Movie Biz: DAMN...Andy Samberg Popstar makes $4.6 MIL on a $21 Mil budget

playahaitian

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5 Reasons Why Andy Samberg’s ‘Popstar’ Is a Lonely Island at the Box Office

Universal’s R-rated satire opens to measly $4.6 million

The talents over at Lonely Island have a strong track record with music videos like “Dick In A Box” and “Motherlover,” which shot straight to the viral video hall of fame. But the team is 0 for 2 when it comes to translating their catchy brand of comedy for the big screen.
Their latest effort, Universal’s R-rated comedy “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” is an all-out bomb, opening this weekend in eighth place with just $4.6 million in grosses from 2,311 locations. (Cue the “Lonely Island” puns.)

What’s vexing about the film — directed by Island crew members Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, starring Andy Samberg, and written by all three — is that it received the best reviews of all the new wide releases this weekend. Really, it did. “Popstar” outscored romantic drama “Me Before You” by 20 percent for a 76 percent “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and more than doubled “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows'” 35 percent “Rotten” score.



Also starring
Imogen Poots, the film is a mock music documentary that revolves around a Justin Bieber-esque pop star (Samberg) whose celebrity status is on the decline.
Here are five reasons why “Popstar” flopped:

1. Andy Samberg can’t carry a movie (yet).
He won a Golden Globe for his Fox comedy series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and an Emmy, shared with his Lonely Island brethren and Justin Timberlake, for the aforementioned “Dick In A Box.” But Samberg still hasn’t hit as a leading funnyman the way his fellow “SNL” alum and “Hotel Transylvania” co-star Adam Sandler has.


Lest we forget, the 2007 comedy “Hot Rod,” also made by the Island guys, bombed too. It starred Samberg as a goofy, self-proclaimed stuntman, and only earned $14 million …
total.

Samberg’s movie career isn’t a lost cause. It’s just that the films in which he’s a supporting ensemble player are much more successful. In fact, his biggest hits are ones in which he doesn’t even appear on-screen: “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” and the aforementioned “Transylvania” animated movies. Good for his bank account, bad for his status as a leading man.

2. Audiences will wait to watch at home.

Island fans think “Popstar” falls in line with the sketch comedies they see on late-night TV. Sure, they want to watch and be entertained, but aren’t willing to shell out multiplex-level cash. Case in point: “Hot Rod” almost doubled its returns in DVD sales, raking in $25.3 million — and that was nearly 10 years ago.

3. Was marketing a (careless) whisper?
There were some billboards, trailers, and TV spots — but the marketing for “Popstar” certainly didn’t feel ubiquitous. Universal may have been banking on the digital short that ran on “SNL” to take off more than it did, potentially at the expense of traditional marketing.

4. It should have been rated PG-13.
The R-rating may have been prohibitive to teens — who are arguably the most hyperaware of Bieber and all of his idiosyncrasies. With a PG-13 rating, seats could have been filled with audiences who actually listen to pop stars, or at least confess to it.

5. Come to think of it, what was the audience for this movie exactly?
A lot of Gen Yers are focused on urban gardening, DIY culture, and — let’s face it — singer/songwriters like Andrew Bird. And Gen Xers couldn’t care less about the Biebs or a parody of him. Let’s not even start with Baby Boomers.

http://www.thewrap.com/5-reasons-why-andy-sambergs-popstar-is-a-lonely-island-at-the-box-office/
 

playahaitian

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Should have saved some money and make it just for Netflix

I totally agree...

people aint gonna PAY to see an SNL skit...they have essentially seen for FREE and available on youtube forever.

Honestly does SNL have ONE modern skit that could be expanded into a big screen property now?

I always wondered why Keenan didn't transfer one of the In Living Color skits into a motion picture?
 

EPDC

El Pirate Del Caribe
BGOL Investor
Never heard of it. Never would have paid to see it either.
 

Tha Great Muta

Rising Star
Platinum Member
I totally agree...

people aint gonna PAY to see an SNL skit...they have essentially seen for FREE and available on youtube forever.

Honestly does SNL have ONE modern skit that could be expanded into a big screen property now?

I always wondered why Keenan didn't transfer one of the In Living Color skits into a motion picture?

Man I swear they used to say there was gonna be a Homie the Clown movie.
 

MonkeyBizness

Man of the People
Registered
SNL never learns. They still believe that their talent on the show can translate into box office success with sketches they stretch into movies. If they were smart, they would shrink their budgets and release these films on another platform outside of the theater. That would increase their likelihood of profitability. Looking at their recent track record for film releases, it doesn't look good.
 

Ming Fei Hong

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
This flick would've jumped off years ago, when Lonely Island was hot. He waited too late to capitalize off a public demand that's no longer there. This would have been better off as an SNL skit or straight to Netflix project.
 

playahaitian

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Fox Just Gave the Lonely Island Their Own SNL

04-lonely-island.w529.h529.jpg


A decade after starting their TV careers atSaturday Night Live, the Lonely Island is getting a Saturday-night sketch show of their very own. The Hollywood Reporter writes that the comedy threesome will collaborate with Paul Scheer in producing a half-hour sketch comedy series for Fox called Party Over Here. The title comes from the name of the group's "development venture" with the network and also, possibly, "Whoomp! (There It Is)." None of the Lonely Island guys will be a part of the show's ensemble — which so far includes Nicole Byer, Jessica McKenna, and Alison Rich — nor will they be directly competing with SNL, as POH will air at eleven. Still, if Lorne Michaels takes this news better than Johnny Carson did, we'll know late-night really is a nicer place.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fox-revisiting-saturday-sketch-comedy-862164
 

playahaitian

Rising Star
Certified Pussy Poster
What is REALLY interesting?

All of Hollywood is telling them don't even worry about it...

if this was a BLACK film that flopped like this?

It would be used for the next 10 years as why Black movies don't work.
 

Helico-pterFunk

Rising Star
BGOL Legend
Word on these streetz is that it's the current frontrunner for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Pussy Being Bussed Wide Open, Best Sex Scene, Best Shootout, Best Pop Song, and Best Dance Choreography.

Samberg's killin' the game. Shoutout to Lonely Island, Brooklyn 9-9, SNL, etc.
 

"THE MAN"

Resident Cool Nerd
BGOL Investor
It came out against summer movies. And even they made less than expected. This is not a June summer release type of movie. Should have tried August.
 
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