Commentary Track
WTF – Will Smith’s $100 Million Streak
Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 2, 2008
With the launch of Hancock, which is sure to clean up this weekend, box office pundits are having a collective orgasm. The grunt and sigh you’re hearing from the industry is about Will Smith’s command of the box office. Take, for example, this quote from Steve Mason:
Will Smith, however, is about to do something unprecedented, a feat never done by either of the Toms (Hanks or Cruise). Hancock will be his eighth consecutive $100 million grossing blockbuster.
I know this is good news for Will Smith and his bank account, but I can’t help but say… What the fuck?
Today, reaching $100 million is almost a weekly event in Hollywood. To put this in perspective, in 2007 a whopping 28 movies cracked $100 million. In 1997, 16 did. And in 1987, only four did.
Will Smith’s eight-movie $100-million run is by no means insignificant, but it does not necessarily make him the box office phenom of all time.
Take Harrison Ford, for example, whom Smith has tied with twelve $100 million movies. If you adjust for inflation, Ford would have at least five more films in that category. His 1985 hit Witness grossed $68 million, which is just lukewarm by today’s standards. Adjust for inflation, and you get $131 million. Likewise, 1990’s Presumed Innocent grossed only $86 million, which adjusts to $139.
When you adjust Ford’s other movies, you’ll find 1988’s Working Girl ($64 million domestic adjusted to $107 million), 1992’s Patriot Games ($83 million domestic adjusted to $137 million) and even 1998’s Six Days, Seven Nights ($74 million domestic adjusted to $108 million) on the list.
And no one even seems to remember Sean Connery, who has only three films (The Rock, The Hunt for Red October and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) that have topped $100 million in real dollars. However, when you adjust for inflation, all of his James Bond films crack that number. And movies like Goldfinger ($51 million domestic versus $456 million adjusted) and Thunderball ($63 domestic versus $514 million adjusted) are in the list of top grossing films of all time.
Additionally, many of the other stars on the coveted $100 million list did personal projects which didn’t even come close to $100 million during their careers (e.g., Harrison Ford’s The Mosquito Coast). But then again, they weren’t going for a winning streak like Smith seems to be.
I guess if he wants to stay on top, Will Smith won’t be doing any movies like Six Degrees of Separation or The Legend of Bagger Vance any time soon.
I like Will Smith as much as the next moviegoer, but when people tout his $100 million streak as a “historic roll,” I have to stand up and say…
Aw, hell no!
NOTE: Inflation adjustments were made based on BoxOfficeMojo’s average ticket prices.
Read more articles by Kevin Carr
11 Comments
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I agree that things should always be kept in perspective. While Smith’s achievement is impressive enough, looking at the other actors and their adjusted box-office reminds us that Smith is not the only star in the world.
Now, if you take Smith’s last 7 movies and adjust them to inflation, his average US gross comes out to about $192 million. Pretty good. And although Hancock is getting bad reviews and will probably get bad word of mouth, it still has a chance of reaching $200 mil.
His next movie though, Seven Pounds, might not be so lucky at the box office.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
It’s too bad that just about every film he’s in sucks.
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Wow, you had to reach beyond Bagger Vance to Six Degrees to find a personal movie for Smith? That’s the first movie he was in. Geez, that guy really only does do studio pictures.
Parents just don’t understand.
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:41 pm
@Cole…
Well, you could include Jersey Girl in the mix, which would clobber his $100 million streak. But that’s a cameo, so it doesn’t count.
(Although I would imagine that Harrison Ford counts Apocalypse Now as one of his movies although he was in that for about 28 seconds.)
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I think the point is that it’s 8 in a row… though, I honestly can’t recall if Ford, adjusted for inflation, has or has not done that as well.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am
I don’t understand why you just can’t be happy for Will Smith why does it have to be comparisons??? If you were an actor and was doing great would you appreciate people compating you to anyone?? not to say other actors or actresses aren’t equally successful but let him have his moment…..seems like all people want to do is criticize and downgrade….Will Smith keep doing what your doing and I think you rock!!!! Stop HATING…think of it like this….no matter what you may think of him he is making money and busting the box office wide open…..and doing a really good job at it!!!!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:25 pm
We’re hating because Big Willy never takes a chance. A movie with special effects, Big Willy’s in. A movie with mass appeal, Big Willy’s in. Even Tom Cruise takes chances (Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut). It’s hard not to like Will Smith and I do, but he’s a movie studio product.
July 13th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Hello Brian Rodden,
I didn’t see any special effects in “The Pursuit of Happyness” or “Hitch”.
August 9th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Will Smith is the man…..I Robot, I am Legend and Ali are all my favs
August 18th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Oh, please behave! I agree with the charming, eric and the rev. You other guys just don’t get it and never will. Will Smith is smart! He is the truth! Enough said. Will is not a ” studio product”. You have to make money to do the better film roles.
Yet, you all continue to hate. Why? He is the most likeable star there is at this point. in time. He is still learning and trying to take or make those choices for the more serious roles. That was obvious with the Pursuit of Happyness. I enjoyed it and Hitch and IRobot. Now as much as i enjoy and have so much respect for this multitalented star,:i didn’t like Hancock. I felt it was beneath him but i knew in the back of my mind it was a road to something bigger and better. I felt it was a waste of his talent. As far as Film School , he never applied, didn’t have to . There is something natural about Will Smith. Is he the best actor, no but you want to see him and see him do well. At least many of us do. We are watching him grow into one day that brillant actor instead of a good one. Other people did the same thing on their way to the top yet you guys have so much hateration for Will? What is that all about? Anyway certain comedy actors make the same movies over and over. Yet, you aren’t talking about that? You guys are so deep maybe a little too deep for the rest of us. No he is not the only actor to pack the house but give the man credit. He is phenomenal and his life is annointed just as another young actor that we recently lost. Give will time…..you will see him become a great actor and take more chances. Hitch was taking a chance, Pursuit was taking a chance. And no everything appears doesn’t suck.I didn’t like the last Pirates and i felt Deep did it for the money as well yet i didn’t see anything on this site about that ???Yet, you beat up on Will all the time. I think you guys should check yourselves. Your inners are showing. Why do you guys bother to go to the movie? Do us all a favor and stay home or leave that negativity. Some people are born great actors and they too have taken bad roles to pay the bills. They have all done it ! Deep, Cruise, Pitt, Denzel, Samuel Jackson, Clooney ,Costner , Cheadle ,Downey,Freeman etc. Other actors are good and have to work at it but they have that certain something that is an ingredient for success. Lastly he gives young hopefuls a chance . He remains humble………something you guys could use a lesson in. Ps. Objectivity is on sale today at Macy’s for 50% off. Will is the man, not perfect but certainly good, trying to get better. You can’t hate on man for trying to take care of his family and you dont’ continue to hate on Will Smith and not the others who are guilty of the same.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
In a hurry , Depp is what i meant. Thanks. My bad.