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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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2003-06-20
are opening wide, only one is making any news.
Everyone is predicting the Hulk will easily win this weekend, and most analysts agree it will break the record for a June opening currently held by Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me at $54.9 million. But how well will it compare to the other monster openers of 2003. Some are predicting The Hulk will beat fellow Marvel Movie X-Men 2. But I think matching Finding Nemo is a more likely scenario. $69 million for an opening weekend, and based on the good reviews, enough legs to get well past $200 million.
The week to week drop-off for Finding Nemo was even better this week than last week. So look for an even smaller drop off this weekend. A box office of $20 million and second place for the year this weekend, after breaking $200 million Wednesday.
Speaking of $200 million, Bruce Almighty was able to cross that milestone on Thursday, completely a week which say it lose very little of its box office. If this trend continues, and it should despite losing nearly 400 theatres, Bruce Almighty should earn $9 million and could overtake X-Men 2 for third place this year.
2 Fast 2 Furious didn’t drop quite as badly during the mid-week, but it is losing nearly 10% of its theatres in just it’s third week. So another 60% drop at the box office should be expected. Still, this leaves it at $8 million for the weekend and just shy of $100 million total box office.
Rugrats Go Wild has held up surprisingly well during the midweek, and a drop of less than 40% could help this movie make a profit, eventually. Look for $7 million on the box office and enough legs to get at least close to $40 million.
Alex and Emma is the second new movie opening wide this weekend. On paper, this movie should be a sure hit. But the terrible reviews, including 0% from the cream-of-the-crop suggest it will be anything but a hit. Look for it to get worse numbers than other ‘also ran’ comedies like The In-Laws and Down With Love. About $6 million and missing the top five is in store.
The last new movie released this week is From Justin to Kelly, which wasn’t screened for critics. Some are comparing it to The Real Cancun; another reality TV turned movie. I think it’s safe to assume From Justin to Kelly will not do quite as badly, with an opening weekend roughly the same as The Real Cancun’s total gross. Or about $4 million, but it may not make the top ten.
Submitted by: C.
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2003-06-02
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For the first time in 2003, the weekend box office totals were significantly above the same week last year. The total box office for the top ten was up nearly 45% from 2002 year. This helped put May in the record books as the best month in box office history. But, even after May's record-breaking performance, 2003 is still behind 2002's total for the year to date.
Opening in first place, with a record weekend for both Computer Animation and a studio best for Pixar was Finding Nemo. The Albert Brooks fish tale earned $70.3 million at the box office, and if the stellar reviews and past Pixar performances are any indications, this movie could pull in close to $300 million domestically, and a little more than that internationally.
Bruce Almighty came in second, and did so with a smaller drop off than expected. $37.3 million was only a 45% decline, which is very good considering the huge opening weekend take and the post-holiday dip. Along the way Bruce Almighty became the largest grossing comedy of the year after crossing the $100 million mark on Thursday.
Third place went to the second of three wide releases this weekend. The Italian Job grabbed up $19.5 million, on par with predictions. Surprisingly good reviews could give this movie legs. However, with a $60 million production budget, and an advertising budget close to half that it won’t see a profit in the home market.
Continuing to drop faster than expected is The Matrix Reloaded, with $15.7 million, down nearly 58% over last weekend. The movie seems to be suffering from The Empire Strikes Back effect, that is to say it doesn't have the novelty of the first movie, and doesn't have the satisfying conclusion of the third movie. Speaking of Star Wars, The Matrix Reloaded is now just a few hundred thousand above Attack of the Clones' pace, despite having a $24 million lead after opening weekend. It will take a surge just before the release of Matrix Revolutions to push this film above $300 million.
Daddy Day Care was able to stay in the top five one last week with a $5.7 million dollar performance. The movie now has made a little more than $80 million in four weeks, and could have enough gas in the tank to cross $100 million.
Opening with a little weaker box office than predicted, but a spot higher was Wrong Turn. $5.2 million is not a lot of money for an opening weekend, but considering a budget of only $10 - $13 million, it should be enough to pull a profit from the home market. The reviews for Wrong Turn were not as low as one might have expected, getting a 50% score from the run-of-the-mill Internet reviewers. However, of the Cream-of-the-crop reviews, of which only four even bothered to review the movie, none of them gave it a positive review.
Coming in less than $100,000 behind in sixth place was X-Men 2 with $5.1 million. The mutant movie sequel just failed to cross the $200 million dollar mark but should do that by Tuesday. That total is enough to pay off the production budget, but it will take a bit more to make a profit domestically. However, add in its impressive international numbers and X-Men 2 has made Fox very happy.
The second Albert Brooks movie in the charts, The In-Laws, fell to eighth place with $3.7 million. It had one of the best drop-offs of the week, but that wasn’t good enough to save it: $14.5 million after two weeks is still a disappointment.
Down With Love dropped faster than predicted with only $1.6 million. Only $17.2 million after three weeks of wide release is quite a shock considering the talent attached to this film.
Rounding out the top ten is The Lizzie McGuire Movie, which was only able to grab $1.2 million this weekend and fell just shy of $40 million total. Fortunately, not only will it cross that mark before long; it will also have covered its total budget as well.
See the full weekend chart
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2003-05-30
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The weekend after Memorial Day sees three new movies open wide, each with widely difference target audiences and wildly different expectations.
Almost guaranteed to open first is Finding Nemo, the fifth film from Pixar studios. The real question with Finding Nemo is whether it will break records for the studio. It needs more than $62.5 million to better Monsters Inc. opening, which will be difficult - especially considering the post-Memorial Day dip that is historically experienced at the box office. However, Finding Nemo does have a higher theater count (3,374 to 3,237) and unbelievably high reviews going for it. Currently there is only one reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes that is not giving it a positive review. That puts it above both Monsters Inc. and A Bug’s Life, but amazing below both Toy Story 1 and 2, both of which received 100% positive reviews.
Coming in second, and crashing back down to Earth will be Bruce Almighty. The huge first weekend take and a post holiday weekend means this film will drop more than 50%. However, since the film outperformed expectations by such a large margin the first week, a 50% drop will still leave a second weekend box office greater than what the studio were hoping for before it opened.
There will be a close battle for third place between Matrix Reloaded and The Italian Job. The Matrix Reloaded is again tracking well below last week’s performance, which should result in another big drop. However, The Italian Job is only opening in 2,633 theatres, which is a little low. Surprisingly, The Italian Job is currently receiving nearly identical reviews as the Matrix. So look for the two movies to get nearly identical box office takes this week, around $18 million with a slight edge to the newcomer.
Fifth place will also go down to the wire as Daddy Day Care and X-Men 2 fight to stay in the top 5 one more week. Both are shedding theaters, but X-Men 2 is doing it faster. On the other hand, Finding Nemo will surely draw more of Daddy Day Care’s target audience away than from the X-Men. Still, Daddy Day Care has the lead last weekend, and while it will shrink, it should still win this weekend $8 million to $7 million.
Opening in only 1,615 theaters is the horror movie Wrong Turn, which has a plot reminiscent of The Lurking Fear by H.P. Lovecraft. The real surprise with the reviews is not that they’re as poor as they are, but that there are so few of them. As of noon Friday, there were only 6 reviews posted. But the target audience for these films generally doesn’t care about reviews or the lack thereof, so that shouldn’t affect the box office. And with a budget a mere fraction of the other films debuting this week, the studio should still be happy with $6 million and a seventh place finish.
In eighth place will be The In-Laws, which unperformed when in debuted last week and will do the same this week with a little more than $4 million. There are two bright spots for the studio, the movie did have a lower budget than most and it should find a larger audience in the home market.
In ninth place will be Down With Love, which unperformed when in debuted two weeks ago and will do the same this week with a little less than $3 million. Ok, enough of the cut and paste predictions, but the performance of the two previous movies has been very similar. Low expectations, even lower box offices and a quick descent down the charts.
Rounding out the top ten is The Lizzie McGuire Movie, which is shedding theaters faster than its box office pull would suggest it should. Failure to support this film in the long run could cost Disney several million dollars off the final box office figure. Even with the lost theaters it should earn a little more than $2 million and cross the $40 million mark for its total box office. The studio’s share of that figure should cover production and advertising costs.
Submitted by: C.S.Strowbridge
| Rank | Movie | Theaters | Change | Weeks in
Release | Distributor |
| 1 | Bruce Almighty | 3,490 | +8 | 2 | Universal |
| 2 | Matrix Reloaded, The | 3,453 | -150 | 3 | Warner Bros. |
| 3 | Finding Nemo | 3,374 | New | 1 | Buena Vista |
| 4 | Daddy Day Care | 3,128 | -344 | 4 | Sony |
| 5 | In-Laws, The (2003) | 2,652 | n/c | 2 | Warner Bros. |
| 6 | Italian Job, The (2003) | 2,633 | New | 1 | Paramount |
| 7 | X2: X-Men United | 2,533 | -534 | 5 | Fox |
| 8 | Wrong Turn | 1,615 | New | 1 | Fox |
| 9 | Lizzie McGuire Movie, The | 1,330 | -788 | 5 | Buena Vista |
| 10 | Down with Love | 1,300 | -817 | 4 | Fox |
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| 34 | Bhoot | 20 | New | 1 | Spark Media |
| 40 | Together (Han Ni Zai Yiki) | 6 | New | 1 | MGM |
| 43 | Capturing the Friedmans | 3 | New | 1 | Magnolia |
Estimated Theater Counts for Next Week's Openers
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2003-05-27
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2003-05-23
k promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here’s a list of highlights, plus one last look at websites for films opening this week. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
Bruce Almighty
Current Content: A very well balanced site that has everything a site should have in both content and format. Content wise it has the usual synopsis, trailer, extensive cast and crew bios. It also has an image gallery, wallpapers, screensaver, e-cards and information on the soundtrack marked coming sound. Its format is also good with an animated intro, animated segues, and good use of sound effects. They could have emphasized Jim Carrey a little more, but maybe that’s just me.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
Current Content: The second episode of the animated prequel is up, There should be one more per week till the release date arrives.
Gigantic
Current Content: This is a low frill website. It has the trailer and a few photos, but what it has the most of is behind the scenes information. What it doesn’t have is sound, which is strange for a website for a documentary about a band, (They Might Be Giants.)
Hollywood Homicide
Current Content: The flash site still hasn’t launched, but three new sections opened on the main site. A short synopsis, a very funny Police Blotter and a comparison of New York, Chicago and L. A. cops.
The Hulk
Updated Content: Added over a dozen clips of Stan Lee talking about the Hulk, from early character concepts to the latest movie.
The In-Laws
Current Content: This site is great. It not only does it have great content with synopsis, trailer, cast and crew bios, soundtrack information. It also has lots of extras, two TV spots, image gallery, poster, screensaver, wallpapers, e-cards, lots of buddy icons, etc. This site is one of the best when it comes to the use of sound. Not only is the background music is good, (The main page has a flawlessly looped clip of Get Down Tonight by K.C. and the Sunshine Band.) this site is also one of the best when it comes to the use of audio clips. For example, Plan The Wedding section (new this week) is a perfect example of the use of sound; each part has background music, sound effects and audio clips. All this made The In-Laws website the winner of the irrepressible Weekly Website Award.
The Italian Job
Current Content: A couple of clips and a few more wallpapers are filtering in. But that interface is driving me nuts, especially with the clips.
Kaena: The Prophecy
Current Content: This site concentrates mostly on background information for the movie, there’s information, and images, for the characters, the races, the locations, and even the fauna. There’s also the more traditional website content like synopsis, trailer and movie clips, cast, crew bios, and some more unique features like behind the scenes, interviews, and even a very in-depth look at how the main character (Kaena) was created. But by far, the most unusual feature is a section called The Prophecy. I’d describe it, but really I can’t. You have to see for yourself.
The Last Samurai
Current Content: The official site was launched, but there’s still very little content. Right now it’s just the trailer and a little background history of Japan.
Respiro
Current Content: A very unusual style to this website. The content scrolls continuously past, first the synopsis, then a biography of the director and then a statement from him. Next is a biography of the lead actress, Valeria Golino, then an image gallery and the poster. The final section is for the trailer, which was just made available this week. The unique and engaging way this site was put together is definitely worth checking out.
Rugrats Go Wild
Current Content: The Thornberrys adults are added to the Spike search game, and a new Animal Rescue game. However, you have to log into Nick.com to play the game.
Submitted by:
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2003-04-30
k promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here’s a list of highlights, plus one last look at websites for films opening this week. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
The Dancer Upstairs
Current Content: A very understated website and I’m not sure if that is good or bad. Too flashy would be a distraction, but as it is it’s not very memorable. Besides the usual synopsis, trailer and cast and crew bios, there are 10 images that can be sent as e-cards and 2 clips from the movie.
Down With Love
Current Content: The movie is set in the 60s, and the website flaunts it. The style, the sound effects, the music all scream 60s, in a cheesy by charming way. Speaking of the music, it loops flawlessly, but some clips are a little short. There’s the usual synopsis, trailer, photo Gallery, cast and crew bios, as well as downloads like wallpapers, screensavers and Buddy Icons. There are two interactive sections, but they are still marked coming soon.
The In-Laws
Current Content: Two new TV Spots were added to the video section. Also, in the non-flash section, there are extensive production notes I failed to mention last time.
The Italian Job
Current Content: A flash site was launched with a section for each character, including the Mini. Each section has an actor bio, image gallery and several facts about heists, traffic jams, Venice sinking and other (marginally) related info. Each fact appears in a pop-up menu but if you move the mouse cursor off of it, it immediately closes. This was quite annoying, especially for the longer bios.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Current Content: Added this week was the Lizzie Party Planner, complete with invitations, simple pizza recipe, outfit suggestions and some simple Italian phrases. I found this section the most valuable as previously the only Italian phrase I previously knew was, “Dio mio! C'e' un' ascia nella mia testa!” Two more features, The Music Diva Makeover and Lizzie’s Vespa Tour, are marked coming soon.
New Suit
Current Content: This site has all the usual players, synopsis, trailer, cast filmographies, photo gallery. And it has simple, yet effective intros to each section. However, after the intro, there is no sound. And this is a shame, cause the site would have benefited from a little more sound.
Owning Mahowney
Current Content: Just the usual bits (synopsis, photo gallery, cast and crew bios) with the trailer still marked coming soon. The transition to and from each section is well done and the music, while a little short, is effective.
Rugrats Go Wild
Current Content: This week the four Thornberrys kids are added to the Spike Game. Other features are still marked coming soon.
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
Current Content: The trailer is now available.
Spellbound
Current Content: The movie is a documentary about the National Spelling Bee Championships, and the web site plays well to the subject matter. The chalkboard theme is not only fun, but doesn’t interfere with the information. Most of which focuses on the eight contestants from the movie. There’s also the synopsis, trailer, crew bios, release dates and a game of Hangman that I found strangely addicting.
Veronica Guerin
Current Content: So far just the synopsis, trailer and cast and crew (no bios.) But the film won’t be released for nearly half a year, so there’s plenty of time to add more.
X-Men 2
Current Content: This site is as huge as they come. Tons of animations and sound, information on cast, crew and characters, trailers, video clips behind the scenes, press conferences, etc. This is what a movie site should be. Of course, the people at Fox probably spent more on this site than the production budget of some of the other films on this list. But never let it be said that the incontrovertible Weekly Website Award can’t be swayed by flashy graphics.
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2003-04-23
k promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here’s a list of highlights, plus one last look at websites for films opening this week. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
City of Ghosts
Current Content: Nothing new since I last reviewed it. Movie clips are still marked coming soon.
Confidence
Current Content: For a movie that promises a lot of style, the website was a little tame. It hit all the right notes, (synopsis, trailer, cast and crew bios) but it didn’t have the pizzazz I was hoping for. Some of the extras include wallpapers, screensavers and a game.
A Decade Under the Influence
Current Content: The film is a documentary about the influences in American cinema during the 70s. This site focuses on biographical information of both the interviewers and the interviewees, but the usual synopsis and trailer are there. My favorite feature is the very extensive timeline of the 70s. The way they put together the image gallery is also very well done. It is an excellent mixture of style and substance.
Dumb and Dumberer
Current Content: A new button was added that’s marked do not press. When you do you hear a clip from the movie. It’s the same clip every time you press, so there’s no need to press it more than once. Hopefully, there will be more clips added as the release date nears.
Identity
Current Content: Easily the best atmosphere for a site this week, perhaps the best atmosphere for any site I’ve reviewed. It’s very had to describe, no description would really give it justice. You just have to check it out for yourself.
The In-Laws
Current Content: Just a little bit new this week. In the downloads section there’s a new screensaver, and the song list for the soundtrack is available. Unfortunately, only the one song is available to listen to.
It Runs in the Family
Current Content: A good site that focuses on the family members and the actors that play them. Not only is there text, but there are audio and video clips for each character. Excellent information that is probably destined for a feature packed DVD section. There is also synopsis, trailer, wallpapers, etc.
Jeepers Creepers 2
Current Content: This week the trailer and some background music were added. The background music is creepy, but a little short to be effective.
The League
Current Content: The name has been shortened from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to just The League to coincide with the launch of the new website. While the site does contain the usual synopsis and trailer, the heart of the site are the vast character bios. Each of the 7 characters in The League have their own section complete with an introduction, why there were chosen, wallpaper and AIM Icons to download, Image Gallery and an E-Card. And there is more marked coming soon. The background music is effective, but not particularly noteworthy. Overall an excellent site.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Current Content: The first 5 days of Lizzie’s Diary have been added to the site.
Manic
Current Content: The interactive character bios that make up the heart of this site are very well done, very intriguing. There is good use of sound and music throughout the site. There is plenty of multimedia including a trailer, movie clips and interviews with the director. Written information includes cast and crew bios, and production notes.
Mondays in the Sun
Current Content: This website has almost as much information on the director and the producer than it does on the film itself. The synopsis and character bios are joined by bios of and interviews with the director and the producer. There is also a few storyboard pictures and some information on the music that plays in the background of the site. There’s an extensive list of the cast and crew, but none have bios except the two mentioned above.
The Real Cancun
Current Content: This site spends most of its time on introducing the participants, cause there’s really nothing else to talk about. There’s your usual synopsis, trailer, and clips, lot of clips. But unless you’re already psyched to see this movie, the website does little to persuade you.
Respiro
Current Content: A very unusual style to this website. The content scrolls continuously past, first the synopsis, then a biography of the director and then a statement from him. Next is a biography of the lead actress, Valeria Golino, then an image gallery and the poster. The final section is for the trailer, which is not available at this time. The unique and engaging way this site was put together is definitely worth checking put.
Rugrats Go Wild
Current Content: Starts with you helping Spike find the lost kids, which should keep the kids entertained. The site also has a synopsis, the teaser trailer and the Rugrat kids’ character bios, but most of the rest is marked coming soon. There are some jungle sounds for the background, but the loop is far too short and repetitive.
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
Current Content: Not a lot of content, but the movie doesn’t open for another 2 months. So far there is just the synopsis, character bios and a create your own wallpaper. But a trailer is marked coming soon.
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2003-04-16
k promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here’s a list of highlights, plus one last look at websites for films opening this week. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
Bulletproof Monk
Current Content: No change from when I reviewed it last. Movie clips are still marked coming soon.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
Current Content: The new full-length trailer is up, as is some more photos and wallpapers. The animated adventures and games are still coming soon.
Finding Nemo
Current Content: The latest from Pixar studios, this site has a synopsis / behind the scenes section, three trailers, character bios, gallery, fish facts and a one game, with more to come. Also, when you move the cursor bubbles come out, which is a nice touch. There are also sounds of the ocean playing in the background, which you can not only turn on, and off, but adjust the volume. It’s a simple addition that is very helpful. All in all, this site is truly deserving of the undisputed Weekly Website Award
Holes
Current Content: Another movie opening this week, and another one with no new content since I reviewed it last. It’s still an excellent site and worth checking out.
Hollywood Homicide
Current Content: Still two months away, so the fact that there’s just a trailer so far is not a shock.
Hypnotic
Current Content: Along with the usual information (Cast and crew bios, synopsis, trailer) there are behinds the scenes information and a gallery in Java format. There are also five ‘disturbing’ images that are distorted (sometimes based on mouse movements.) While you are watching these images there’s creepy music playing in the background. I think the site would have benefited if that music were playing all the time.
The In-Laws
Current Content: A new flash site was launched, and while there is plenty of information (synopsis, cast and crew bios) and multimedia (trailer, poster, photo gallery) and downloads (wallpapers and buddy icons) there are even more features marked coming soon.
Jeepers Creepers 2
Current Content: New format, but the only new content is three e-cards.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Current Content: This week a flash site was activated, and while there’s a new format, most of the content is the same. There are some new photos and character bios to read, and a couple of sections marked coming soon.
Malibu’s Most Wanted
Current Content: A very well done flash site with a lot of multimedia content. A trailer, a beer commercial featuring B-Rad G, and a clip from the movie are all on the site. There’s also a link to B-Rad G’s personal site, which has even more clips from the movie and Jamie Kennedy Experiment. There’s also songs from his CD Malibootay. While there certainly is a lot here, it all seems very much the same.
S.W.A.T.
Current Content: Just the trailer, but the movie is months away, so that should change.
Winged Migrations
Current Content: Flash site with mostly behind the scene information - what birds are featured, their migratory paths, how the shots were taken, and a statement director and his bio. There are also a lot of links for more bird information if this site doesn’t have enough. From the more traditional website fare, we have the trailer and a couple of wallpapers to download.
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