"From Justin to Kelly" six week window moved back six weeks (1 Viewer)

[Randy A Salas]

To follow up on my previous comments, Fox has decided not to have any pre-release screenings of the movie--not for critics, not for preview audiences; not even a Thursday night promotional screening, which even bad movies get (to keep reviewers from being able to run something on Friday, the day of release). If anyone wanted a clear sign that this movie has low expectations, this is it.

Jeff, do you still think it will make $100 million?


The DVD release date reportedly will be in September.

 

[Eric Berger]

I'd put the over/under for US gross at $19 million.

 

[Malcolm R]

Perhaps JohnRice will review this, since he missed out on Kangaroo Jack.

 

[Mark McLeod]

To follow up on my previous comments, Fox has decided not to have any pre-release screenings of the movie--not for critics, not for preview audiences; not even a Thursday night promotional screening, which even bad movies get (to keep reviewers from being able to run something on Friday, the day of release). If anyone wanted a clear sign that this movie has low expectations, this is it.

Yep that says it all. Even really really bad movies get promotional screenings here. I think Fox knows they have a turkey on their hands and are trying to make what they can before the video market.

I didn't want to see it to begin with but I probably would have gone had their been an early screening here.

Mark

 

[Randy A Salas]

From this weekend's box-office report:

"From Justin to Kelly," a romance starring "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini, opened at No. 11 with only $2.9 million.

A movie typically (but not always) earns three times its opening-weekend gross.

I think that DVD release date might have gotten pushed back up...

 

[Ricardo C]

As I said in the Movies forum:

THANK YOU AMERICA!

 

[Steve_Knutzen]

After people went to the box office enough to make Kangaroo Jack number one earlier this year, it brings tears of joy to my eyes to see From Justin to Kelly crash and burn.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

And it'll still make 100 million, mark my words.

$2.8 million down - only $97.2 million to go!

Jeff and Chris - any plans to revise your estimates?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I should have said that "it's either going to make 5 or 100 million"

For once, I actually underestimated the stupidity of the American public, and am pleased at its non-success

Some idiots are still buying those CDs though, their 15 minutes should have been up a long time ago

 

[Dan Rudolph]

My understanding was the CDs didn't sell very well.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Production and marketing costs of The Real Cancun: $9.5 million

Domestic Box Office Earnings: $3.8 million

Production and marketing costs of From Justin to Kelly: $20 million

Projected Box Office Earnings: $9 - 11 million

The Joy of Watching Each Crash & Burn: Priceless

(Numbers courtesy of www.boxofficemojo.com)

Further comparisons:

The Real Cancun had an opening weekend of $2.1 million in 2,261 theaters (with an R rating). It opened on April 25th against Identity, Confidence and It Runs in the Family and came in at 10th place overall. The DVD arrives two months later on July 1st.

From Justin to Kelly had an opening weekend of $2.9 million in 2,001 theaters (with a PG rating). It opened on June 20th against Hulk and Alex and Emma and came in at 11th place overall. The DVD (tentatively) arrives three months later on September 16th.

Perhaps New Line and Fox would be better served by following the lead of Disney and Artisan; they wisely unleash this sort of flotsam direct-to-video. (The Olsen twins are billionaires thanks to the DTV market.)

Hopefully these two experiments (the movies, not the Olsen twins) will be seen for the clear failures they are and we'll all be spared further theatrical releases of such obviously turgid filmmaking.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

And just now I realized that my $9 - $11 million projection for From Justin to Kelly seems VERY generous!

 

[Malcolm R]

Kelly Clarkson's album has sold fairly well and has been certified Platinum for more than 1 million units shipped.

Justin Guarini's album has been less successful, with first week sales of merely 54,000.

Singles for the new Idols have sold quite well. Clay Aiken's first week sales were about 384,000. Ruben Studdard's first week sales were about 265,000.

 

[Steve K.H.]

The theater owners were rightly ticked that this is going to DVD immediately. If it was a great title, they would have lost all opportunity to make money at the theater on this (for those who don't know, there is a sliding scale system between the studios and owners)...

...NOW, with the (predictable) results of the movie goers and critics, the theater owners are likely thankful that this is going to DVD right away. This gets this bomb out of their buildings.

 

[Eric Berger]

Shucks ... I was an idiot for setting the over/under at $19 million.

 

[ThomasC]

Justin Guarini's album has been less successful, with first week sales of merely 54,000.

Whoa, I completely forgot that this just came out. There obviously wasn't as much publicity for his album as there was for Kelly's...

EDIT: I just checked out Amazon to see his album's sales rank, it's at 158. I saw information on his single album as well, and it seems that Amazon can see into the future and that he'll be a star for some time, because the release date is January 1, 2010! But the detailed page says that there's no release date yet.

 

[Gary->dee]

Weekend gross: $2.9M

Looks like I over estimated too! I was kind of looking forward to moving to Iceland. Or at least trying!

They should have just given out the DVD at theaters this weekend.

 

[Brian Lawrence]

Well sure it's had a poor opening, but lets not ignore the power of word of mouth, It could go onto be this years "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Well sure it's had a poor opening, but lets not ignore the power of word of mouth, It could go onto be this years "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"

Please tell me you forgot to add a smiley to that post...

 

[Gary->dee]

Unlike 'Greek Wedding', in this case word of mouth will likely decrease the intake not help it. 'Greek Wedding' was a fluke, something like that rarely happens.