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Hannah Montana Vs. U2
by Joseph V. Tirella
Feb 7 2008
Feb 7 2008
In a film fight between a legendary rock band and a tween superstar, who wins?
Move over Olsen twins, get out of the way Hilary Duff, Hannah Montana—a.k.a. Miley Ray Cyrus—is the new queen of the tween set and she’s cashing in. Read More
How U2 and Bono joined Hannah Montana, Steven Spielberg, and Tintin in the rush to embrace digital 3-D films. Read More
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The surprise success of Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour is great news for the tween queen and her parent company, 
Disney. But it’s putting the squeeze on U2.
The band’s concert film, U2 3D, made its much-hyped world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and debuted in just 61 theaters on January 23. It was set to expand into wider release—until a 15-year-old came along a week later.
Hannah Montana opened at No. 1, generating upwards of $37 million in its first five days, though it was only playing in 683 theaters. Disney has expanded the film’s one-week engagement, allowing exhibitors to decide how long it remains in theaters. And there’s the rub: With a finite number of theaters equipped with state-of-the-art digital 3-D technology—there are reportedly less than 1,000 in the United States—U2 3D, produced by 3ality Digital Entertainment, might have trouble finding a home.
“This puts U2 3D in a precarious position,” says Jeff Bock, analyst for Exhibitor Relations, a box office tracking firm. “The U2 film is in a limited run. I can see them in 100 screens in two weeks, but they’re not going to get 500.”
The numbers don’t lie. Since February 4, U2 3D, which cost $10 million to make and features footage from several stops on the band’s Vertigo tour, has grossed only about $1.2 million. Meanwhile, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, reportedly made for $7 million, has already proven very lucrative for its star and Disney.
According to a U2 3D website, there are more than 1,200 digital 3-D theaters around the world. And given the band’s following, there’s no doubt that there will be little trouble getting U2 3D into most of those theaters eventually. But they might want to hurry. The next Hannah Montana movie is a scripted feature that goes into production this spring. For U2’s sake, let’s hope it’s not in 3-D.
Disney. But it’s putting the squeeze on U2. The band’s concert film, U2 3D, made its much-hyped world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and debuted in just 61 theaters on January 23. It was set to expand into wider release—until a 15-year-old came along a week later.
Hannah Montana opened at No. 1, generating upwards of $37 million in its first five days, though it was only playing in 683 theaters. Disney has expanded the film’s one-week engagement, allowing exhibitors to decide how long it remains in theaters. And there’s the rub: With a finite number of theaters equipped with state-of-the-art digital 3-D technology—there are reportedly less than 1,000 in the United States—U2 3D, produced by 3ality Digital Entertainment, might have trouble finding a home.
“This puts U2 3D in a precarious position,” says Jeff Bock, analyst for Exhibitor Relations, a box office tracking firm. “The U2 film is in a limited run. I can see them in 100 screens in two weeks, but they’re not going to get 500.”
The numbers don’t lie. Since February 4, U2 3D, which cost $10 million to make and features footage from several stops on the band’s Vertigo tour, has grossed only about $1.2 million. Meanwhile, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, reportedly made for $7 million, has already proven very lucrative for its star and Disney.
According to a U2 3D website, there are more than 1,200 digital 3-D theaters around the world. And given the band’s following, there’s no doubt that there will be little trouble getting U2 3D into most of those theaters eventually. But they might want to hurry. The next Hannah Montana movie is a scripted feature that goes into production this spring. For U2’s sake, let’s hope it’s not in 3-D.
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