The 2008 Box Office Thread

[JoeinAR 1,949]

BB, the Mummy paved the way for movies to open big in early May and that was before Spiderman, which is another of those blockbusters that is just ehh, the story was uninteresting and the effects were borderline awful, and an undemanding public loved it.

Its hard to feel sorry that you're dropping Iron Man to two showing a day considering that the number of screens are so large these days. I can't remember the last time I was in a sold out theatre. I know it happens cause I saw where Kung Fu panda sold out on the Imax screen. Course that was just one screen,

do you expect Wanted to do well or not, I can't wrap my mind around it being a success or a failure. I think the picture looks silly and stupid, and Angelina Jolie is a skank, who might be as pretty as everyone thinks if she'd eat a fraking cheeseburger or two.

I just think Wall-E is going to be enormous, and yet I don't care if I see it or not.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

do you expect Wanted to do well or not, I can't wrap my mind around it being a success or a failure. I think the picture looks silly and stupid, and Angelina Jolie is a skank, who might be as pretty as everyone thinks if she'd eat a fraking cheeseburger or two.

A friend once told me he would go completely hetero for Angelina Jolie.

[Red 75]

I just think Wall-E is going to be enormous, and yet I don't care if I see it or not.

It's been getting amazing reviews. Some are even calling it a masterpiece, and the darkest movie Disney has put out in a long time.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Dark? Wall*E? I don't want to see it because it looks too childish. Animation looks spectacular though.

[Red 75]

Dark? Wall*E? I don't want to see it because it looks too childish. Animation looks spectacular though.

Your loss.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

You haven't seen it yourself, so I haven't lost anything yet. For now I have the score to entertain me.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

BB, the Mummy paved the way for movies to open big in early May and that was before Spiderman, which is another of those blockbusters that is just ehh, the story was uninteresting and the effects were borderline awful, and an undemanding public loved it.

Its hard to feel sorry that you're dropping Iron Man to two showing a day considering that the number of screens are so large these days. I can't remember the last time I was in a sold out theatre. I know it happens cause I saw where Kung Fu panda sold out on the Imax screen. Course that was just one screen,

do you expect Wanted to do well or not, I can't wrap my mind around it being a success or a failure. I think the picture looks silly and stupid, and Angelina Jolie is a skank, who might be as pretty as everyone thinks if she'd eat a fraking cheeseburger or two.

I just think Wall-E is going to be enormous, and yet I don't care if I see it or not.

If you read what I actually wrote, you'd notice that I said that Spider-Man came out the FIRST week in May, and that the first weekend in May had not been a big weekend previously. The Mummy came out the second weekend in May, but it can't even get credit for making that weekend big; that happened with Twister a full three years earlier. I say again: Spider-Man's success was a huge surprise in terms of it sscope. Sorry you didn't like; many people did, myself included.

As for Wanted . . . you know, I can't get a handle on whether I think that's going to do well or not. It's been heavily promoted, and it looks cool, but Jolie has had way more failures than successes, and most people have no idea who MacAvoy is. On the other hand, it's been a while since there's been an R-rated action flick, so the pent-up demand might work for this movie. I saw it earlier, and let me tell you: it's a piece of s--t. Terrible in every respect.

I just think Wall-E is going to be enormous, and yet I don't care if I see it or not.

It's been getting amazing reviews. Some are even calling it a masterpiece, and the darkest movie Disney has put out in a long time.

It is a masterpiece (like every other Pixar movie, but better than several of them), and it is the darkest Disney animation in many a moon. You'd have to go all the way back to The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the very earliest, but really, I think it's even darker; we're talking Pinocchio and Fantasia dark here, folks. I don't want to go into spoilerish specifics.

The animation is stupendous. How this company manages to top itself every time out (in terms of the animation) is a mystery, but they do. I've got some mild problems with some of the movie's messages, but they're very mild. It's a haunting, affecting, utterly gorgeous movie that is probably going to instantly turn into a cherished classic for millions and millions of people.

I'd also like to note that the short attached to WALL*E is f---ing hysterical. It's called Presto, and it is glorious.

Sadly, no trailer for next year's Pixar movie. A break with tradition, and it was a tradition I was fond of.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I might actually go and see WALL*E, and I'm someone who doesn't care for Pixar movies.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

that describes me as well, I had to watch Finding Nemo way too many times, and once was more than enough

[King Mark 3,626]

I might actually go and see WALL*E, and I'm someone who doesn't care for Pixar movies.

[MrScratch 294]

Monsters Inc aside, Pixar had a great track record up to and including The Incredibles. I have no desire to see Cars or Ratatouie. I may go see Wall-E, it looks more promising than anything we've gotten so far this year.

[Ollie 1,059]

I believe next years' Pixar film is titled Up and Michael Giacchino will be scoring it.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

they are also doing John Carter of Mars, they are starting to work on it but it wont come out till 2012, hopefully before the end of the world.

[Richard Penna 3,676]

I've enjoyed all of the Pixar movies so far, and I saw the first three in the cinema.

I will definitely end up seeing this one too. There was a short trailer attached to 21 last month and the animation looked phenomenal. Plus, every single advance review I've read says that this is an absolutely stupendous movie.

[Luke Skywalker 1,793]

And Mark got it right when he said that most people thought Attack of the Clones would be that year's big earner. I think people thought Spider-Man might do well, but the scope of its success was a shock.

Neither FOTR nor TTT beat spiderman?

[John Crichton 4]

I might actually go and see WALL*E, and I'm someone who doesn't care for Pixar movies.

I like "darker". I like that a lot.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

BB is right, Wall-E is a MASTERPIECE, and I am rare to give that out.

I'm still digesting it, so I'll discuss it more later.

[Ollie 1,059]

I love Pixar's films.

Now I'm really excited about seeing this film.

[Adam S. 0]

97% on RottenTomatoes is almost unheard of as well. I'm going to see it tomorrow hopefully.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

$23 mil for WALL*E on Friday, and $18 mill for Wanted. That's a lot closer than I would have ever dreamed even yesterday, and it's proof that if two movies that go after totally different audiences open on the same day, they can both blow up.

That's also unexpectedly robust business for Wanted, but I would imagine you'll start to see WALL*E pull away from it on Saturday and end up winning the weekend handily.

[Ollie 1,059]

$18 Million for Wanted?

I guess I am getting old and out of touch.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Indy will break 300 million Sunday or Monday to become the 2nd 300plus movie of the year.

[Red 75]

According to this The Dark Knight is going to be big. Really, really big.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

According to this The Dark Knight is going to be big. Really, really big.

And judging from the early reviews, nobody is going to be disappointed.

Except half of the people on this board, of course.

[indy4 155]

I hope Indy beats it.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

me too. the article is flawed in making one assumption, most people still buy their tickets on the day they see the movie.

it will open huge, but it will have a 45 to 60 percent drop the next weekend.

[Ollie 1,059]

If Dark Knight opens above Spiderman 3's totals, as it is being predicted to do, it will beat IJ unless it has a 70% to 80% drop off the following weekend.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Which it probably won't. I'm almost positive I'm going to see it more than one time, because my friend has been scarily hyped for this movie for over a year. He'll probably see it like 6 times.

[King Mark 3,626]

I'll say it here,my prediction is that it will not do that well and that Health Ledger's performance will turn out to have been overhyped (so far from the clips I can barely understand what he's mumbling) .If it's too dark and depressing,people will not see it more than once.

[Red 75]

I'll say it here,my prediction is that it will not do that well and that Health Ledger's performance will turn out to have been overhyped (so far from the clips I can barely understand what he's mumbling) .If it's too dark and depressing,people will not see it more than once.

Most of the reviews I've read say the exact opposite, and they are from people who have actually seen the movie.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

If Dark Knight opens above Spiderman 3's totals, as it is being predicted to do, it will beat IJ unless it has a 70% to 80% drop off the following weekend.

I'm just not sure I think that The Dark Knight can have that huge an opening. Part of the reason -- a big part -- that Spider-Man 3 could open that enormously had to do with the fact that it opened the first weekend of the summer season, during a year in which the April box office had been incredibly poor. Not only were people almost literally salivating for a good movie to see (one that looked good, at least), theatres were able to put it on as many screens as they wanted, and just keep on selling tickets, whereas at the end of the month they'd have had to put up "SOLD OUT" signs.

It's a different field for The Dark Knight. The following films will all still be in theatres, some of them very strongly: WALL*E, Wanted, Hancock, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Meet Dave, and Hellboy II. Also, Mamma Mia! and Space Chimps open the same day, so there go a few screens, too. There might very well be a demand for $150 million worth of tickets to The Dark Knight, but the odds are not good that there will be $150 million worth of seats. The article doesn't take that into account, and it really should have.

So if The Dark Knight makes that much, it'll be waaaaay more impressive than it was when Spider-Man 3 made it; and it was massively f---ing impressive that time.

[King Mark 3,626]

Mamma mia? Space Chimps??? and no one told me about this? I'll be there opening day. Screw The Dark Knight

[John Crichton 4]

The early Dark Knight reviews I've read are already supporting Heath Ledger for a posthumous Oscar.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

I'll say it here,my prediction is that it will not do that well and that Health Ledger's performance will turn out to have been overhyped (so far from the clips I can barely understand what he's mumbling) .If it's too dark and depressing,people will not see it more than once.

You're underestimating people. If people expect dark and depressing -- the kind of dark and depressing that this movie seems to offer, which is a cathartic dark and depressing, an exciting dark and depressing, a meaningful dark and depressing - -then people will respond very positively to it. Remember, people only get upset with movies when they don't deliver what they expected to get out of their $7-15. That's why even though I hated Wanted, I know it'll be a crowd-pleaser: it gives people some bang for their buck. It's a shallow bang, and I deeply suspect that whereas a lot of people will like it, only a very few will love it, and those not for any longer than it takes for the next shallow, flashy bang to come along and steal their buck . . . but a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.

People expect that sort of thing from Batman. The first Tim Burton movie was a much bigger risk, since at that point in time people who didn't read comics (in other words, most people) mostly thought of Batman as Adam West. But that movie was such a big hit that people now think of Batman as something dark. Batman Begins did such a great job of communicating the reason for that darkness -- and the trailers for The Dark Knight have all done such a great job of communicating the continuation of those themes -- that people know what they're getting from this one. They may not know the specifics, but they know in general what to expect, and all signs indicate that not only are they okay with it, they're massively excited about it.

I can't wait, personally. I'm even more excited to be getting The X-Files the following week; I just hope the guy in the cape doesn't cut Mulder and Scully's throats and drop 'em in a ditch somewhere.

Mamma mia? Space Chimps??? and no one told me about this? I'll be there opening day. Screw The Dark Knight

Heh.

I definitely didn't mean to imply that those two movies would actively take any business away from The Dark Knight -- I meant that even if they open on far fewer screens, those will be screens (and therefore fewer seats/tickets) that The Dark Knight isn't able to be shown on. Screens that Spider-Man 3 was able to be shown on.

On the other hand, don't discount Mamma Mia! as a drain on The Dark Knight. That's going to do very well with women, some of whom would otherwise have gone to see Heath Ledger's last movie; they'll go see it the next weekend, instead, so it may end up helping The Dark Knight in its second weekend.

Space Chimps will help no one, least of all itself. Although, music partially by Blue Man Group, so I'm intrigued. Revolted, but also intrigued.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

considering how unimpressed I was with Batman Begins, I have low expectations, so they will be easy to exceed.

[indy4 155]

Same here.

Though this film does look better than the first, if only because The Joker is my classic super villain.

[Ollie 1,059]

Early estimates for this weekend. Total domestic gross in ().

1. Wall-E - $62,500,000

2 .Wanted - $51,118,000

3. Get Smart - $20,000,000 ($77,266,000)

4. Kung Fu Panda - $11,746,000 ($179,330,000)

5. The Incredible Hulk - $9,226,000 ($115,508,000)

6. The Love Guru - $5,440,000 ($25,322,000)

7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skul - $5,030,000 ($299,936,000)

8. The Happening Fox - $3,850,000 ($59,063,000)

9. Sex and the City - $3,770,000 ($140,132,000)

10. You Don't Mess with the Zohan - $3,200,000 ($91,215,000)

11. Iron Man - $2,254,000 ($309,176,000)

12. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - $1,060,000 ($137,687,000)

Totals from http://www.boxofficemojo.com/

[indy4 155]

I'm glad Indy's still going strong.

I really need to see Wall E.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I tried to see WALL*E last night. But my brother's douchebag manager waited until 5 minutes AFTER the movie started to let my friend and I in for free. We went in and the only seats available were the very first row. So we left.

[John Crichton 4]

Well you could have, y'know, paid.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I tried to see WALL*E last night. But my brother's douchebag manager waited until 5 minutes AFTER the movie started to let my friend and I in for free. We went in and the only seats available were the very first row. So we left.

you call him a douche bag, when you're the cheap little *******

[Ollie 1,059]

I tried to see WALL*E last night. But my brother's douchebag manager waited until 5 minutes AFTER the movie started to let my friend and I in for free. We went in and the only seats available were the very first row. So we left.

Gee, the nerve of that a**hole. How dare he do that to you.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Let's not cut around the obvious please.

You little spoiled brat.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

He is a douchebag. He got transferred to my theater and started changing everything. Everyone hates him there, so much that the former lead manager of 26 years quit because of him. My brother found 5 dollars in a theater and he made him put it in the lost and found.

I'm not spoiled. My brother works at a movie theater, the perk of that is seeing free movies. I get in for free all the time, but this manager decided to wait 20 minutes and see if ticket sales would go up. In those 20 minutes, not a single ticket was sold, and because of that waiting we didn't get a seat.

Would all of you pay $10 for a ticket even if you had the ability to get in for free. I doubt it.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

if you have to rationalize it, you're spoiled,

next,

[Ollie 1,059]

Oh my, your brother found $5.00 that wasn't his and he had to put in the lost and found. As petty as that may seem it was the right thing to do.

If you are getting in free you have no right to bich about anything.

[King Mark 3,626]

find 5$ on the floor? The right thing to do is stuff it in your pocket and not tell anyone.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I wasn't biching, Mark O. I don't have the right to bich because I see movies for free. My tone may have come off wrong, but the manager is a pretty big dickhead overall.

As for the 5 dollars. Who is going to go up to a manager and say I left 5 bucks in theater 9, can I have it? If it's like a wallet, you turn it in, not small cash.

[Ollie 1,059]

Well if one works at a establishment and finds money while working the correct thing to do is to turn it in. I would suggest KM is somewhat correct to quickly pocket the money and not say anything if possible.

Curse the word filter!!!!!!!!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

morals are not something Koray seems to understand,

lets get back to the boxoffice,

I guess you and I Mark arn't part of the 50million dollar take for Wanted.