This Weekend @ the Boxoffice: 2008.May.05

[Hand of Evil]

From boxofficemojo.com

What a difference a single movie can make. After weeks of humdrum pictures dragging it down, business came roaring back with the sensational debut of Iron Man, the first salvo of the summer movie season. While the weekend as a whole was down from last year when Spider-Man 3 hit a new opening milestone, it was the fourth best on record for the early May timeframe.

Iron Man rocketed to an estimated $100.8 million on approximately 8,700 screens at 4,105 theaters for a $104.3 million tally including Thursday night previews. The reportedly $140 million-budgeted Marvel Comics adaptation had the second-highest grossing opening weekend ever for a non-sequel behind Spider-Man and the tenth highest overall. In terms of attendance, the start was slightly higher than X2: X-Men United's May 2 debut five years ago, and it soared past Marvel's average opening by over 60 percent.

 

[Krug]

Curious how Speed Racer will do...

 

[Hand of Evil]

Curious how Speed Racer will do...

In a POLL of 1210 movie goers, 85% said they would see Iron Man on the big screen, 63.7% opening weekend. Early reviews of Iron Man had it as an "A rated" movie

In a poll of 1132 movie goers, 57% said they would see Speed Racer on the big screen, 32.6% opening weekend. Early reviews of Speed Racer has it as an "C rated" movie.

It all comes down to the kids that are taken to Speed, I only see it making 30 to 45 million on opening weekend. The biggest problem I see, they are not marketing it very well. It looks like a race movie, then it looks like a rebel racer movie, then they show a kid and it has a PG rating.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

boxofficemojo.com seems to be trying to just give the positive spin. While Iron Man did well, Hollywood as a whole is doing not as well.

Despite the huge “Iron Man” opening, Hollywood’s overall business was down compared to the same weekend last year, when “Spider-Man 3” had a record debut of $151.1 million. The top 12 movies took in $154.1 million, off 15 percent from a year ago.

“Nonetheless, ‘Iron Man’ did better than expected,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers. “This is certainly the shot in the arm the marketplace has needed.”

Movie attendance this year is running 6 percent behind that of 2007, so the arrival of “Iron Man” may jump start the box office as the busy summer season begins.

 

[Hand of Evil]

see thread: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=222595 for some figures from 2007.

But here is one I find interesting, 2007 had more bigger hits. This year it looks as if people are holding back, Iron Man is only the 2nd movie of 2008 to make 100 million domestic (first being Hortan hears a who)! By end of first quarter 2007, you already had 4!

Box Office Range...........2007.....2006.....07 v. 06
$300 Million & Over............4..........1.......300.0%
$200 to $300 Million...........7..........5.........40.0%
$100 to $199 Million.........17.........13.........30.8%
---------------------------------------------------
TOTAL..........................28..........19........47.4%

 

[Cthulhudrew]

It all comes down to the kids that are taken to Speed, I only see it making 30 to 45 million on opening weekend.

I'm kind of curious as to why they came out with it so early in the summer myself. I'd have thought it would make more sense to wait until June, when the kids are out of school- as they might be the best target for that kind of movie.

(Don't get me wrong- I'm going to see it. I never really cared for the cartoon, but the movie just looks like a visual feast.)

 

[Hand of Evil]

I'm kind of curious as to why they came out with it so early in the summer myself. I'd have thought it would make more sense to wait until June, when the kids are out of school- as they might be the best target for that kind of movie.

(Don't get me wrong- I'm going to see it. I never really cared for the cartoon, but the movie just looks like a visual feast.)

good question, I have to think this was a "the Distributor" chioce, here is what they have coming up:
Speed Racer Warner Bros. 5/9/08
Get Smart Warner Bros. 6/20/08
The Dark Knight Warner Bros. 7/18/08
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 Warner Bros. 8/8/08
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Warner Bros. 8/15/08
Nights in Rodanthe Warner Bros. 10/3/08
Untitled Ridley Scott Warner Bros. 10/10/08
He's Just Not That Into You Warner Bros. 10/24/08
RockNRolla Warner Bros. 10/31/08
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Warner Bros. 11/21/08
Gran Torino Warner Bros. Dec 2008
Yes Man Warner Bros. 12/19/08
Watchmen Warner Bros. 3/6/09
Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins (formerly Untitled Terminator Project) Warner Bros. 5/22/09