The Game Plan Box Office: Panned Dwayne Johnson ‘Family Movie’ Is 2x No. 1

The Game Plan with Dwayne Johnson and Madison Pettis: Critically panned domestic box office hit.

The Game Plan box office: Widely derided Dwayne Johnson star vehicle tops domestic chart for two weekends in a row

Oct. 5–7 weekend box office: Critical derision or no, Walt Disney Pictures’ The Game Plan, directed by Andy Fickman and starring Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock), has remained atop the North American (U.S. and Canada only) chart for the second weekend in a row.

On weekend no. 1 (Sept. 28–30), the sports-themed “family comedy” grossed $23 million from 3,103 theaters as per final studio figures found at boxofficemojo.com; this past weekend, it added $16.6 million (down a surprisingly modest 28 percent). Total to date: $43.2 million. Budget: As per various online reports, $22 million (as always, not including marketing and distribution expenses).

For comparison’s sake: Last year, Fickman’s romantic comedy She’s the Man, featuring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, ended its run with a mere $33.7 million in the domestic market.

The tale of an egocentric star quarterback (Dwayne Johnson) who discovers he has an 8-year-old daughter (Madison Pettis) from a previous relationship, The Game Plan also features Kyra Sedgwick, Roselyn Sanchez, Morris Chestnut, and Hayes MacArthur.

Solid domestic hit, low-key international performer

Update: Dwayne Johnson’s The Game Plan ultimately collected a solid – for a modestly budgeted production – $90.6 million domestically, in addition to a far less impressive $57.2 million internationally. Worldwide total: A remarkably profitable $147.8 million (assuming the reported production budget is accurate and that associated expenses weren’t inordinately high).

Its top international markets were Mexico ($9.1 million), the United Kingdom/Ireland ($8.5 million), Germany ($7.8 million), and Spain ($6 million).

The Heartbreak Kid box office: Widely derided Ben Stiller star vehicle won’t be topping any weekend box office charts

Trailing The Game Plan on the domestic box office chart, DreamWorks’ widely panned The Heartbreak Kid brought in a mere $14 million from 3,229 venues. Based on Bruce Jay Friedman’s 1966 short story “A Change of Plan,” the R-rated, Bobby and Peter Farrelly-directed comedy stars Ben Stiller as a newlywed who falls for another woman during his honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas.

For comparison’s sake: The Farrelly brothers and Ben Stiller had previously worked together on There’s Something About Mary, which debuted with $13.8 million (not adjusted for inflation) from 2,186 venues back in 1998. The lowbrow comedy went on to score $176.5 million domestically, in addition to (an estimated) $193.4 million overseas. Worldwide total: $369.9 million.

Besides Ben Stiller, The Heartbreak Kid also features Malin Akerman (as the wife), Michelle Monaghan (as the dream woman), Jerry Stiller (Ben’s real-life father), Danny McBride, Eva Longoria, and veteran Scott Wilson (In Cold Blood, The Great Gatsby). Budget: $60 million.

Directed by Elaine May from a screenplay by Neil Simon, the far-better-received 1972 version stars Charles Grodin, Cybill Shepherd (as the dream woman), and, in supporting roles, Audra Lindley, and eventual Oscar nominees Eddie Albert and Jeannie Berlin (as the wife).

Surprisingly strong international market

Update: Ben Stiller’s The Heartbreak Kid ultimately collected a paltry $36.8 million domestically and a surprisingly strong $91.7 million internationally. (Seems like international moviegoers were looking forward to the Farrellys-Stiller reunion.) Worldwide total: $128.5 million – a solid figure, though hardly enough to cover the comedy’s overall costs at the box office alone.

The Heartbreak Kid’s top international markets were Germany ($11.7 million), the United Kingdom/Ireland ($9.9 million), and Italy ($8.8 million).

The Kingdom movie with Jamie Foxx.

Saudi-set actioner The Kingdom is latest Jamie Foxx dud

Trailing The Game Plan and The Heartbreak Kid, on its second weekend out Universal Pictures’ Saudi Arabia-set The Kingdom added $9.7 million (down 43 percent) from 2,802 locations. Total after 10 days: A measly $31.7 million.

Measly?

Yes, measly. The Kingdom’s production budget was a reported $70 million (again, not including marketing and distribution expenses). And let’s not forget that exhibitors/etc. generally keep around 50 percent or so of a movie’s total domestic gross.

As a matter of fact, this Peter Berg-directed political actioner is on its way to becoming the latest box office money-loser featuring Oscar winner Jamie Foxx (Ray, 2004), following Stealth (budget: $135 million/worldwide gross: $79.3 million), Jarhead ($72 million/$97.1 million), Miami Vice ($135 million/$163.8 million), and even the recent awards season fave Dreamgirls ($70–$80 million/$155.4 million).

Besides Foxx, The Kingdom also features Oscar winner Chris Cooper (Adaptation, 2002) as a bomb technician, Jennifer Garner as a forensic examiner, Jason Bateman, Jeremy Piven, Tim McGraw, and Kyle Chandler.

All-around bomb

Update: The Peter Berg-Jamie Foxx actioner The Kingdom ultimately collected a measly $47.5 million domestically and an even measlier $39.5 million internationally. Worldwide total: $87 million – making it a major box office dud all around.

The Kingdom’s top international markets were the United Kingdom/Ireland ($5.8 million), France ($3.9 million), and Australia ($3.5 million).

“The Game Plan Box Office: Panned Dwayne Johnson” endnotes

Unless otherwise noted, “The Game Plan Box Office: Panned Dwayne Johnson ‘Family Movie’ Is 2x No. 1” 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 The Game Plan, The Heartbreak Kid, The Kingdom, 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.

Madison Pettis and Dwayne Johnson The Game Plan movie image: Walt Disney Pictures.

Jamie Foxx The Kingdom movie image: Universal Pictures.

“The Game Plan Box Office: Panned Dwayne Johnson ‘Family Movie’ Is 2x No. 1″ last updated in January 2023.