The Replacements

  • the replacements Keanu Reeves box office
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    [Total: 5 Average: 3.4]
  • Directed By: Howard Deutch
  • Written By: Vince McKewin
  • Release Date: August 11, 2000
  • Domestic Distributor: Warner Bros
  • Cast: Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, Orlando Jones, Jon Favreau

Box Office Info:
Budget: $50 million Financed by: Bel-Air Entertainment
Domestic Box Office: $44,737,059 Overseas Box Office: $5,317,452

the replacements 2000
The budget for The Replacements was $50 million and it was financed by Bel-Air Entertainment.   Bel-Air was formed in March 1998 as a 5-year equity partnership between Warner Bros and the French conglomerate Canal Plus and WB retained worldwide rights for the films, except for France, Spain and Germany, which went to Canal.

Bel-Air produced mostly box office flops: Pay It Forward, Sweet November, Proof of Life, Ready To Rumble and Rock Star.  Canal Plus was going to pull out of the arrangement in 2002 — but Bel-air did not even have any films in their pipeline, except the delayed Collateral Damage waiting for a release and the perpetually shelved Chain Of Fools, which was dumped straight to video in 2005.  The company was shuttered.

While Keanu Reeves was ironing out his lucrative contract with Warner Bros for The Matrix sequels, he inked a deal with WB for both The Replacements and the turkey Sweet November.  WB handled distribution duties for The Replacements and dated the movie for August 11, 2000.  The picture tested very well during early screenings and to drum up audience interest and spread word of mouth, the studio held nationwide previews on the two Saturdays before its release.

The Replacements bowed against Autumn in New York and Bless The Child.  Reviews were dreadful and it pulled in a soft $11,039,214 — placing #3 for the slow summer frame led by holdover Hollow Man.  The Replacements declined a modest 34.6% the following weekend to $7,215,305 and continued to post respectable drops in attendance — but the domestic run closed with a disappointing $44,737,059.  A troubling number since the American football theme would have little appeal outside of the states.

The Replacements cumed just $5.3 million from its international run.  The worldwide gross was $50 million and about $27.5 million would be returned after theaters take their percentage of the receipts — which would not even cover P&A costs.

Keanu was back on screens one month later in a supporting role for the dreadful The Watcher and he had a small role in Sam Raimi’s low budget The Gift in December.  His next toplined picture was the flop Sweet November (2001) and then the underperformer Hardball (2001) and then his career was back on track with The Matrix Reloaded (2003).

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  1. This movies better than the negative reviews. Roger Ebert gave it two stars and needed to relate art to a football movie. Lord… The 50 million dollar budget seems a bit much for a popcorn football movie. It at least has a bit more heart then people seem to realize. Most of the football movies are about the industry, or the crazy antics of players off field… Because this one was strongly based no the NFL 87 season, it shows these guys terrified their life is going to go back to normal. And the replacement players were ones who didn’t exactly make it as pro’s. Gene Hackman has that great line, Man You Are, Man You Ought To be… When those two meet… Make for a hell of a football player. It’s a great line. Movies fun, doesn’t take it self too serious… And it’s easy to relate to.

  2. Always loved this movie; WB released it at the wrong time. They shoulda waited until Football season started and promoted it more with Keanu and Hackman it woulda done much better. IMO it’s miles better than Remember the Titans was in terms of enjoyable Football scenes. It wasn’t preachy either it was about having fun.

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