comment #1

jse33 says ...

The Dark Knight also played at 500 more screens than Mummy 3, which probably helped.

comment #2

jse33 says ...

500 theaters.

comment #3

Glenn Kenny says ...

It's rather difficult to believe that negative Mummy word actually needs time to spread.

comment #4

Filmsnob says ...

Maybe America has comes to its senses, maybe.

comment #5

mutinyco says ...

Two top-5 flops starring the same actor. I can't decide if that's impressive or not.

comment #6

Mr. Muckle says ...

I thought "The Mummy" was another John McCain ad. I guess I'm out of touch.

comment #7

Mgmax says ...

Stanley Kauffman had a great description of Ben Affleck as a young man who had a bet with his fraternity brothers that he could become a Hollywood star and by golly, he's giving it his darnedest.

I always thought it was sort of unfair to Affleck, but it nails Fraser to a T. Why is this man a movie star and not assistant manager of an Office Max somewhere?

comment #8

Scott Mendelson says ...

"Two top-5 flops starring the same actor. I can't decide if that's impressive or not." Not to be snide, but that's wrong on both counts.

The Mummy 3 isn't a flop. Even if it crashes and burns and ends up making 40% of its money on opening weekend, it'll still cross the $90 million mark. As it is, the relentless cross promotion with the Olympics and the lack of anymore live action adventure films this summer will only help it. It will just be a disappointment in relation to is $145 million budget (expect overseas and video to bring it into the black), but it's not a flop to open a third chapter to a somewhat forgotten franchise to over $40 million seven years after the last one.

Furthermore, Brendan Fraser's Journey To The Center Of The Earth opened to $21 million, then has kept steady to the point where it will close out at $90 million (it's already at $73 million). Please note that it only cost New Line/Warner $45 million to produce. Last time I checked, a $45 million budgeted movie that makes $90 million in domestic box office alone is not a flop, but rather a huge hit.

comment #9

C-PhreekII says ...

There's some cinematically affirming about MUMMY 3 being denied and the mantle of top box office draw being handed over to PINEAPPLE EXPRESS instead (the success of which will if nothing else mean that DG Green can keep making his own personal films for another decade or two).

comment #10

mutinyco says ...

1) Considering Mummy #2 grossed $200M domestic, for #3 to gross $90M, that defines it as a flop.

2) Considering Journey was supposed to be a big deal in 3-D, but not enough theaters could project digital 3-D to the point where they had to change the title, that defines it as a flop.

That said, kudos to Fraser for puling off some Beatlemania shit.

comment #11

corey3rd says ...

Why would David Green continue making little art house films that get zero publicity and never make a million bucks. He's going for the big dollars. They probably had more sneak peaks of Pineapple Express than Snow Angels. he's sick of playing the homeless poetic filmmaker schtick. he's embraced the world of Seib Cinema. For it was Seib back at NCSA who made the quirky violent action flicks with drug references. It's easy to look at Pineapple Express and think, "That's how Seib would have played that scene with Chad Love and Angel as the leads."

comment #12

D.Z. says ...

mutiny: Not enough theaters can project 3-D, because no one wants to pay for another overpriced video format which only looks4 marginally better than what they're getting now. [See DV.]

comment #13

C-PhreekII says ...

Corey3rd - Why does John Sayles do it then?

comment #14

C-PhreekII says ...

"means won't even make $20 million by the end of the domestic run."

While everyone apparently wants to play Nelson by pointing to Costner with a "ha-ha," the joke is on them. He has already recouped his investment from presales.

What's even more disheartening about this is here is an actor willing to put that much into a film in order to get it made and the more who are encouraged to do so only increases the chances that other films that are difficult to get made at studios will actually get produced. Especially with money for indies drying up, the last thing anyone should be doing at this point is discouraging this kind of risk taking. Show some freaking imagination.

comment #15

Edward Havens says ...

Maybe DGG will finally be able to make A Confederacy of Dunces should PE do boffo box office.

comment #16

diesel says ...

"What's even more disheartening about this is here is an actor willing to put that much into a film in order to get it made"

I'm in agreement, props to Costner for doing what he believes in and here's to other films gettng the same treatment.

comment #17

corey3rd says ...

John Sayles doesn't direct Seib movies. He might work on the script when he has spare time and needs a little cash. But he doesn't show up on the set to ready to helm Half-Baked 2.

The only thing that'll keep him making those art films is if Lisa Muskat has him under contract for projects. Otherwise he's off to remake Argento masterpieces with Jonah Hill.

comment #18

C-PhreekII says ...

"Sieb Cinema" is your thing, I was pointing out that there is already someone who continues to return to making his own, small pictures while working for millions at the studios. Perhaps he realized after the collapse of his attempt at DUNCES he might be able to better help his own projects if he had deeper pockets of his own.

That said, I'm happy his DUNCES came apart - Will fucking Farrell as Ignatius???

comment #19

Joe Leydon says ...

You know, seriously: Some people will never forgive Kevin Costner for defeating Martin Scorsese in the Best Director race the year Dances With Wolves was up against GoodFellas. And because of that. they'll never pass by a chance to take a dig at Costner. I'm not saying Jeff is guilty of that in this particular posting. But you read some other comments in other blogs about Costner, and you can't help feeling, geez, get over it.

comment #20

SRCputt says ...

1. The difference between The Dark Knight and Mummy 3 this weekend isn't as much the number of theaters, but the IMAX showings which have been a nice goose to The Dark Knight's numbers. I thought it was was underreported that IMAX was more than the differnece in the first weekend's opening record.

2. I define flop as a movie that loses money. By that definition, neither of Fraser's movies are a flop, as both will make it to profit. Mummy 3 is a disappointment, both as a moneymaker and its lack of quality.

comment #21

NotImpressedYet says ...

Brendan Fraser has demonstrated awesome acting chops and good taste on a few occasions (The Quiet American, Gods and Monsters, School Ties) but man, the sum total of his career is pretty fucking lame. For someone with Ben Afflek-type looks and superior acting talent, he has really found a mediocre niche for himself.

comment #22

mutinyco says ...

I define flops as people incapable of detecting irony.

comment #23

corey3rd says ...

"Sieb Cinema" is your thing, I was pointing out that there is already someone who continues to return to making his own, small pictures while working for millions at the studios. Perhaps he realized after the collapse of his attempt at DUNCES he might be able to better help his own projects if he had deeper pockets of his own.

But Sayles doesn't do both films. He does rewriting work on scripts. he gets paid to do a couple passes which allows him to not have to sit through numerous meetings with the development pinheads. Sayles is writing for cash and directing for his soul. Tell me which of Sayles' directorial efforts was merely a gun-for-hire gig?

And if David remembers the one true lesson of NCSA's film school it's this "All success stories have various beginnings. All failures include the phrase: "I believed in the project so much that I sunk all my money into it." David only got Pineapple because Danny McBride pitched him to Apatow. So this was not a calculated move from the Poetic Director.

comment #24

frankbooth says ...

Fraser has good comic timing and can be funny when he has the right material. Even when he doesn't (that shitty Bedazzled remake) you can see that he's giving everything he's got. He plays several distinct characters and even speaks Spanish in that one.

But I do agree with NotImpressedYet: he blew it. Why didn't he build on the credibilty that GAM earned? Instead, it's been one forgettable crapfest after another. (The bad timing and failure of Quiet American didn't help, I'm sure.)

Maybe now that he's made enough dough, he'll go back to doing small dramas, or at least funny comedies.

And speaking of Bedazzled, what happened to his costar? She impressed me, though I had never heard of her before. She obviously got someone's attention, because she was also in AI as the robot's mother. And then? Can't even remember her name now. Did she wind up getting a regular TV gig or something?

comment #25

frankbooth says ...

Joe, I've forgiven Costner for Wolves. But I'm gonna hold Mr. Brooks against him for at least a couple of years (though I will admit his performance was good, maybe the best thing in it.)

comment #26

The Winchester says ...

I would see Half Baked 2 directed by John Sayles in a heartbeat.

comment #27

Rev. Slappy says ...

I like Fraser as an actor, but I always thought he was miscast in The Mummy films -- I would like to see him in more stuff like Gods and Monsters. The role in Mummy is essentially Indiana Jones and Fraser always seemed too contemporary and out of the time period to me. I would love to see an actor like Nathan Fillion get a good action role like that in something more high profile than Serenity.

comment #28

K. Bowen says ...

Even in interviews at the time of George Washington's release, Green would say that he wanted to get to the point where he could make profitable commercial hits so that he could go and make the indies that interested him. This year, with Snow Angels and Pineapple Express, is finally the arrival of said strategy.

comment #29

Aladdin Sane says ...

I wish DGG all the success in the world. Pineapple Express looks to be a good time. I thought All the Real Girls and George Washington were great. I think he would be a great director for A Confederacy of Dunces - is he actually rumored to be circling it?

comment #30

Richardson says ...

Say what you like about Fraser's acting abilities as a whole, but the guy can act the shit out of green screen stuff. There's a completely different ability at work to be able to pretend that you're looking at something which simply isn't there. Fraser does as well in 'Looney Tunes: Back In Action' acting opposite animated characters as Bob Hoskins did in 'Roger Rabbit'.

He reminds me of Mark Hamill, actually. Hamill is rarely very good in 'Star Wars', but all of his best acting comes opposite one puppet (R2) or another (Yoda). He's at his worst when he's opposite Guinness or Ford or even Fisher.

comment #31

C-PhreekII says ...

You know, if I had used an example of someone who directs both big studio crap and his/her own personal pictures you would be arguing that it still doesn't apply because their initials aren't DGG or some similar schoolyard logic.

comment #32

Discman says ...

Have international numbers for "The Mummy 3" started coming in? How can anyone who reads this site declare a movie that opened to more than $40 million DOMESTIC a "flop"?

Yes, the movie is terrible -- an artistic "flop" no doubt. But wait until international starts coming in to make such declarations about the film.

As for those gentlemen wondering why Brendan Fraser has a career -- are any of you asking the question married, or involved with someone of the opposite sex? Ask a woman sometime about Fraser's appeal. I think you'll find that the answer isn't so mysterious.

comment #33

C-PhreekII says ...

Aladdin Sane - not circling, already failed in one attempt to get it off the ground. Script was by Steven Soderbergh and Scott Kramer. Around the same time, he did a staged all-star reading in Nantucket.

http://movies.ign.com/articles/425/425858p1.html

comment #34

Legowombat says ...

And speaking of Bedazzled, what happened to his costar? She impressed me, though I had never heard of her before. She obviously got someone's attention, because she was also in AI as the robot's mother. And then? Can't even remember her name now. Did she wind up getting a regular TV gig or something?

Frances O'Connor put in great performances during the 90's in a few Australian films, including 'Thank God He Met Lizzie' with with Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxborough. Her star turn was 1999's 'Mansfield Park', which brought her notice.

The usual thing happened. Was deemed the next 'It Girl' and then stuck in a bunch of tentpole pictures like AI and Timeline, which removed all trace of the personality that made her interesting and fun to watch in the first place.

Audiences didn't respond to her suddenly being everywhere for no apparant reason, (see Julia Ormond, Anne Heche), and she fell off the radar, recently resurfacing on television as one of the leads in 'Cashmere Mafia'.

Come to think of it, the same thing happened to Richard Roxborough. He was an interesting actor, but was suddenly Hollywood's Big Bad Guy, putting in three of the worst performances of all time in Moulin Rouge, Van Helsing and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Why would anyone *want* to be a Hollywood actor?

comment #35

markj says ...

Dances With Wolves is a wonderful movie and an amazing first directorial effort.

comment #36

frankbooth says ...

Thanks, Lego.

Sounds a bit like Eric Bana's trajectory, though he's not necessarily out of the game yet. But I can imagine that people who hadn't seen Chopper (most people, in other words) said "who IS this guy?" when he turned up in lead roles in stuff like Hulk and Troy.

"Why would anyone *want* to be a Hollywood actor?"

I can think of at least one reason. (Hint: ask LexG.)

comment #37

Hallick says ...

Richard Roxburgh was great in Oscar and Lucinda, Children of the Revolution, and the Australian mini-series Blue Murder. But something about him flattens out in American movies. I'm not sure why.

comment #38

Jack Price says ...

What's funny is David Green originally wanted to cast Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Ignatius, but the film would only get financed if Ferrell took the lead.

When I asked him if he'd cast Phillip Seymour Hoffman today if he had the chance to direct CoD again, he said he'd still go with Ferrell. He was just that confident in his range, especially after that table-reading thing they did at the Nantucket Festival.

comment #39

Aladdin Sane says ...

Thanks C-Phreek. I kind of think that Ferrell's too old now for the role. Then again he wouldn't be the first actor to play younger than his age (as of this year 11 yrs difference). I had known about the Ferrell rumour, but didn't realize it was tied with DGG.

Switching gears slightly, saw Step Brothers this afternoon. Completely ridiculously stupid, but can't say it wasn't funny.

comment #40

Terry McCarty says ...

Legowombat wrote:
Audiences didn't respond to her suddenly being everywhere for no apparant reason, (see Julia Ormond, Anne Heche).....

Take a look at Ormond's earlier UK work such as CAPTIVES and Peter Greenaway's BABY OF MACON and you see a grown-up sensuality and greater acting chops than she was allowed in the USA.

comment #41

martindale says ...

The Mummy earned $60 million this weekend in fewer than 30 territories.

By no one's definition can Journey to the Center of the Earth be considered a flop. It is on pace to earn as much as $90 million domestically. Had WB thought it would be $150 million grosser, I doubt they would have placed it one week before its own Batman movie and one week after Hancock.

comment #42

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comment #43

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