It's no secret that the majority of Hollywood movies nowadays are sequels, remakes, reboots or based off an existing intellectual property. So when a movie based on an original idea comes along and performs excellently in theaters, it's an excellent change of pace. Get Out has been one of those movies in 2017, earning critical acclaim and making over $250 million off a $4.5 million budget. And because of its incredible financial success, Get Out could end up being this year's biggest box office win due to its return on investment (ROI).
The Wrap crunched the numbers and found out that Get Out has a 630% ROI, the best of any 2017 movie so far. The only movie that comes relatively close to this amount is Split, a fellow Blumhouse production that has a 610% ROI. Just to be clear, this does not mean that Get Out has grossed more than its theatrical competitors. That obviously is reserved for the biggest blockbusters, but making piles of money doesn't equal a studio getting a great ROI. For example, so far Beauty and the Beast is the highest-grossing movie of 2017, making over $1.2 billion worldwide. However, because it had a $160 million budget, its ROI is over 400%. That's certainly impressive, but not Get Out impressive.
As the article later noted, Get Out doesn't have the same merchandising deals that these major blockbusters have, but one advantage it does have is being under the Blumhouse banner. Thanks to the company's distribution deal with Universal, its movies are screened in thousands of domestic theaters. It also helps that Blumhouse movies don't screen in China, which lowers the international distribution costs. Throw in social media buzz and positive reception, and it's clearer why Get Out has been so commercially successful.
Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams, Get Out followed a man who traveled with his girlfriend to meet her parents at their family estate, only to discover that sinister goings-on have been afoot there for years. Along with a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, Get Out was nominated for seven MTV Movie & TV Awards, winning two. With the Golden Globes and Academy Awards coming up next year, it's certainly possible Blumhouse and Universal will try to garner more trophy attention for Jordan Peele's directorial debut. Peele has also already come up with ideas of what Get Out 2 could be about, although a sequel has not been greenlit.
Get Out is now available on Digital HD, Blu-ray and DVD, and with Jordan Peele planning to make more original features in the coming years rather than jump to blockbusters like Akira, maybe he'll keep that good ROI streak going. Blumhouse's next movie, Happy Death Day, will be released in theaters on October 13.
