Fox Atomic No More

Amazingly enough, when I was doing my article a few weeks back on everything 20th Century Fox was doing wrong, lately, I totally side-stepped the whole Fox Atomic angle.   It wasn’t concious.   I just didn’t think about them.

Apparently, Fox didn’t think much of the division, either, because word came down yesterday that Fox Atomic was closing its doors.   The division, formed in 2006, was in the business of   releasing films that were geared more towards the teen audience.   Hence the release of such horror films as ‘Turistas’ and ‘The Hills Have Eyes 2’ and comedies like ‘The Rocker’ and ‘The Comebacks.’   The last film Fox Atomic released was the John Cena-vehicle ’12 Rounds,’ which has pulled in $11 million in its 27-day release period.

’12 Rounds’ is just the latest in Fox Atomic releases that have fallen short both financially and critically.   Last Year’s ‘The Rocker’ made $8 million domestic off of a $15 million budget.   The only “succesful” film Fox Atomic put out was ’28 Weeks Later…’ which raked in $64 million worldwide.   A scheduled third film in that series, ’28 Months Later…,’ will more than likely still get made just under the 20th Century Fox or Fox Searchlight umbrella.

Fox Atomic had two films on the slate for release in 2009, ‘I Love You, Beth Cooper’ and ‘Jennifer’s Body.’   Both were poised to be Fox Atomic’s biggest hits, the former a high school comedy directed by Chris Columbus and starring Heroes star Hayden Panettiere and the latter a horror film written by Diablo Cody and starring Megan Fox.   Both of these will, like ’28 Months Later…,’ likely be moved over to Fox Searchlight.

Despite the lack of good films coming out of Fox Atomic, the division did have a pretty good eye for marketing.   Granted, two of those three posters above are identical twins of each other, but they are both effective.   The trailer marketing for ‘The Hills Have Eyes 2’ was among the best in 2007, but that film didn’t deliver in any way, shape, or form.

Word of Fox Atomic’s closing comes from Variety.   The studio could not be reached for comment.

Source: Variety