None of this is wrong. But the more interesting story is the list of names in the cast of the film that opened in fifth place that weekend.
The ensemble that nobody noticed
Michael Cera played the lead. He was, in August 2010, widely considered to be boxed into a specific type — the gawky, deflective young man — that critics had concluded audiences were tired of.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead played Ramona Flowers. She was known primarily from horror sequels and action films, and had not yet demonstrated the dramatic range that 10 Cloverfield Lane and the FX series Fargo would reveal.
Kieran Culkin played Wallace Wells. He had been working for years without breaking through to the level of recognition his older brother commanded. The performance he gave in Scott Pilgrim contains every quality that made Roy McRoy Roy. Succession would not air for another seven years. In 2023, Culkin won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Chris Evans played Lucas Lee, a vain movie star with spectacular hair and a habit of ordering his skateboard stunt team to their deaths. He was not yet Captain America. The film he would anchor that franchise with was released nine months later.
Anna Kendrick played Stacey Pilgrim. She had received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Up in the Air in 2010, the same year. She was not famous in the way she would be by Christmas.
Brie Larson played Envy Adams, Scott's powerful former girlfriend. She would win the Academy Award for Best Actress for Room in 2015. She plays Captain Marvel.
Aubrey Plaza played Julie Powers. She was before Parks and Recreation. She is now one of the most distinctive performers working in American television and film.
Brandon Routh had played Superman. Sam Rockwell is one of the most consistently excellent actors of his generation. Jason Schwartzman played the final villain.
The film that opened fifth, in fifth place, on August 13, 2010, contained two future Academy Award winners, one Emmy winner, the actor who would become Captain America, the actor who would become Captain Marvel, and at least three people who became household names through franchises that did not yet exist. It contained, in aggregate, more future star power than almost any other film released that summer.
The culture was not yet ready to know that. It took a decade.
The CinemaScore that the bomb narrative ignores
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World received an audience CinemaScore of A-minus on its opening weekend. This is one of the highest ratings a studio film received in 2010. The people who went loved it. The problem was that the people who went were not numerous enough to make back the studio's investment at current ticket prices.
The film was not rejected by its audience. It was rejected by the size of its audience, which is a different thing, and a function of marketing strategy and competitive positioning rather than quality.
FAQ: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) Box Office
Did Scott Pilgrim vs. the World flop?
By studio economics, yes. The film earned $47.8 million worldwide against a gross budget of approximately $85 million. However, its CinemaScore was A-minus, indicating that the audience that saw it responded very positively. The film's commercial failure was a function of limited audience reach rather than audience rejection.
How much did Scott Pilgrim vs. the World make?
The film earned $33.5 million domestically and $18.3 million internationally for a worldwide total of $47.8 million. It was produced for approximately $60 million net of Canadian tax rebates, or approximately $85 million gross.
Who is in the cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World?
The principal cast includes Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Brandon Routh, Aubrey Plaza, Mae Whitman, Jason Schwartzman, and Ellen Wong. The film is notable for the subsequent careers of many cast members, including Evans (Captain America), Larson (Captain Marvel), and Culkin (Succession).
Why did Scott Pilgrim vs. the World fail at the box office?
The marketing campaign concentrated on the science fiction fan community at Comic-Con rather than reaching the general audience the film needed. Universal's strategy saturated a pre-existing fan community without introducing the film to the broader audience who would have responded to its coming-of-age comedy elements.
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SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2010)
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