The other day I plead my case for why Speed Racer was never going to do a smashing job at the box office. Today, with the opening weekend finally closed, it seems even I underestimated just how poorly the movie would do at the cinemas.
According to the THR, Speed Racer only managed to rake in just $18.6 million over the weekend, according to final figures from Nielsen. Warner Bros. had originally estimated that the opening weekend gross would be somewhere around the $20 million mark.
I’m a bit disappointed, because it looks as if Speed Racer will descend to the ranks of cult geek film relatively quickly. Over at Rotten Tomatoes it’s only averaged out a 35%, with a consensus describing the movie as being “overloaded with headache-inducing effects, without a coherent script.”
At the end of the weekend, Speed Racer sank to third position, finishing behind Iron Man and Fox’s comedy, What Happens in Vegas.
“Obviously, we were disappointed in the weekend,” said Warners domestic distribution president Dan Fellman. “The history of Mother’s Day is that it has always been a stronger performer for PG-rated movies, and we were hoping we could turn it around on Sunday. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”
Maybe it will pull off a Firefly and do better in the DVD sales than in its original screening, but my bet is — sadly enough — that Speed Racer will be relegated to another movie flop.
It could be a hit like Firefly– just maybe.
You never know.
Comment by Cinema Junkie — May 13, 2008 @ 10:47 pm
The Wachowski bros certainly put a lot of effort into making Speed Racer… but the movie overall looked and felt like a cross between anime, a kaleidoscope, that Flintstones movie, a video game and the Dukes of Hazard
Comment by patrick — May 14, 2008 @ 3:37 am
um, i dont see how this is surprising.
no one has watched a speed racer cartoon, hell when they replayed them on the cartoon network they were on at 11 or 12 at night.
kids don’t know who speed racer is, most parents vaguely remember him but if they do their kids are beyond the age of the market for the toys.
were the toys supposed to create interest in the movie? Or possibly word of mouth from the 100’s of people like myself who watched the old re-runs who have no interest because it lacks any familiarity with the original?
and unlike the other horrible “remakes” they skipped the teen crowd by casting ricci and whoever that skateboard kid is……
Comment by mo — May 14, 2008 @ 9:40 am