This weekend at the box office - 10.03.2005

[trancejeremy]

Fans of Serenity/Firefly should really be seeing that movie again and again if they want to see a sequel. As it is now, it looks like it will break even

According to Box Office Mojo, it cost 39 million to make, sans marketing cost, which probably put it around $45 million if not more, since it was hyped a lot.

Movies generally do about 25-40% or so of their total take the first weekend. Meaning that Serenity will probably make about $25-40 million in the US in theaters. Which is actually decent, since figure overseas will probably double that.

However, studios seem to prefer movies they think will be big hits. They'd rather shoot for a big hit than go for something that will make 30-40 million more than they spent.

(Unless of course you are Uwe Boll, where if your movie flops, you'll get money for 3-4 more)

 

[trancejeremy]

Thought this was interesting...

Serenity - 52 percent of the audience was over 30 years old and 61 percent was male.

Into the Blue - 71 percent under 25 and 51 percent male.

Well, I think that pretty much sums up the two fanbases, though. The demographics of Serenity are pretty much that of gamers, and Into the Blue's main feature was a binkini clad Jessica Alba and Paul Walker.

 

[Desdichado]

However, studios seem to prefer movies they think will be big hits. They'd rather shoot for a big hit than go for something that will make 30-40 million more than they spent.

DVD sales might be considerably better than average for this one, though. I wouldn't be surprised to see a sequel getting green-lit.

 

[Pielorinho]

I agree movies have been bland and cookie cutter this year

Really? The movies I've seen this year in the theater have been:
Sin City
March of the Penguins
Howl's Moving Castle
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Serenity
Batman Begins
Of those, only the last seems at all cookie-cutter to me, and several of the others are pretty dang innovative.

Maybe I'm just going to the right movies .

Daniel

 

[Fast Learner]

$100 million is fairly decent for an opening weekend in October.

That would have been a killer opening. Unfortunately it opened at 1/10th that.

It did $4610 per theater, while Flightplan did $7,193 per theater. So even comparing (more or less) apples to apples, it didn't do terribly well.

 

[Shadowdancer]

Also, Flight Plan was released last week, and was No. 1 that week as well. So it did a lot of holdover/repeat business. The real test, as someone else mentioned, is how Serenity does in subsequent weeks.

Many movies open big, then drop 35 percent or more in the second week. I read somewhere (it's been a few years) that the vast majority of movies (75-80 percent) make 85 percent of their total theater gross in the first week of release.

 

[Henry]

Serenity/Firefly is one of those shows that bugs me as a fan. If someone isn't a fan of D&D, or fantasy novels, or "7 Days" or "John Doe" I say, "no problem, to each his own", and go on. With this series, however, when I see it dying on the vine due to little popularity, I say to myself,

"WHAT THE IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!

You want Drama? Here's a show that gives drama unparalleled since Hamlet killed his Uncle!

You want Humor? This show has some of the funniest one-liners and warm characters to ever grace a silver or TV screen!

You want Adventure? This show kicks Revenge of the Sith in the junk and takes its wallet!

And yet YOU AREN'T WATCHING IT!!!! WHAT ARE YOU, LOBOTOMIZED, YOU DIPSTICKS?!?!!"


And then I take my medication, and it all... becomes.... better....

 

[RangerWickett]

*replaces Henry's medication with Pez*

It's better this way.

Seriously, Joe Kushner, Corpse Bride is bad. Serenity is good. Did you like Toy Story? Joss Whedon wrote most of the dialogue of Toy Story. Give it a chance. If not for me, do it for the children.

 

[your father is]

I just saw the Firefly pilot (also called Serenity) and am firmly hooked -- I'll be getting out to see the film in the next day or two. Hopefully the fantastic word of mouth will translate to a lot of staying power!

 

[Hand of Evil]

Serenity/Firefly is one of those shows that bugs me as a fan. If someone isn't a fan of D&D, or fantasy novels, or "7 Days" or "John Doe" I say, "no problem, to each his own", and go on. With this series, however, when I see it dying on the vine due to little popularity, I say to myself,

"WHAT THE IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!

You want Drama? Here's a show that gives drama unparalleled since Hamlet killed his Uncle!

You want Humor? This show has some of the funniest one-liners and warm characters to ever grace a silver or TV screen!

You want Adventure? This show kicks Revenge of the Sith in the junk and takes its wallet!

And yet YOU AREN'T WATCHING IT!!!! WHAT ARE YOU, LOBOTOMIZED, YOU DIPSTICKS?!?!!"


And then I take my medication, and it all... becomes.... better....

DITTO