Can Clarius Entertainment Survive in Film Industry After 'Legends of Oz' Flop?
Over the weekend Clarius Entertainment launched as a new distributor when it released its first film "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" in a number of theaters.
However, things did not go as planned and the film flopped. "Legends of Oz" launched in 2,575 theaters and made a total of $3.7 million. It became the seventh worst opening for films that opened in more than 2,500 theaters and amounted to a total per theater average of $1,443. The reason for the movie's unsatisfactory opening was because the company gave it a light marketing push, it had no recognizable stars and the effects looked too childlike to attract adult audiences.
The failure of Clarius' first film is not a surprise as many new distributors need a couple of films to have a real hit and half the time they start off with a safe film. For instance last year A24 launched with "A Glimpse in the Mind of Charles Swan." The film entered the marketplace in two theaters and ended up making a total of $45,350 by the end of its run. However, the company eventually took off with "Spring Breakers" and "The Spectacular Now." On a bigger scale, Open Road launched in 2011 with "Killer Elite" and that film only made a modest $25 million. The distributor continues to release a number of films each year and in 2014 it finally scored its biggest success with "The Nut Job" which made $64 million.
However, a number of new distributors have gradually disappeared. In 2009, Apparition started releasing Indie films but had to shut down because it was not producing enough hits. The company ended up releasing six films, with "The Young Victoria" being its highest grossing picture. Another distributor that disappeared was Film District, which was known for releasing four to eight films a year. The company opened in 2011 and released 14 movies. The distributor's films were eventually released by Focus Features.
Clarius' website currently states that the company "is a feature film acquisition, marketing, and distribution company based in Los Angeles. The company mounts strategic theatrical marketing and distribution campaigns in North America for film projects selected to receive P&A funding from sister company Clarius Capital Group, LLC."
Additionally the company is comprised of film veterans who have been responsible for releasing high grossing movies at the box office.
Clarius has two more films scheduled for this year and those might have a better chance at success. In July, the company will unveil "And So it Goes" with Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton. The movie is directed by Rob Reiner and tells the story of a self-centered realtor who enlists the help of his neighbor when he is left in charge of his granddaughter. The film has a number of positives going for it including the fact that Reiner directed it. Based the director's latest commercial fare (which includes "The Bucket List" and "When Harry Met Sally") this could be a hit. The company is already utilizing the two aforementioned titles in its marketing campaign to build brand recognition. Both of those movies went on to gross more than $90 million at the box office and have continued to do successful business on DVD and home video. The company will also bring the movie into the marketplace a few months after Douglas' last hit "Last Vegas" which performed exceptionally well. Additionally it could also bank on the fact that many recent films with veteran actors have surpassed expectations at the box office. For example, "Last Vegas" made about $63 million, which was far more than CBS films expected while "Hope Springs" with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones made an outstanding $63 million for Sony. Clarius just released the trailer to the movie, which indicates that it has higher hopes for "And So it Goes" and that its campaign will be stronger.
The company will release a third film entitled "Before I Go to Sleep." The movie stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong and it tells the story of a woman who wakes up every day and remembers nothing as a result of an accident in her past. The film could be a much trickier sell because of the subject matter and because none of the actors are box office draws. This year has already seen Firth and Kidman together in "The Railway Man." That movie has disappointed at the box office and that could be a sign of how this upcoming drama could perform. However, if the movie scores good reviews and goes to the festival circuit, it could be a huge hit.
Clarius Entertainment is heading over to the Cannes Film festival this month and the company's release schedule could have a sudden shift if its picks up any films. The company has a long road ahead if it wants to survive in the industry.
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