Bandslam

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  • Directed By: Todd Graff
  • Written By: Todd Graff, Josh A. Cagan
  • Release Date: August 14, 2009
  • Domestic Distributor: Summit
  • Cast: Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Lisa Kudrow

Box Office Info:
Budget: $20 million Financed by: Walden Media; Summit
Domestic Box Office: $5,210,988 Overseas Box Office: $7,014,035


The budget for Bandslam was a modest $20 million and it was co-financed between Walden Media and Summit, which also handled overseas sales to distributors.  The sales and financing shingle turned US distributor also handled the domestic release.  Despite landing decent reviews, Bandslam would be done in by an atrocious marketing campaign by Summit.  Co-chairmen Rob Freidman insisted Bandslam be marketed like a derivative High School Musical knockoff, which targeted youngsters instead of teens and worked against the film.  A Summit insider who was appalled by the campaign called it “death by marketing.

Bandslam bowed against District 9, The Time Traveler’s Wife, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard and Ponyo.  It opened to some of the worst numbers on record with $2,231,273 — placing outside the top 10 at #13 when District 9 led the weekend.  After alienating most audiences from Summit’s misguided ad spend, Bandslam sank 61.5% in its second frame to $858,829 and was then yanked out of all but 207 theaters.  The domestic run closed with only $5,210,988.  Summit would see returned about $2.8M after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which barely puts a dent in the P&A spend.

Bandslam didn’t fare much better overseas, grossing $7M across numerous distributors.  It went straight to video in Germany and Russia and a handful of smaller markets.

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