powered by the strength of one of the most powerful brands in
movies — Marvel.
These interstellar adventurers are not well known to non-comicbook
readers, but studio analysts are still projecting big things when the
picture touches down in multiplexes. That’s because Marvel’s
cinematic universe has grossed $6.3 billion since it kicked off with
2008’s “Iron Man,” making it the second most successful film
franchise, trailing “Harry Potter.” The film is being marketed
heavily on that record of success, with promotional materials
heralding the picture as springing from the brains that brought
audiences “The Avengers,” “Thor” and “Captain America.”
“There are very few brands other than Pixar that have the ability to
transcend the typical marketing requirements,” said Paul
Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Rentrak. “Marvel has the
same cache and this film will really put that to the test.”
Walt Disney Studios, which bought Marvel for $4 billion in 2009, is
projecting a debut in the $65 million range, but some analysts
predict the offbeat space odyssey will blast off to $70 million or
more.
The only other wide-release hitting domestic theaters is Universal
Pictures’ James Brown biopic, “ Get on Up ,” which stars Chadwick
Boseman (“42″) as the “Godfather of Soul” and is directed by Tate
Taylor (“The Help”). The film is expected to make between $12
million to $14 million when it premieres in 2,466 theaters. The studio
is pitching the film at an older, African-American crowd. Its
international roll-out begins in September.
“Guardians of the Galaxy” may benefit from the post-“Avengers”
bump that goosed grosses for “Iron Man 3,” “Thor: The Dark World”
and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” — all of which improved
substantially on the ticket-sales of the previous film in their series.
“There has been a steadiness and momentum with the brand overall
that just crescendoed with ‘The Avengers’ and the impact of that
film continues to bleed into other films,” said Dave Hollis, Walt
Disney Studios’ executive vice president of theatrical distribution.
The picture falls firmly into what Marvel has deemed its Phase II —
films that spin-off of the super-team film and broaden the
universe to include new heroes and villains, some of whom aren’t as
well known as Iron Man and Thor. Disney’s decision to place the
picture in August, traditionally a slower point in popcorn movie
season, seems to be playing to its advantage.
The pic will have the widest August opening in history. It debuts in
4,080 theaters, nearly 3,200 of which are in 3D . Also included in that
tally are 350 Imax locations, roughly the same number of premium
large screen formats, 125 DBox locations and two 4D locations.
Overseas, the film will bow in 42 international territories including
the United Kingdom, Russia, Brazil, Mexico and South Korea.
“Guardians of the Galaxy” will find a summer that is dragging itself
to the finish line and down more than 20% from last year’s record-
breaker. That could work to its advantage.
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