
While it was a certainty that Tim Burton's newest movie partnership with Johnny Depp wouldn't be able to unseat the cinematic dynamo that is The Avengers, it was not beyond reasonable hope that it could garner a decent amount of interest as the sole alternative to the superhero flick. Alas, particularly for Jeremy and his studio, it was not to be. Generally panned by critics (42% at RT), with audiences ambivalent as well, Dark Shadows made a murky $29 million over the weekend, getting far eclipsed by another $100 mil for Avengers. Unless something unexpected happens in the coming weeks, Jeremy is on pace to lose about $10 mil on his investment in Dark Shadows. And considering the number of big movies coming out in the coming weeks, that may even be optimistic. Meanwhile, the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel continues to quietly make Darius a small but substantial profit, having already nearly hit a 400% ROI. It has potential to be the one of the better investments in Studio Wars' short history.
This week, AJ's inaugural Studio Wars investments hit the screen in the form of Battleship and The Dictator. Currently, the folks over at HSX.com are predicting an opening of $46 and $24 mil, respectively. If these forecasts hold true, it would put AJ on a pace to make nearly $60 mil on the two films combined. Meanwhile, Darius owns the rights to What to Expect When You're Expecting, the only romantic comedy until the end of June. It's currently anticipated to bring in around $23 mil this coming weekend, which would be a solid start for a film that sold for $33.