Biggest Surprise of the Decade Is?...

[Jandrew]

IMO, these are the top six biggest surprises of the decade. None of these movies had any rhyme or reason to do what they they did, but they ended up becoming phenomenons and provided us with a good time. Now I'm extremely curious, which of these do you consider the biggest surprise of the decade?

 

I know there's smaller movies that had surprising breakouts, but I'm curious about these movies that weren't really supposed to be blockbusters, yet slid right into the blockbuster DM's. Personally, I think Blind Side was the most random, while Sniper was the most overlooked, but I think I'm conflicted between Jumanji and Hunger Games as #1, though Hunger Games might get the slightest of edges since it was Dwayneless.

 

Jumanji could've easily been Goosebumps 2.0 and yet is inching towards $400m and $900m worldwide. Seriously that movie just won't stop. Hunger Games literally came out of nowhere and nabbed the 3rd largest opening of all time, and I still remember the insanity here. That opening number just kept going up and up and up, and then the movie grew ridiculous legs. I probably would've said Blind Side $200m before I said Jumanji $900m+ worldwide. 

 

I didn't include Wonder Woman and IT because they didn't really "come out of nowhere", especially IT. Tele's Wonder Woman over Spider Man club was actually quite popular and 1/3 said yes to the 2/3 no.

 

What's your take?

Edited February 18, 2018 by Jandrew

[That One Girl]

Greatest Showman

[grim22]

I would go with American Sniper. That movie literally came out of nowhere to do the business it did. There were indications it would do well, but well was considered Lone Survivor numbers, not doubling the previous January record. It also won the year, probably the last time a movie like that may ever win a year.

[John Marston]

Shouldn't It be on the list 

[Plain Old Tele]

None of the above. 

 

GET OUT

[That One Girl]

Just now, John Marston said:

Shouldn't It be on the list 

 

Read his post

 

15 minutes ago, Jandrew said:

I didn't include Wonder Woman and IT because they didn't really "come out of nowhere", especially IT.

 

[Eric Duncan]

I feel like American Sniper was the biggest surprise. With almost all of the other films, you can make some sort of argument as to why they did what they did. Frozen had the Disney Animation and Disney Princess brand to it. Jumanji had an all-star cast. Deadpool was a superhero flick in the X-Men universe. Hunger Games was a popular book, and being someone who grew up during the peak of the book's popularity, I knew how popular the brand was towards teens. Even Blind Side had Sandra Bullock, and inspirational dramas like these have done well in the past.

 

With Sniper? It had little going for it, outside of Eastwood and Cooper. I remember looking at Box Office Mojo every day, and when I saw that weekend number, it made my jaw drop. It was an R-rated war drama about PTSD with decent but not phenomenal reviews, and here it was making superhero movie numbers, both in its opener and in its final total. The closest war movie as big as that film since its release is probably Dunkirk, and I don't think anything coming soon will come close to it.

[CJohn]

I voted for American Sniper. I don't think there is competition tbh, it is the biggest surprise by far.

[That One Girl]

2 minutes ago, Telehilation said:

None of the above. 

 

GET OUT

 

I think that would've easily been the most surprising for me if Split hadn't come out a month before.  I think after that happened and Get Out was getting excellent reviews, most people were expecting Get Out to do well.

 

Granted, don't think anyone was expecting it to get a 5x and hit $175M.

[Jandrew]

8 minutes ago, grim22 said:

I would go with American Sniper. That movie literally came out of nowhere to do the business it did. There were indications it would do well, but well was considered Lone Survivor numbers, not doubling the previous January record. It also won the year, probably the last time a movie like that may ever win a year.

That's a pretty good point. I don't know, I'm conflicted. What's really telling about Sniper is how middle America hasn't really came out in the same way since, even though there's been a wave of pro-America, patriotic movies. I had so much confidence in Max and 13 Hours.

 

Edited February 18, 2018 by Jandrew

[Eric Duncan]

Just now, That One Guy said:

 

I think that would've easily been the most surprising for me if Split hadn't come out a month before.  I think after that happened and Get Out was getting excellent reviews, most people were expecting Get Out to do well.

 

Granted, don't think anyone was expecting it to get a 5x and hit $175M.

Here's the difference though: Split was marketed as a "scary fun" kinda movie, and had a touch of starpower to it. Get Out was a film tackling a difficult subject that almost never translates to big box office and zero starpower, and it ended up in the top 15. Also, Get Out's legs are practically impossible to achieve for any other horror flick.

[Jandrew]

7 minutes ago, Telehilation said:

None of the above. 

 

GET OUT

I should've put an "other" tab. 

Is one of the mods able to edit one in? @grim22 @aabattery ?

Edited February 18, 2018 by Jandrew

[aabattery]

3 minutes ago, Jandrew said:

I should've put an "other" tab. 

Is one of the mods able to edit one in? @grim22 @aabattery ?

 

Done.

[TombRaider]

Get out, It and TBS

 

 

Is it me or sniper is forgotten af?

Edited February 18, 2018 by TombRaider

[That One Girl]

3 minutes ago, TombRaider said:

Is it me or sniper is forgotten af?

 

Yes, it is just you

Edited February 18, 2018 by That One Guy

[WrathOfHan]

Sniper. Almost voted for Jumanji, but Sniper's numbers are still baffling.

[John Marston]

Get Out is just a leggy movie. Don't see how that is surprising  for an original film if the movie is very well received

Edited February 18, 2018 by John Marston

[Jandrew]

IDK man, I really don't. Sniper is baffling, but Hunger Games seriously made no sense. I was in the prime demographic, but I didn't feel the buzz spilling over and everybody trying to read until Spring near release.

 

From BOM on 1/3/12: "At this point, if The Hunger Games reaches the original Twilight's $192.8 millon it should be considered a massive success."

 

I think the biggest difference is Hunger Games stock started really building in Spring, and then exploded with the midnights, while Sniper was literally a thief in the night. And while Sniper's $80M was huge, Hunger Games was still the 3rd biggest opening of all time, which is just insane. And after that, all eyes were on the legs. I agree with Ray, $200M was a high end goal, but $400M? Sheesh.

 

What's crazy is like Sniper, nothing really replicated THG, even though both set off waves of adaptions in their sub genres.

 

Edited February 18, 2018 by Jandrew

[DAJK]

Sniper. Hunger Games I'd put second, but I wasn't in middle school when it came out and there was DEFINITELY buzz through the roof

[TombRaider]

1 hour ago, That One Guy said:

 

Yes, it is just you

i checked on your letterbox and you have boyhood as one of your faves, lmao.