This declare, included in Common’s thorough and spectacular checklist of field workplace achievements for 2024, is technically true: “Domestically ‘Depraved‘ is now … the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation of all-time on the home workplace forward of ‘Grease‘ ($188.62M).”
Additionally technically true is that “The Grinch” is greater than “Gone with the Wind,” “Sing” is greater than “Jaws,” and “5 Nights at Freddy’s” is greater than “The Godfather.” Additionally, the 1977 first “Star Wars” is just the third greatest success of that franchise.
Presenting grosses with out adjusting skews the actual image of how they evaluate. It’s a prime case of movie historical past erasure, an all-too frequent incidence lately. The considerably (however not inconceivable most often) effort to kind out the true success of movies via historical past begins with adjusting field workplace takes to present ticket costs. Usually, that’s pretty easy, since we all know the prices by 12 months and may do the mathematics. For high musicals, it will get a bit trickier.
A lot of the greatest musicals from 1955 (“Oklahoma”) via 1971 (“Fiddler on the Roof”) have been roadshows. That meant their preliminary shows in large cities have been unique runs, typically for months, at costs a lot increased than the common ticket value. Meaning adjusting their gross primarily based on the common on the time they performed doesn’t work. For all these movies, a considerable quantity — doubtless even the bulk — of their tickets got here from what was marketed as “standard” costs, the common on the time.
So, how you can calculate the traditionally and mathematically extra correct place of “Depraved” amongst each Broadway musical and play movie variations? Even with the fundamental numbers obtainable, the movie’s efficiency is so spectacular, that it really might stand out extra than the “highest-grossing” declare Common is boasting already.
Via seven weeks of launch, “Depraved” will has grossed round $454 million within the U.S./Canada. It seems to be to finish up near $500 million (it’s obtainable on PVOD, however Oscar nominations subsequent week ought to increase it). That may make it, at a minimal, one of many high 5 Broadway variations ever. It might probably go as excessive as third place. To position wherever within the high 10, not to mention in such a brief interval, is a terrific achievement.
However due to the difficulties in determining the true comparable takes of the opposite movies on that high 10 checklist, it isn’t clear whether or not “Depraved” is the third greatest Broadway adaptation or maybe the sixth. Regardless of. The opposite movies in its league are all thought-about to be large successes, and thus, “Depraved” is as properly, by advantage of its firm.
The highest two are straightforward sufficient to determine. “The Sound of Music,” if adjusted to 2022 costs (they’re increased now), grossed over $1.3 billion within the U.S./Canada per Field Workplace Mojo. As a result of it was initially a roadshow presentation — once more: an elevated presentation at increased costs — its early dates had tickets above the common stage for 1965. That, in flip, reduces the upper adjusted quantity, which is predicated on a decrease stage. It turns into harder to be exact, however an informed guess is its adjusted whole remains to be over $1 billion. That’s double “Depraved.”
Simpler nonetheless is the non-roadshow “Grease” in 1978. It stands at over $700 million for second place, with no roadshow numbers to parse.
Then it turns into difficult. “My Honest Woman” (1964), “West Aspect Story” (1961), and “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971) all look to be over $500 million. Nevertheless, all three have been roadshows initially, so it’s potential they fall beneath the half-billion mark, once more like “The Sound of Music” when adjusted. (“Fiddler on the Roof” oddly doesn’t seem on Field Workplace Mojo’s adjusted checklist, but it surely was the #1 movie of 1971 by far, and the reported movie rental figures counsel an over $500 million whole adjusted earlier than bearing in mind the roadshow issue.)
Amongst that group of 5 movies, three of which “Depraved” both outgrossed or got here near, are three Oscar Greatest Image winners (“West Aspect Story,” “My Honest Woman,” and “The Sound of Music”). The opposite two Broadway musical variations to win (“Oliver” and “Chicago”) grossed, adjusted, round $300 million, beneath “Depraved.”
The opposite 4 musicals among the many obvious all-time high 10 are “Humorous Lady,” “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma,” and “Guys and Dolls.” In all, that’s a killer’s row of best-known Broadway musicals on movie, and simply getting into the checklist is a large win. Being as excessive as third could be phenomenal.
Different big-name musicals decrease on the checklist, although nonetheless hits, embody “Cabaret,” “Les Misérables,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Dreamgirls.” Meantime, different Broadway reveals of word that flopped as films embody “Cats,” “The Shade Purple,” and “Hire.” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Sweeney Todd,” at finest, have been mildly profitable.
Essentially the most spectacular achievement of all is that among the many 10 greatest, the newest “Grease,” got here out 46 years in the past. Most have been boosted by the status of a roadshow presentation. Broadway musicals misplaced their attraction by the Nineteen Seventies, with solely intermittent success (often owed to rock-related components). That “Depraved” has managed it is a large credit score to all concerned.
Another findings: Two non-Broadway musicals rank within the high 10 within the style. “Mary Poppins” could be both second or third. “The Rocky Horror Image Present” (on stage in London, however not on Broadway earlier than the film), with its fixed play principally as a midnight present for almost a half-century, additionally seems to be adjusted to be over $500 million.
Three play variations would make the checklist of 10 greatest Broadway variations, with “Mr. Roberts” (1955) main the way in which, adopted by “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1967) and “The Odd Couple” (1968). That type of movie is almost lifeless. In 2024, “The Piano Lesson” was a uncommon exception, and that it was made for Netflix, not theatrical, is telling.
For positive, it’s spectacular — although at some deceptive — to mark “Depraved” as the most important Broadway-to-film hit ever. However a extra nuanced take a look at the place it stands amongst different classics really makes it seem much more excellent.
The bounty continues: Common simply introduced that within the first seven days of PVOD play, revenues from digital obtain and leases got here to $70 million. Based mostly on the trade understanding of studio share, meaning they earned someplace round $50 million from that supply already.