Yikes, after nearly $30 million in marketing costs, Dimension Films' Grindhouse (review) didn't even gross $12 million in it's opening weekend of release. Costing nearly $100 million overall makes this weekend look more than devastating, but the Weinstein bros. are smart dudes and are about to pull some magic out of their you-know-whats. Read on for word from Harvey and details on a possible re-release with both films individually (yes that means more movie, less "Grind House" appeal).
Harvey Weinstein told me this morning that he's "incredibly disappointed" with the half-than-expected $12 mil box office for Grindhouse released on Easter Weekend (a controversial move itself). So much so, that he's considering abandoning the double feature as a single feature concept and re-releasing the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez movie around the U.S. "in a couple of weeks" as two separate feature-length movies with additional footage put in. That's what Harvey says The Weinstein Co. is already intending to do with the film's release in Europe: split it into two separate pics, Tarantino's Death Proof and Rodriguez's Planet Terror. "Quentin's movie goes out first in competition at Cannes. He'll do an extensive 4 to 5 month tour. And the trailer will be all Quentin's," Weinstein told me about his European plans. "Then we'll release Robert's a couple of months later. By splitting it up, we're going to do a hell of a lot better internationally than we did here." Weinstein noted that, even in Grindhouse's video deal as well as its TV deal with Starz Entertainment Group, it's been sold as two separate movies. "Our deal with Encore is that they can play it any way they want." So this is why The Weinstein Co. is now deciding to suck it up and do in this country what it probably should have done all along. "First of all, I'm incredibly disappointed. We tried to do something new and obviously we didn't do it that well," Harvey told me today. "It's just a question of how is it going to hang in there. But we could split the movies in a couple of weeks. Make Tarantino's a full-length film, and Rodriguez's too. We'll be adding those 'two missing reels' that's talked about in the movie." (At one point in Grindhouse, a sex scene is interrupted because of "two missing reels" -- one of the many conceits and indulgences.)
Weinstein pointed to several reasons why Grindhouse did so poorly in theaters over Easter weekend. "Our research showed the length kept people away. It was the single biggest deterrent. It was 3 hours and 12 minutes long. We originally intended to get it all in in 2 hours, 30 minutes. That would have been a better time. But the movies ran longer, the [fake] trailers ran longer, everything ran longer," Harvey told me. Weinstein also criticized his own marketing plan. "We didn't educate the South or Midwest. In the West and the East, the movie played well. It played well in strong urban settings. But we missed the boat on the Midwest and the South." But he denies other's thinking that the Grindhouse subject matter was too foreign for mainstream audiences in mainstream theaters. He's wrong, of course. (In many theaters, before the pic began, the house lights went up and an usher came out to tell audiences that Grindhouse was designed to look old and scratched and to have "missing reels", and that the intermission, including the fake trailers, was also part of the movie, so nobody need complain to the management. Obviously the managements had received some complaints at earlier shows -- astonishing, given the hoopla this film has been given.) Yet The Weinstein Co. wouldn't give the film to actual Grindhouses, or even the Grindhouse Film Festival, to screen and create buzz. That may be one reason the advance tracking on the film prior to Friday was only so-so. The hype seems to have been all Internet-generated, which is why New Line's Snakes On A Plane flopped.
Weinstein admitted spending at least $30 million on U.S. promotion and advertising for Grindhouse, which, added to what I'd already heard was a $67+ mil budget and not the low-50s cost he has claimed, makes this a $100 mil movie. So the first weekend's take of just $12 mil is all the more disastrous. On the other hand, Harvey (and independent observers) says the movie is heavily pre-sold overseas and expects it to do well there. That's not surprising, since many movies recently (Babel, Apocalypto) have run out of gas here only to pump up the total with international box office. But a re-release in the U.S. could prove almost prohibitively costly for The Weinstein Co.: new prints, new marketing, new everything. It may nto be worth it, especially with Spider-man 3 and the rest of this summer's tentpole onslaught is just around the corner.
Weinstein admits that he thought the film would do much better than it did and sees the failure of Grindhouse's U.S. release as a rap on his reputation for movie savvy. He can't blame the directors. After all, he is closely tied to Tarantino and Rodriquez personally and professionally and, what's more, he and brother Bob made that relationship and Grindhouse a cornerstone of their fledgling company's financing. (No doubt, that's why Harvey, who has a long history of imposing his iron will on filmmakers, gave the two directors a pass when it came to Grindhouse's extreme length.)
But Harvey is adamant that the flop will not be a body blow to The Weinstein Co., even though it's still a fledgling firm in business since only 2005. "We're smart businessmen. Thank God, we protected ourselves economically. I've spent the last year diversifying the company. We're making profits everywhere but the movie business. But on DVD sales, we're doing well," he claims. The Weinstein Company's diversified investments include the home video company Genius Products, the private online community aSmallWorld, the cable TV hit show Project Runway, the independent cable channel Ovation, and, most recently, the Halston fashion brand. Harvey admitted to me that his attention may have been too diverted from the movie biz as a result. "This Cannes, I'm going to change all that. I'm back to being me. We wanted to diversify immediately. Now I have to go back to being Harvey."
This is some really interesting news, so we'll have to see how splitting up the films does. But if you ask me, the REAL reason it flopped (the same as Snakes on a Plane) is because they're promoting a film that's supposed to be "bad" and "cheesy". Besides hardcore fans, who the hell would pay hard-earned money to see a shitty/campy movie? That's just what I say...
Just to get my opinion out there: If you ask me, the REAL reason it flopped (the same as Snakes on a Plane) is because they're promoting a film that's supposed to be "bad" and "cheesy". Besides hardcore fans, who the hell would pay hard-earned money to see a shitty/campy movie? That's just what I say...
The way I sees it.
Is that the general movie audiance stay away when they find out its Three hours, and they dont want to sit through three hours of potential crap.
The movie being as amazing as it is will hopefully get alot more butts in the audiance once word of mouth spreads about how great it was.
Im doing my part to tell the world how great it is, are you?
whoever complained about the movies being too long needs to be punched in the face, repeatedly. because they most likely wet themselves when watching trees walk up a damn hill for 9 hours in LOTR.
Oh I so hope they don't do this. Rereleasing this as separate films is a very bad idea. Neither one of these films make sense as it is (they don't have a plot at all, they have a story, sort of, but no real plot). Splitting these two films will kill it with any potential fans. They should just let this live as a cult classic and hope that DVD sells make up for the lost money. That's just my two cents...
One has to assume that they'll not only restore the missing reels, but also eliminate some of the intentional "aging" and "wear" on the films, since individual rerelease would seem aimed more at selling the films on their actual strengths rather than their nostalgia appeal. Here's an idea - why not retitle the segments (a common practice with classic grindhouse/drive-in fare for rereleases) and create new trailers that focus on elemenst not emphasized in the GRINDHOUSE ad campaign?
I'm disappointed to see that Grindhouse did so poorly that they're thinking of re-releasing the films separate. I loved the movie and my girlfriend did as well. After seeing it on Friday I went with my friend the next day and seen it again. The theatre I was in, both showings the audience really got a kick out of the movie. I hope that when it comes to DVD that even though they said they'd make 2 separate DVDs for it...that they make a special edition or something that is the REAL Grindhouse movie with both movies in one, with the crappy picture, and the missing reel...even though it wouldn't make sense to see that on a DVD lol. It's a shame that because alot of people can't enjoy it for what it is, they are going to butcher it to make everyone happy.
A 100 million dollar movie that is suppose to pay homage to the good ol' horror, cult, and exploitation films of the 70's. Come on, seriously. They over-spent. I can see Rodriguez's Planet Terror looking expensive with all its unnecessary explosions (count 'em all, I think they break the record of having the most explosions in a single film.) I wonder how much that cameo by Nicholas Cage cost. Deathproof didn't look all that expensive, but it did have Kurt Russell in it who I am sure isn't cheap. I'd be more satisfied with a double bill of Feast and The Descent. It's sad that a long running time would turn away people from seeing it. I mean, if I am really into a film like Planet Terror I want it to last forever. I'm glad they didn't split the films up cos seeing Deathproof without Planet Terror would have just sucked. I got my moneys worth out of it.
I've never had this much fun in a theater EVER! To think anybody didn't get it or misses out on this because of any silly prejudice they have about extra-long films or farce, or just not understanding the gimpy joke about faded film and missing reels... those things were HILARIOUS!!!
But what kills me, what kind of idiot goes to anything associated with Tarantino and is actually surprised that it's this style and this quirky? Have these idiots not been paying attention?
I thought for sure this was a runaway hit, especially given the response my theater crowd had. It was like Rocky Horror, people shouting funnies at the screen, laughing, sharing side jokes... it wasn't a movie, it was event! It was like a sick version of Woodstock. There was camaraderie shared. We left with no regrets to the length since it went by so fast, and our sides hurt so much.
PEOPLE, SEEEEEEE!!! With so much Hollywood issue-preaching and misery portrayed, it's about damned time someone put fun back in movies.
Grindhouse isn't a movie, it's an experience. If Death Proof and Planet Terror are split up, firstly it'll just be a waste of money. Secondly, can you imagine how many people are going to be confused? They'll be wondering if they're actually seeing one movie, both, etc.
ok. the budget on the movie is extremely high so i can see the potential to flop. and it did. but this was an awesome experience. i loved every minute of it. everybody cheered at the end of the movie when i went. the tongue-in-cheak humor kept the portion of the crowrd,that wasnt genre savy,very intrested. if they do split the films up, i really hope that they give them a good dvd release and keep all the flaws and if possible give us fans a double feature release. release em separate and release a special grindhouse edition or something. im doing my damn best to get the word out. this is gold to us genre fans and it really sucks to see something this amazing bomb.
- i also read that machete will be released along side of the grindhouse movies when the dvd release comes. if this is in fact true then i may wet myself with excitement.
I already gave my thoughts on the subject, but I wanted to get my opinion out about the eventual DVD release. Someone should start a petition so that way Weinstein can see how many fans really loved the film for what it is. I don't want them to release the movies separatly on DVD. That was the fun of seeing Grindhouse. Like the other person said, they should make a special edition where it'll keep everything intact. Keep the 2 movies back to back, keep the fake trailers in it, keep the crappy picture quality, and keep the missing reels in it...even though it's DVD and wouldn't make sense lol. I can honestly say I've never had so much fun at a movie before! Anybody gets a petition going, let me know and I'll sign!!!
If they did re-release it in the US with extra footage I would definetly see it. But I don't care if they don't. I agree with everyone, it wouldn't make sense to do it and it would just butcher the original idea.
I hope with the DVD they will Make a special edition with the GRINDHOUSE movie with the trailers in between the missing reels etc, and then release them individually with more footage. I would buy all 3 in a heartbeat!
ALL ABOUT MONEY! Yah rerelease in 2 films, totally Forget the point. IDIOTS! The problem wasnt the runtime its The Weinstein Company doesnt know how to promote or sell a film.
I got angry when news broke that we would get two individual releases here in Europe but this news makes me even more angry. Well maybe not angry but actually more disappointed. Money rules the world that's how it is and that's how it'll be. Art, movies and music will always have to step back in order for financial gain. The cost of movie tickets have already made me go less to the movies as I can add slightly more and get a dvd. Plus the fact that where I live only the crappiest and most commercial movies get a viewing so I would probably not get Grindhouse here anyway. O the joy of the world!
Ok, the real reason it did not make enough money this week was because, they placed it, or slated it on the wrong day. A HORROR FILM ON EASTER WEEKEND, come on! Families are the ones who are out that weekend, that's why blades and robinsons did so well. I give another weekend, and GRINDHOUSE is going to go sky high! The marketing on this movie campaign was good, but they should have released it on a better day!
The movie flopped because southerns weren't educated to go see it? WTF. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Guess what. I saw the commercial. I saw the mini interview - overviews. I don't even want to go see it now that these hollywood dumb dumbs are saying they failed because they didn't educate me. THREE HOURS ON EASTER WEEKEND. YEAH - LEMME FORGET FAMILY AND EASTER BUNNY SHOPPING SO THAT I CAN GO GIVE THE THEATRE MY MONEY LIKE A GOOD LITTLE SHEEP. Arrogant azzzes. Hyped up mofo's. I am beginning to think Hollywood is a bunch of inbred retards.
And splitting it will mean that we have to pay twice to see the thing as a whole. DUH. Who wants to see half of the movie and not the other half even though it is a fake double feature? Is the whole world really getting this dumb?
It would be a really stupid thing to re-release Grindhouse as two seperate movies. The whole fun of the movies was seeing them as a double feature and the scratchy print, missing reels, and faux trailers, the way Tarantino and Rodriguez intended them to be. The feel of the movies will be lost if they are seperated. And when Grindhouse is released on dvd I hope they keep them the way they are. I hope Tarantino and Rodriguez make more of them.
When this hits dvd i better at least have the option to watch the theater version. Haveing the option to watch them seperate is a no brainer, but its not the same if i dont get both with the fake commercials
The reason the film didn't make as much as it could have was because it was Easter weekend and everybody was spending time with their families (including me)! I had to take time off work on Monday to see it...now, I'm trying to spread the gospel of the Grindhouse! Let's get people into the theater this weekend before Motard (excuse me, Harvey) splits the movies without giving them a real chance. Too bad we won't hear him admit that it was the company's fault for puttin the film out on Easter Weekend. Instead, we're hearing a sort of sideways accusation indicating that it was the 'indulgence' of the directors that increased the running time, therefore, it's their fault since no one wanted to see a three hour movie...someone's playing the blame game here. I mean, these guys want to release the Halloween remake on AUGUST 31st and not in October?!? If Harvey wants to make money on film releases, he needs to understand that the 'when' of releasing a film is as important as the how!
I agree with everyone. Who exactly would they please by showing them seperate? It was a movie intended in every way to only appeal to the fans, but yet they went and spent 100 million on it. When in reality, there are probably only one or two million people in the world that are hardcore fans of this stuff. They should have only spent 25 million, give it a "real" low budget look, and either way, the same amount of people would have went to see it. I think splitting it up is a total lost cause. This will only cost more money, confuse movie goers, and take away the nostagia factor thus leading to it being a big bomb AGAIN! Leave it the way it is, release a full version and sperate versions on DVD, and they WILL OVER TIME make their money back. This is already a MAJOR cult classic (like House of 1000 Corpses) it's got potential to start this whole trend of genre films. They just need to tuff it out and let it all run it's course. Don't upset the few fans the film already has. This is an experiece, no need to ruin it.
Fuck America. This film was a masterpiece. I can't believe such a great idea like this went unnoticed. It's amazing. This film has had so much hype for over a year. The Weinteins made their mistake with the TV spots if you ask me, though. Every person I talked to said that they thought it looked stupid. They over-advertised that goddamn gun leg when they should have focused on getting 2 movies for the price of one. They could have taken advatage of 300's succcess and the success of recent violent horror movies like Saw. It's almost a mixture of the 2. But all they advertised was that damn leg.
First off, I saw the first showing in the morning of Grindhouse on the day it came out, and my experience was awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better crowd (which I normally hate, because they're usually obnoxious). Then, after a few days, I read how badly it was doing, and THEN I read this fucked up article and the one it has a link to. What the hell? The Weinstein Company releases it on Easter weekend, which to a few of us means nothing, but to everyone else...and then they go and blame the fact that the South and Midwest "wasn't educated" on the movie? That's goddamn retarded to even say. And blaming the directors, that's pathetic. They made an awesome movie, the Weinstein Company just didn't distribute it properly. If they won't play a movie called "Grindhouse" at an actual grindhouse...I'd say they didn't do their job. Releasing Grindhouse as two separate movies is nothing short of moronic. Why even bother calling it Grindhouse if you're going to do that? Please, Weinstein Company, read our outrage and DON'T BE STUPID. Let Grindhouse work its magic. It shouldn't take long.
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Harvey Weinstein told me this morning that he's "incredibly disappointed" with the half-than-expected $12 mil box office for Grindhouse released on Easter Weekend (a controversial move itself). So much so, that he's considering abandoning the double feature as a single feature concept and re-releasing the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez movie around the U.S. "in a couple of weeks" as two separate feature-length movies with additional footage put in. That's what Harvey says The Weinstein Co. is already intending to do with the film's release in Europe: split it into two separate pics, Tarantino's Death Proof and Rodriguez's Planet Terror. "Quentin's movie goes out first in competition at Cannes. He'll do an extensive 4 to 5 month tour. And the trailer will be all Quentin's," Weinstein told me about his European plans. "Then we'll release Robert's a couple of months later. By splitting it up, we're going to do a hell of a lot better internationally than we did here." Weinstein noted that, even in Grindhouse's video deal as well as its TV deal with Starz Entertainment Group, it's been sold as two separate movies. "Our deal with Encore is that they can play it any way they want." So this is why The Weinstein Co. is now deciding to suck it up and do in this country what it probably should have done all along. "First of all, I'm incredibly disappointed. We tried to do something new and obviously we didn't do it that well," Harvey told me today. "It's just a question of how is it going to hang in there. But we could split the movies in a couple of weeks. Make Tarantino's a full-length film, and Rodriguez's too. We'll be adding those 'two missing reels' that's talked about in the movie." (At one point in Grindhouse, a sex scene is interrupted because of "two missing reels" -- one of the many conceits and indulgences.)
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