Even though both Shannon Hood and I gave the film good reviews, as did many others (it still has a great rating over at Rotten Tomatoes) Piranha 3D didn’t knock ’em dead at the box office. However, the film did earn enough and is expected to make even more on DVD and Blu-ray that a sequel is already being planned.
The sequel, currently called Piranha 3D: The Sequel, will possibly take place in Thailand during their Full Moon Festival where thousands of teens and young adults flock to the beaches for fun and more. However, with no screenwriter attached and nothing “official” to go on, that’s just speculation at this point.
However, the sequel is reportedly a go and producer Mark Canton is gung ho about it:
“We are thrilled that audiences are not just loving PIRANHA 3D, but cheering for it. And it’s fantastic that so many critics are really getting the movie and recommending it. We can’t wait to get to work on the sequel,” said Canton.
Well, there you have it. At least I actually liked this movie and this should come as no surprise but they did set up the film explicitly for a sequel.You may wonder how it’s possible a film that only opened number 6 at the box office could get a sequel.
Well, when you make a film that only costs about $24 Million, makes over $10 Million in the opening weekend, will make lots more on Blu-ray and DVD and has this much positive word of mouth, you usually end up getting to make another one. Simple economics.
Click through to read the full press release from Dimension. Piranha 3D is now in theaters.
DIMENSION FILMS ANNOUNCES THAT PIRANHA 3D – THE SEQUEL IS IN THE WORKS PIRANHA 3D WINS SUCCESS WITH AUDIENCES, CRITICS AND AT THE BOXOFFICE
New York, NY – August 23, 2010 – After earning rave reviews from top critics, wild cheers from audiences around the country, and $10 million in its opening weekend boxoffice, Dimension Films is pleased to announce that PIRANHA 3D – THE SEQUEL is in the works.
PIRANHA 3D producer Mark Canton stated, “We are thrilled that audiences are not just loving PIRANHA 3D, but cheering for it. And it’s fantastic that so many critics are really getting the movie and recommending it. We can’t wait to get to work on the sequel.”
PIRANHA 3D opened with fantastic reviews from top critics like the ASSOCIATED PRESS and REUTERS, enjoying a very FRESH rating of 80-82% favorable reviews on the popular movie review site ROTTEN TOMATOES throughout it’s opening weekend. The movie has captured the attention of movie fans as well as elite media outlets like The Wall St. Journal, The Daily Beast and The Huffington Post. And taking Hollywood by surprise, PIRANHA 3D – via a partnership with Funny Or Die – is the subject of a much-talked about campaign to be named Best Picture of the year. Funny Or Die’s “For Your Consideration” video for PIRANHA 3D took the nation by storm last week. And, as announced over the weekend, Academy Award ® nominee and Piranha 3D heroine Elisabeth Shue will debut a brand new video in the coming days on Funny Or Die.
Run, don’t walk: ‘Piranha 3D’ is hilariously, cleverly gory. Mere words cannot describe how awesomely gnarly “Piranha 3D” is, how hugely entertaining, and how urgently you must get yourself to the theatre to see it. Like, now. – Christy Lemire, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A bloody entertaining blast of a flesh-eating fish-out-of-water story…”Piranha 3D,” a pitch-perfect, guilty-pleasure… – Michael Rechtshaffen, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER & REUTERS
It’s Jaws gone wild! – Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
‘Piranha 3D’ Is A Campy Masterpiece Of A Movie! My prediction: If you have an ounce of fun in your body, you will love this movie about killer piranhas that overtake a town of hotties — in 3D! – Russ Weakland, HOLLYWOOD LIFE
A selection of rave reviews from top media outlets can be viewed at the following links:
ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, VARIETY, HOLLYWOOD LIFE, MTV, THE HUFFINGTON POST.
Earlier this week, buzz about PIRANHA 3D reached a fever pitched when the year’s first “For Your Consideration” ad hit the internet, touting Dimension Films’ Piranha 3D as a top candidate for Best Picture of the year. The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films partnered with Funny Or Die, a wildly popular comedy website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay and viewed by 35 million people each month, in making the star-studded video advertisement promoting Piranha 3D for Best Picture.
Directed by Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, Mirrors), produced by Mark Canton (300, upcoming Immortals) and starring Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O’Connell, Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl), Steven R. McQueen (Vampire Diaries and grandson of the legendary actor), Eli Roth, Adam Scott, Kelly Brook (current cover of Playboy), Riley Steele, Paul Scheer, Ving Rhames, Ricardo Chavira, Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd, PIRANHA 3D opened to rave reviews from the Associated Press and other top critics.
Every year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 for Spring Break — a riot of sun and drunken fun. But this year, there’s something more to worry about than hangovers and complaints from local old timers. A new type of terror is about to be cut loose on Lake Victoria. After a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating piranhas, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area’s new razor-toothed residents.
PIRANHA 3D is a Dimension Films release and presentation of a Mark Canton / IPW production in association with Aja/Levasseur Prods; produced by Mark Canton, Marc Toberoff, Alexandre Aja, Gregory Levasseur. Executive producers are Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Alix Taylor, Louis G. Friedman, J. Todd Harris, Chako van Leeuwen. Screenplay is by Peter Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg.
PIRANHA 3D was released nationwide on August 20, 2010.
The PIRANHA 3D Best Picture For Your Consideration video can be viewed at FunnyOrDie.com.
