Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Feb 7, 2015 21:06:32 GMT -6
variety.com/2015/film/news/amy-pascal-sony-hits-and-misses-1201425332/
The news of the end of Amy Pascal’s tenure as head of Sony Pictures Entertainment begs an examination of the studio’s performance under her leadership.
Pascal, who will remain at Sony in a new role as a producer, has long been known around town for her keen eye for winning projects. Though her reputation has suffered recently as a result of North Korea’s infamous hacking attack on the studio, which revealed a few unseemly email exchanges in which Pascal and other execs criticized the attitudes of A-listers and made racially tinged jokes at the expense of President Obama, Pascal steered the studio through her share of triumphs.
Any career as long as Pascal’s is bound to have its peaks and valleys. From the highest heights (“Skyfall,” “Spider-Man 2”) to the lowest lows (“Jack and Jill,” “Sparkle”), Pascal led Sony through it all. Here’s a look at the hits and misses of her reign.
BOX OFFICE HITS:
“Spider-Man 2” (2004)
Sam Raimi’s comicbook sequel is still discussed as an audience favorite, and Sony raked in nearly four times the film’s budget.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $783 million
“Spider-Man 3” (2007)
Spidey lovers again shelled out big bucks to see Tobey Maguire and James Franco in the trilogy’s final installment.
Budget: $258 million
Worldwide Gross: $890 million
“Click” (2006)
The height of Adam Sandler’s studio pull, this dramedy surprised everyone with its earnings.
Budget: $82.5 million
Worldwide Gross: $237 million
“Skyfall” (2012)
The Daniel Craig starrer boasts the biggest opening weekend ever for a James Bond film, not to mention its place in history as the first Bond film to surpass $1 billion.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $1.1 billion
“The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012)
Rebooting the Spidey franchise with Andrew Garfield just five years after Maguire’s tenure in the suit turned out to be a risk that paid off handsomely.
Budget: $230 million
Worldwide Gross: $757 million
“Hancock” (2008)
Will Smith’s turn as a hobo-slash-superhero came out swinging for the studio, thanks in large part to Smith’s star power.
Budget: $150 million
Worldwide Gross: $624 million
“The Da Vinci Code” (2006)
Legions of fans of the Dan Brown thriller turned out for the film starring Tom Hanks, making the adaptation of the bestseller a huge success.
Budget: $125 million
Worldwide Gross: $758 million
“22 Jump Street” (2014)
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill proved their B.O. draw in 2012’s “21 Jump Street” and cemented it in the sequel, which brought in more than six times the film’s budget.
Budget: $50 million
Worldwide Gross: $331 million
“Hitch” (2005)
The Will Smith romantic comedy helped put Kevin James on the map.
Budget: $70 million
Worldwide Gross: $368 million
“Hotel Transylvania” (2012)
The animated pic about Dracula running a hotel earned big laughs with the kiddies.
Budget: $85 million
Worldwide Gross: $358 million
“MIB 3” (2012)
The third installment in the “Men In Black” series saw Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones team up 10 years after the sequel.
Budget: $225 million
Worldwide Gross: $624 million
“Quantum of Solace” (2008)
Despite production struggles due to the Hollywood writers’ strike, Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film found a huge audience.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $586 million
“Casino Royale” (2006)
Daniel Craig’s debut as 007 proved profitable for Sony, even before 2013’s massive “Skyfall.”
Budget: $150 million
Worldwide Gross: $599 million
“2012” (2009)
This disaster film starring John Cusack played on the widespread conspiracy that the world would end in the year 2012. Luckily, the world did not end, and Sony lived to see another day with $569 million netted.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $769 million
“Grown Ups” (2010)
Adam Sandler teamed with comedian pals Chris Rock, David Spade and Kevin James to make fun of their own aging.
Budget: $80 million
Worldwide Gross: $271 million
BOX OFFICE MISSES:
“White House Down” (2013)
Despite proven stars in Channing Tatum and a director known for blowing up the White House in Roland Emmerich, “White House Down” couldn’t recover from its release just a few months after the strikingly similar, cheaper and better-received “Olympus Has Fallen.”
Budget: $150 million
Worldwide Gross: $205 million
“Year One” (2009)
Hot streaks for both producer Judd Apatow – coming off “Pineapple Express” and “Step Brothers” – and star Jack Black – “Kung Fu Panda” and “Tropic Thunder” – ground to a halt with this critically lambasted bomb of a prehistoric comedy.
Budget: $60 million
Worldwide Gross: $62 million
“Green Hornet” (2011)
An unfortunate turn for Seth Rogen’s first turn as a full-fledged action star, the superhero action-comedy’s box office returns were not helped by its critically detested 3D release.
Budget: $120 million
Worldwide Gross: $228 million
“After Earth” (2013)
Will Smith’s status as one of the last true movie stars on the planet took a drubbing with this sci-fi two-hander with son Jaden, hated by critics and largely unseen by audiences.
Budget: $130 million
Worldwide Gross: $244 million
“That’s My Boy” (2012)
Simultaneously reinforcing Adam Sandler’s fallen status as a box office draw and relegating a post-“SNL” Andy Samberg back to the ranks of broadcast television, this disaster proved that it’s probably not a good sign when the best part of a movie is Vanilla Ice.
Budget: $70 million
Worldwide Gross: $58 million
“Elysium” (2013)
Though it received above-average reviews from critics, this sophomore feature from Neill Blomkamp was a letdown from his debut, “District 9,” and at a significantly higher cost.
Budget: $115 million
Worldwide Gross: $286 million
“Jack & Jill” (2011)
The film earned Sandler, who played both titular characters, Razzie Awards for both worst actor and worst actress.
Budget: $79 million
Worldwide Gross: $150 million
“Amazing Spider-Man 2″ (2014)
The film, received lukewarmly by audiences, managed to rack up over $700 million in global box office receipts, but still fell woefully short of the studio’s $1 billion goal.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $709 million
“Sparkle” (2012)
Tragically the last film appearance for star Whitney Houston before her death, the film was loved by audiences – a solid A Cinemascore – but just couldn’t get enough of them in the theaters.
Budget: $14 million
Worldwide Gross: $27 million
“Sex Tape” (2014)
With a title risqué enough to make anyone’s grandmother blush, but a plot tame enough to put audiences to sleep, this Jason Segel-Cameron Diaz rom-com couldn’t seem to make up its mind about what it wanted to be, and audiences didn’t care enough to pay to find out.
Budget: $40 million
Worldwide Gross: $126 million
“Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” (2013)
Every can’t-miss trend needs the occasional heat check, and “Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” was less a bad miss for the YA fantasy novel adaptation genre than an airball from five feet behind the arc, forcing the studio to cancel future film sequels and instead adapt the novels for television.
Budget: $60 million
Worldwide Gross: $91 million
The news of the end of Amy Pascal’s tenure as head of Sony Pictures Entertainment begs an examination of the studio’s performance under her leadership.
Pascal, who will remain at Sony in a new role as a producer, has long been known around town for her keen eye for winning projects. Though her reputation has suffered recently as a result of North Korea’s infamous hacking attack on the studio, which revealed a few unseemly email exchanges in which Pascal and other execs criticized the attitudes of A-listers and made racially tinged jokes at the expense of President Obama, Pascal steered the studio through her share of triumphs.
Any career as long as Pascal’s is bound to have its peaks and valleys. From the highest heights (“Skyfall,” “Spider-Man 2”) to the lowest lows (“Jack and Jill,” “Sparkle”), Pascal led Sony through it all. Here’s a look at the hits and misses of her reign.
BOX OFFICE HITS:
“Spider-Man 2” (2004)
Sam Raimi’s comicbook sequel is still discussed as an audience favorite, and Sony raked in nearly four times the film’s budget.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $783 million
“Spider-Man 3” (2007)
Spidey lovers again shelled out big bucks to see Tobey Maguire and James Franco in the trilogy’s final installment.
Budget: $258 million
Worldwide Gross: $890 million
“Click” (2006)
The height of Adam Sandler’s studio pull, this dramedy surprised everyone with its earnings.
Budget: $82.5 million
Worldwide Gross: $237 million
“Skyfall” (2012)
The Daniel Craig starrer boasts the biggest opening weekend ever for a James Bond film, not to mention its place in history as the first Bond film to surpass $1 billion.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $1.1 billion
“The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012)
Rebooting the Spidey franchise with Andrew Garfield just five years after Maguire’s tenure in the suit turned out to be a risk that paid off handsomely.
Budget: $230 million
Worldwide Gross: $757 million
“Hancock” (2008)
Will Smith’s turn as a hobo-slash-superhero came out swinging for the studio, thanks in large part to Smith’s star power.
Budget: $150 million
Worldwide Gross: $624 million
“The Da Vinci Code” (2006)
Legions of fans of the Dan Brown thriller turned out for the film starring Tom Hanks, making the adaptation of the bestseller a huge success.
Budget: $125 million
Worldwide Gross: $758 million
“22 Jump Street” (2014)
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill proved their B.O. draw in 2012’s “21 Jump Street” and cemented it in the sequel, which brought in more than six times the film’s budget.
Budget: $50 million
Worldwide Gross: $331 million
“Hitch” (2005)
The Will Smith romantic comedy helped put Kevin James on the map.
Budget: $70 million
Worldwide Gross: $368 million
“Hotel Transylvania” (2012)
The animated pic about Dracula running a hotel earned big laughs with the kiddies.
Budget: $85 million
Worldwide Gross: $358 million
“MIB 3” (2012)
The third installment in the “Men In Black” series saw Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones team up 10 years after the sequel.
Budget: $225 million
Worldwide Gross: $624 million
“Quantum of Solace” (2008)
Despite production struggles due to the Hollywood writers’ strike, Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film found a huge audience.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $586 million
“Casino Royale” (2006)
Daniel Craig’s debut as 007 proved profitable for Sony, even before 2013’s massive “Skyfall.”
Budget: $150 million
Worldwide Gross: $599 million
“2012” (2009)
This disaster film starring John Cusack played on the widespread conspiracy that the world would end in the year 2012. Luckily, the world did not end, and Sony lived to see another day with $569 million netted.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $769 million
“Grown Ups” (2010)
Adam Sandler teamed with comedian pals Chris Rock, David Spade and Kevin James to make fun of their own aging.
Budget: $80 million
Worldwide Gross: $271 million
BOX OFFICE MISSES:
“White House Down” (2013)
Despite proven stars in Channing Tatum and a director known for blowing up the White House in Roland Emmerich, “White House Down” couldn’t recover from its release just a few months after the strikingly similar, cheaper and better-received “Olympus Has Fallen.”
Budget: $150 million
Worldwide Gross: $205 million
“Year One” (2009)
Hot streaks for both producer Judd Apatow – coming off “Pineapple Express” and “Step Brothers” – and star Jack Black – “Kung Fu Panda” and “Tropic Thunder” – ground to a halt with this critically lambasted bomb of a prehistoric comedy.
Budget: $60 million
Worldwide Gross: $62 million
“Green Hornet” (2011)
An unfortunate turn for Seth Rogen’s first turn as a full-fledged action star, the superhero action-comedy’s box office returns were not helped by its critically detested 3D release.
Budget: $120 million
Worldwide Gross: $228 million
“After Earth” (2013)
Will Smith’s status as one of the last true movie stars on the planet took a drubbing with this sci-fi two-hander with son Jaden, hated by critics and largely unseen by audiences.
Budget: $130 million
Worldwide Gross: $244 million
“That’s My Boy” (2012)
Simultaneously reinforcing Adam Sandler’s fallen status as a box office draw and relegating a post-“SNL” Andy Samberg back to the ranks of broadcast television, this disaster proved that it’s probably not a good sign when the best part of a movie is Vanilla Ice.
Budget: $70 million
Worldwide Gross: $58 million
“Elysium” (2013)
Though it received above-average reviews from critics, this sophomore feature from Neill Blomkamp was a letdown from his debut, “District 9,” and at a significantly higher cost.
Budget: $115 million
Worldwide Gross: $286 million
“Jack & Jill” (2011)
The film earned Sandler, who played both titular characters, Razzie Awards for both worst actor and worst actress.
Budget: $79 million
Worldwide Gross: $150 million
“Amazing Spider-Man 2″ (2014)
The film, received lukewarmly by audiences, managed to rack up over $700 million in global box office receipts, but still fell woefully short of the studio’s $1 billion goal.
Budget: $200 million
Worldwide Gross: $709 million
“Sparkle” (2012)
Tragically the last film appearance for star Whitney Houston before her death, the film was loved by audiences – a solid A Cinemascore – but just couldn’t get enough of them in the theaters.
Budget: $14 million
Worldwide Gross: $27 million
“Sex Tape” (2014)
With a title risqué enough to make anyone’s grandmother blush, but a plot tame enough to put audiences to sleep, this Jason Segel-Cameron Diaz rom-com couldn’t seem to make up its mind about what it wanted to be, and audiences didn’t care enough to pay to find out.
Budget: $40 million
Worldwide Gross: $126 million
“Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” (2013)
Every can’t-miss trend needs the occasional heat check, and “Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” was less a bad miss for the YA fantasy novel adaptation genre than an airball from five feet behind the arc, forcing the studio to cancel future film sequels and instead adapt the novels for television.
Budget: $60 million
Worldwide Gross: $91 million