Gigli Could Make Them Forget Armageddon

Forbes ^ | 8/4/03 | Dan Ackman

[truthandlife]

Gigli is a movie that everybody knows about but no one has seen, which speaks volumes about the power of celebrity at the box office. Starring Jennifer Lopez (ranked fifth on the Forbes Celebrity 100) and Ben Affleck (number seven), the movie took in just $3.8 million in its opening weekend at the box office. If, as seems likely, it winds up grossing about $10 million, it would be the most resounding box-office failure in recent years. Gigli is such a massive failure that it could make Hollywood rethink its fascination with stars--for a minute or two, at least.

Just how poorly did Gigli fare? $3.8 million represents at $6 a ticket about 633,000 tickets. Since it opened in 2,215 theaters and perhaps 5,000 screens with 16 showings over three days, some quick division indicates that at the average screening fewer than ten brave souls were in attendance. (This commentator was not one of them.)

Comparing it to other recent star-studded films of the same ilk, Gigli figures to gross substantially less than Life, Or Something Like It, starring Edward Burns and Angelina Jolie, which earned $14.4 million in the U.S. for Fox, a division of News Corp. (nyse: NWS - news - people ); and less than Rock Star, which earned $17 million for Warner Bros, a unit of AOL Time Warner (nyse: AOL - news - people ). Rock Star featured Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston, who is number one on Forbes Celebrity 100. (See: "Hollywood's Star Power Failure.")

The reviews of Gigli, produced by Revolution Studios and distributed by Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people ), are some of the most savage in memory, assuming memory doesn't go back more than a few months to The In-Laws or Alex and Emma. The New York Times called Gigli a "hopelessly misconceived exercise in celebrity self-worship," while The Washington Post said it was "enervated, torpid, slack, dreary and, oh yes, nasty, brutish and long." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times, on the other hand, was more charitable, saying, "It doesn't quite work. Maybe the movie is worth seeing for some scenes that are really very good."

But that shouldn't have mattered if reviews are as irrelevant as is often thought, or if celebrity really is what sells tickets. Review for Affleck's Pearl Harbor were almost as bad, and that opened strongly. On the other hand, the "sexiest man alive" has some history bringing death to romance. His Bounce, co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow, was a flop--though nothing like Gigli.

Lopez, for her part, has scored one hit in a row. Her Maid in Manhattan has grossed $94 million. But before that she made Enough and Angel Eyes, which grossed $64 million between them.

The initial consensus is that Gigli's failure shouldn't harm either star's career. The real-life lovers will benefit from a persistent phenomenon in Hollywood: They get credit when their films are successful, and when they are not, it's a mystery. If a movie does well, the star's price rises; if it does poorly, the star's price stays the same--at least for a while, until they find new stars. Their fans can still look forward to Jen and Ben in the upcoming Jersey Girl, slated for 2004. Somehow studios seem to forget efforts like Bounce or Angel Eyes. But they always remember Affleck in Armageddon.

[Arkinsaw]

Review for Affleck's Pearl Harbor were almost as bad, and that opened strongly.

People went to see Pearl Harbor for the special effects of the attack reenactment. They didn't know they would have to drool through a couple of hours of dime store romance novel to see it.

Their fans can still look forward to Jen and Ben in the upcoming Jersey Girl, slated for 2004.

Woohoo! Woohoo!

But they always remember Affleck in Armageddon.

Give me a break. Affleck's character was the most shallow and irritating of all the characters in that movie. The rest of the cast pulled his weight in that film.

[Howlin]

My kids are convinced that J-Lo is going to be the end of Ben.

[Long Cut]

One more reason for a long-held theory of mine...the motion picture industry, as a whole and represented by the oligarchy known as "Hollywood", is patently disfunctional.

No other industry could long endure its workers (actors, directors, etc) demanding huge percentages of its profits individually (whilst still belonging to unions!) and failing to produce. No other producer of products could weather the negative returns of so many of its products. Certainly, none would long survive while so inefficiently run, and with so little attention paid to its customers.

That "Hollywood" has done so is probably due to its so-called "Star Power" and glamour/glitz, which it works so hard to maintain.

I would, however, like to see just how a studio, built and set up according to respected, tested business models would do.

[okie01]

"I would, however, like to see just how a studio, built and set up according to respected, tested business models would do."

It would restrict itself to producing commercials...

[agrace]

I LIKED Armageddon! Steve Buschemi was great, to name one bright spot.

Then again, my husband and I also typically like movies that don't do well. We own a copy of Hudson Hawk, for example.

However, I do draw the line at this one, can't imagine we'd like Gigli...even if we ever rented it.

[A CA Guy]

I didn't even remember him in that flick until I read your post...and I liked that movie.

Yep, soon Ben will tire of making believe he is hetero and he and J-Ho will break apart and he can go back to Ben.

Happily ever after!

[Paul Atreides]

I think it is the other way around.

[Paul Atreides]

Jennifer Aniston

Another overrated actress.

[Howlin]

I loved that movie! That is one that we bought and we watch it when all the family is today.

[Howlin]

Name one that isn't.

[sittnick]

The biggest bomb in recent years must have been "Town and Country", starring that king of high-$$$ flops, Warren Beatty. See: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/TownandCountry-1107209/?rtp=1 This complete bomb had an all star cast, and I don't think this expensive flick even hit $10 mil. Cast includes (Warren "Isthar" Beatty, Diane Keaton, Natassia "Cat People" Kinski, Charlton Heston, Goldie "aging but surgically corrected body" Hawn, and Andie MacDowell.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Re: "Jersey Girl," who wants to bet the director of THAT movie is seriously considering slashing his wrists over having made what most people will automatically think of as "Gigli 2: Electric Boogaloo" ;-)

[Arpege92]

How many times has J-Lo been married now? Is she trying to beat Elizabeth Taylor's record? Only in Hollywood!

[Fraulein]

soon Ben will tire of making believe he is hetero and he and J-Ho will break apart and he can go back to Ben

You mean go back to Matt?

[Paul Atreides]

From what I remember T&C was years in the making.

[Paul Atreides]

Have you seen The Bourne Identity, with Matt Damon. To me, Damon and espionage go together about as much as DiCaprio portraying Alexander the Great.

[Fraulein]

I can proudly say that I have never seen a Ben Affleck movie, and the only Matt Damon movie I have ever seen was The Talented Mr. Ripley. However, I am NO fan of Damon. The Bourne Identity looked awful, btw.

[Long Cut]

Oh, let's not forget Kevin Costner's history...Waterworld, The Postman, Message In A Bottle...

He's lost hundreds of millions just by himself.

And what about big-budget sludge like Ishtar and Heaven's Gate?

How many times has a "Can't Miss" project been turned into effluvia after the Armanis and lawyers and other coked-up H'wood Heroes got ahold of it?

Godzilla? Starship Troopers? I could go on and on...

[freeforall]

** A report from Howard Duck, referred to Gigli as a notorious artistic and financial failure of the year. His report from Ishtar was confirmed by Howard Hawk that it is one of the great box-office turkeys of this decade.He also said it could be one of the most celebrated box-office bombs in movie history.****
Bombs away!!!