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

[Roald]

Though the film is doing great in the US, only 29.5 % of its entire box office gross comes from overseas... That's ridiculously low I think.... I know ST has a really, REALLY bad stigma to overcome, but the DVD sales are great overseas, so why is the film doing so badly. Someone once claimed that the international public tends to g for more intellectual films instead of the big hollywood action blockbusters, but that's not true. Wolverine has almost 48% overseas gross, and Fast & Furious even 54%!

I think it's a bad thing.... I know a sequel will come, but I guess Paramount will lose some faith in the franchise when it comes to international interest...

 

[indranee]

we've already had a thread discussing this, I think. my answer, IIRC, was that Trek is too "American" in its flavor and execution. I'm probably wrong. there are, I'm sure, other, more valid reasons.

 

[Jax]

First STAR TREK is doing better than a lot of movies worldwide but yes for a sumer blockbuster it might look slow. Its not opened everywhere and remember STAR TREK has made more than any other TREK film worldwide before so that shows what a task it faced to begin with...

Star Trek will easily break $100 million worldwide and will settle most likely between $125 million-$150 million for a final WW total and that will go along with the $220-250 domestic total. A very good total in the end

 

[Tentacle]

we've already had a thread discussing this, I think. my answer, IIRC, was that Trek is too "American" in its flavor and execution. I'm probably wrong. there are, I'm sure, other, more valid reasons.

No you are not wrong.

 

[BigC]

Because Europeans hate any thing with U.S.S. atached to it.

 

[smosquito]

Well it's doing badly because it's a bad movie?

 

[Eddie Roth]

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?

 

[Jax]

The title terribly in the thread is misleading and wrong.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Though the film is doing great in the US, only 29.5 % of its entire box office gross comes from overseas...

ST was sold out at the IMAX Sydney yesterday! It's doing really, really well.

Keep in mind that Australia's population is tiny compared to the USA. More people are seeing it here per capita, IIRC. And it's not really even our movie-going season. December and January are in our long school holidays.

 

[A_C_C]

Here, on Spain, while the situation is a little better than in Germany, Trek is seen by non-trekkers as another vintage sci-fi series (there is a singer who said that she is a fan of Star Trek, because it's kitsch). the TOS movies are a little better considered, but I don't remember the last time that a mainstream spanish TV network showed a Star Trek movie. There are reruns of the TV series on local and regional TV stations, and that is. Probably the last Trek movie that most of the public is aware of is either ST IV or First Contact.

 

[Jefferies]

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?

I disagree, I have lived most of my life in Germany and my impression has always been that Star Trek is fairly respected and popular there when compared for example to the UK or France. It has also been constantly broadcast for over 20 years without any extended periods where there wasn't some incarnation of Trek in syndication. Fine my "crowd" tended to be people with higher education backgrounds so maybe that has scewed my view. But I don't really think the majority percieve Star Trek (not just TOS) as children's TV (but I agree the dubbing is gawd damn awful). There are those of course who don't like it or even detest it and its not free of stigma but that has more to do with associations of geekiness rather then a reputation for being juvinile. But again I would argue that this stigma is weaker than in the anglo saxon countries. Also I always had the impression that the main stream press and especially the quality newspapers held it in high regard. For example if you read the science and technology sections of these newspapers you will come across Trek references fairly often. Also they tend to have articles in their culture section for Star Trek anniversaries like when it turned 40 or when Nimoy turned 70 and obituaries for DeKelley, Dohan, Barret etc.

 

[stargirl]

I can't say much for how TOS was recieved here in Australia (I wasn't born at that point), but I know that DS9, VOY and ENT were all shelved to after midnight slots on tv here, if they were shown at all (usually replaced by sports of some kind and the missed episodes were never repeated). And since I can remember, repeats of TOS or TNG have never, ever been shown on free to air tv, which is what the majority of people have access to. No one seems to care too much about Star Trek, the times I've gone and seen the movie the place has been mostly empty- even when I went on opening night to a popular cinema it was only half full! Its just not something we've been exposed to here, at all My family and I are pretty much the only people I know who love it!

 

[Roald]

The title terribly in the thread is misleading and wrong.

Since it's a subjective word, it can't be 'wrong', but you can think it is though...

Didn't intend to mislead or anything, I've just noticed that when you want your topic to get some attention, you have to use extremes sometimes... It may not justify it, but it explains it a little I guess... Of course, I could have titled it: 'Why is the film making less overseas compared to the domestic gross or other similar titles?'

 

[Eddie Roth]

Yes, "kitsch" or "camp" is the key word here. I found it amazing how many people I have talked to here who saw the film and in the vast majority liked it a lot expressed that they would rather see another TNG film. This is certainly not representative seeing as that the film is doing better everywhere than the last few ST films, but for many people about my age, around thirty or under, Star Trek seems to be identified a lot more with Picard & co. than Kirk and Spock these days. TOS, maybe because of the strange dubbing it received is seen as the "weird uncle" in the Star Trek family of shows. Many of those who don't shun TOS based on that like it precisely FOR being supposedly "weird".

 

[Jefferies]

Yes, "kitsch" or "camp" is the key word here. I found it amazing how many people I have talked to here who saw the film and in the vast majority liked it a lot expressed that they would rather see another TNG film. This is certainly not representative seeing as that the film is doing better everywhere than the last few ST films, but for many people about my age, around thirty or under, Star Trek seems to be identified a lot more with Picard & co. than Kirk and Spock these days. TOS, maybe because of the strange dubbing it received is seen as the "weird uncle" in the Star Trek family of shows. Many of those who don't shun TOS based on that like it precisely FOR being supposedly "weird".

I think you are right people seem to prefer 24th century Trek in Germany, which might explain Voyager's popularity there. Also, most I have spoken to aren't too fond of the idea of going back in time for this new movie.

 

[aloha62]

from what i have seen here in the UK the new movie has gained lot of support and has made trek more popular as a whole but its only one step to overcoming decades of poor movies and tv series that made the trek universe ever more niche and frankly embarrising at times.

it may not be doing awesome financially here but for making trek more popular its doing a great job.

 

[Deckerd]

The UK box office puts Star Trek still at number 2.

Linky

I think for a lot of countries it will be a slow burner since it's mostly word of mouth that's keeping it going now. It's an impressive performance nonetheless, so far only beaten by Monsters vs Aliens, which has had longer to accumulate.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I can't say much for how TOS was recieved here in Australia (I wasn't born at that point)

ST was a moderate Australian success for the Nine Network in first-run in the 60s, and they virtually ignored it until color TV was introduced in 1975. About ten eps were selected to be aired in primetime, and TAS was rerun in popular breakfast TV slots.

The rights to TOS switched to the Seven Network in the lead-up to ST II's cinema release, and TOS was thus run in prime time, and for the first time the whole series in color, and in production order. Then it went to repeats on weekends: the 40 eps that were rated "G", anyway.

but I know that DS9, VOY and ENT were all shelved to after midnight slots on tv here

And there's a reason for that. Because Paramount in USA did a deal with CIC-Taft Home Video to release TNG on sell-thru video in Australasia. Seven had first option to run the series on the air in Australia, but they had to agree to a "12 month video holdback", to give the shops plenty of time to make their profits on the two-eps-per-tape monthly VHS releases. While US had first-run eps on TV, we were getting sell-thru videos! Seven refused to buy TNG because they doubted enough people would watch after a one-year wait, and the rights reverted to Nine. Nine did try about six episodes in prime time, but the ratings kept falling, but then they found that, at 10.30pm, TNG always won its timeslot - which was perfect for selling commercial time to advertisers: a guaranteed success!

DS9, VOY and ENT all ran in late-night timeslots and, here in Sydney, no episodes were left out, although they were often pre-empted, and you may have just missed the rescheduling. But even so, the eps were already out on sell-thru, so ratings were never going to be hard.

No one seems to care too much about Star Trek, the times I've gone and seen the movie the place has been mostly empty- even when I went on opening night to a popular cinema it was only half full!

I take it you don't live in Sydney, and you also definitely weren't at IMAX on Sunday, where the sessions were all SOLD OUT!

 

[intrinsical]

Over the past two decades, mainstream television in Singapore has only aired TNG seasons 1-3 and Enterprise seasons 1-2 after midnight on Wednesdays. So basically, Singaporeans and many in Asia have simply never been exposed to Star Trek the way Americans and Europeans have. People here routinely label everything Trek as Star Wars and I have gotten wierd looks when I mention my love for Star Trek. "Star what? You mean Star Wars?"

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I can't say much for how TOS was recieved here in Australia (I wasn't born at that point), but I know that DS9, VOY and ENT were all shelved to after midnight slots on tv here, if they were shown at all (usually replaced by sports of some kind and the missed episodes were never repeated). And since I can remember, repeats of TOS or TNG have never, ever been shown on free to air tv, which is what the majority of people have access to. No one seems to care too much about Star Trek, the times I've gone and seen the movie the place has been mostly empty- even when I went on opening night to a popular cinema it was only half full! Its just not something we've been exposed to here, at all My family and I are pretty much the only people I know who love it!

I've seen it three times in Melbourne. Opening day (first showing) in a Hoyts, I guess there was about 15 people. Next two times there were about 35 people and then 9 people (3 of whom came with me).

The 35 figure was for a Sat night. Pretty abysmal. Thank God for Foxtel, at least a few more people have seen Trek.