fair slice of Man of Steel's demographic taking in both movies on the same weekend.

Now, I'm wondering whether the final numbers for This is the End will be enough to ensure we see more of this kind of movie, whether it's with this cast or not? For my answer I'll look no further than The Expendables franchise. Just look at that opening box office ($34, $28 million). If they're willing to make more of that, they're willing to make more of this.

Brett Ballard-Beach: First off, a commending of a Wednesday opening that served an actual purpose: to get out in front of Man of Steel. As counterprogramming, yes, this wasn't Mamma Mia! in the face of The Dark Knight. In regards to the budget, yes this is already a winner and everything else is gravy. In regards to making a significant percentage less than say, the first five days of Pineapple Express (as some pundits I have seen do), I don't think that is an apt comparison. This is Hollywood satire first and foremost, a genre that doesn't generally do all that well, and beyond that this is actors playing "themselves" in the midst of an apocalyptic scenario to boot. Tropic Thunder is a better film comparsion wise, but even so this is a "high-concept" idea that mashes a lot of genres together and could have easily underperformed and sputtered out. I am not counting out legs that could take this to $100 million, but this opening should be considered respectable and a final domestic tally of $75 to $85 million would also be worthy.

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