Land Of The Lost

  • Land of the Lost box office
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    [Total: 128 Average: 2.3]
  • Directed By: Brad Silberling
  • Written By: Chris Henchy, Dennis McNicholas
  • Release Date: June 5, 2009
  • Domestic Distributor: Universal
  • Cast: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride

Box Office Info:

Budget: $100 million Financed by: Universal; Relativity
Domestic Gross: $49,438,370 Overseas Gross: $19,339,184

“Land of the Lost was just crap. I mean, there was no excuse for it. Land of the Lost was a huge loss. We Misfired.  We were wrong.”
-Ron Meyer, Universal Studios President

Synopsis

A space-time vortex sucks scientist Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell), his assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and a survivalist Will (Danny R. McBride) into a world populated by dinosaurs and painfully slow creatures called Sleestaks. With few resources at their disposal, Rick, Holly and Will must rely on their only ally, a primate named Chaka (Jorma Taccone), to try to survive long enough to figure out a way back home.

Land of the Lost Official Trailer

Box Office Breakdown

land of the lost 2009
Universal acquired the rights to the 1973 TV series Land Of The Lost in April 2005 as a vehicle for Will Ferrell.  The project was envisioned as an event picture with a budget of at least $125 million, but after Universal’s box office fiasco Evan Almighty went so far over budget, the studio trimmed Land of the Lost‘s expenses down to $100 million.  It received a green light in October 2007.   Relativity Media had a slate financing arrangement with Universal and co-financed.

Universal dated their expensive tentpole for June 5, 2009, and partnered with Subway, Marriott, Land O’Frost lunchmeats and Pop Rocks, where the companies would throw away $30 million to tie in their products to promote this turkey.  On top of that $30M in exposure, Universal invested in pricey marketing spend and awareness was high for Land Of The Lost.  Tracking was pointing to a $30M+ opening, even as dreadful reviews began to post.

Land of the Lost bowed against The Hangover and it came in way below expectations with $18,837,350 — placing #3 for the weekend, miles behind The Hangover and Pixar’s Up.  Audiences were no kinder than critics and gave it a poor C+ cinemascore and Land Of The Lost sank 52.3% in its second weekend to $8,994,030.  After steep weekly declines, the domestic run closed with just $49,438,370.

Land Of The Lost did miserable business overseas with only $19.3 million in receipts.  Universal would see returned about $37.7 million of the worldwide gross after theaters take their percentage of the gross — leaving tens of millions worth of P&A costs in the red and the budget would not be touched from the theatrical receipts.  Land of the Lost ended as a write-down of at least $80 million.

Universal Pictures Chairman Marc Shmuger was fired in October 2009, after a string of flops that included Land of the Lost, Duplicity, State of Play, Funny People and the out of control budgets for the as of yet to be released Robin HoodThe Wolfman and Green Zone.

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