“Snakes on a Plane” Posts Disappointing Box-Office Numbers, but Still Comes in as Number One
Last weekend, the much hyped Samuel L. Jackson vehicle (and aptly-named) “Snakes on a Plane” came in number one at the box office, but failed to generate the gross ticket sales that producers had hoped for. The campy horror flick generated only about $15 million in sales, a far cry from what the amount of internet hype that accompanied it would lead one to expect. Studios had expected opening weekend ticket sales of around $20 million dollars.
The film only cost, however a modest $30 million dollars, which suggests that it will be profitable in the long run. I think that the “it’s so bad it’s good” feeling of this film translates better to DVD anyways. This is the type of movie you whip out at 3am after a long night of drinking, not one you drop 10 bucks and a trip to the theater on. As long as its theatrical release effort breaks even, the publicity its generates should dramatically boost DVD sales and make the whole project a big success.
I haven’t seen the film yet myself, but jelewis8 at FringeBlog says that the film delivers on its promise of cheap, mindless fun. But as always, the quality of the film-going experience says nothing about its financial success. I think that Snakes on a Plane’s less-than-ideal performance this week can be explained by the fact that the buzz it generated basically encapsulated what it is all about. Just TALKING about the film seems to be good enough; there really isn’t much more to be expected from actually seeing it. Marianne Richmond, however, has an interesting take on the success/failure of buzz marketing that Snakes on a Plane exemplifies. See her post on Resonance Partnership here.