Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Movie Box Office: Undeniable Hit

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never movie poster: Jon M. Chu’s 3D concert documentary is a box office hit.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never movie box office: Jon M. Chu-directed concert documentary is an all-out commercial success

Feb. 11–13 weekend box office (cont.): On the heels of the Adam Sandler-Jennifer Aniston comedy Just Go with It, Paramount Pictures’ Jon M. Chu-directed 3D concert documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never grossed $29.5 million from 3,105 North American (U.S. and Canada only) locations according to final studio figures found at boxofficemojo.com.

That’s more than twice the film’s $13 million budget. (Marketing and distribution expenses had a reported $20 million price tag.)

Once one factors in revenues from its Wednesday night previews, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never has earned $30.3 million to date.

Justin Bieber vs. Michael Jackson & the Jonas Brothers

For comparison’s sake: Directed by Kenny Ortega, the 2D Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It brought in $34.4 million in its first five days out (Wed.–Sun.) in October 2009, ending its run with $72.1 million domestically and $189.1 million internationally. Worldwide total: $262.2 million.

Here’s another comparison: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never earned more on its debut weekend than Bruce Hendricks’ Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience collected during its entire worldwide run ($23.2 million) in early 2009.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never will likely surpass This Is It in the domestic market, but there’s little chance it will get near the international total of the Michael Jackson docu-blockbuster.

Countdown to Madison Square Garden concert

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never follows its titular singing sensation during the course of 10 days prior to his August 2010 performance at Madison Square Garden. Also included is footage from his My World Tour.

Besides Justin Bieber, the concert documentary features Miley Cyrus, Usher, Jaden Smith, Sean Kingston, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Boyz II Men, and Scooter Braun.

Domestic hit, but modest international performer

Update: The Jon M. Chu documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never ultimately collected $73 million domestically and $26 million internationally. Worldwide total: $214.9 million.

Its top international markets were Australia ($4.6 million), the United Kingdom/Ireland ($3.7 million), and Brazil ($3.1 million).

Gnomeo & Juliet movie: Solid box office performer.

Gnomeo & Juliet box office: Profitable Disney venture

At no. 3 on this past weekend’s domestic box office chart, the Walt Disney Studios’ Gnomeo & Juliet scored $25.4 million from 2,994 locations. That’s not bad in case its $36 million production budget (as per various online sources) is accurate.

Directed by Kelly Asbury, the computer-animated romantic comedy features songs by Elton John, and the voices of James McAvoy as Gnomeo, Emily Blunt as Juliet, Jason Statham (whose The Mechanic bombed two weekends ago), Matt Lucas, Ashley Jensen, Stephen Merchant, Patrick Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Dolly Parton, two-time Academy Award nominee Julie Walters (Educating Rita, 1983; Billy Elliot, 2001), and two-time winners Michael Caine (Hannah and Her Sisters, The Cider House Rules) and Maggie Smith (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, California Suite).

Update: Disney’s Gnomeo & Juliet proved to have sturdy legs at the domestic box office, ultimately collecting $100 million in the U.S. and Canada and an estimated $94 million elsewhere. Worldwide total: If its reported production budget is indeed accurate, a hugely profitable $194 million.

The Eagle movie box office: Starring Channing Tatum, semi-historical actioner lays an egg

Directed by Kevin Macdonald and starring Channing Tatum, Focus Features’ semi-historical actioner The Eagle crashed onto the no. 4 slot on the domestic box office chart, raking in a paltry 8.7 million from 2,296 venues. There’s little chance The Eagle will be able to match – let alone recover – its modest $25 million budget in the U.S. and Canada.

Besides American Channing Tatum as a Roman centurion transplanted to second-century Roman Britain, The Eagle also features Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim, Denis O’Hare, and veteran Donald Sutherland (MASH, Ordinary People).

Update: Channing Tatum’s The Eagle ultimately collected $19.5 million domestically and $18.5 million (likely incomplete) internationally. Worldwide total: A measly $38 million.

The Roommate is no. 5

Lastly, rounding out the Top Five movies on this past weekend’s domestic box office chart was:

• Last weekend’s top title, Christian E. Christiansen’s thriller The Roommate, which took in $8.1 million (down 46 percent on its second weekend). Cume: $25.8 million. Cast: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, and Matt Lanter.

”Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Movie Box Office” endnotes

Unless otherwise noted, “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Movie Box Office: Undeniable Hit” box office information via Box Office Mojo. Budget info – which should be taken with a grain of salt – via BOM and/or other sources (e.g., the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Screen Daily, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Deadline.com, etc.).

Comments about Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Gnomeo & Juliet, The Eagle, and other titles being hits/profitable or flops/money-losers at the box office (see paragraph below) are based on the available data about their production budget, additional marketing and distribution expenses (as a general rule of thumb, around 50 percent of the production cost), and worldwide gross (as a general rule of thumb when it comes to the Hollywood studios, around 50–55 percent of the domestic gross and 40 percent of the international gross goes to the distributing/producing companies).

Bear in mind that data regarding rebates, domestic/international sales/pre-sales, and other credits and/or contractual details that help to alleviate/split production costs and apportion revenues are oftentimes unavailable, and that reported international grosses may be incomplete (i.e., not every territory is fully – or even partially – accounted for).

Also bear in mind that ancillary revenues (domestic/global television rights, home video sales, streaming, merchandising, etc.) can represent anywhere between 40–70 percent of a movie’s total take. However, these revenues and their apportionment are only infrequently made public.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never movie image: Paramount Pictures.

Gnomeo & Juliet movie image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

“Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Movie Box Office: Undeniable Hit” last updated in December 2022.