Move Over, Batman. Kirk Cameron is #1.

[Old Guy]

TDK is the year's highest grossing movie, but did it make the biggest profit?



If only Wall Street had bet on Twilight. Or Hannah Montana. Or Kirk Cameron (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800088825).

With a $167.3 million overall domestic take as Sunday, per Box Office Mojo, Twilight made more than four times its reported $37 million production budget—the best rate of return on any film in the 2008 Top 10, including The Dark Knight (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809271891/info/).

The Batman epic was a pretty good investment, too, very nearly tripling its gargantuan $185 million budget with a $530.8 million domestic take, Hollywood's second-biggest ever.

Still, The Dark Knight (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809271891/info/) was nothing compared to these off-the-charts performers: High School Musical 3: Senior Year (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810004690/info/) ($89.7 million), which grossed about eight times its $11 million budget; the Hannah Montana concert movie, which made about nine times its $7 million budget; and, Cameron's Fireproof, which cost $500,000 to produce, and made $33.1 million—or, more than 60 times its budget.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

He used to be my favourite 80s teen kid, even above Michael J Fox (who I also love). I think I liked Kirk because he used to remind me of me. That sneaky, mischievous attitude, that squeaky voice when he gets hyper, the gawky mannerism--that's me right there.

Then he went all religious and stuff.

[Antiyonder]

Then he went all religious and stuff.

To be fair, he did acknowledge that he went overboard with the Born Again Christian behavior. Many other people in his position would be less likely to take a bite of humble pie.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

To be fair, he did acknowledge that he went overboard with the Born Again Christian behavior. Many other people in his position would be less likely to take a bite of humble pie.


I didn't mean to say I disapproved of what he believed in, I just thought he was wasting his talent appealing to a narrow audience. Here's a kid with still-considerable charisma and everyman appeal basically doing work below the radar when he should still be a mainstream star, either on TV or on film.

[Old Guy]

doing work below the radar when he should still be a mainstream star, either on TV or on film.

Well...seeing as how he starred in 2008's biggest profit maker...I'd say he's not under the radar.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Well...seeing as how he starred in 2008's biggest profit maker...I'd say he's not under the radar.

Well, yeah, when your budget's so low, there's nowhere to go but up. :)

[Tobias]

I didn't mean to say I disapproved of what he believed in, I just thought he was wasting his talent appealing to a narrow audience. Here's a kid with still-considerable charisma and everyman appeal basically doing work below the radar when he should still be a mainstream star, either on TV or on film.

It's hard to be a mainstream star and still stick to your religious beliefs. Cameron, if he wanted, could easily have become the next Brad Pitt, but it's hard to find roles that would make you a star without having to resort to roles that require sex, killing people, or using salty language.

I think Cameron's doing fine where he's at, and he seems happy sticking to smaller films and projects that give him more time to spend with his wife and kids.

[Old Guy]

Well, yeah, when your budget's so low, there's nowhere to go but up. :)

Not every $500,000 dollar movies make $33 million. It's literally THE surprise hit of the year.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

Yeah, I think he's one of those few Hollywood people that get their happily ever after. To have made as much money as it has, Fireproof is truly a miracle. The crap it went through in the production stage is incredible. The crew must be on cloud nine to receive such a 'title', if you shall.

[Hobbes829]

Well, yeah, when your budget's so low, there's nowhere to go but up. :)
I believe that's Kevin Smith's philosophy.

[Old Guy]

I believe that's Kevin Smith's philosophy.

Correction: Robert Rodriguez.

Smith has never had a hit movie. Rodriguez, on the other hand, has movies like Spy Kids which cost $35 million to make and grossed almost $148 million worldwide. A profit of $113 million dollars.

Kevin Smith movies on average gross between $25-30 million. And his movies cost anywhere between $10 to $25 million. So...his movies don't really make a profit. In theaters...anyway...his movies make money through DVDs.

[Mesousa]

This is the hit that Summit Entertainment needed.

We may actually call them a major studio now.

[Wonderwall]

Correction: Robert Rodriguez.

Smith has never had a hit movie. Rodriguez, on the other hand, has movies like Spy Kids which cost $35 million to make and grossed almost $148 million worldwide. A profit of $113 million dollars.

Kevin Smith movies on average gross between $25-30 million. And his movies cost anywhere between $10 to $25 million. So...his movies don't really make a profit. In theaters...anyway...his movies make money through DVDs.

Kind of makes you wonder why he just doesn't direct straight to dvd fare:D

[BrendaBat]

Originally posted by Leaping Larry Jojo
I didn't mean to say I disapproved of what he believed in, I just thought he was wasting his talent appealing to a narrow audience. Here's a kid with still-considerable charisma and everyman appeal basically doing work below the radar when he should still be a mainstream star, either on TV or on film.

Considering the fates of all those other kid stars that were popular in the 1980s, I think Kirk Cameron was smart to find Jesus and only do small films. :shrug:


While I'm not too keen on religious message movies, I hope Fireproof's success sends a message to Hollywood that there is a market for clean, uplifting, family-friendly movies that don't feature lame, CGI talking animals. :)

[Michael24]

It's hard to be a mainstream star and still stick to your religious beliefs. Cameron, if he wanted, could easily have become the next Brad Pitt, but it's hard to find roles that would make you a star without having to resort to roles that require sex, killing people, or using salty language.

Yeah, your options are pretty limited when you need to have your wife stand-in for an actress in scenes where you're supposed to kiss her. Though in a way, I kind of admire him for really sticking to his beliefs and not compromising him. And as others have said, despite a lack of fame nowadays like he used to have, he seems to be doing quite well for himself, so more power to him. :)

[Chris Sanders MSX]

Yeah, your options are pretty limited when you need to have your wife stand-in for an actress in scenes where you're supposed to kiss her. Though in a way, I kind of admire him for really sticking to his beliefs and not compromising him. And as others have said, despite a lack of fame nowadays like he used to have, he seems to be doing quite well for himself, so more power to him. :)

I think most celebs would rather have fortune than fame. The one thing every celeb says is they miss being able to go to the store or not having cameras every where. It's awesome that he hasn't compromised or watered down what he wanted to do. Kirk could of easily become Disney bait, but opted to go as a crusader for Jesus. His wife is pretty gorgeous so if you had to have her stand in that’s awesome too.

I speak from experience when I say when you either first become a Christian or become born again you tend to go a little overboard because of what you feel and what happens in those moments, he seems to be taking the appropriate steps and it looks like he really is being blessed by it.

I miss his sitcom Kirk, it was my favorite show when it popped up on the WB for one season.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

It's hard to be a mainstream star and still stick to your religious beliefs. Cameron, if he wanted, could easily have become the next Brad Pitt, but it's hard to find roles that would make you a star without having to resort to roles that require sex, killing people, or using salty language.

I think Cameron's doing fine where he's at, and he seems happy sticking to smaller films and projects that give him more time to spend with his wife and kids.

Come now, as bad as Hollywood is, they still make a lot of family friendly films. That's basically what Brendan Fraser is doing.

Put Cameron in a bunch of Disney "family friendly" films and watch his stock soar. Sure, the movies may not be of high quality, but they can't be much worse than some of the other stuff Cameron's done over the years.

That said, as long as he's happy I guess it doesn't matter.