Did 'Sex Tape' fail because of its title? It wouldn't be the first time

The promise of a big-screen “Sex Tape” featuring major Hollywood stars apparently wasn’t enough to entice moviegoers this past weekend, as people chosen to spend their money to see other offerings like “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “The Purge: Anarchy.”

"Sex Tape," the risqué rom-com starring Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, ended up in fourth place at the box office, pulling in just $15 million dollars – not even half of what “Apes” made in its second weekend of release.

So why did “Sex Tape” flop? Well, it was probably the poor reviews, but studio Sony Pictures is blaming something else entirely: the film’s title.

That’s right, the people responsible for naming the movie “Sex Tape” now think the raunchy title may have actually kept people from seeing it.

"We made a sweet, funny romantic comedy with stars that we love, but the title is a little confusing to some folks,” Sony exec Rory Bruer told the Hollywood Reporter, adding that the studio hopes “Sex Tape” will perform well over time. “There's definitely a sweetness to it, and we hope we end up being around for a long while.”

No matter how sweet or funny a movie is, not everyone wants to go see (or is even able to see) an R-rated movie called “Sex Tape” with their parents or family. With more family-friendly options like the latest “Planes” movie and yes, even “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” available, the choice was pretty clear cut for most folks.

It’s not the first time that a movie’s title has hurt its chances at the box office. Director Kevin Smith’s similarly-themed 2008 comedy “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” flopped for the same reason. The title and the taboo subject matter kept people (and their moms) away from the theatre. Studio Warner Bros. smartened up for Smith’s next film, “Cop Out,” forcing the director to change the movie’s original, more clever title: “A Couple of Dicks.”

Other films with bad or unclear titles that may have impacted box office include the 2008 monster movie “Cloverfield” (which likely would have performed better had it been titled something a little more obvious like “Blair Witch with a Giant Monster”) and the cult classic “The Shawshank Redemption.” Sure, today, "Shawshank" is regarded as a great film and it constantly plays on TV, but when it first came out, it didn’t do particularly well at the box office. What does the title even mean? What’s a “Shawshank”? In retrospect, it’s clear that “Morgan Freeman narrates The Tim Robbins Prison Experience” would have been a much better way to go.

A marketable title is hugely important for movies to find their audience. CBS Films, the U.S. distributors of the upcoming Canadian film “The F Word” starring Daniel Radcliffe, realized that the movie’s original Canuck title probably wouldn’t play well in some areas of the United States. The “F Word” in question is “Friend,” but the title is a deliberate play on the polite form of everyone’s favourite swear word.

South of the border, the Radcliffe-headlined rom-com will be released under the much more boring and entirely safe title “What If,” at the behest of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). CBS Films says that the MPAA told them to change the title or face the possibility of an R rating for the film. "What If" may not be an original or particularly interesting title, but the MPAA clearly thinks it will make the film more palatable for American audiences.

Sony took a risk with the title of "Sex Tape," one that didn't pay off. Expect the studio to be more cautious when naming films in the future.

Edit: A previous version of this article did not make it clear that the Motion Picture Association of America was the driving force behind "The F Word" being retitled "What If" in the U.S.

Watch the trailer for "The F Word":