The Scene

Can 'Glee Live! 3D!' Conquer the Summer Box Office?

Published on Tuesday, May 10 2011
Written by Andre Chautard

 

 

1. Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (opened Feb. 1, 2008): $65.3 million

This was the movie that showed that concert films could be a major force at the box office again, shocking the industry with a $31.1 million opening over Super Bowl weekend, despite only playing in 683 theaters. (The inflated ticket prices certainly helped.) It was billed as a limited two-week run, but was quickly extended when it proved to be such a colossal hit -- or was that the plan all along, and the two-week thing was just a marketing gimmick? Don't be surprised if Glee Live! 3D! gets extended as well.

 

 

2. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (opened Feb. 27, 2009): $19.2 million 

Disney tried to recapture the magic with this concert film of Cyrus' Disney Channel cohorts, even picking a similar release date in February. But the Jo-Bro movie flopped big-time, leaving Disney execs scratching their heads and asking themselves if the Cyrus film was just a fluke.

 

 

3. Michael Jackson's This Is It (opened Oct. 28, 2009): $72.1 million 

OK, this one wasn't only aimed at tweens. This Is It was a way for MJ fans of all ages to mark his passing and celebrate his musical genius. No one knew quite how high This Is It would fly at the box office; it was hurried into theaters just four months after Jackson's death and released somewhat disconcertingly just before Halloween. In the U.S., the film didn't quite reach the blockbuster heights some had predicted, but the whopping $189.1 million in foreign grosses reflected Jackson's iconic status worldwide.

 

 

4. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (opened Feb. 11, 2011): $73.0 million (and counting)

After the Jo-Bro flame-out, some doubted that "Bieber Fever" would translate to the box office, but the Biebs proved the naysayers wrong, edging ahead of both the Cyrus and Jackson films in U.S. grosses. As Bieber would say, "Never say never!"

 

So, how do you think Glee Live! 3D! will stack up?  Place your bets now!

 

- Andre Chautard, YH Staff