Warner Bros.' summer blockbuster Poseidon opened last weekend to a less than spectacular reception. The ticket sales of the $160 million film indicated that the venture was a sinking ship, a capsized boat and a Titanic disappointment (all puns intended).Based on Warner Bros. estimates, Poseidon spent the weekend at position number two in box office sales with $20.3 million dollars versus the number one -- Mission: Impossible III, which brought in $24.5 million. The remake of the 1972 film, The Poseidon Adventure, which is based on a Paul Gallico novel, Poseidon, was directed by a veteran of boat movies, Wolfgang Petersen -- the guy who directed the movie Das Boot and The Perfect Storm.
I'm sure that, as we speak, the brains over at Warner Bros. are scratching their heads over this one. Completely baffled by the unimpressive ticket sales, they are probably desperate for an explanation.
Well, call me crazy, but I have to think that the MI 3 success probably had a lot to do with Tom Cruise's recent feats of crazy. Had Kurt Russell put in a comparable amount of tabloid time, Brooke Shields insults, and Oprah couch-jumping, Poseidon might have enjoyed a better opening weekend.
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