Killers
Rate Movie[Total: 10 Average: 1.7]
- Directed By: Robert Luketic
- Written By: Ted Griffin, Bob DeRosa
- Release Date: June 4, 2010
- Domestic Distributor: Lionsgate
- Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Tom Selleck
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $70 million | Financed by: Lionsgate |
|---|---|
| Domestic Gross: $47,059,963 | Overseas Gross: $51,100,000 |
Killers was financed by Lionsgate for $70 million, which was the mini-major’s most expensive movie at the time of release. Their corporate sibling Mandate Intl. sold international rights. Katherine Heigl landed a $12 million payday for this hack job. Lionsgate saw quarter profits at a loss of $64 million mostly attributed to the poor performance of Killers and the large marketing expense behind the film, which was bad news for Lionsgate who at the time was fighting off shareholder/corporate raider Carl Icahn from taking over the company. In a press release battle with Icahn, it was noted that Lionsgate’s financial exposure to the $70 million budget was about $40 million after pre-sales and tax credits.
Killers was dated for June 4, 2010 and bowed against Get Him to the Greek, Marmaduke and Splice. Lionsgate did not screen this junk for critics and the reviews that eventually posted were dreadful. The expensive comedy opened with $15,837,266 — placing #3 for the weekend led by the holdover Shrek Forever After. Killers declined 49.4% to $8,008,007 in its second frame and the domestic run closed with a soft $47,059,963. Lionsgate would see returned about $25.8M after theaters take their percentage of the gross, which would not even cover P&A expenses.
Killers marked the first of a very quick decline in Katherine Heigl’s star power. She would re-team with Lionsgate on the 2012 flop One for the Money, which would put an end to her bankable studio career.
The overseas total across numerous distributors was $51.1 million, with France as the strongest market with a less than stellar $5.1 million and Killers premiered on television in Italy.