I'm only really doing this update because I find this franchise a little fascinating as by all rights it shouldn't exist. Angel Has Fallen has its first tracking and it's coming in... good?
Olympus Has Fallen, a film I still stand by in its endless battle against White House Down, opened in the US to $500,000 in preview takings. It's sequel London Has Fallen, a film that looked cheaper and was weaker, opened to $800,000. Angel Has Fallen is wrapping up its preview showings and is looking to weigh in with an impressive $1.5m in takings. It's worth noting however that London Has Fallen saw increased US previews but its domestic takings were in the end $36m less than Olympus. For a long time London Has Fallen looked like it would be a less successful film and would end the series quickly, that was until it opened in China.
London Has Fallen cost $10m less than Olympus to make and ended up eventually closing $35m higher - that is how we've found ourselves arriving at Angel Has Fallen. Angel also looks pretty cheap but is $20m more expensive than London, now the highest budgeted entry at $80m. By all rights, this entry should see the series end - it's a little bit of The Little Engine That Could syndrome. The previews could turn out to be the film being front loaded and as China ended up being the saving grace last time it'll be key here, Angel hasn't received a Chinese release date yet but with Olympus launching there 9 months after the US launch and London launching 5 months after the US of A it means this film will be in for a long and interesting run that might see John Wick not standing alone in the 'improved threequel' bracket - especially given the scale in improvement in China. Olympus making $5m there, London making $50m just three years on.
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