Yay, Bubble's theatrical run was disappointing!
Filed under: Drama, Independent, Box Office, Distribution, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Politics, Mark Cuban, Cinematical Indie
After months and months of buildup to its multi-platform release, Steven Soderbergh's Bubble opened in 32 theaters. And, on
that all-important, buzz-filled first weekend, it made just $70,664. Ouch. Though of course Mark Cuban, whose 2929 Entertainment is
behind the DVD/HD/theater release technique, tried to convince anyone who would listen that the low returns were of
little consequence, theater owners clearly felt otherwise. In fact, they were so sure that the $70,664 spelled disaster
for the entire simultaneous release concept that they actually released a public statement, crowing over the movie's
failure. Yeah, that's classy. John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, just wanted to
make sure everyone knew that "the movie has performed very poorly," even with all of the free publicity
granted it by the press. In other words, "Suck it, Cuban!"_thumbnail.jpg)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-04-2006 @ 2:40PM
Peter said...
Irregardless of the release strategy, does anyone believe that Bubble was a movie destined for a strong theatrical run? Critics need to get off Mark Cuban's back. Multi-platform releases aren't some hair-brained, off-chance option, they're inevitable. Bubble, a movie with amateur actors, and an audience alienating plot was never fated to be a box office success either way.
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2-04-2006 @ 4:43PM
Nick said...
From what I understand of a Professor working at 2929 Entertainment, Cuban's Day+Date push isn't really going to be advertised until they have a movie they feel can compete outside of the indy world.
So while Bubble was a nice test, it's not really going to reach mainstream 'til there's something to actually sell.
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2-04-2006 @ 11:04PM
Elrond Hobbert said...
Newsflash: sucky movies can suck a little at a time or suck all it once. Either way, they still suck.
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