UPDATE: “42” stunned at the Friday box office with $9.1 million. Jackie Robinson biopic won the Weekend Box Office with an impressive $27.25 million, beating “The Benchwarmers”‘ $19.7 million to have the biggest opening weekend of all-time for a baseball film.
With the opening of “42” this weekend I thought it would be fun to have the latest LCJ Poll ask “Which sport has produced the best films?”. While coming-up for with the list for the poll I realized I had to have more choices that I originally thought (which was just baseball, football, boxing and horse racing). I stopped at 12 options, be really should have added a few more, including running, figure skating, table tennis and yes, even dodgeball (but, remember, the question asks “best films” and “Dodgeball” alone cannot qualify the category).
Sports movies are a funny genre. You’d think that they would be popular because most major sports in this country are popular. But for some reason it never works out that way. For example, only one baseball movie has ever grossed over $100M in the U.S. – “A League of their Own” (1992), which made $107.5M. Football has four – led by “The Blind Side” (2009), which made $256M, the highest grossing sports film of all-time. Horse Racing only has one – “Seabiscuit (2003) which grossed $120.2 domestically. Four boxing films have made over $100M, but three of them are “Rocky” movies and the 4th – “Million Dollar Baby” (2004) just barely made it with $100.4M.
Of course box office results and quality are two entirely different things. Recent sports films such as “Secretariat” and “The Express” deserved better box office results and Oscar nominations for stars Diane Lane and Dennis Quaid.
If “42” can make $20M this weekend that will move into first-place all-time for the biggest baseball movie openings. I’m predicting it will come-up a little short ($17.5M), but it should still finish #1 at the box office. But even tremendous performances, a compelling story and great reviews will not allow it to overcome the odds and become a true sports movie $$ blockbuster.