Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Oh Captain, My Captain

I know this is late coming but I just stumbled across the news article about this. Before the Captain America: The First Avenger film was released there was wild speculation that "America" or "Captain America" was going to be dropped from the film's title internationally. See, we Americans aren't that popular abroad, the theory goes, so if the film had "American" in its title it wouldn't do well oversees.
Well, as it turns out, that's a bunch of whooie. First, the film starred a wide range of European personalities in the Howling Commandos (true to the comics). Secondly, it ending up grossing $189 million oversees. While that's not great it isn't a disaster either. Believe it or not, it was more successful in Brazil and Mexico. Go figure.

Anyway, the film WAS released under an alternate title in just THREE countries (as far as I can tell it wasn't released in China at all... go figure) - Russia, Ukraine, and South Korea. In Russia it made nearly $9 million (not bad), in South Korea it did nearly $4 million (not bad... it is South Korea), and in the Ukraine it didn't even make $1 million (but then again, what do you expect from Ukraine?). I wonder how much different the box offices from these three countries would have been if the film had been released under its full title? I understand the logic in Russia and I guess I can extend that to the Ukrain... but why South Korea? North Korea - sure - but South Korea? I thought they liked us? Hmmm...

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