I’m a dope. I mean really. I could kick myself. How come I didn’t come up with the idea for Paranormal Activity? I mean the premise is so simple. Set up a video camera, have absolutely nothing happen for 20 minutes and then have a lamp jump off the table by itself and everyone jumps out of their seats. The result… instant box office smash!
Paramount has found a cash cow with their PA series with the latest one, the third one in the series so far (and lots more to come), grossing this weekend a whopping $55 million on their meager $5 million investment and most of that money went to the marketing and promotion for the film. But let me get back to my original question..
How come I or you didn’t come up with the idea for this film? I have no clue. Talk about being asleep at the wheel. Why didn’t, say a black filmmaker, come up with this idea? And say if one had, and if the film was exactly the same but with a black cast instead, would the film have done just as well? Then again would the film have gotten the same kind of marketing push and distribution? Hey, someone has to ask these questions so it might as well be me.
As for the other films don’t let the poor box office performance of Johnny English Reborn fool you. The film, which opened two weeks ago overseas, has already grossed $100 million overseas and is well on its way to make $200 million so who needs the U.S.? Which goes back to Andre Seawood’s article for S&A back in Sept. (HERE) Black filmmakers need to start thinking about the international market because that’s where the real money is at!
1. Paranormal Activity 3 (Paramount) Total: $55M
2. Real Steal (DreamWorks/Disney) Weekend $10.9M Total: $67M
3. Footloose (Paramount/MTV Films) Weekend $10.5M Total: $30.5M
4. The Three Musketers 3D (Summit/Constantin Film) Total: $8.8M
5. Ides of March (Sony Pictures) Weekend $5.1M Total: $29M
6. Dolphin Tale 3D (Alcon Entertainment/Warner Bros) Weekend $4.7M Total: $65M
7. Moneyball (Sony Pictures) Weekend $4.4M Total: $64M
8. Johnny English Reborn (Universal) Total: $4M
9. The Thing (Universal) Weekend $3.1 Total: $14M
10. 50/50 (Summit) Weekend $2.9M Total: $29M
