Brad Pitt’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Becomes Quentin Tarantino’s Highest-Grossing Film

CHICAGO – The Weinstein Company (QTC) announced that Quentin Tarantino’s recent film “Inglourious Basterds” passed “Pulp Fiction” at the box office and is now his highest grossing film ever. “Basterds” has now grossed more than $108 million in North American box office sales since the film was released on August 21, 2009.

Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and Sgt. Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth) in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Photo credit: Francois Duhamel/TWC

“Pulp Fiction” made $107,966,120 in its North American release. “Inglourious Basterds” is a huge international success for both TWC and its partner, Universal Pictures. The filmed debuted at #1 in the US and all over the world on August 21, 2009.

“We have been Quentin’s biggest fans since the beginning. It was extremely gratifying to see ‘Inglourious Basterds’ put up such huge numbers. It is a kick ass film from a director who always keeps me and audiences on their toes,” said Harvey Weinstein in response to the new benchmark.

Weinstein is crediting the success of the film to an innovative marketing plan. The film took advantage of Twitter and other popular social networking sites in a direct fashion, which involved using Twitter in the film’s LA Premiere. “It was great working with Biz Stone at Twitter on ‘Inglourious.’ It took the campaign to another level,” says Weinstein.

The film is set during World War II where a group of Jewish-American solders known as “The Basterds” were chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. They soon come across a French-Jewish woman who runs a movie theater in Paris that is targeted by the soldiers.

The Weinstein Company and Universal Pictures co-financed and co-presented the film with a single-pot worldwide 50/50 deal. Lawrence Bender, A Band Apart, Zehnte Babelsberg Film, and GmbH Production produced “Inglourious Basterds”. The film was shot at Studio Babelsberg and on location in Berlin, Saxony and Paris.

Domestic grosses for other Tarantino-directed films include $2 million for “Reservoir Dogs” (1992), $40 million for “Jackie Brown” (1997), $71 million for “Kill Bill, Vol. 1” (2003), $66 million for “Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004), and $25 million for “Grindhouse” (2007).

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com