Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
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Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
MOVIES | By Todd Cunningham on October 14, 2013 @ 12:41
MOVIES | By Todd Cunningham on October 14, 2013 @ 12:41
Warner Bros. marketers made it a “must-see-in-3D” movie — and it didn’t hurt that critics and audiences loved it
In the box office world, having a movie hold onto 50 percent of its opening weekend gross is the gold standard. “Gravity” went platinum this weekend.
The best box-office debut ever in October was a tough act to follow, but the second-week performance of Warner Bros.’ space thriller may be even more impressive. It brought in an estimated $44.3 million over the weekend, just 21 percent down from its $55.7 million debut, the best retention rate ever for a film that opened to more than $50 million.
To put that in perspective, look at the year’s three biggest movies. “Iron Man 3” fell 58 percent in its second weekend after opening with $174 million. “Man of Steel” plummeted 64 percent from its $116 million debut. Even the family film “Despicable Me 2” dropped 47 percent from its $83 million first weekend. “Marvel’s The Avengers” fell 50 percent in its second week last year, according toBoxOffice Mojo.
What did the Sandra Bullock-George Clooney space epic have that those summer blockbusters didn’t when it came to second-week staying power?
The 3D and Imax, along with through-the-roof word of mouth, are the biggest factors, and the combination created a perfect storm over the past three days. And Warner Bros. marketing team successfully sold the concept that “Gravity” had to be seen in 3D or on a giant screen to be fully appreciated.
“The credit goes to the movie,” Warner Bros. President of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution Sue Kroll told TheWrap Monday, “and it’s still driving the campaign.
“From the first time we saw it, there was a collective ‘Oh my god, this is spectacular, unlike anything else we’ve seen in 3D,’ and we knew that was how we’d sell it.”
With its visually stunning panoramas, the space epic is ideally suited for the added dimension and director Alfonso Cuaron takes breathtaking advantage. Still, convincing the masses – particularly the over-35 crowd that has made up the bulk of its audience so far – to don those plastic glasses is no small feat.
“Not everyone’s experiences with 3D have been great,” Kroll said. “I’m not a huge fan myself, but I loved this one. This movie made it easy to sell the fact that 3D really would enhance the experience, because it really did. Nobody was coming out of the theaters and saying, ‘Don’t bother with it.’”
Kroll and her team took advantage of the massive debut by pushing positive 3D reaction quotes on social media and in commercials. The buzz from the record opening built through last week, as the film posted $6 million weekdays, the sort of numbers summer tentpole movies put up.
The studio stacked the deck at the multiplexes. It added 85 locations, with more than 75 percent of its market-high 3,660 theaters featuring the format, and it paid off handsomely. Roughly 82 percent – or $36.2 million – of the grosses came from 3D. “Gravity” also brought in $9 million from Imax, the best second week ever, besting the $8.9 million second lap of “The Dark Knight Rises” last year.
Kroll and her team successfully walked a fine line and kept the focus on the technique of Cuaron, rather than the technology behind the “Gravity.” Last year, when “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” came out, static over the high-speed frame rate cut into the buzz for Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth epic.
“There are aspects and details of the technology that we haven’t revealed yet, and that’s to keep the focus on the film and not take away from the experience of seeing it,” she said.
But wasn’t all the visuals.
“Once we got past the wow of it all, we knew we could sell this beyond the 3D. We knew that if we did our job right, there was something for everyone,” Kroll said.
Both critics, who have it at an incredible 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences, who gave it an “A” CinemaScore, loved the movie.
The Oscar talk around the film and its director and stars has given it a prestige aura — it packed the Academy’s screening seat-for-seat — and contributed to the “event” feel. Bullock’s box-office appeal is peaking, and her presence in the film helped draw women who might otherwise have passed on a lost-in-space saga.
“The 3D aspect of this film has been great, but I’m convinced we wouldn’t be where we are today if this weren’t great storytelling,” said Kroll.
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In the box office world, having a movie hold onto 50 percent of its opening weekend gross is the gold standard. “Gravity” went platinum this weekend.
The best box-office debut ever in October was a tough act to follow, but the second-week performance of Warner Bros.’ space thriller may be even more impressive. It brought in an estimated $44.3 million over the weekend, just 21 percent down from its $55.7 million debut, the best retention rate ever for a film that opened to more than $50 million.
To put that in perspective, look at the year’s three biggest movies. “Iron Man 3” fell 58 percent in its second weekend after opening with $174 million. “Man of Steel” plummeted 64 percent from its $116 million debut. Even the family film “Despicable Me 2” dropped 47 percent from its $83 million first weekend. “Marvel’s The Avengers” fell 50 percent in its second week last year, according toBoxOffice Mojo.
What did the Sandra Bullock-George Clooney space epic have that those summer blockbusters didn’t when it came to second-week staying power?
The 3D and Imax, along with through-the-roof word of mouth, are the biggest factors, and the combination created a perfect storm over the past three days. And Warner Bros. marketing team successfully sold the concept that “Gravity” had to be seen in 3D or on a giant screen to be fully appreciated.
“The credit goes to the movie,” Warner Bros. President of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution Sue Kroll told TheWrap Monday, “and it’s still driving the campaign.
“From the first time we saw it, there was a collective ‘Oh my god, this is spectacular, unlike anything else we’ve seen in 3D,’ and we knew that was how we’d sell it.”
With its visually stunning panoramas, the space epic is ideally suited for the added dimension and director Alfonso Cuaron takes breathtaking advantage. Still, convincing the masses – particularly the over-35 crowd that has made up the bulk of its audience so far – to don those plastic glasses is no small feat.
“Not everyone’s experiences with 3D have been great,” Kroll said. “I’m not a huge fan myself, but I loved this one. This movie made it easy to sell the fact that 3D really would enhance the experience, because it really did. Nobody was coming out of the theaters and saying, ‘Don’t bother with it.’”
Kroll and her team took advantage of the massive debut by pushing positive 3D reaction quotes on social media and in commercials. The buzz from the record opening built through last week, as the film posted $6 million weekdays, the sort of numbers summer tentpole movies put up.
The studio stacked the deck at the multiplexes. It added 85 locations, with more than 75 percent of its market-high 3,660 theaters featuring the format, and it paid off handsomely. Roughly 82 percent – or $36.2 million – of the grosses came from 3D. “Gravity” also brought in $9 million from Imax, the best second week ever, besting the $8.9 million second lap of “The Dark Knight Rises” last year.
Kroll and her team successfully walked a fine line and kept the focus on the technique of Cuaron, rather than the technology behind the “Gravity.” Last year, when “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” came out, static over the high-speed frame rate cut into the buzz for Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth epic.
“There are aspects and details of the technology that we haven’t revealed yet, and that’s to keep the focus on the film and not take away from the experience of seeing it,” she said.
But wasn’t all the visuals.
“Once we got past the wow of it all, we knew we could sell this beyond the 3D. We knew that if we did our job right, there was something for everyone,” Kroll said.
Both critics, who have it at an incredible 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences, who gave it an “A” CinemaScore, loved the movie.
The Oscar talk around the film and its director and stars has given it a prestige aura — it packed the Academy’s screening seat-for-seat — and contributed to the “event” feel. Bullock’s box-office appeal is peaking, and her presence in the film helped draw women who might otherwise have passed on a lost-in-space saga.
“The 3D aspect of this film has been great, but I’m convinced we wouldn’t be where we are today if this weren’t great storytelling,” said Kroll.
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Mazy- Achieving total Clooney-dom
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
AND, Gravity is STILL in the top 10!!!!
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Thor: The Dark World Hammers Weekend Box Office Foes with $86 Million
Truth rating: 10
Bad Grandpa Free Birds Last Vegas Thor: The Dark World
12:20 pm, November 10th, 2013
Thor: The Dark World hammered the box office competition to a big weekend win.
The superhero sequel hit $86 million in its debut.
That total easily outpaced Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa ($11.3 million), which ranked second.
The animated Free Birds ($11.2 million) and Last Vegas ($11.1 million) battled it out for third and fourth places, respectively.
The sci-fi adaptation Ender’s Game landed ($10.3 million).
Rounding out the Top 10 were Gravity ($8.4 million), 12 Years a Slave ($6.6 million), Captain Phillips ($5.8 million), About Time ($5.2 million), and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 ($2.8 million).
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Thor: The Dark World Hammers Weekend Box Office Foes with $86 Million
Truth rating: 10
Bad Grandpa Free Birds Last Vegas Thor: The Dark World
12:20 pm, November 10th, 2013
Thor: The Dark World hammered the box office competition to a big weekend win.
The superhero sequel hit $86 million in its debut.
That total easily outpaced Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa ($11.3 million), which ranked second.
The animated Free Birds ($11.2 million) and Last Vegas ($11.1 million) battled it out for third and fourth places, respectively.
The sci-fi adaptation Ender’s Game landed ($10.3 million).
Rounding out the Top 10 were Gravity ($8.4 million), 12 Years a Slave ($6.6 million), Captain Phillips ($5.8 million), About Time ($5.2 million), and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 ($2.8 million).
melbert- George Clooney fan forever!
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
I'm seeing it on Monday but not in 3D as I know
My poorly eye won't like it.
But it'll still be good without it.
My poorly eye won't like it.
But it'll still be good without it.
Joanna- George Clooney fan forever!
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
Me too, Jo! At the IMAX - will be hiding under the seat, I think......
party animal - not!- George Clooney fan forever!
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
Yep I may finally get to see it Wednesday -
theminis- Moderator
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
Don't forget your Kwells then !! Lolparty animal - not! wrote:Me too, Jo! At the IMAX - will be hiding under the seat, I think......
Imagine Perfect Storm in 3D now....wow !
Joanna- George Clooney fan forever!
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
right!
time to re-do
time to re-do
it's me- George Clooney fan forever!
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
I will be taking a Stemitil tablet to ward off my vertigo prior to movie commencing, otherwise I will just have to stay in the cinema until symptoms wear off.
theminis- Moderator
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
It's a dilemma, no wonder it made so much money I think a lot of peeps had to see it twice.
I was so mesmerised by the floating about and space stuff .... I just kept saying to myself "how do they do that" and to a degree missed out on the spiritual part of the story ,I knew was there, and would under normal circumstances be right up my Ally.....but I was mesmerised, my eyes certainly got the better of my ears...
I suffer a tiny wee bit of vertigo, but really did not find it uncomfortable ... So go the full 3D. It's not a problem honestly....
I was so mesmerised by the floating about and space stuff .... I just kept saying to myself "how do they do that" and to a degree missed out on the spiritual part of the story ,I knew was there, and would under normal circumstances be right up my Ally.....but I was mesmerised, my eyes certainly got the better of my ears...
I suffer a tiny wee bit of vertigo, but really did not find it uncomfortable ... So go the full 3D. It's not a problem honestly....
What Would He Say- Mastering the tao of Clooney
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
And engaging with characters in ungainly space suits, caring about them... How the F*** did they manage that .. It's a fascination, a conundrum, wrapped up in space....
Last edited by what would he say on Sun 10 Nov 2013, 22:21; edited 1 time in total
What Would He Say- Mastering the tao of Clooney
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
twice! good idea
but .... my wallet....
but .... my wallet....
it's me- George Clooney fan forever!
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
It's a strange movie, like food poisoning, it doesn't impact till sometime later, but that could just be me.
What Would He Say- Mastering the tao of Clooney
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
Maybe because it delves into existentialism.
It's a survival story unlike any other.
It's a survival story unlike any other.
...- Ooh, Mr Clooney!
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Re: Behind ‘Gravity’s’ Historic Box Office Hold, 3D, Word-of-Mouth and Sandra Bullock
Yep, putting it plainly, that could be it... Who knows..
What Would He Say- Mastering the tao of Clooney
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