Director Andrew Stanton may have made one of the biggest flops in a generation, but you know what else he made? The Oscar-winning blockbuster Finding Nemo. Thus today’s big news from Mike Fleming at Deadline: “I’m told he’s now officially come aboard the Finding Nemo sequel and has a concept the studio loves. [...] As for Disney coming through with another live-action project, I’m hearing that nothing is firm but that the studio is working on it. It looks like the studio is ready to give Stanton a mulligan on John Carter. Stanton, who has played a big role in many of Pixar’s hits going back to Toy Story, has an opportunity to put a big flop behind him.” Terrific! All’s well that ends in a $200 million write-down well. [Deadline]
Some years from now, after the dust around the megabudget John Carter debacle settles, and the heads that do wind up rolling in its aftermath come to rest, some expert arbiter of Hollywood travails will survey the carnage and write the definitive tale of what went wrong with Disney and director Andrew Stanton’s sci-fi gamble. And you know what? I’d bet $10 right here and now that the real story won’t deviate much from the one depicted in this no-budget animated retelling.
If there’s any justice in the world, Disney’s special-edition DVD/Blu-ray of John Carter will showcase this video among its special features — not so unlike The Battle Over Citizen Kane accompanies its own classic subject. This is history!
[NMA]
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Everything went pretty much according to plan at the box office over the weekend: Scurrilous liberal plot The Lorax indoctrinated enough kids and families to reign over a second consecutive week, while Disney’s super-expensive sci-fi gamble John Carter settled somewhat anemically into second place. But it’s not all bad for our boy on Barsoom. Your Weekend Receipts are here.
1. Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax
Gross: $39,100,000 ($121,950,000)
Screens: 3,746 (PSA $10,438)
Weeks: 2 (-44.3%)
The year’s biggest hit to date achieved that distinction in nine days, as opposed to roughly three full weeks for the likes of Safe House and The Vow. And there was even one less hour this weekend. Summer is here! Break up The Lorax!
2. John Carter
Gross: $30,603,000 (new)
Screens: 3,053 (PSA: $4,487)
Weeks: 1
Right or wrong, the widely reported $250 million (at least) price tag will precede any and every conversation regarding John Carter as long as people are talking about John Carter. Which may be longer than the sluggish domestic gross implies — though not that much longer — if the rest of the world has anything to say about it: Andrew Stanton’s epic took in nearly $70 million abroad, including the fourth-highest debut ever in Russia. The takeaway remains relatively grim: No blockbuster status is foreseen, but at least the unprecedented write-down foreseen at Disney may not be that bad. Happy Monday?
3. Project X
Gross: $11,550,000 ($40,125,000)
Screens: 3,055 (PSA $3,781)
Weeks: 2 (Change: -45.1%)
Not a remarkable hold, but considering the competition both above and below it &mdash plus the long-ish tails of several of the year’s bigger releases to date — Warner Bros. will take it. The only question remaining:…
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