Confused by Paramount's reluctance to greenlight the long-awaited sequels to Anchorman and Zoolander? Mike Fleming at our sister site Deadline puts things into perspective: Neither of those films was profitable overseas and the studio would have to hope for a high domestic gross on the sequels to make the production worthwhile. So, I put the question to you: How much do you think each of these sequels could make?
Here's the background you need:
· Paramount is hoping to keep both sequels budgeted at $40 million. The Anchorman 2 team won't even begin a script unless a $70 million budget is approved.
· The original Anchorman made $85 million domestic and only $5 million foreign (though its stars have seen their profiles rise considerably since).
· The original Zoolander made $45 million domestic and only $15 million foreign (though it was released around the September 11 attacks, which may have limited its box office).
When you factor in a sizable marketing campaign, how much would each of those sequels have to make to get a greenlight, and how much could they make? There's relatively little precedent for a cult comedy getting a big-budget sequel so many years later, so I want to hear your thoughts. Would each break $100 million? Could one of them do even better than that?
'Anchorman 2' Budget Gap $30 Million As Paramount And Filmmakers Regroup [Deadline]