Entourage
Rate Movie[Total: 10 Average: 2.5]
- Directed By: Doug Ellin
- Written By: Doug Ellin
- Release Date: June 3, 2015
- Domestic Distributor: Warner Bros
- Cast: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jeremy Piven
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $33.3 million | Financed by: Warner Bros; Rat-Pac Dune |
|---|---|
| Domestic Box Office: $32,363,404 | Overseas Box Office: $16,900,000 |
Talk of an Entourage movie began in 2008, after another HBO series Sex and the City successfully made the jump to the big screen. About 16 months after the Entourage finale, HBO’s corporate sibling Warner Bros gave the film a greenlight — then salary disputes from the cast almost derailed the project.
Jeremy Piven was paid $5M and the rest of the cast began prolonged negotiations to get a bump in pay. Negotiations dragged along for nearly a year, which was getting very close to the mandated production start date. WB had secured the Entourage production a California tax rebate and the credit was contingent on a January 2014 production start. In October 2013, producer Mark Wahlberg told TMZ that the Entourage movie would start filming “As soon as them guys stop being so greedy.” Adrian Grenier publicly responded, “I will sign any deal that gives ALL the boys an opportunity to share in the upside of success EQUALLY.” The boys did not land equal Piven pay, but they were given $2M with backend perks and this failed project moved forward.
WB initially wanted to keep the net costs under $30M, but the production came in slightly over. The final gross budget for Entourage was $39.1M and after a $5.8M rebate, the net budget was $33.3 million. WB’s slate financing partner Rat-Pac Dune provided a minority investment into the picture. It was first dated for June 12, 2015 and then moved up to a Wednesday release on June 3. WB had hopes to launch a sequel and aided the release with a blockbuster sized marketing blitz. The studio spent $40.6 million on TV ads (as per iSpotTV) and after other traditional means of advertising and distribution expenses, the domestic P&A costs reached a ridiculously high amount of at least $60M. With that amount of marketing coin allotted to this mid-budget stinker, WB clearly was under the impression that Entourage would have Sex and the City breakout potential, as that picture pulled in $415.2M globally.
Entourage did have some signs of life in pre-release tracking, which was pointing to a 5-day debut north of $20M. It bowed against Spy and Insidious Chapter 3. It would also have some audience overlap with WB’s San Andreas, which was released just 5 days prior. Critics panned the movie, but Entourage fans showed up for Tues late night showings, which pulled in a strong $2 million. The movie was frontloaded from fans of the series and disappointed with $17,668,088 for the 5-day cume and $10,283,250 for the 3-day weekend numbers. Entourage then sank 59.3% to $4,186,984 in its second frame and then plunged 54% to $1,927,183 in its third session and then promptly lost most of its theater count. The domestic run closed with $32,363,404.
Entourage was a non-performer overseas, where it grossed $16.9M. The worldwide total was $49.2M. WB would see returned about $27M after theaters take their percentage of the gross — leaving tens of millions worth of global P&A costs in the red and the budget at a loss.