After almost being released directly to VOD/DVD in 2016, 47 Meters Down was thrown into the water in the middle of the summer of 2017. It opened to $11M and swam its way to an incredible $44M. This was a huge hit for the relatively unknown Entertainment Studios, who quickly promoted plans for a sequel.
Instead of attempting to recreate their perfect storm, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged was instead released at the tail end of summer – when kids are already back in school and everyone has pretty much packed up their beach gear. It took a toll on the film’s box office opening, which is just $9M, an underperformance given how hot horror and sharks are at the moment. Would an earlier release have helped this film? I suspect the answer is yes, but we’ll never know. With double the budget as the first, the $12.5M isn’t going to be easy to recoup, unless the sequel finds a way to swim into the $35-$40M domestic range. No international numbers were reported on the first and I expect the same here, although we will keep an eye out and update accordingly.
While Bloody Disgusting’s William Bibbiani wasn’t a huge fan of 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, I found it to be a thrilling underwater nightmare with more than a handful of jump-out-of-your-seat scares. In fact, it felt just like a slasher movie (Director Johannes Roberts said it’s “almost like a John Carpenter movie,” adding that the film boasted “Michael Myers sharks.“)
“The film tells the story of four teens diving in a ruined underwater city, who quickly find themselves in a watery hell as their adventure turns to horror when they learn they are not alone in the submerged caves. As they swim deeper into the claustrophobic labyrinth of caves they enter the territory of the deadliest shark species in the ocean.”
CBS Films and Lionsgate’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (review) had an impressive opening, but needed some help to get out of their reported $25M production debt. Thankfully, the adaptation of the popular kid’s book series managed $14M internationally and another $10M here in the States. With it currently sitting at $40M domestically, the $50M domestic target should be surpassed relatively quickly.
Without knowing the actual production and marketing numbers, I estimate that the André Øvredal-directed gateway children’s horror movie will make its way into the profit zone and open the door for a sequel. The question is, can the budget be brought down on the next one and will it happen given that CBS Films no longer exists? Fingers crossed because this film was a lot of fun.
ALSO READ: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: The 15 Most Frightening Tales from the Notorious Books
In Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, “It’s 1968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind…but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley where for generations, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large. It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time—stories that have a way of becoming all too real for a group of teenagers who discover Sarah’s terrifying tome.”
Curl up with a surprise episode of The Boo Crew for some Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark with the film’s Director, André Øvredal! This spoiler free chat makes a great prologue before you check out this incredibly fun horror-adventure, in theaters now, OR make new discoveries when you listen after you see it! Read up on how they chose which elements of the infamous books to translate to film! The process of bringing Stephen Gammell’s original terrifying and unforgettable artwork to life! Learn about Andres unique creative partnership with Academy Award Winner Guillermo del Toro! Where they found that incredible haunted house and more. You better believe we spent some time cutting open one of your faves, The Autopsy Of Jane Doe, as well, but not before taking you on a troll hunt! Hurry and grab this one, before the story writes itself…
Listen below, or find The Boo Crew on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Follow André Øvredal on:
Instagram: @andreovredal
Twitter: @Filmtroll
Join your hosts Tim Timebomb, Leone D’Antonio, Trevor Shand, Lauren Shand, Austin Wilkin, and Rachel Tejada as they bring you discussions and interviews covering all things horror! Our guests are not only icons from your favorite horror and genre films from in front of and behind the lens, but also artists, actors, musicians, authors and personalities inspired by horror and dark entertainment. A truly unique experience that has something for everyone.
