July
13
Summer Movies: Universal Kicks Ass at Boxoffice
Universal has scored two $100-million hits so far this summer: The Incredible Hulk ($129 million) and Wanted ($112 million), and this weekend Hellboy II: The Golden Army opened at number one with an estimated $35.9 million. And the pics scored strong reviews as well: Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy sequel earned 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and looks likely to also score more than $100 million, says Fantasy Moguls. (The Hulk came in at more modest 68, and Wanted at 72.)
Next weekend, while The Dark Knight will score the number one slot, Abba musical Mamma Mia! is expected to open well. And in August, there's still The Mummy 3: The Tomb of the Golden Emperor, which should easily pass the $100-million mark.
According to ace marketer-turned-co-chief of the studio Marc Shmuger, each of these pics has a distinct look, feel and audience appeal. Not one of these movies is like any other movie in the current marketplace. "They all know exactly what they are," he says, "and who they're for."
This helps to cut through the other lookalike pictures and pop the movies out. Could anyone not pay attention to the crazy green giant Hulk, Jolie and those curving bullets in Wanted, or bright red muscle-bound Hellboy, with his cut-off horns? And there's certainly nothing else in the market like Mamma Mia!, which opened well overseas this weekend.







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