The nine month delay of the “G.I. Joe” sequel looks to have been a smart move. With a simultaneous worldwide release over the Easter Holiday weekend, ‘Retaliation’ raked in an impressive $ 132 million global box-office opening ($ 51.7m domestic, $ 80.3m foreign).
It was so good that Paramount is already reportedly moving forward with plans for a third installment in the franchise. While critical reviews were still pretty dire, they were slightly better for ‘Retaliation’ than for ‘Rise of the Cobra’.
The second film was also a far more cost effective film with a $ 130 million budget (as opposed to the $ 175 million for the first). The 3D upcharge also helped push ‘Retaliation’ to open 35% better than its predecessor.
Assuming it follows the trajectory of the first film, ‘Retaliation’ could close out with a very handsome $ 410 million worldwide. If it has more staying power than expected, that number could go higher.
Source: Variety
Please Note: Despite the date, this is NOT an April Fool’s story.