The One

  • the one jet li box office
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    [Total: 15 Average: 2.5]
  • Directed By: James Wong
  • Written By: Glen Morgan, James Wong
  • Release Date: November 2, 2001
  • Domestic Distributor: Sony
  • Cast: Jet Li, Carla Gugino, Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham

Box Office Info:
Budget: $49 million Financed by: Revolution Studios; Sony
Domestic Box Office: $43,905,746 Overseas Box Office: $28,783,380


The budget for The One was $49 million and this project was setup at Revolution Studios, which had a financing slate deal with Sony, that would contribute 42.5% of the budget and 100% of the marketing costs.  The movie was originally designed as a starring vehicle for The Rock, but he bowed out and Jet Li boarded the pic and landed a $9.5 million payday plus a lucrative backend gross points deal.  Jet Li turned down a role in both Matrix sequels to star in this film, because they would not meet his asking price and offered $3 million with no backend for an 11 month shoot.

Sony first dated The One for release on August 10, but moved it to November 2, to distance it from another Jet Li movie Kiss Of The Dragon being released on July 6.  The One opened against Monsters, Inc. and Domestic Disturbance and Sony gave the pic an expensive marketing push.

Despite awful reviews, young males showed up opening weekend and The One came in above expectations with $19,112,404.  It placed #2 for the weekend led by Monsters, Inc.  The One had weak legs and declined 52.4% in its second frame to $9,102,733 and sank 54.9% in its third weekend to $4,105,741.  It quickly faded from theaters with $43,905,746.

Overseas, The One performed inline with Li’s typical studio fare and not like a vfx heavy sci-fi action pic that Sony sold it as.  The offshore cume was only $28.7 million.  The worldwide total was $72.6 million and Sony would see returned about $39.9 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which would not cover P&A expenses and leave the budget in the red.

Revolution had released its first movie in March 2001 Tomcats which was low budget and underperformed, but The One was their first big budget dud out of the gate.

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