Funny People

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  • Directed By: Judd Apatow
  • Written By: Judd Apatow
  • Release Date: July 31, 2009
  • Domestic Distributor: Universal
  • Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill

Box Office Info:
Budget: $75 million Financed by: Universal; Sony; Relativity
Domestic Gross: $51,855,045 Overseas Gross: $19,730,190


Funny People was budgeted at $75 million, with 50% of the financing coming from Relativity, 25% from Universal and 25% from Sony.  Universal handled distribution in most markets.  Universal Chairman Marc Shmuger and Co-Chairman David Linde not only gave director Judd Apatow final cut on the film, but signed him to a three picture deal the day before the movie opened.  Two months later both Shmuger and Linde were fired with the box office failure of Funny People as one of the many reasons for their departure — as well as a string of Universal flops, including Duplicity, State of Play, Land of the Lost and the out of control budgets for the as of yet to be released The Wolfman and Green Zone.

Funny People was dated for July 31, 2009 and the studio expected an opening between $30 million to $40 million, as they thought the movie had broad 4-quadrant appeal.  Reviews were mixed to lukewarm, most of which criticized the very, very, very long and seemingly endless run time.  Funny People came in below expectations at $22,657,780 — though it did win the weekend box office.  Funny People dropped like a stone in its second weekend 64.8% to $7,986,435 and continued to post huge declines and ended its domestic run with $51,855,045.  It marked another box office disappointment for R rated Adam Sandler fare after Punch-Drunk Love & Reign Over Me and his next restricted picture was That’s My Boy (2012) which bombed horribly.

Overseas, the numbers were a grim $19.7 million, with a $5.9 million gross in Australia as the strongest market.  The worldwide total was $71.5M and Universal would see returned about $39.3M after theaters take their percentage of the gross — leaving a large part of the worldwide ad spend at a loss and the budget in the red.  Apatow Productions had only one other feature released in 2009, which was the flop Year One at Sony.

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