From Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily: SUNDAY AM: I just got off the phone with Harvey Weinstein whose Weinstein Co is co-distributing Rambo with Lionsgate, and he's remarkably bullish on Sly Stallone's prospects especially overseas. Harv estimated that Rambo, which took in $18.1 mil from 2,751 theaters its opening weekend, "will end up doing $50 mil here and $100M to $150M foreign. That's what usually happens since this franchise is really big overseas." I bet the pic doesn't even see $45 mil domestic and drops with a thud next weekend. Of course, this is just idle chatter from Harv because he doesn't own Rambo: Avi Lerner and his company, Nu Image, do and produced the film. They licensed domestic rights to Lionsgate and LGF partnered with TWC. Nu Image controls the international rights and neither TWC nor LGF have any dibs on the foreign revenue. So it's great to say that there's a ton of international potential on the film but it does not benefit LGF nor TWC one bit. But that doesn't stop Harv who is already talking sequel and even has a plot in mind "bringing the character back to the United States". Rambo in a wheelchair, I asked? (Given that Sly at age 61 is ridiculously old to still be an action hero.) Harvey laughed and said, "I like the idea of an older guy kicking ass. Maybe it's because I'm older, too." (Weinstein turns 56 this March.)
From Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily:
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