Universal’s Despicable Me 2 is already proving to be the dominate film at the box office this Fourth of July weekend, earning an estimated $30 million on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Disney’s The Lone Ranger is failing to live up to expectations with only a $11 million to $12 million take on opening day.
Industry analyst have calculated that if both films remain on the same trend, Despicable Me 2 could earn up to $120 million over the 5-day weekend while The Lone Ranger may earn between $50 million to $60 million range. If the film earns less than $55 million then Disney is looking at a disastrous situation on hand. The Lone Ranger cost an epic $250 million to film, and unless the film performs exceptionally overseas, Disney may have a repeat of last year’s John Carter.
On the flip side, Universal’s Despicable Me 2 cost a relatively low $76 million to produce and has already earned a fantastic $48 million in only seven territories. The film’s predecessor, 2010’s Despicable Me, cost only $69 million to make and grossed over $543 million worldwide.
Part of the reason for The Lone Ranger‘s downfall may be due to the film’s PG-13. The film is definitely not a kid’s movie and is one of the most violent Disney films I’ve ever seen. While I thoroughly enjoyed the film, it just doesn’t have the mass appeal family factor that Despicable Me 2 has. Also, westerns have typically failed at the box office in recent years, a lesson Disney learned the hard way with their futuristic western film John Carter. So, unless Johnny Depp and Pirates of the Caribbean fans begin to come to the theater in droves, history is doomed to repeat itself.
