Drillbit Taylor Bombs - Is Anyone Surprised?
You release a new Owen Wilson comedy a year and a half ago and you’re guaranteed at least a $20 million opening weekend. As a matter of fact, the dreadful “You, Me and Dupree” came out less than 2 years ago and pulled in over $21 million on its opening weekend.
But as we all know, we don’t live 18 months ago. We live right now. And “right now” is a world where Owen Wilson tried to kill himself not long ago. Thankfully he failed, and even better he’s healthy enough to return back to work (he’s back on set doing what he does best), but I’ve been wondering for some time now if the movie going audience just isn’t read to laugh with Wilson yet. After all, it’s hard to laugh with a clown if you are aware that clown tried to off himself not long ago.
Again, the question isn’t “SHOULD” it effect people’s enjoyment or desire to see Wilson do comedy right now… the question is “DOES” it have an effect? The answer to that is very clearly YES.
Yes, Drillbit Taylor was an ass awful movie that ranks just above Meet The Spartans for worst movie of 2008 so far, but when looking for reasons Drillbit bombed so badly, making less than half of what Dupree made just over a year and a half ago, one has to keep a few things in mind:
1) Yeah the movie was bad, but that doesn’t have too much of an impact on opening weekend (since no one had seen it yet).
2) Paramount did indeed market the crap out of this movie. Billboards all over LA, commercials on every channel and trailers before just about every movie.
3) It wasn’t opening against ANYTHING high profile or particularly strong.
There aren’t any excuses left for the movie coming in 4th place on it’s opening weekend just barely clearing $10 million (less than half of what Dupree made on its opening). There is only one thing left. People (in general) are not ready to laugh with Owen Wilson yet (not that they would have laughed in Drillbit Taylor anyway). I have no doubt people WILL BE ready soon enough, but I don’t expect that time is now. Opening BELOW that pathetic looking “Shutter” movie just kind of proves that point.
I really like Wilson and I look forward to him getting back to full speed, but right now it appears most people just aren’t ready to go there.
15 Comments, Comment or Ping
Kevin C
I wonder if its one of those subconscious things more than anything else. I really like Owen Wilson, and even though this is really his first foray into “carrying” a movie on his own, with no Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller or Eddie Murphy to lean on, I agree there may be something more to this.
If we skip the whole botched suicide attempt and this movie is released with that never happening, I think it scores much bigger at the box office.
Mar 25th, 2008
nbakid2000
I totally agree John. I’m actually very curious to see the movie ( I thought it looked funny) and I WOULD have gone to see it, if I was the type to casually go to theaters to catch flicks.
As far as Shutter goes, my brother saw it and he said it was one of the creepiest/scary films he’s ever seen. He said the entire theater was freaking out. But apparently the end sucked. Which is typical for horror films.
Mar 25th, 2008
Jonathan
John, what are you even basing this on besides some silly assumption?
Saying that people didn’t go see this movie because they weren’t ready to laugh with Owen Wilson is not only baseless, but just plain dumb. Had he not attempted suicide a few months ago, (obviously there is no way to prove this, but I digress) Drillbit Taylor WOULD HAVE MADE ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME OPENING BOX OFFICE TAKE. Give or take maybe a few hundreds dollars.
You’re not looking at any other factors for it doing poorly and are just pointing your finger blindly at his suicide attempt… something that if people would STOP talking about, then those that WERE still thinking about it would be able to get over sooner. But for the record, it never even once crossed my mind before, during, or AFTER watching this that Owen Wilson had tried to kill himself some months ago. Honestly, it doesn’t bug most people as much as it obviously bugs you.
Lastly, your #3: “It wasn’t opening against ANYTHING high profile or particularly strong.” Jesus, if you want the strongest case against your theory, this is it. It was the second week for a Dr. Seuss children’s movie that is doing awesome, which I think EVERYBODY knew was going to take number one again (look at numbers on children’s animated films, they speak for themselves.” Then it opened up against a fucking Tyler Perry movie, John. What do you mean that it wasn’t going up against anything particularly strong, especially considering his last movies Why Did I Get Married? in 2007 opened up with $21,353,759 and Madea’s Family Reunion in 2006 opened up with $30,030,661. And there was a PG-13 horror movie opening that probably took a lot of the junior high age audience away from this too.
Sheesh.
Mar 25th, 2008
John
Hey Jonathan,
You said:
“Drillbit Taylor WOULD HAVE MADE ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME OPENING BOX OFFICE TAKE. Give or take maybe a few hundreds dollars.”
HAHA… talk about silly baseless assumptions. Not a chance, man, not a chance.
I’ve called this for months, and it happend. The last pre-suicide Wilson lead film opens with more than twice as much boxoffice than this one. Horton did not open this week, but it’s fine that it came in under Horton, that was expected, but 18 months ago Drillbit opens above a tyler Perry film, and certainly above Shutter which didn’t have 1/5th the marketing that Drillbit had,
You’re entitled to your opinion, but I think it’s pretty damn clear and obvious why Drillbit Taylor suddenly did less than HALF of what Wilson’s last comedic lead film did. I predicted it, a lot of people predicted it, and it happened. You don’t agree? That’s cool.
Mar 25th, 2008
nbakid2000
Actually, Horton had a different target audience than Drillbit Taylor. The kids who would have gone to see that would NOT have gone to see Horton.
And Shutter probably DID take away a lot of the audience Drillbit was aimed for.
Mar 25th, 2008
Lauren
It funny you wrote this. My husband and I were thinking about seeing this over the weekend, but we both said that thinking about Wilson makes us more sad than funny and didn’t think we could watch a comedy with him right now. So yeah, I guess what I’m saying it that I totally agree.
Mar 25th, 2008
Omar
What’s more sad is that Neil Marshall´s Doomsday opened at even worse numbers the week before.
Maybe the poor opening had something to do with Wilson’s suicide attempt and maybe it has something to do with Apatow’s produced films being EVERYWHERE at the moment. He might consider slowing down a tad.
Mar 25th, 2008
Kristina
The suicide had nothing to do with it. He isn’t nearly as big a star as some people seem to think. This isn’t like Julia Roberts tried to kill herself or something. Wedding Crashers aside, the guy’s track record was never stellar to begin with. Nobody really gives a shit about this guy. Fact is, it looked like shit and it wasn’t promoted. A piece of shit can still open huge if it’s pushed down everyone’s throats. If you promote it, they will come. If no one knows your movie is being released, no one will see it. End of story.
Mar 25th, 2008
Omar
I think Wilson is the type of dude who shines in supporting roles, his small role in Meet The Parents is pure fucking gold.
I like him and all but he does play the same characters over and over again.
Mar 25th, 2008
Andreas
Just thought i’d point out that in ‘You, me and dupree’ he co-starred with a few big names. Kate Hudson (brings in the ladies), matt dillon (ppl will rememba how funny he was in Mary) and of course Michael Douglas. Dupree wasnt really aimed at the kids, more teens/adults.. Kids wont really b familiar with Wilson whilst adults will.
Wilson is not a big comedic star like Ben Stiller or Will Ferrell, who can open a movie. I also dont think he is able to carry a comedy on his own.
I’m not ruling out that his suicide attempt didn’t have an effect but I’m gonna agree with Jonathan in that it was probably minimal.
Mar 25th, 2008
Sahil
I have to agree 100% with Kevin C. Usually when you see a movie with Owen Wilson he is staring in the movie along with another major star like Vince Vaugnh, Ben Stiller, or Jackie Chan. I think if his next movie is not a P.O.S. and it also bombs then we will know for sure that people are ready to go see a Owen Wilson movie….but until then we should just wait and see what happens.
Mar 25th, 2008
GoneAFK
I think no one went and saw this movie because there was no reason to. A dumb bodyguard and some nerds?
Had it been something like Drillbit Taylor protects McLovin’ and the cast of Superbad, maybe.
But ooo, pre-teen comedy… Sadly, I think it bombed because it looked horrible, not because of a suicide attempt.
I mean, Batman isn’t going to do well because of Heath Ledger, it was already going to do well because it’s shaping up to be an amazing film.
Mar 26th, 2008
John
Hey GoneAFK
The thing is, Batman isn’t a comedy. I guaran-damn-tee you if Ledger’s last movie was a comedy wtih Jack Black it would seriously effect the boxoffice negatively if it was coming out THIS summer.
Mar 26th, 2008
nevadasmith
The only way I would have gone to see this movie is if he had succeeded (that’s not true either-there’s no way I would have gone to see this movie)
Mar 26th, 2008
GoneAFK
Yes, John, that is very true.
I still think there is too much emphasis on the suicide, and not on the extreme potential suckage that every trailer showed.
If I accept your point, will you accept the fact that people can sometimes smell a rat, and it also bombed because it was bad?
Really, it looked like a bad after-school special from the 90’s, where kids learn to deal with their problems with the bumbling help of some over the hill bodyguard. I mean, wasn’t that a whole genre of bad films for kids at one point?
It all started with Kindergarten Cop….
What we need to bring back his career is Stiller and Luke and a baby…
Mar 26th, 2008
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