Steven Weintraub
with embargoes lifting tomorrow for JACK THE GIANT SLAYER and OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, spending most of the day writing....
From Collider
30 Things to Know About Sam Raimi’s OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL From Our Set Visit; Plus Video Blog Recap
by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub Posted: January 31st, 2013 at 9:00 am
But let me back up a second.
As I type these words I’m on a plane back to Los Angeles. It’s Saturday, October 22, 2011 and I’ve spent the last two days visiting Sam Raimi’s Oz The Great and Powerful while the production was filming at the brand new Raleigh Studios in Pontiac, Michigan. Oz is the first production at the massive new studio and while there I got to participate in group interviews the cast and filmmakers, visit all of the practical sets, and see the props, weapons, and the amazing art department. While I’ve been able to do many set visits, what is being done to bring Oz to life was truly a sight to behold.
For more, go to Collider
Box Office Forecasts
Oz: The Great and Powerful
PROS:
- Disney is closely following the template the studio used to achieve great box office success with Alice in Wonderland back in March 2010.
- With a PG rating and so little for family audiences in January and February, it should attract family audiences in big numbers.
- With Sam Raimi as director and James Franco and Mila Kunis as leads, the film will also have a good chance of appealing beyond family audiences.
- In recent years March has become a stronger time of year to release event films.
CONS:
- While Alice in Wonderland generated blockbuster business at the box office, it hasn't been remembered all that fondly afterwards. That could brush off on Oz.
- By aiming for a younger and hipper feel, the film could turn off older fans of the Oz novels and 1939 film.
Jack the Giant Slayer
PROS:
- Fantasy films have had some decent success in March over the past few years.
- A somewhat familiar cast including Ewan McGregor could entice audiences.
- The familiar name/tale will also give the film some extra attention.
CONS:
- Not all fantasy films are hits and the film's delays could mean some trouble.
- Opening three months after The Hobbit and one week before Oz: The Great and Powerful, will the film have enough demand to drive it?
| Title | Release Date | Distributor | Opening Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Croods | Mar 22, 2013 | Fox / DreamWorks Animation | $40,000,000 | $150,000,000 |
| Olympus Has Fallen | Mar 22, 2013 | FilmDistrict | $18,000,000 | $48,000,000 |
| Admission | Mar 22, 2013 | Focus | $15,000,000 | $50,000,000 |
| The Call | Mar 15, 2013 | Sony / TriStar | $12,000,000 | $28,000,000 |
| The Incredible Burt Wonderstone | Mar 15, 2013 | Warner Bros. / New Line | $17,000,000 | $52,000,000 |
| Dead Man Down | Mar 8, 2013 | FilmDistrict | $9,000,000 | $25,000,000 |
| Oz: The Great and Powerful | Mar 8, 2013 | Disney | $55,000,000 | $160,000,000 |
| Jack the Giant Slayer | Mar 1, 2013 | Warner Bros. / New Line | $23,000,000 | $60,000,000 |
| Phantom (2013) | Mar 1, 2013 | RCR Media Group | $5,000,000 | $13,000,000 |
| The Last Exorcism Part II | Mar 1, 2013 | CBS Films | $11,000,000 | $23,000,000 |
| 21 And Over | Mar 1, 2013 | Relativity Media | $15,000,000 | $45,000,000 |
| Dark Skies | Feb 22, 2013 | Weinstein / Dimension | $10,000,000 | $23,000,000 |
| Snitch (2013) | Feb 22, 2013 | Lionsgate / Summit | $13,000,000 | $35,000,000 |
| A Good Day to Die Hard | Feb 14, 2013 | Fox | $47,000,000* | $125,000,000 |
| Safe Haven | Feb 14, 2013 | Relativity Media | $22,000,000* | $57,000,000 |
| Escape From Planet Earth | Feb 14, 2013 | Weinstein Company | $15,000,000* | $40,000,000 |
| Beautiful Creatures (2013) | Feb 14, 2013 | Warner Bros. | $21,000,000* | $55,000,000 |
| Identity Thief | Feb 8, 2013 | Universal | $19,000,000 | $62,000,000 |
| Side Effects (2013) | Feb 8, 2013 | Open Road | $21,000,000 | $65,000,000 |
| Warm Bodies | Feb 1, 2013 | Lionsgate / Summit | $18,000,000 | $47,000,000 |
| Bullet to the Head | Feb 1, 2013 | Warner Bros. | $7,000,000 | $17,000,000 |
