Well, I'll make it short. With plentiful of Kong-ish threads and topics out here, I am all for throwing out something fresh for discussion every now and then.

Here is the Date Movie trailer.

I know that to many of people here it looks really bad, but that hasn't stopped other movies before from breaking out. It think the trailer will work very well for its target audiences who are really not that picky, especially when it comes to comedies. The fact that this movie is spoofing some very recent megahits like Hitch or Wedding Crashers can only help it.

Another thing that is going to help it a lot is the PG-13 rating which effect should not be underestimated. Rememeber how Scary Movie 3 got PG-13 and then opened to $48 million?

The movie itself opens on February 17th with no big comedies around by the time of its release. Failure to Launch will be i its second weekend, but that's more of a romcom. Moreover, Date Movie should actually work not only as a comedy, but also as a big date flick (just check the title).

So, who's in?

I think it's a lock for $30 million.

I'm thinking it'll make around $40 million 3-Day, and $45 million 4-Day, since it's opening on President's Day weekend.

I'll start with the negative. I'm so tired of the fat suit movies. Big Momma's House 2 will force me to avoid watching TV to avoid its commercials for a month.

Now on to the positive, it is a strong trailer, and people love cheesy spoofs like this. It might definitely hurt Scary Movie 4, which comes out 2 months later, and people may feel that they've been there, and done that. I think it could very well do close to $30 m. Not sure if it'll get past it, but approaching it is very possible.

Oh, true! I forgot it's the President's Day weekend! I'll raise the bar a bit now.

Hitch opened to $43 m, and Smith is perhaps the most bankable star around now. I think $35 m is a bit too high, but $30 m is more doable. Even with the long holiday, Failure To Launch should still take some of its audience away.

This movie totally looks like a guilty pleasure. I know it looks stupid, yet at the same time I'm attracted to it. And I love movies that spoof other movies. I probably won't see it in theatres, but I agree that it will likely be a very nice success.

I might have joined the $30 million club you originally had, but $35 mil. is too high I think.

PEACE, Mike.

Then again, Scary Movie 3 did not have any bankable stars and yet opened to $48 million. It's not always about stars.

Then again, if Valentine's Day was, like, during the opening weekend and not on Monday, I think it could have approached $50 million. It made $50 million in four days when you count Valentine's Day. People might have waited 'till Monday.

I'm in, the trailer is very effective.

I'm in. I can see this making 40 million plus and Scary Movie 4 opening at 30+ two months later. People like spoofs, apparently. I'm waiting for the eventual "Fantasy Movie" that could make fun of LOTR, Harry Potter, and Narnia.

Nope, I'm out.

I thought the trailer was funny, but it doesn't scream big hit to me.

I'm thinking about 24 mil opening right now.

Not a chance

Scary Movie formula only works for one movie and thats Scary Movie ( good or bad ) because it's a well established franchise. This will fall much close to Not Another Teen Movie territory then Scary Movie.

Im thinking an opening around 16m-18m. I'll be first to bump this thread.................. to laugh at myself when it does 30m+ NOT!!!!

i agree with you, even though its from the makers of scary movie, i have a feeling this will not work for them! the general public will see it like a sad ripoff of Scary movies.....

At firtst I thought this would be closer to Not Another Teen Movie than Scary Movie. But after seeing the trailer - it looks like it will get a $30+m 4 day weekend and probably a $60-70m total.

Interesting to see Aussie Sophie Monk in the film

Gez she's in CLICK as well, with Adam Sandler.

I reckon she's the most successful reality show reject there is.

(ex Home & Away teen star Christopher Egan is in DATE as well)

Thanks mate. I'll have to check out the Click trailer. She was also handpicked by Blink 182 to be in their "Always" video.
She's the only reality show star from Oz to make it o/s. Thats how i think it will stay too.

You're right that Scary Movie is a well-established franchise now, but when the first one came out, it wasn't a franchise yet, and that one opened to over $40 million.

Yeah, but that was also because it was semi original, and didn't follow a slate of spoofs. Spoofs have been done quite a bit since.

Established or not, Scary Movie 3 opened with more than twice as much as Scary Movie 2.

Just off the top of my head the only spoof movies that did well are the Jerry Zucker films like Airplane, Naked Gun and Scary Movie 3 and the non Zucker one Scary Movie. Spoof movies like Men in Tights, Hot Shots, Top Secret, I Wanna Get yo0u Sucka didnt set the world on fire. I highly doubt this movie will too unless probably Zucker is attached to it

I know it will. I'm actually thinking it has a good chance at beating Hitch's opening. The trailer was laugh-a-minute fun and very hard to forget.

Let's see...

1. It's got a hilarious trailer.

2. It does mention that it's related to Scary Movie, which, like Roid said, is an established franchise.

3. It's being released around Valentine's Day, the perfect time to release a romantic-comedy (spoof).

4. It's coming out on President's Day weekend.

5. Competition is not an issue. The only teen-aimed film before Date Movie is Final Destination 3, which should do well in its first weekend, but won't hold up well into its second weekend to be an issue. Eight Below and Freedomland aren't direct.

Hmm. Just because Zucker isn't attached to this project (and I doubt it'd make a difference - it's not like teens know who the hell he is) doesn't mean it can't be a hit. With the mini-success of The Ringer (kinda?), Just Friends, etc., it does look like teens are waiting for a good comedy.

Not Another Teen Movie's references were for far less famous movies, and it was blitzkrieged by competition. Most of all though, it was a teen movie that teens couldn't see thanks to that R rating. I don't think it'll come close to Hitch as that had wider appeal and Will Smith, who is the most bankable draw of any kind in existence, but I could see it breaking out with over 30 million. 35 million? Mmm, maybe over the four day, it'll be close. Whether you love the trailer or hate it, let's face it, it's getting great reactions from audiences, and this is definitely the sort of film I could see breaking out.

Members of the club:

Dr. Lecter
Zingaling
getluv
Joe
MG Casey


The others should really think about it

I'm likely alone, and possibly crazy, but I see this a sub-25 million opening right now