Beowulf: Will it flop?

[Missy]

Despite the director (Robert Zemeckis), writers (Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary) and cast (Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich and Robin Wright Penn), I honestly believe Beowulf is going to fail horribly at the box office. According to Wiki it had a budget of $150 million, which seems like a huge risk to take on a CGI action-fantasy film based on a poem most people have never read.

[Dread]

Agreed. People won't get it. It looks like a video game and the vast majority of the film-going audience is going to think that's stupid.

[Blane]

Yea, huge flop. I saw the preview and thought "No way in the world will people see this".

[JackFetch]

It's projected to open with a 32 million opening weekend. I don't know if it will do over 30, but it won't flop. There is nothing else out right now.

[Missy]

Did anyone see the sneak peak during TUF last night? My word, it looked rancid! One clip showed Beowulf being eaten by a cyclops sea monster. In a fit of glory (used loosely), he burst from the beast and stood atop its open mouth all while screaming at the raging storm. Another clip had him kicking the crap out of a winged monster. In both the animation looked way, way too much like a poorly made video game cut scene.

[MaxPower]

It won't flop. There are nude (or suggestive nude) scenes with Angelina, horny boys and men around the world will rejoice...

Seriously though, I saw this preview at the movies the other day and I was trying to decide what type of movie it is... It could struggle.

[JackFetch]

I was having the same thoughts when I saw the early pictures from 300.

[Holacik]

Despite the director (Robert Zemeckis), writers (Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary) and cast (Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich and Robin Wright Penn), I honestly believe Beowulf is going to fail horribly at the box office. According to Wiki it had a budget of $150 million, which seems like a huge risk to take on a CGI action-fantasy film based on a poem most people have never read.

I always thought Beowulf was required reading. I know I covered it in High school.

[James D.]

I guarantee at least 80% of American high school students have read it.

As for the movie, I think it'll flop in almost the exact fashion as Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within did--horribly.

[Holacik]

I guarantee at least 80% of American high school students have read it.

As for the movie, I think it'll flop in almost the exact fashion as Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within did--horribly.

You know I actually liked that movie.

[Missy]

This movie is PG-13. So unless CG films aren't held to the same standards when it comes to nudity, the nudity in Beowulf will only be suggested.

[Missy]

The poem was not covered in my high school classes. So count me in the 20%.

[James D.]

I guarantee at least 80% of American high school students have read it.

As for the movie, I think it'll flop in almost the exact fashion as Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within did--horribly.

You know I actually liked that movie.

That's fine. But it flopped so badly that it bankrupted Square's movie division singlehandedly.

[drqshadow]

In a fit of glory (used loosely), he burst from the beast and stood atop its open mouth all while screaming at the raging storm.

I swear I watched that exact scene in the first God of War.

This movie looks pretty rank, agreed.

[StudicaSkills]

i vote YES, ginormous flop.

it's a shame. i don't think that films being done entirely with CGI will ever be taken seriously. i was really excited about Titan A.E. (which was fun, but the numbers were less than stellar), and Final Fantasy (enjoyable, but the animation needed some major improvements, and i HATED some of the actors who did the voices), and i think that Beowulf just seems way over-the-top.

i just think that the entire film industry is already so carved-in-stone, and if a movie doesn't use a particular FORMULA, then it's destined for miserable failure.

baby steps though.

[Missy]

In a fit of glory (used loosely), he burst from the beast and stood atop its open mouth all while screaming at the raging storm.

I swear I watched that exact scene in the first God of War.

BINGO!

[JackFetch]

LOS ANGELES, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The battlefield extravaganza "Beowulf" laid waste its rivals at the weekend box office in North America, according to first-day sales estimates issued on Saturday.

Director Robert Zemeckis' effects-heavy interpretation of the Old English poem earned $9.7 million on Friday, tracking firm Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com) reported.

The $150 million film, released domestically by Paramount Pictures, is on track for a weekend haul in the upper $20 million range, in line with expectations.

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNews...743466120071117

[Missy]

Worldwide it grossed $45 million in its opening weekend, which is better than I thought it would do. However, it still needs to earn another $105 million to break even.

[JackFetch]

What amazes me is that it's right along with what they thought it would do. Why would anyone spend that much on a movie that they thought would just break even? Chances are it won't even break even until the dvd is out.

[Holacik]

What amazes me is that it's right along with what they thought it would do. Why would anyone spend that much on a movie that they thought would just break even? Chances are it won't even break even until the dvd is out.

Between rentals and sales don't DVD's make a killing?

[Missy]

Two weekends in and it's grossed nearly $105 million worldwide, so it looks like all of us naysayers will be proven wrong.

[Rjoyadet]

I did not like this movie. The only people who I have met, who did enjoy the movie where people who are into computer graphics and enjoyed the motion capture technology.

While I can sorta see Gaiman and Avery trying to explain why the Danes are gone, I felt making the protagonists unlikeable did not engage the audience.

I had to read the poem in high school, but listened to a audio production of Michael Crichtons retelling "Eaters of the Dead." That version attempted to make the legend as close to reality as possible. But I like Chrichtons version better because he made Grendel, his kind (oh yeah there is an army of Grendels that goes to avenge their fallen commerade), and his mother very intimidating. The audience felt good when the heroes triumphed over the villains and not the sick feeling that most got when they saw the Zemekis movie.

And as for whether it was a flop or not. I have heard some call it a moderate success and some call it a flop. At the time of posting this there are two Hercules movies coming out in the same year but there has not been another Beowulf movie in seven years. It may not be a flop but was not successful enough to keep going.