Europe Saves King Arthur & The Village

[Sarangel]

From Reuters:

Disney's domestic disappointment, "King Arthur," is regaining stature at the foreign box office, leading the pack last weekend with a $12.3 million haul from 32 countries, raising its international total to $91.7 million.

Germany welcomed the knights with $3.7 million, and Austria contributed $493,000. Japan has delivered $16.9 million in five weekends; the United Kingdom, $11.3 million in four; France, $8 million in three; and Australia, $6.3 million in five. "Arthur" is taking a short break before hitting Greece, Brazil and South Africa in September and Italy in October.

The Olympic Games appears to have had little effect on the box office performance of the current crop of films, which seem to be skewed to a younger audience apparently not overly interested in many of the sports televised from Athens.

Disney also got M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" off to a promising start in key European dates after. The weekend roundup came to $11.8 million from nine countries, backed by No. 1 bows in the United Kingdom ($5.4 million) and France ($5.7 million).

 

[Bob O]

A movie with a budget of 60 million and 107 million in box office is hardly in need of saving, while Arthur is need of much box office to get anywhere near the break even point, the same cant be said for The Village.

 

[ErikdaRed]

You need to include the estimated 40M in marketing for the village, 107M isn't that great. King Arthur is about 17M in the hole still, but will probably get to the break even point.

 

[Bob O]

The village made back it's investment and more in the US with still more to come at the box office, without taking into account the oversea's market, which couldnt be said at all for Arthur which was a big bomb in the US and a moderate over sea's success when the cost of the movie is factored in.

 

[ErikdaRed]

The village barely cleared its total budget domestic, its the international that is all gravy atm. Hardly an out of the park hit here.

King Arthur will probably turn a profit, its killing overseas, albiet a small one.

Neither is a cash cow for the studio. As for which is the better film I need to wait until I see the village, but from what I've heard, I'll go with KA.

 

[KNWVIKING]

IMO the box office take isn't where the money is. From what I've read, the theaters get half of the gross meaning a flik has to do double its cost just to break even. The profit rolls in after the fact. Pay per view,premium cable,vid retails,dvd sales,network broadcast and finally reruns in syndication become the cash stream for the producer.