NEXT

Next

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  Genre(s): Sci-Fi | Action

• Directed By: Lee Tamahori
• Written By: Gary Goldman, Jonathan Hensleigh, Paul Bernbaum
• Release Date: April 27, 2007
• Domestic Distributor: Paramount
• Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel
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Box Office Info:

Budget: $78.1 million	Financed by: Revolution Studios
Domestic Gross: $18,211,013	Overseas Gross: $57,855,828

Next was developed at Joe Roth’s Revolution Studios and in 2005, before production began, Roth temporarily put the project on hold because the original $85 million budget gave him pause.  Revolution’s box office track record was spotty at best and the company had just suffered through the expensive fiasco XXX: State Of The Union (also directed by Lee Tamahori) and Roth wanted a partner to share the financial risk.  IEG Virtual Studios boarded the project to sell the international rights, which would partially cover Revolution’s exposure to the expensive budget, which came in at $78.1 million (actual budget was listed after Revolution was put up for sale and their film library budgets were posted).

Next was originally going to be funded and distributed through Revolution’s financing slate agreement with Sony, in which the studio would contribute 42.5% of the budget and 100% of the marketing costs.  Joe Roth had landed one of the greatest studio deals ever with Sony, who had more to lose on each project than Revolution — and he had originally envisioned his company making filmmaker friendly fare with A-listers and then squandered Revolution’s reserves on mostly lousy movies like Next.  Just days after the XXX sequel tanked, Sony made it clear that they would not continue with the Revolution arrangement, which was set to expire at the end of 2006.

Sony had dated Next for September 28, 2006 but pushed the picture into 2007 and then dropped the movie in January.  Sony also announced they would not renew their contract with Revolution and Joe Roth closed down his film producing division at the end of 2007.   Next was shopped around and Paramount picked up US rights.  This disposable nonsense was treated as such and dated for April 27, 2007 — one week before Spider-Man 3 opened, which would suck the air out of the box office the following weekend.  Other studios also unloaded their garbage during the quiet weekend and Next was competing for scraps with The Invisible, The Condemned and Kickin’ It Old Skool.

Even with modest tracking at around $10 million, Next was expected to win the weekend, but it pulled in a poor $7,133,049 — placing #3 for the weekend, led by Paramount’s release of Dreamworks’ Disturbia.  Next sank 59.5% to $2,892,335 in its second frame and the domestic run closed with a terrible $18,211,013.  Paramount would see returned about $10.1 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, leaving over $20M of P&A expenses in the red.

Overseas, the picture pulled in mediocre to poor numbers across numerous distributors and grossed $57.8 million.  Spain posted the strongest gross with a respectable $7.1 million and Paramount distributed in Australia to a disastrous $593,952.  Paramount also distributed in director Lee Tamahori’s home country New Zealand to $102,873.