Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

  • Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World box office
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    [Total: 54 Average: 4.4]
  • Directed By: Edgar Wright
  • Written By: Michael Bacall, Edgar Wright
  • Release Date: August 13, 2010
  • Domestic Distributor: Universal
  • Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alison Pill, Kieran Culkin

Box Office Info:
Budget: $60 million Financed by: Universal; Relativity
Domestic Box Office: $31,524,275 Overseas Box Office: $16,140,284

“Scott Pilgrim, I think, was actually kind of a good movie.  But none of you guys went! And you didn’t tell your friends to go! But, you know, it happens.”
–Universal President Ron Meyer

scott pilgrim vs the world 2010
Universal acquired the big screen rights to the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley when the first installment was published in 2004.  The studio courted Edgar Wright, who had just directed his first feature Shaun of the Dead (2004) and he signed onto the project.  Wright was committed to helm Hot Fuzz (2007) before Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and eventually development and casting began to move forward in 2008.

The budget for Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World was $60 million after Canadian tax rebates and Universal financed with a small amount of capital from Relativity Media.    Scott Pilgrim was one of the many movies that led to Universal Pictures Chairman Marc Shmuger being fired in October 2009 after a string of flops, including DuplicityLand of the LostFunny People and the completely irresponsible budgets for the as of yet to be released The Wolfman, Robin Hood, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and Green Zone.

Universal dated Scott Pilgrim for August 13, 2010 and it bowed against The Expendables and Eat Pray Love.  Despite being well reviewed, the one quadrant marketing was directed at the young male fanboy community and the one demographic Universal tried to court was showing stronger interest in The Expendables.  Tracking was pointing to a soft $15 million opening. 

All of the online hype and Comic-Con fervor over Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World existed in a vacuum and the movie pulled in a troubling $10,609,795 — placing #5 for the weekend led by The Expendables.  Those that showed up gave Scott Pilgrim a strong A- cinemascore, but even with the poor opening numbers, the picture was frontloaded and fell 51% to $5,201,970 in its second frame.  It bombed out of theaters with $31,524,275.

During the overseas release, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World pulled in a disappointing $8.4 million from the UK and was then dumped in most markets.  The overseas cume was just $16.1M.  The worldwide gross was $47.6M and Universal would see returned about $26.1M after theaters take their percentage of the gross — which would leave much of the P&A expenses in the red and the theatrical receipts would not dent the budget.

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