Chasing Mavericks

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  • Directed By: Michael Apted, Curtis Hanson
  • Written By: Kario Salem, Jim Meenaghan, Brandon Hooper
  • Release Date: October 26, 2012
  • Domestic Distributor: FOX
  • Cast: Gerard Butler, Jonny Weston, Elisabeth Shue, Abigail Spencer

Box Office Info:
Budget: $20 million Financed by: Walden Media; FOX
Domestic Box Office: $6,002,756 Overseas Box Office: $2,312,994


The budget for Chasing Mavericks was $20 million and it was co-financed by Walden Media and FOX.  It was released in the US by FOX.  Lakeshore handled international sales to distributors.  Director Curtis Hanson fell ill during production and was replaced by Michael Apted for the final 15 days of a 37 day shoot.  This was sadly Hanson’s final directing credit.

Second unit work lasted six months to film 50 foot waves, but an opening and closing sequence of a silhouetted man swimming under water was never filmed.  Gerard Butler and screenwriter Kario Salem brokered a deal with the studio to front the $50,000 one day shoot and if the footage was used, the two would be reimbursed.  They were reimbursed.

Chasing Mavericks was dated for October 26 and opened against Cloud Atlas, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D and Fun Size.  Reviews were mixed and Chasing Mavericks had little buzz going into release, with a $5 million opening predicted.  The film managed to open even worse than Walden/Fox’s previous collaboration just a few weeks prior, Won’t Back Down which at the time of release set the record for worst opening ever in over 2,500 theaters.  Chasing Mavericks avoided such milestones by being released in 2,002 theaters to a disastrous $2,268,274 — which is one of the worst openings in over 2,000 theaters.  The pic placed outside the top 10 at #13 for the weekend led by holdover Argo.  Chasing Mavericks declined 45.8% the following weekend to $1,228,736 and then promptly lost most of its theater count.  The domestic run closed with $6,002,756.  FOX would see returned about $3.3 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which barely dents just the P&A costs.

The many overseas distributors that acquired the picture did not do much in the way of a wide theatrical release and it cumed a mere $2.3 million from its offshore rollout.

A few weeks later, Gerard Butler had his romantic comedy Playing For Keeps flop.

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