Repo Men
Rate Movie[Total: 7 Average: 2.3]
- Directed By: Miguel Sapochnik
- Written By: Garrett Lerner, Eric Garcia
- Release Date: March 19, 2010
- Domestic Distributor: Universal
- Cast: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $32 million | Financed by: Universal; Relativity; Scion Films |
|---|---|
| Domestic Gross: $13,794,835 | Overseas Gross: $4,615,056 |
Repo Men was rushed into production back in 2007 to beat an impending strike and then was shelved by Universal for over two years. Production was financed by Universal and Relativity Media for $32 million. Additional coin came from Scion Films, which was a UK investment company that set up a now illegal tax scheme fund, that had wealthy Brits invest for an immediate tax write-off and then able to collect future revenue. The fund was a massive money loser that lost most of those greedy individuals their investment and lawsuits are still being filled as of 2018.
After collecting dust (and interest costs) in the Universal vault, Repo Men was eventually dated for March 19, 2010 and was another left over from ex-Chairman Marc Shmuger’s terrible run at Universal, which the new administration inherited. Repo Men was also carelessly positioned just one week after another delayed Universal disaster Green Zone opened — which also was a co-production with Relativity. Repo Men received awful reviews and bowed against The Bounty Hunter (which was another Relativity co-production) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
It was tracking to open near $15 million, but flopped with just $6,126,170 — placing a distant #4 when holdover Alice In Wonderland led the box office. Repo Men fell 50.9% in its second weekend to $3,010,515 and then took an 80.9% nosedive in its third frame to $576,180. The domestic run closed after just 5 weeks with a poor $13,794,835.
After the terrible stateside run, Universal gave Repo Men a small rollout overseas to just $4.6 million. The pic went straight to video in Italy and most smaller markets. The worldwide cume was $18.4M and Universal would see returned about 10.1M after theaters take their percentage of the gross — far below their P&A expenses and the budget would be all red ink.