Speed Racer: the first bomb of the summer

Never mind what critics and audiences thought of it - the numbers are in for Speed Racer, and they don't look good...

Simon Brew

In spite of the fact that it’s really quite good, the Wachowski Brothers’ box office touch seems to be a thing of the past. The weekend numbers are in, and Speed Racer is set to be confirmed as the first box office flop of the summer.

In a time of the year where the first weekend is more vital than ever, the US take for Speed Racer was just $20.2m, only just edging out the Cameron Diaz comedy What Happens In Vegas. By contrast, on its second weekend, Iron Man took $50m, bringing its running total to $177m in two weeks.

Speed Racer, however, now has a job on its hands to even break the $50m barrier. It played in over 3600 screens over the weekend in America, and its take is still only the 13th best opening weekend of the year in the US, falling behind films such as Vantage Point, 27 Dresses and Prom Night. This is not good for a blockbuster costing $100m, meaning there’s no sequel, and the only major film that Wachowskis are likely to get easily greenlit now is another Matrix sequel.

Next weekend, the new Narnia film hits the States, which should budge Iron Man off the top spot. Hilariously, we don’t get Prince Caspian it until 26th June. Sigh…

12/05/08

Speed Racer: a genuine surprise

It might be fast, but it sure has run out of fuel quickly...