Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow

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  • Directed By: Kerry Conran
  • Written By: Kerry Conran
  • Release Date: September 17, 2004
  • Domestic Distributor: Paramount
  • Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Angelina Jolie

Box Office Info:
Budget: $70 million Financed by: Filmauro
Domestic Box Office: $37,762,677 Overseas Box Office: $20,196,019


Director Kerry Conran spent years creating and animating a short trailer for the film and with the short, Conran got the attention of producer Jon Avnet — who got Aurelio De Laurentiis to fully finance a feature version of Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow, through his Filmauro company.   The budget for Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow was $70 million, (a number which Conran disputes as being lower) and Laurentiis limited his exposure to the budget when Paramount paid $40 million for US and Canada distribution rights and committed a minimum of $20 million for P&A costs.  Paramount also acquired UK, Australia and New Zealand rights for $10 million.  Aurelio De Laurentiis commissioned Conran to start on a script for a sequel of a planned trilogy and merchandising plans were also going to be in play.

Paramount dated Sky Captain for release on June 25, but moved it to September 17 to keep it away from Spider-Man 2 which was opening on June 30.  It bowed against Mr. 3000 and Wimbledon.  Future installments were scrapped when Paramount opened Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow in 3,170 theaters to a very disappointing $15,580,278 — though it won the slow September weekend.  The film faded quickly at the box office, sinking 57.3% in its second frame to $6,658,035 and falling 50.8% in its third session to $3,278,417.  Sky Captain left theaters with a poor $37,762,677.  Paramount would see back about $20.7 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which would leave some of their expensive ad spend in the red and leave their acquisition costs at a loss.

The film did terrible business overseas, bombing in almost every market.  Paramount saw just $2.4 million from the UK and $813,844 from Australia and the overseas cume was $20,196,019 across many distributors.  Director Kerry Conran has not directed another film since and he was in development on John Carter at Paramount, before the project was scrapped and headed over to Disney.  Less than two months after Sky Captain opened, the Jude Law vehicle Alfie flopped for Paramount.

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