By Ryan Parsons | Image property of respective holders
The Karate Kid
Coming in far above expectations, Sony Pictures has found a hit in their sort-of remake of The Karate Kid. Though not even the correct martial art, the film still managed to yank in an impressive $56 million.
Box Office Winner: The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid and The A-Team may have gone head to head at the box office this weekend, it was another competitor, the World Cup, that might have hurt both film's numbers the most. Even with the distraction of good weather and soccer matches across the globe, The Karate Kid doubled The A-Team's $26 million.
The two film's helped boost the weekend box office up 10% over the same frame last year, but neither studio was willing to risk releasing the film's overseas just yet. Kid only opened in six territories other than the US while The A-Team tried its luck with 35.
Sony had a feeling that their remake's pull of parents who enjoyed the original film may boost numbers up a bit. "We felt like we had a real shot to overperform, but to get this number, it really shows the strength of the film," said Sony distrib topper Rory Bruer. "It's a film that plays to everyone."
Considering that The Karate Kid had a budget of $40 million, Sony can't help but already contemplate a sequel.
The A-Team, on the other hand, fell in line with 20th Century Fox's expectations. The film mostly drew audiences over the age of 25, though it played best with the younger part of that demographic.
"I think overall the movie is going to play well, particularly among the young people who may or may not be familiar with the original," said Fox senior VP of domestic distribution Chris Aronson.
I for one greatly enjoyed The A-Team. Haven't caught The Karate Kid yet, as the film's extended running time just didn't fit into my schedule last week.
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