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Beware the reverse Michael Moore effect!!

Does everyone remember how the release of Fahrenheit 911 triggered a debate about whether its huge box-office success presaged Bush’s downfall in the 2004 election? I bring this up because of this Reuters report by Steve Gorman: The provocative film “Death of a President,” which imagines the assassination of George W. Bush, bombed at the ...

By Daniel W. Drezner, a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

October 31, 2006, 5:39 PM

Does everyone remember how the release of Fahrenheit 911 triggered a debate about whether its huge box-office success presaged Bush's downfall in the 2004 election? I bring this up because of this Reuters report by Steve Gorman: The provocative film "Death of a President," which imagines the assassination of George W. Bush, bombed at the North American box office with a meager $282,000 grossed from 143 theaters in its first weekend. The pseudo-documentary played at 91 U.S. theaters and 52 Canadian cinemas during its first three days of release, averaging an estimated $1,970 per screen, according to distributor Newmarket Films, which reportedly paid $1 million for U.S. rights to the picture. "That's a very poor opening," said Brandon Gray, an analyst at industry watcher Web site boxofficemojo.com.... Newmarket distribution chief Richard Abramowitz called the opening tally for "Death of a President" "a little disappointing" in light of the "enormous awareness" generated by the film since its premiere last month at the Toronto Film Festival.

Does everyone remember how the release of Fahrenheit 911 triggered a debate about whether its huge box-office success presaged Bush’s downfall in the 2004 election? I bring this up because of this Reuters report by Steve Gorman:

The provocative film “Death of a President,” which imagines the assassination of George W. Bush, bombed at the North American box office with a meager $282,000 grossed from 143 theaters in its first weekend. The pseudo-documentary played at 91 U.S. theaters and 52 Canadian cinemas during its first three days of release, averaging an estimated $1,970 per screen, according to distributor Newmarket Films, which reportedly paid $1 million for U.S. rights to the picture. “That’s a very poor opening,” said Brandon Gray, an analyst at industry watcher Web site boxofficemojo.com…. Newmarket distribution chief Richard Abramowitz called the opening tally for “Death of a President” “a little disappointing” in light of the “enormous awareness” generated by the film since its premiere last month at the Toronto Film Festival.

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

Tag: Politics