Compared to 2011, sequels in general fared better this year, particularly well-received ones...
One particular example of my theory was the first of 18 sequels (22 including prequels/continuations such as The Avengers and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Underworld: Awakening. Despite low expectations, the movie managed a $25 million opening and $60 million finish, winding up as the largest-grossing Underworld installment. Overseas was even stronger, with a final worldwide gross of $170 million.
Family action/adventure sequel Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was largely expected to flop, but adding 3D and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson surged the film to a huge $27 million opening and finish north of $100 million, ultimately edging Journey To The Center of the Earth and beating it overseas, with over $300 million worldwide.
One of the duds of all the sequels was superhero flick Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which hasn't been claimed to be a "sequel", but regardless, its' a continuation. Considering Nicholas Cage being box office poison now, the movie was a bomb in the U.S., grossing just north of $50 million in the U.S. after an opening in the low-20's millions. Thank goodness overseas saved it, with over $130 million worldwide.
Another dud in the U.S. was Wrath of the Titans, sequel to 2010's Clash of the Titans. Considering it had a not very well-liked predecessor, the movie ultimately paid the piper with just shy of $85 million domestic, or just over half of its' predecessor. Overseas, while still potent, did get it across $300 million worldwide, but that doesn't make it successful.
Long-awaited continuation American Reunion fared a bit better, but was unable to match its' successful predecessors. On a budget of $50 million, its' $55 million gross made it a push, but was nowhere near its' predecessors. However, another classic case of overseas saving the day, it was a blockbuster internationally, with the worldwide gross passing $230 million.
We all know how The Avengers lit the box office on fire. But a more classic sequel example is long-awaited threequel Men in Black III, which managed a $70 million four-day opening. Although it wound up with $180 million (the least-grossing installment domestically), it did gangbusters overseas, with over $440 million overseas, for a worldwide tally of over $600 million, the biggest of the franchise by far and ranking as the 9th-biggest movie of 2012.
June 8 brought battles of series continuations, and both were winners by the end. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted was widely expected to only earn respectable numbers, and lower numbers than its' predecessors due to the bad track record of family sequels in 2011. But zero competition for months for kids drove the threequel to a huge $60 million opening, and even saw strong word-of-mouth, guiding it to a finish near $220 million, becoming DreamWorks Animation's biggest-grossing non-Shrek film since How To Train Your Dragon. Ridley Scott attacked long-awaited Alien prequel Prometheus, which saw a $50 million opening and $125 million finish. It also managed over $300 million worldwide.
Then we get to heavy-hitters The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises which I already covered yesterday. But in between those two was the other major animated sequel, Ice Age: Continental Drift, which opened to around $45 million, decent for being the third animated movie of the summer. Unfortunately, it would be the lowest-grossing installment of the franchise, at $160 million. But, it did retain much of its' three predecessors' total gross better than Kung Fu Panda 2 and Cars 2 did last summer. Plus, it was an international phenomenon, earning over $700 million overseas, and close to $900 million worldwide.
Also opening in July was dance fourquel Step Up: Revolution, which only managed a $35 million domestic gross, the least-grossing entry yet. However, it did manage to earn nearly $150 million worldwide. August was a slower month, bringing Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, The Bourne Legacy and The Expendables 2. All three fell short of their respective predecessors, with the middle one lacking its' previous movies' star (Matt Damon), and despite the latter adding extra cast. However, Wimpy Kid 3 did retain majority of its' predecessors' gross and ended up topping them overseas. Legacy managed to earn more worldwide than two of its' predecessors, and Expendables 2 earned over $300 million worldwide.
Resident Evil: Retribution wasn't as successful as majority of the other films in the franchise, with a $21 million opening and $45 million finish. But it did become the second-most successful film in the franchise worldwide, with over $220 million collected. On the other hand, Paranormal Activity 4 earned only half of its' predecessor's gross, with the opening just shy of $30 million and finish just shy of $55 million. But it did earn near $150 million worldwide. Faring even worse was Silent Hill: Revelation, which added 3D and released six years after its' successful predecessor. It earned just $15 million domestically and near $50 million worldwide.
And that leads us to the heavy-hitters Skyfall, The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn: Part II and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The former is doing gangbusters business, becoming the biggest James Bond movie in history, while Twilight is looking to have its' final installment finish just shy of $300 million (second-biggest in franchise domestically, highest-grossing internationally) and Hobbit is looking to do the same (falling short of Lord of the Rings trilogy in both aspects).
