BBC recently proclaimed Mamma Mia! as the highest-grossing film of all time in England even though it still had $5 million more to make to match Titanic‘s $138 million gross.
The article, posted October 31, recognizes Mamma Mia! as earning $133 million at the English box office as it enters its 16th week of release in the UK and has become the number one film of the year in 13 countries including Germany, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden. Credit for the success is also being given to the sing-a-long version of the flick which was released as David Kosse, president of Universal Pictures International, told industry paper Screen International
, “We are ahead of Harry Potter and continue to be ahead of Titanic at this stage, and we think it still has some life in it. One driver is the multiple viewings with people going back to see it again and again. It really is happening on a scale that we haven’t seen before.”
I recently got in an disagreement with some people over Titanic, myself falling on the side that truly enjoys the film, discussing its merits and its place at the top of the box-office. Whether you like Titanic or not, I think it is impossible to even try and compare that film to Mamma Mia! just based simply on size and scope. If I wanted to add quality to the mix Mamma Mia! would be blown out of the water. I personally hated the film and gave it an F review upon its release and was certainly not alone.
Mamma Mia! was not a critical darling (51% at MetaCritic and 53% at RottenTomatoes) and has found its legs simply due to a rabid fanbase obsessed with ABBA, the play or a combination of both because I can’t imagine anyone looking at this film with a fresh perspective and finding it tolerable. I still remember the screening I went to, which was filled with theatre going folk and they loved it. They were cheering and laughing at all the right moments and I was left to wonder what was so great? I am yet to find out, but it appears the film has found its groove.
Outside of its success across the pond, Mamma Mia! is currently the #9 box-office earner in the US with $143.7 million. This past weekend it was only featured in 178 theaters here in the States so I don’t expect it to gain much traction, and it hits DVD and Blu-ray on December 16, which should also serve the film well.
I don’t know what it is that has the audiences going back for more, but I am obviously not the target demographic so my understanding is basically inconsequential.
