Why is the new film doing so terribly outside the US..???

[Ovation]

That #$%@& Angels & Demons! How does it do this? Just what is so appealing to the international audience? It is Catholicism? European film locations?

"Angels & Demons," from Sony/Columbia, earned $6.5 million in North America during the weekend and its worldwide gross surpassed the $400 million mark, making it the No. 1 film in the world in 2009.

Two words--Tom Hanks.

Hanks is a bankable star (no such person in the new Trek movie). The story appeals to a broader audience (political thriller/intrigue/chase movie set in world famous city vs. sci-fi--no contest). It's not a bad movie (I saw it with my wife a few days after opening night) and had a powerful attachment to the whole Dan Brown/Da Vinci Code phenomenon. Star Trek had a much tougher challenge in terms of capturing a world-wide audience--it has a relatively poor track record in that respect while Angels is riding on the very strong performance of Da Vinci.

As for Wolverine and Terminator--they too are riding on "name brand" strength that Trek has never had. With this new movie, perhaps this will change and the next one will have a stronger international performance.

 

[ria 75]

I've always felt that throughout the years, Spock, Kirk and McCoy kept on using you as "vous", despite their friendship. I don't know, it seems to me that there's some big respect thing going one, no matter what.

Or force of habit. At this point, it's a familiar kind of "vous", a bit like calling your in-laws "vous" all your life. And "tu" would sound so weird!
If you wish the difference was abolished, which one would you choose? (Knowing that "you" = "vous" as "tu" = "thee".)

 

[Jeri]

Two words--Tom Hanks.

Oh, is that it? Well, if that's the reason, then I can spot them Tom Hanks, I guess. I love the guy myself.

 

[Jax]

ST won't make much less than BB so a good start only TREK FANS could a way to nitpick the huge total we've made so far.

I wasn't aware I was nitpicking... And when 'Angels And Demons' came out, I've read ALL OVER the internet how it was doing far better overseas as compared to Trek, which was doing much better in the US. Certainly not just Trek fans...

And even IF I am nitpicking, it's only because I soooo desperately WANT Trek to be this HUGE success abroad... And to see it's a success but not a HUGE success internationally kinda bugs me.

Trek movies were lucky to break $100 million for a worldwide total now we can do that total in oversea's alone and more than double that domestically. Star Trek is going in the right direction be happy Look at T-4 its going to make 200-250ish from oversea's but a miserable doemstically total that probably won't break $125 million and ALL OF A $200 MILLION BUDGET to boot.

I know which boat I'd rather be in.

 

[Minuialeth]

If you wish the difference was abolished, which one would you choose? (Knowing that "you" = "vous" as "tu" = "thee".)

Uh? Use plainer English please, I've only been learning it for 20 years
You're right about the in-laws thing.

 

[Steven Of Nine]

However, only the UK and South Korea report numbesr as recent as May 24. Every other reporting country is lagging a week or two behind that and several large countries are not even listed, yet: China and Japan among them,

The boxofficemojo charts are not up-to-date. But the $101.3 million total listed at the UIP site has the latest data as of this past weekend (including first weekend in Japan):

http://www.uip-boxoffice.com/boxweb.nsf

That site is no more acccurate than boxofficemojo. It may be updated as of June 8, or whatever, but the data with which it is updated is not recent. Showing ST at 111,000,000 Internatinally, as of June 8, which is inaccurate.

 

[MvRojo]

However, only the UK and South Korea report numbesr as recent as May 24. Every other reporting country is lagging a week or two behind that and several large countries are not even listed, yet: China and Japan among them,

The boxofficemojo charts are not up-to-date. But the $101.3 million total listed at the UIP site has the latest data as of this past weekend (including first weekend in Japan):

http://www.uip-boxoffice.com/boxweb.nsf

That site is no more acccurate than boxofficemojo. It may be updated as of June 8, or whatever, but the data with which it is updated is not recent. Showing ST at 111,000,000 Internatinally, as of June 8, which is inaccurate.

The total went up a little more than $6 million which was what Variety reported the film made this weekend internationally, so it looks right to me.

What should the total be then if UIP's site isn't accurate?

 

[Cyrus]

That site is no more acccurate than boxofficemojo. It may be updated as of June 8, or whatever, but the data with which it is updated is not recent. Showing ST at 111,000,000 Internatinally, as of June 8, which is inaccurate.

I didn't say boxofficemojo is not accurate, it's just not up-to-date. The UIP (which is company owned by Paramount and several other studios for overseas distribution of movies) site now shows 111,960,224 which is same number reported by Variety & The Hollywood Reporter yesterday. So it's definitely accurate and up-to-date. boxofficemojo is still showing the 101 million that UIP was showing last week.

 

[Steven Of Nine]

That site is no more acccurate than boxofficemojo. It may be updated as of June 8, or whatever, but the data with which it is updated is not recent. Showing ST at 111,000,000 Internatinally, as of June 8, which is inaccurate.

I didn't say boxofficemojo is not accurate, it's just not up-to-date. The UIP (which is company owned by Paramount and several other studios for overseas distribution of movies) site now shows 111,960,224 which is same number reported by Variety & The Hollywood Reporter yesterday. So it's definitely accurate and up-to-date. boxofficemojo is still showing the 101 million that UIP was showing last week.

A month after the film leaves theatres the numbers will probably be accurate. Those are the most recent numbers available, and foreign reportage is not as accurate or timely as US numbers.

Nice $8 M this weekend, and still above Terminator. Woot!

 

[Fish1941]

Still above TERMINATOR? Too bad. It doesn't deserve to be.

 

[Borgminister]

No, it doesn't. It deserves to be above Land of the Lost. But give it a week...

 

[Australis]

So, if we go with one option discussed elsewhere, that the next film being a remake ofDoomsday Machione, and stick Hanks in the big chair on the other ship, it should be huge beyond huge, yes? He is a trek fan, you know.

I'm down with that!

 

[Borgminister]

It would be another sci-fi action flick, that's for sure...

I'd rather see Guardian of Forever, but that's me...

 

[Ovation]

It would be another sci-fi action flick, that's for sure...

I'd rather see Guardian of Forever, but that's me...

NO MORE TIME TRAVEL (for a while at least)

 

[Borgminister]

It would be another sci-fi action flick, that's for sure...

I'd rather see Guardian of Forever, but that's me...

NO MORE TIME TRAVEL (for a while at least)

Yeah, you may be right.

Okay, Mirror Universe then...

 

[Australis]

Actually, I still like the idea I sort of got from pookha or CD (one of those bunny people) abiut the Enterprise saving the Botany Bay from the Doomsday Machine (note: you don't need to know Prime U stuff to get this), which would be actiony in itself, then you'd have Khan trying to steal the Ent while Kirk has to fight battles in the ship and outside the ship. But definitely not Khan by himself.

 

[Trilliam]

Okay, Mirror Universe then...

Oh, please NO!!!!

 

[pookha]

Actually, I still like the idea I sort of got from pookha or CD (one of those bunny people) abiut the Enterprise saving the Botany Bay from the Doomsday Machine (note: you don't need to know Prime U stuff to get this), which would be actiony in itself, then you'd have Khan trying to steal the Ent while Kirk has to fight battles in the ship and outside the ship. But definitely not Khan by himself.

no no in the teaser the doomsday machine eats the botany bay.
now someone else suggested the other stuff.

 

[Zeppster]

It wouldn't be a bad idea for Abrams to get a foreign screenwriter to help Orci and Kurtzman with sequel. Someone with Science fiction as their forte. Just wondering hasn't all screenwriters and directors with Trek films been Americans?.

Orci was born in Mexico City, father a Mexican citizen and his mother an immigrant from Cuba. He didn't come to the US (Texas - practically a foreign country itself) until he was 10, and thus could not have become an American citizen until some years later. He's been a Trek fan since he was introduced to it as a child by his Cuban uncle.

Shatner is Canadian by birth. (TFF)

Stuart Baird is British. (Nemesis)

Spiner is from Texas. (see above)

There may be other non-Americans, but I didn't feel like making a project out of it.

As far as actors.

James Doohan is Canadian, Patrick Stewart is British, so is Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton was born in Germany, but his dad was a career army officer so that doesn't count. If you count Texas, Michael Dorn is also from Texas.

 

[DevilEyes]

People tend to forget the history Star Trek has had outside the US. I can only speak with any certainty about Germany (which is one of those countries where the film is doing relatively well) but here, ST was initially sold by the network as a children's show. It only aired on afternoons, often heavily edited, and was dubbed in a way that made most episodes play like comedies. Also it was called "Raumschiff Enterprise" whereas the film series was called "Star Trek" which I suppose prevented identification with the show... for better or worse.

Some of these perceptions may still hold for many people. They remember seeing TOS in the 70s or 80s, and seeing as that they didn't take it seriously then, why would they pay money to see something like it now? I imagine for those people going to see Star Trek at the movies is akin to someone proposing to me seeing a Power Rangers film. (Or Transformers, for that matter )

I imagine in other non-US countries these preconceptions are similar, but only stronger. So maybe someone can enlighten us on the history of TOS in, say, France (where NEM for example wasn't even released theatrically) or Asia?

Well, I can't talk about other countries, all I know is that here in Serbia, or at least Belgrade, I know lots of people who love Star Trek, some are middle-aged people who watched TOS in the 1970s when it was on, some younger people who grew up on TNG (I first saw it when I was still in primary school) and have watched TNG, DS9, VOY or ENT - which have all aired on various Croatian and Serbian TV channels in the last few years... then there are SF fans who love Trek in general...TOS and TNG movies were also shown on TV quite a few times. I also know people who are not Trek fans, but were very interested in the movie after seeing the trailer. I also know lots of younger people who watch Heroes (it's amazing how popular the show is even though it's never been on any of the local TV channels - nowadays people with computers just download it all!) and love Quinto as Sylar.
But - I have no clue how the movie did (probably not bad compared to most - since people here rarely go to the cinema - it is much cheaper to download movies or get them from friends who have downloaded them...) - but one thing I do know is, the publicity was really poor. Some casual Trek fans I know were not even aware that the movie existed,then they did not know that it was in cinemas before I told them. Now, I don't know if that is the case with other countries, although one guy on IMDB said that the publicity was poor in Spain, too.