According to the unofficial box office numbers released on Sunday, Hop enjoyed the biggest opening of any 2011 release -- besting Rango by a mere $39,000. Congrats, Tim Hill! What led this mostly reviled animation hybrid to box office glory? For the answer to that, perhaps take a look in the mirror.
Per the Los Angeles Times, one of the big reasons for Hop's monetary success was adults.
Maybe most important, Hop passed the Pee Wee Herman Test -- it was goofy and appealing enough for kids (candy-pooping bunnies, e.g.) but with enough adult material slipped in to allow parents to feel good about going. (Underscoring the point: the movie's references to the likes of David Hasselhoff and Fatal Attraction, its contributions from Simpsons veteran Mike Reiss, the voice casting of Russell Brand and even incidental plugs on the likes of The Colbert Report.)
Huh. OK? Considering parents likely didn't see any of those pop culture references in the marketing materials for Hop, it seems a tad specious to argue that over-18s were drawn to the film on opening weekend because of them. A more believable scenario would be that adults went to Hop because their kids wanted to see it -- after all, it's not like the trailers skewed adult like the trailers for Rango.
In other words: Hop succeeded because it was the lone option in release that kids could see. If you were on the fence about seeing the film with some friends, however, perhaps that timely Fatal Attraction reference will get your juices flowing.
ยท Is 'Hop' a one-off success or the beginning of a talking-animal comeback? [LAT/24 Frames]