Low box office sales blamed on Halo 3

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 16th 2007 at 4:15PM }

We have to ask our readers a question: have you seen any movies this month? If not, the people in Hollywood think they know why. You were too busy playing Halo 3, weren't you? According to many film executives, as reported by Advertising Age, Halo 3 is behind the worst October 5th opening weekend since 1999. Ticket sales for said weekend were down 27% from the same weekend last year, and executives are blaming Halo 3 for it all. As an example, the Ben Stiller flick The Heartbreak Kid opened with only $14 million, well shy of its $20-25 million goal. We suspect there may be another reason for the film's failure, but with Halo 3 raking in hundreds of millions of dollars, it's hard not to believe that the film industry is starting to take notice of the game industry. The difference is that games aren't simply a source of inspiration anymore. Now they're competition.

[Via Joystiq]

Tags: bungie, bungie-studios, halo-3, halo3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

sp00ks102 @ Oct 16th 2007 4:19PM

It's called STOP MAKING SHITTY MOVIES

BobTheMonkey @ Oct 16th 2007 4:19PM

Or, perhaps, there was not a movie worth going to see.

xenocidic @ Oct 16th 2007 4:20PM

did they consider the fact that it stars Ben Stiller?

Grant @ Oct 16th 2007 4:29PM

exactly what everyone above said.
Make some good movies, we'll go see them.

just checked the movie listings:
Ben stiller flick got horrible reviews, of course it's more of the same, it's Ben stiller.
The Kingdom looks like a decent action flick, but what happened to the marketing for that? i think i saw 1 commercial for it.
Same goes for We Own the Night.

andyg8180 @ Oct 16th 2007 4:29PM

$10 to see a movie in a theater with crappy popcorn, withpeople screaming, cell phones ringing, sticky floors, and usually being uncomfortable...

- OR -

Rent it from Netflix on HD-DVD and watch it on a plasma with surround sound with MY choice of food, a beer, and in my boxers...

It's not that hard to choose...

Wolvie75 VwR @ Oct 16th 2007 4:31PM

Let's see.. you have a crappy ben stiller movie, a crappy Disney movie with the Rock, an adult movie not aimed at the halo core audience (The Kingdom) and a George Clooney movie about a lawyer.

Yep.. it's Halo's fault.

Why not blame TV b/c the new fall season started. Or Football on friday, saturday and sunday.

zOmBiEcLoWn @ Oct 16th 2007 4:31PM

I get more enjoyment out of a 2-hour session of Sneak King than watching any Ben Stiller movie.

hydralisk456 @ Oct 16th 2007 4:31PM

BAAWWWWWWWWW!! We can't make good movies so we're gonna blame video games! Wussies..

Tony @ Oct 16th 2007 4:37PM

I don't care what you guys say, Zoolander was awesome.

Also, I would agree with the general "sucky movies" concept here. Although I would like to see 30 Days of Night.

Teh Bonerer @ Oct 16th 2007 4:38PM

u would think this would be a message to Hollywood,

MAKE THE DAMN HALO MOVIE!

dunnypop @ Oct 16th 2007 4:41PM

actually I have a few movies I want to see.
The Kingdom, Heartbreak Kid (critics bashed it, but users said it isn't bad), Eastern Promises, and We Own the Night...

now to think of it, Halo 3 has eaten up all my movie time. they need to have 24 hr movie theaters!

xenocidic @ Oct 16th 2007 4:42PM

@tony, ok, I'll give you Zoolander, but that was also helped along by owen Wilson and david Duchovny.

maniac0201 @ Oct 16th 2007 4:48PM

I don't go to movies anymore. If they actually make a good movie (rare) I will rent or buy it. But blaming it on Halo is funny.

Cerixus @ Oct 16th 2007 4:49PM

Oh look, a Ben Stiller movie where everything goes wrong.

Oh look, hollywood whining about something.

Cerixus @ Oct 16th 2007 4:50PM

My sarcastic surprise, shock and gasp were apparently purged from my last post...

ncsu1 @ Oct 16th 2007 4:51PM

prices at our theatre keep going up.. screw that. i can wait

Rk @ Oct 16th 2007 4:52PM

What kind of shitty arse review site is that?

Grant @ Oct 16th 2007 4:52PM

"9. I don't care what you guys say, Zoolander was awesome."

I completely agree with you there Tony, but you have to admit, that is the only movie in his whole career that really stands out as different.

I would say night at the museum is different too, but that really just the typical ben stiller formula applied to a kid friendly film

Cass-D @ Oct 16th 2007 4:53PM

Movie Studios better pull their heads out of their... well you know! Come on I'm not going to put down my Halo 3 just to go shell out $20 buck to watch some lame as film. My sentiments with the other guys here, I rent it on HD-DVD or DVD and watch it home. It not Halo's fault it was better made than most movies out. Dear God, could you image the BS they would shell out if there was a movie on this thing. It would be a record holding film for ages. F'em all I'm not going to see shitty movies.

Mauricio @ Oct 16th 2007 4:55PM

i go to the movies as often as i can. but i wont go to the movies to watch a shit movie.

Josh @ Oct 16th 2007 5:08PM

yeah i haven't been to the theaters in a couple months... 1408 or transformers was the last one, if i remember correctly

Bravo6 @ Oct 16th 2007 5:25PM

#5 you are exactly right.

Eventually all movies will be making more on DVD than they do at the theater.

Rususeruru @ Oct 16th 2007 5:28PM

The game industry has it right, the movie and recording industries don't. Make things that your fans ACTUALLY WANT and maybe just maybe you'll sell.

Anthology @ Oct 16th 2007 5:28PM

Across the univers is worth putting halo down for 2 hours to go and see. But thats about it.

Richard Mitchell @ Oct 16th 2007 5:39PM

"Across the univers is worth putting halo down for 2 hours to go and see. But thats about it."

Ooh, I didn't realize that was out. Must go see.

Anticrawl @ Oct 16th 2007 5:45PM

I try to limit by Ben Stiller movie intake to once a year. Can't help it if he keeps making more than my yearly allowance. Those can just rot in the theater cause I'm stuffed.

I for one am kinda glad they pointed the finger at Halo 3. Maybe now they'll actually start crediting video games as an entertainment medium and competition.

There excuse is laughable though. It's like saying, "I didn't pass that test because that person over there studied to much."

Anticrawl @ Oct 16th 2007 5:46PM

Across the Universe was pretty sweet, go see that, it's worth supporting atleast. Very trippy and a little twisted.

Michael @ Oct 16th 2007 5:49PM

Yeah, im sure those numbers had nothing to do with the fact that all except the braindead and totally masochistic would want to see another ben stiller romantic comedy.

Yep, halo 3 is to fault. Matter of fact, I saw online that the heartbreak kid was directed by none other than the Master Chief himself!

Thats right! Halo 3 is directly responsible for boring stupid by the numbers shit fests hollywood passes off as "film" today.

Michael @ Oct 16th 2007 5:51PM

typo, sorry

*with the fact that NO ONE except

Ciaran Gallagher @ Oct 16th 2007 6:45PM

I seen that Chuck and Larry film. It was rubbish. There were half a dozen people there.

erivera3 @ Oct 16th 2007 9:04PM

Halo 3!!!! WOOO!!!

Nathan @ Oct 17th 2007 12:26AM

Lets see, ever since the price went up to $9.50, I stopped because of prices. I went to 2 movies after that price jump, and it's 9.75 all around me except cheap theaters. One being the Simpsons movie. Now, I have yet to see any other movie I am willing to pay that kind of money for. So, LOWER THE DAMN PRICES IF YOU WANT BUSINESS!
I went to the cheap one by me, and no it's not the greatest. But $2 gets anyone in!
If they want to blame anyone, they should blame themselfs for jacking prices up. All Halo 3 did, if anything, was give people more bang for there buck.