Paramount is hoping to spark ticket sales at the box office this Fourth of July holiday with the release of a 3-D documentary about "Firework" singer Katy Perry.
Following the success of the low-budget concert film centering around tween star Justin Bieber last year, the studio's Insurge division will open a similar movie about Perry on July 5. The Bieber flick, "Never Say Never," was conceived and released in just over six months and ended up grossing roughly $100 million worldwide. "Katy Perry: Part of Me," meanwhile, began production over a year ago, trailing the musician on her 124-date California Dreams tour.
In a statement, the 27-year-old said she was excited to take fans "behind the cotton candy clouds" in the movie, which promises to reveal details of her life on- and off-stage. But a trailer that hit the Web Tuesday seemed to indicate the movie would focus far more on her world tour than her impending divorce from comedian Russell Brand.
Perry has certainly proved her popularity on the record charts: Her most recent single, last month's "Part of Me," became the first single in a year to debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. In all, she has sold 50 million digital tracks and mobile products, in addition to 10 million albums worldwide.
Still, it remains to be seen what her pull will be at the box office. Though Bieber's film was a hit, other concert films have flopped at the multiplex in recent years. Last summer, a 3-D picture featuring songs from the television show "Glee" tanked in theaters, collecting only $11.9 million, and a concert film starring the Jonas Brothers also failed to produce major ticket sales.