The Greatest Showman #760 - Weekend Champion

Breaking Records: Renly Hall Shatters Box Office Milestones

"Cancer Me" has broken yet another record. The film has smashed the first-week December box-office record previously held by The Last Samurai (2003) with a staggering $30.01 million. This surpasses the original record by approximately 30%, making Cancer Me the first film in history to exceed $30 million in a weekend during this period.

Even more impressive, Cancer Me now ranks among the top 20 films in the December box-office chart, currently holding the 19th position.

From critical acclaim to box office success, Renly has once again delivered an exceptional performance in 2011. This marks the third such achievement in the year, a feat that is nothing short of astounding!

If Love Crazy from two months ago can be seen as a flash of brilliance—an unlikely success driven by perfect timing—then Cancer Me defied all market expectations and achieved what many believed was impossible in the North American box office.

The common denominator? Renly Hall.

After his breakthrough in Fast & Furious 5, this new-generation actor established his box-office appeal and steadily built a loyal audience base. For certain groups—literary youth, seasoned film fans, and female audiences—Renly Hall has become a name they cannot resist.

What's even more remarkable is that Love Crazy, Cancer Me, and Buried Alive were all produced on shoestring budgets. Cancer Me, the most expensive of the three, cost just $8 million to produce. Meanwhile, Love Crazy had a modest budget of only $250,000. Despite these low costs, Love Crazy went on to earn an astonishing $125 million in North America—a jaw-dropping return on investment.

This is critical for any production company, particularly independent ones. Even with their artistic nature, these films have proven their ability to achieve significant box-office success—a near-invincible formula.

Although it may be premature to call this "The Myth of Invincibility," it's hard not to draw comparisons to Tom Cruise's early successes. Cruise's five consecutive films that broke $100 million in North America solidified his status as a box-office superstar. Now, Renly has achieved four consecutive profitable films. While only one of these is a commercial film, this feat is enough to turn heads.

Naturally, thoughts turn to Edge of Tomorrow, currently in production.

Was it truly a mistake for Renly to turn down Fast & Furious 6 and a potential Luke Hobbs spinoff in favor of Edge of Tomorrow? Will Edge of Tomorrow flop? Was Renly's decision impulsive? It's clear that Universal has lost out, but the industry is watching Renly's every move with renewed interest.

With Cancer Me breaking records, it's clear that Renly's choices are shaping the landscape of the industry. He has reached a point where his influence and power within the circle are undeniable.

In the weekend box office rankings for the first week of December, Cancer Me claimed the crown with a record-breaking performance, leaving the competition in its wake.

Meanwhile, other films performed predictably poorly. Twilight: Breaking Dawn (Part 1) experienced another 60% drop in its third week, earning just $16 million over the weekend, bringing its total after three weeks to $246 million. This steep decline highlights the nature of fan-driven films.

The Muppet Movie, which premiered the previous week, also struggled, with a 60% drop in its second week, earning only $11 million over the weekend. Despite favorable reviews, its box-office performance has been lackluster. Fortunately, with a production budget of just $45 million, it has made $56 million over two weeks, leaving room for a potential profit.

Martin Scorsese's Hugo, while critically acclaimed, failed to gain traction at the box office. Earning just $7.5 million in its second week, the film has grossed $25 million so far, highlighting the challenges faced by awards-season films when competing against commercial blockbusters.

This has created a perfect environment for Cancer Me to flourish.

Had there been no media backlash earlier in the year, had Renly not missed out on the Oscars for Cancer Me, had there been no missteps at the premiere, and no sensationalized press, would Cancer Me have reached these heights? The film's success is the result of a perfect storm of subjective and objective factors that led to its breakout success.

How long Cancer Me will continue to dominate at the box office remains to be seen. While it is unlikely to replicate Love Crazy's extraordinary curve, breaking the $100 million mark in North America is still an incredible achievement for such a low-budget production.

One thing is certain: 2011 has been Renly's year. Following the success of Pacific War and Buried Alive in 2010, Fast & Furious 5, Love Crazy, and Cancer Me have all claimed the North American weekend box-office crown. When considering the artistic nature of the latter two films, this accomplishment is even more impressive.

Renly's commercial potential is undeniable, and with Edge of Tomorrow on the horizon, the industry is eager to see if he can deliver another box-office triumph. This film will serve as his first true blockbuster and will prove whether his appeal at the box office is as genuine as it seems.

Love Crazy and Cancer Me are also highly anticipated during the awards season. As critic Roger Ebert noted, these two performances could solidify Renly's position in the race for accolades in 2012.

But it's not just movies where Renly excels. His talents in music have garnered significant recognition, and he continues to impress in that arena as well. People are starting to take notice, and it's possible that his music career will become yet another avenue of success.

This week, Cancer Me dominated the box office, earning nearly double that of the nearest competitor. Simultaneously, sales of Renly's album Don Quixote surged, marking a carnival for indie music fans across North America.

The album received significant attention, especially after its Grammy nominations. Don Quixote became one of the most talked-about albums of the year, and its sales exploded. In one week, it sold 127,000 copies, more than doubling its cumulative sales over the past 12 weeks. This sharp increase in sales underscores the power of media promotion and industry recognition.

As a result, Don Quixote rocketed to the top of the Billboard album chart in the second week of December.

Champion of the week? Both film and music. With such momentum, who can compete?