Weak Start for Angelina's 'Tourist' ... Blame Chelsea?

By Rob Shuter Posted Dec 13th 2010 09:30AM

Movie executives were dealing with flared ulcers and pulsating migraines Monday after the Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp vehicle 'The Tourist' bombed at the box office, getting beaten by an animated lion (the newest 'Chronicles of Narnia') despite starring two of the most bankable stars in all of moviedom. This leads many to wonder, did Chelsea Handler's blunt jokes about Angie play a role in turning moviegoers against her?

"It's not that Chelsea is the most powerful movie critic the world has ever known, it's that she reminded all of America what Angelina had done all over again. Chelsea picked an ugly scab off a wound that Angelina had worked so hard to heal with her humanitarian work," an industry executive tells me. "What woman in America is going to pay money to see Angelina ruin one man's life on-screen when we all saw her [ruin Jen's marriage] for free in real life?"

'The Tourist' took in just $17 million domestically on its first weekend, an anemic start to a film with a projected budget of about $100 million, according to Box Office Mojo. It was Angie's worst opening since 2007's 'A Mighty Heart,' a much smaller film that opened with about $4 million. It was also Depp's weakest opening since the musical 'Sweeney Todd' brought in just $9 million in 2007. (Note: 'Sweeney' opened in about 1,000 fewer theaters than 'Tourist.' 'A Might Heart' started with about 1,300 fewer screens.)

Despite a marketing campaign deliberately aimed at women, including advertising spots during the Macy's Thanksgiving parade and the much-hyped/tears-filled Barbara Walters interview special with Oprah Winfrey, the film world's hottest pairing still failed to connect.

"Chelsea's comments couldn't have come at a worse moment," one insider tells me of the controversy surrounding the comic's jabs at Angie. "No amount of money spent on advertising or marketing could compete with the amount of press and attention Chelsea's rant got."

During a recent stand-up concert in her native New Jersey, Chelsea called Angie a homewrecker and a "f***ing c**t." She, of course, has been making fun of Angelina for years and has even used the "homewrecker" line before, but because she is now a confirmed member of Jen's inner circle (they spent Thanksgiving together) the renewed comments (and video documenting it) have received more attention.

My source believes that the image of Jen being personally wronged by Angie "made it impossible for any woman to go out over the weekend and support her."

What do you think? Did Chelsea time her jokes to help sabotage Angelina's big opening?

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Tags: angelina jolie, chelsea handler, The Tourist

Comments

(133)

Monday 13 December

By Fizzy

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It just sucks that Jennifer is still linking herself to Brad. It is pathetic. Angelina is a great actress so shut you dum-dums. Her movies make more than feel sorrier for me jennifers. Jennifer is the boring one.

By Micca

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Can't stop laughing, and can't wait to watch CHELSEA tonight!!! Angelina made her bed..with many...and she's disliked by more... does anyone forget that she ALSO SLEPT with Billy Bob while he living with his fiance LAURA DERN??? What's WORSE, is that good ole Angie said in interviews that she could NEVER sleep with a married man after she watch how devistating it was for her mother when her father cheated!!!!!!!!!! LIAR!

By kilkenny5

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Then she had the nerve to say that her favorite movie was "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" so she could tell her children that's the film where mommy and daddy fell in love. STFU, Angie Jo!

By Amy Ahrens

Honestly, I just thought that the movie didn't look that great.The trailer did nothing for me. Didn't make me want to see it. On that note, it still came in 2nd. True it didn't do as well as predicted, but it came in 2nd. Tell that to the movie out there that didn't even register on the top 10. On my way into work this morning, on the radio, they were saying the Narnia (which was No. 1) didn't make as much as predicted either. It's just a slow time at the movies. Chelsea Handler has nothing to do with it.

By cher

Angelina is a has been ...Johnny stay with the Pirates of the Carribean....stay away from that user......it didn't work (again)

By joe

Rob, c'mon. What kind of crap is this? You know this is crap and you published it anyway. "Tourist" is tanking because it got no pre-release press to speak of, because it doesn't look particularly interesting (and I like/own a lot of Jolie movies), and it is a non-holiday and non-blockbuster movie released against a blockbuster fantasy in the middle of the holiday season. I could go on, but seeing as how you are in the business... I just lost a lot of respect for you. Sorry.

By shrken

Perhaps it had more to do with the entire midsection of the country being under a blanket of snow, ice, and below 0 temps. Personally I love Chelsea Handler, but to not see a movie because of her opinions is ludicrous!

By Ashley Renee'

Unfortunately people are still upset about the "Brangelina", thing and still remember when he was still married, Brad and Angelina posed as a family on a magazine cover. I think though everybody should let it go. None of us really know what happened, how or why. For all we know Mr. Pitt has apologized to Ms. Aniston, she forgave him and has moved on with her life. Many do not like this but this couple have a family now, and strange as it seems seem to be more stable than many married in Hollywood today. I don't agree with the situation, but it is not my life. As for Johnny Depp, he did not seem to be overly enthautistic about this character. He is still as handsome as ever.

It continues to astound me how folks blame Ms. Jolie for the break up of Brad and Jen's marriage. It is probably not an exaggeration to say there were a million women who would have tossed themselves in Brad's bed (probably still is a million, maybe more). So, you are mad at Angelina because she is the one who succeeded? There is no escaping that Brad was the one who didn't honor his wedding vows. Ms. Jolie did not drug him and drag him away unconscious.

By Maria

BTW, Rob Shuter, we don't go to movies to "support" anyone. We go see movies because we want to be entertained. Angelina and Johnny are both good actors but it was a boring formulaic project and nothing in the world is going to save a movie that sucks, not interviews with Barb nor Oprah nor a bunch of flashy ads. They can pull out all the stops but if a movie sucks, it sucks and we won't go see it. Chelsea can run her mouth all she wants, but it isn't going to turn us away from a movie if it's really good. We are smarter than you think.

By Charles

Yep, that's the real reason, sure, lets go with that one.

By slick willy

this is perfect for the monday morning flush hour.
i personally believe that it is just a matter of time before she will fade away along with her strange lot. the new generation is on their heels, faster than a mad dog.

By Meredith

I don't think it has anything to do with Chelsea. I think there are a lot of Christians during Christmas season who want to see inspirational movies such as one on a novel by C.S. Lewis with traditional Christian themes....
It just makes for a better story in liberal Hollywood to make it about some cat fight between women and NOT mention that majority of people in our nation identify themselves as Christian.

By Chris

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No offense, but I like Chelsea Handler....I think she's histerical. And let's face it-she's not saying anything that isn't true, or that no other person in the world isn't saying. Everyone's treated angelina like this "angelic person" for so long, as well as brad. They both did a horrible thing to Jen, and have acted like did nothing wrong since the start. Heck, neither of them have actually even confessed to anything, or apoligized for that matter, yet people in the world feel the need to go after LeAnn Rimes? She at least was upfront about it. I give her more credit than angelina. Yes, this is also old news, but angelina is also not the best actress as well. She will have bad movies.....this just might be one. Please don't blame a funny lady who "HAS" been telling the truth for some time now, like most people in the world, just because her movie tanked. Remember.......she's no Meryl Streep.

By Three C's

Please...I am so sick of hearing about poor pitiful little Jennifer Anniston...from tabloids, magazines and her friends. Plain and simple...Brad wanted kids...LOTS of kids as he had stated on numerous occasions...Jen was too worried with furthering her career after "Friends" to give him even one (even though she already had plenty of money and fame...she always says she wants children, but hello...still doesn't have any because she can't keep a relationship going. I'd say that says a lot about HER...besides...if their relationship was so wonderful and Brad was happy, he would have never left her for Angelina or anyone else for that matter. I think he left because she put her career before family...period. Angelina and Brad are great together and have a beautiful family...much luck to them. I doubt this little box office set back will affect either she or Johnny Depp much. I agree...it's the holidays...people are more broke than ever...they are more worried about buying Christmas for thier kids than going to see a movie right now, that's all. On one last note...IF Jennifer is still pining away for Brad, after all these years, and after all she's got going for her, then she is just plain pathetic!

By mclwlm

Maybe there's hope and people just chose a good movie over another one of her duds! If she wasn't good looking nobody would go to any of her movies.

By Sage

~The movie was simply awful I guess. The reviews were terrible & a few of my friends saw it, and said "don't waste your money."
Can't blame Chelsea Handler for a badly made movie !!!

By bestbunny10

I love Johnny Depp and Angie but this is not the kind of movie I would go to see. I am sick of these cheesy movies...

By qonc

If you think that nimrod, Chelsea Handler, has that much pull with the public, then I'm here to announce that I'm boinking Brad Pitt on the side.

I think it is the economy, nothing more. Angie has done great humanitarian work. Johnny Depp is a fine human being. These attacks on them are ridiculous!

Jen is great, but the public and Chelsea dou#%bag need to let this one go.

By braintraincenter

Okay, so it might not have been in their usual league, but I found it to be a pleasant diversion from the usual gore and guts, bang bang shootem up nonsense of late. Am I the only one who liked this movie for what it was? It was a clever cat and mouse game of harmless intrigue and had me guessing up until the very end. I loved the scenery of Venice, Jolie, while arrogant as always, had a rather fake English accent but who cared? She was visually stunning in my opinion and it worked for her character. I, for one, was entertained and enjoyed Depp's dry wit, too. Sorry, but no bah, hum bug, here. Happy Holidays to all!

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