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After Further Review, Racer Finishes Third

by brian on May 12th, 2008

If this were NASCAR, Team Racer might have earned a suspension for this weekend’s antics. Variety reports Warner Bros. big budget adaptation of Speed Racer got its widely publicized second-place finish by the studio fudging its numbers.

Racer actually pulled in $18.6 million, putting it in third place at the weekend box-office behind Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz’s comedy What Happens in Vegas. Rival studios were very skeptical of the $20 million number when Warner released it. To pull $20 million, it would have needed strong viewership on Sunday, which was Mother’s Day. Did you take your mom to see Speed Racer Sunday? Didn’t think so.

Why do companies do this? To save a little bit of face. All the Monday morning stories (including mine) listed Racer as the second-place film over the weekend. Of course, even at the inflated number they all pointed out how big a disappointment the film was. The special effects spectacle cost an estimated $120 million to make and it’s rumored Warner Bros. spent another $100 million promoting it.

Taking in less than $20 million its opening weekend and drawing almost universally bad reviews, Racer will be lucky to pull $50 million during its run. Warner execs hope it will have legs as a family flick but it will have heavy competition in that market. The Chronicles of Narnia:Prince Caspian will likely be the destination film for families this weekend and after that, the new Indiana Jones sequel hits.

© 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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