Box office actuals were recently released, and G.I. Joe, while coming in $1.5m under studio estimates ($54.7m instead of $56.2m), had a strong mid-$50s opening paired with a $44 international opening. This nearly nine-figure worldwide opening is strong, but whether or not the film continues with any notable strength remains to be seen. As much as a film like this costs to make and market ($325m) it is still entirely possible for it to fall flat on it’s face with the grace of a dead ninja.
If you’re the Vice Chairman of Paramount Picture however, you don’t say any of that the Monday after one of your tentpoles opened. Instead, you mention the idea of a sequel (if you haven’t seen it, get on it! There’s now more to come! You’ll be out of the loop!). Instead, you mention that all of the main stars are contractually obligated to return (hey, did you see the movie and like it? The magic will be back next time!). Instead, you mention that the director is not obligated to come back (Didn’t like it? The asshole behind the camera won’t fuck it up next time. You should still see the sequel). By the way, make sure to say the sequel is “in development” (this fucker could still flop, after all).
…and that’s just what Rob Moore did, in a statement to the LA Times today.
There’s a fairly strong consensus among Chewers that G.I. Joe is an entertaining blast. More than likely it will do well enough to warrant the sequel, so keep an eye out, y’all…
