Summit Entertainment’s pricey “Three Musketeers” appears to be a flop as it opened rather soft on Friday, and co-star Milla Jovovich seems to know who’s to blame.
In early box office reports, “Musketeers” only scraped up $2.9 million on Friday, indicating that the film will likely have a debut draw of around $10, including inflated 3D ticket prices. The film cost around $90 million to produce.
Jovovich, probably best known for her role in the R-rated “Resident Evil” films, took to Twitter while in Tokyo this morning to voice her disapproval of Summit’s handling of Paul W.S. Anderson’s 3D take on Alexandre Dumas’ swashbuckling tale, which also stars Orlando Bloom, Logan Lerman, Luke Evans and Ray Stevenson.
Her first tweet on the subject stressed the film’s family-friendliness, and its somewhat below-the-radar ad campaign: “‘3 musketeers’ opens in the US 2night! Do you think ppl know abt the movie? Ask your friends! Do they know it’s a fun family film?”
Then came the more antagonistic “Are ‘summit’ promoting it as a family adventure movie? Or are they resting on their laurels from ‘twilight’ n making no effort? Let me know!”
Then the very direct and finger-wagging “I think ‘summit’ hve swept ‘3 Musketeers,’ a grt family adventure film, under the rug in the US. Shame on them. SHAME ON YOU ‘SUMMIT'” (all sic, of course).
Later tweets re-“shamed” the studio and also reject the idea that “Musketeers” is simply “Resident Evil” in period costume, also pointing out that it’s the opposite of the horror found in this weekend’s box office champ, “Paranormal Activity 3.” Although she adds, “That’s NOT HOW IT’S BEEN PROMOTED.”
Well, it looks like Summit and Jovovich won’t be working together again anytime soon. But we’ll always have the neverending “Resident Evil” franchise…and Summit will always have “Twilight.”