Cadillac Records (2008)

Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office $8,195,551Details
International Box Office $746,965Details
Worldwide Box Office $8,942,516
Home Market Performance
Est. Domestic DVD Sales $13,192,939 Details
Total Est. Domestic Video Sales $13,192,939
Further financial details...

Synopsis

The story about the rise and fall of Chess Records, which launched the careers of Muddy Waters, Etta James and Chuck Berry. Leonard Chess scoured the South, checking out the various blues scenes and selling records from the back of his Cadillac

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$3,445,559 (42.0% of total gross)
Legs:2.38 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:91.6% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$12,000,000 (worldwide box office is 0.7 times production budget)
Theater counts:687 opening theaters/701 max. theaters, 3.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $12,304,486

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play, Google Play
Netflix:Netflix, Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: December 5th, 2008 (Wide) by Sony Pictures
Video Release: March 10th, 2009 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language and some sexuality.
Running Time: 110 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Marshall
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Musicians, Biography, Set in Chicago, 1950s, Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm and Blues, Biographical Drama, 1940s
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production/Financing Companies: Sony Music Film, Parkwood Entertainment
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 5, 2008 9 $3,445,559   687 $5,015   $3,445,559 1
Dec 12, 2008 12 $1,585,407 -54% 688 $2,304   $5,909,492 2
Dec 19, 2008 17 $606,748 -62% 701 $866   $7,046,250 3
Dec 26, 2008 26 $270,365 -55% 180 $1,502   $7,712,287 4
Jan 2, 2009 28 $205,855 -24% 180 $1,144   $8,134,217 5

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Dec 5, 2008 9 $1,211,421     687 $1,763   $1,211,421 1
Dec 6, 2008 9 $1,390,788 +15%   687 $2,024   $2,602,209 2
Dec 7, 2008 9 $843,350 -39%   687 $1,228   $3,445,559 3
Dec 8, 2008 9 $258,348 -69%   687 $376   $3,703,907 4
Dec 9, 2008 10 $227,626 -12%   687 $331   $3,931,533 5
Dec 10, 2008 10 $205,454 -10%   687 $299   $4,136,987 6
Dec 11, 2008 10 $187,098 -9%   687 $272   $4,324,085 7
Dec 12, 2008 13 $439,108 +135% -64% 688 $638   $4,763,193 8
Dec 13, 2008 12 $719,867 +64% -48% 688 $1,046   $5,483,060 9
Dec 14, 2008 12 $426,432 -41% -49% 688 $620   $5,909,492 10
Dec 25, 2008 - $85,000     180 $472   $7,442,000 21

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 5, 2008 9 $4,324,085   687 $6,294   $4,324,085 1
Dec 12, 2008 14 $2,115,417 -51% 688 $3,075   $6,439,502 2
Dec 19, 2008 24 $1,002,498 -53% 701 $1,430   $7,442,000 3
Dec 26, 2008 27 $486,440 -51% 180 $2,702   $7,928,362 4
Jan 2, 2009 29 $209,638 -57% 180 $1,165   $8,138,000 5

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US DVD Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Mar 15, 200910126,438 126,438$2,473,127$2,473,1271
Mar 22, 20091541,543-67% 167,981$705,816$3,178,9432
Mar 29, 20092632,358-22% 200,339$632,922$3,811,8653
Apr 5, 20092439,204+21% 239,543$783,688$4,595,5534
Apr 12, 20093042,378+8% 281,921$847,136$5,442,6895
Apr 19, 20092929,675-30% 311,596$504,178$5,946,8676

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Leading Cast

Adrien Brody    Leonard Chess
Jeffrey Wright    Muddy Waters
Beyoncé Knowles    Etta James

Supporting Cast

Emmanuelle Chriqui    Revetta Chess
Eamonn Walker    Howlin’ Wolf
Mos Def    Chuck Berry
Devon Aoki    Dominique
Gabrielle Union    Geneva Wade
Columbus Short    Little Walter
Cedric the Entertainer    Willie Dixon
Tammy Blanchard    Evelyn Aron

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Darnell Martin    Director
Darnell Martin    Screenwriter
Andrew Lack    Producer
Sofia Sondervan    Producer
Beyoncé Knowles    Executive Producer
Marc Levin    Executive Producer
Beth Amy Rosenblatt    Music Supervisor
Terence Blanchard    Composer
Steve Jordan    Music Producer
Marshall Chess    Executive Music Producer
Petra Hoebel    Co-Producer
Peter C. Frank    Editor
Anastas Michos    Director of Photography
Linda Burton    Production Designer
Johnetta Boone    Costume Designer
Kimberly R. Hardin    Casting Director

DVD Sales - Pinocchio a Real Hit

March 24th, 2009

It was a huge week for new releases with nine of them reach the top 30, including four of the top five. The new number one film was Pinocchio, which sold 1.40 million units and generated $23.78 million in consumer spending at retail. More...

DVD Rentals - Role Models Speeds Along

March 24th, 2009

Role Models led the massive collection of new releases on the rental chart with roughly 25% more rentals than Transporter 3. More...

DVD Releases for March 10th, 2009

March 10th, 2009

First run releases let us down again, as the best they can offer is a couple of midlevel hits. There are a few more in the limited release category, including some Awards Season players. However, from that list the best is Let the Right One In on Blu-ray. The best release overall, and the winner of the DVD Pick of the Week is Pinocchio on Blu-ray. More...

The Weekend the Box Office Stood Still

December 15th, 2008

It was a rough week for new releases as none of the three debut films managed to live up to expectations, in dramatic fashion in some cases. However, holdovers did pick up some of the slack to help the overall box office to $92 million over the weekend. That was 11% higher than last weekend, but 43% lower than the same weekend last year when I Am Legend opened. Or you could compare it to the weekend when The Golden Compass opened, in which case it was nearly 12% higher. Either is acceptable. As for the year-to-date numbers, 2008 extended its lead over 2007 to 1.4% at $8.96 billion to $8.84 billion. It appears that 2008's lead is safe this late in the year, at least in terms of raw dollars. Ticket sales, on the other hand, will decline. More...

Awards Season - The Curious Case of the Frost/Nixon Globe Nominations

December 12th, 2008

The latest set of Awards Season nominations were handed out today as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominations. There was not much in the way of surprises, and it is hard to look at one film and say it was the big winner, but Frost/Nixon and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button come the closest. More...

Frost Heats up Per Theater Chart

December 9th, 2008

Frost/Nixon had one of the best openings of the year, earning a per theater average of $60,236 in three theaters. Second place on the per theater chart was Milk with an average of $18,534 in just a hair under 100 theaters. Slumdog Millionaire is showing incredible legs and earned an average of $17,977 theaters in 78 theaters while My Name is Bruce rounded out the $10,000 club with $17,214 in one theater, the best weekend of its run. More...

Holiday Guests Hang Around Another Week

December 9th, 2008

The results at the box office were mixed over the weekend with a couple of films topping expectations while a few others failed at that task. Overall, box office receipts were $82 million, which was 50% lower than last weekend; however, it was Thanksgiving long weekend last weekend so a sharp drop-off was expected. Compared to the same weekend last year, 2008 was better, but by only 0.5%. Year-to-date, 2008's lead on 2007 is now 0.5% at $8.72 billion to $8.68 billion. More...

Weekend Estimates: Four Christmases Stays Top

December 7th, 2008

Four Christmases held on at the top of the chart for a second weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. The comedy fell only 41%, the best hold in the top ten, and easily topped the chart ahead of Twilight, which had a better third week, down around 50% to $13 million. The wide openers were generally weak. Punisher: War Zone only managed $4 million in 2,508 theaters. Cadillac Records did much better on a per theater basis, averaging over $5,000 per location, but limited release in 686 theaters meant it was only able to land in 9th place with $3.5 million. More...

Movie Website Reviews for Weekend of December 5, 2008

December 7th, 2008

This is the weakest week for wide releases for the entire holiday season, but there were still several sites that are worth checking. This includes The Punisher - War Zone's Official Site, which is the best of the best and the winner of the Weekly Website Award. More...

Holdovers to Punish New Releases

December 4th, 2008

There are three wide releases this week, if you have a more forgiving definition of the term, "wide." Of these three films, none have a shot at first place, while two of them might not reach the top ten. Additionally, the holdovers will take a tumble as this is a post-holiday weekend. The only bright news is this weekend last year was even worse. More...

2008 Preview: December

December 1st, 2008

We end the year with a winning streak, one that will hopefully continue right through the New Year holiday. It seems nearly every film released this month is either an Oscar contender or a potential $100 million hit. Sometimes both. If all six films with box office potentials of $100 million or more reach that milestone, and Bolt and Four Christmases have the legs to make it there as well, we could set the record for most $100 million released in a single year. (It is currently at 29 films set in 2003.) More...

New Movie US Release Dates - September 29, 2008

September 29th, 2008

This week's round of new movie release information contains release dates for Hannah Montana, Old Dogs, Legion and more! More...

Cast Updates - April 4, 2008

April 4th, 2008

This week's round of new casting information contains updates for The Informant, The Surrogates, War, Inc., and more! More...

Cast Updates - March 28, 2008

March 28th, 2008

This week's round of new casting information contains updates for Crazy on the Outside, Two Lovers, W., and more! More...

Cast Updates - January 31, 2008

January 31st, 2008

This week's round of new casting information contains updates for Duplicity, G.I. Joe, Public Enemies, and more! More...

New Movie Announcements, Stars and Directors - January 29, 2008

January 29th, 2008

This week another number of upcoming movies, new stars and directors have been added to our archive! More...


  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Box Office
  4. International
  5. Video Sales
  6. Full Financials
  7. Cast & Crew
  8. Trailer

Synopsis

The story about the rise and fall of Chess Records, which launched the careers of Muddy Waters, Etta James and Chuck Berry. Leonard Chess scoured the South, checking out the various blues scenes and selling records from the back of his Cadillac

Metrics

Opening Weekend:$3,445,559 (42.0% of total gross)
Legs:2.38 (domestic box office/biggest weekend)
Domestic Share:91.6% (domestic box office/worldwide)
Production Budget:$12,000,000 (worldwide box office is 0.7 times production budget)
Theater counts:687 opening theaters/701 max. theaters, 3.5 weeks average run per theater
Infl. Adj. Dom. BO $12,304,486

Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists


Watch Now On

iTunes:iTunes
Google Play:Google Play, Google Play
Netflix:Netflix, Netflix

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: December 5th, 2008 (Wide) by Sony Pictures
Video Release: March 10th, 2009 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language and some sexuality.
Running Time: 110 minutes
Comparisons: vs. Marshall
Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Musicians, Biography, Set in Chicago, 1950s, Rock 'n' Roll, Rhythm and Blues, Biographical Drama, 1940s
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Drama
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Dramatization
Production/Financing Companies: Sony Music Film, Parkwood Entertainment
Production Countries: United States
Languages: English

Leading Cast

Adrien Brody    Leonard Chess
Jeffrey Wright    Muddy Waters
Beyoncé Knowles    Etta James

Supporting Cast

Emmanuelle Chriqui    Revetta Chess
Eamonn Walker    Howlin’ Wolf
Mos Def    Chuck Berry
Devon Aoki    Dominique
Gabrielle Union    Geneva Wade
Columbus Short    Little Walter
Cedric the Entertainer    Willie Dixon
Tammy Blanchard    Evelyn Aron

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Darnell Martin    Director
Darnell Martin    Screenwriter
Andrew Lack    Producer
Sofia Sondervan    Producer
Beyoncé Knowles    Executive Producer
Marc Levin    Executive Producer
Beth Amy Rosenblatt    Music Supervisor
Terence Blanchard    Composer
Steve Jordan    Music Producer
Marshall Chess    Executive Music Producer
Petra Hoebel    Co-Producer
Peter C. Frank    Editor
Anastas Michos    Director of Photography
Linda Burton    Production Designer
Johnetta Boone    Costume Designer
Kimberly R. Hardin    Casting Director

DVD Sales - Pinocchio a Real Hit

March 24th, 2009

It was a huge week for new releases with nine of them reach the top 30, including four of the top five. The new number one film was Pinocchio, which sold 1.40 million units and generated $23.78 million in consumer spending at retail. More...

DVD Rentals - Role Models Speeds Along

March 24th, 2009

Role Models led the massive collection of new releases on the rental chart with roughly 25% more rentals than Transporter 3. More...

DVD Releases for March 10th, 2009

March 10th, 2009

First run releases let us down again, as the best they can offer is a couple of midlevel hits. There are a few more in the limited release category, including some Awards Season players. However, from that list the best is Let the Right One In on Blu-ray. The best release overall, and the winner of the DVD Pick of the Week is Pinocchio on Blu-ray. More...

The Weekend the Box Office Stood Still

December 15th, 2008

It was a rough week for new releases as none of the three debut films managed to live up to expectations, in dramatic fashion in some cases. However, holdovers did pick up some of the slack to help the overall box office to $92 million over the weekend. That was 11% higher than last weekend, but 43% lower than the same weekend last year when I Am Legend opened. Or you could compare it to the weekend when The Golden Compass opened, in which case it was nearly 12% higher. Either is acceptable. As for the year-to-date numbers, 2008 extended its lead over 2007 to 1.4% at $8.96 billion to $8.84 billion. It appears that 2008's lead is safe this late in the year, at least in terms of raw dollars. Ticket sales, on the other hand, will decline. More...

Awards Season - The Curious Case of the Frost/Nixon Globe Nominations

December 12th, 2008

The latest set of Awards Season nominations were handed out today as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their nominations. There was not much in the way of surprises, and it is hard to look at one film and say it was the big winner, but Frost/Nixon and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button come the closest. More...

Frost Heats up Per Theater Chart

December 9th, 2008

Frost/Nixon had one of the best openings of the year, earning a per theater average of $60,236 in three theaters. Second place on the per theater chart was Milk with an average of $18,534 in just a hair under 100 theaters. Slumdog Millionaire is showing incredible legs and earned an average of $17,977 theaters in 78 theaters while My Name is Bruce rounded out the $10,000 club with $17,214 in one theater, the best weekend of its run. More...

Holiday Guests Hang Around Another Week

December 9th, 2008

The results at the box office were mixed over the weekend with a couple of films topping expectations while a few others failed at that task. Overall, box office receipts were $82 million, which was 50% lower than last weekend; however, it was Thanksgiving long weekend last weekend so a sharp drop-off was expected. Compared to the same weekend last year, 2008 was better, but by only 0.5%. Year-to-date, 2008's lead on 2007 is now 0.5% at $8.72 billion to $8.68 billion. More...

Weekend Estimates: Four Christmases Stays Top

December 7th, 2008

Four Christmases held on at the top of the chart for a second weekend, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. The comedy fell only 41%, the best hold in the top ten, and easily topped the chart ahead of Twilight, which had a better third week, down around 50% to $13 million. The wide openers were generally weak. Punisher: War Zone only managed $4 million in 2,508 theaters. Cadillac Records did much better on a per theater basis, averaging over $5,000 per location, but limited release in 686 theaters meant it was only able to land in 9th place with $3.5 million. More...

Movie Website Reviews for Weekend of December 5, 2008

December 7th, 2008

This is the weakest week for wide releases for the entire holiday season, but there were still several sites that are worth checking. This includes The Punisher - War Zone's Official Site, which is the best of the best and the winner of the Weekly Website Award. More...

Holdovers to Punish New Releases

December 4th, 2008

There are three wide releases this week, if you have a more forgiving definition of the term, "wide." Of these three films, none have a shot at first place, while two of them might not reach the top ten. Additionally, the holdovers will take a tumble as this is a post-holiday weekend. The only bright news is this weekend last year was even worse. More...

2008 Preview: December

December 1st, 2008

We end the year with a winning streak, one that will hopefully continue right through the New Year holiday. It seems nearly every film released this month is either an Oscar contender or a potential $100 million hit. Sometimes both. If all six films with box office potentials of $100 million or more reach that milestone, and Bolt and Four Christmases have the legs to make it there as well, we could set the record for most $100 million released in a single year. (It is currently at 29 films set in 2003.) More...

New Movie US Release Dates - September 29, 2008

September 29th, 2008

This week's round of new movie release information contains release dates for Hannah Montana, Old Dogs, Legion and more! More...

Cast Updates - April 4, 2008

April 4th, 2008

This week's round of new casting information contains updates for The Informant, The Surrogates, War, Inc., and more! More...

Cast Updates - March 28, 2008

March 28th, 2008

This week's round of new casting information contains updates for Crazy on the Outside, Two Lovers, W., and more! More...

Cast Updates - January 31, 2008

January 31st, 2008

This week's round of new casting information contains updates for Duplicity, G.I. Joe, Public Enemies, and more! More...

New Movie Announcements, Stars and Directors - January 29, 2008

January 29th, 2008

This week another number of upcoming movies, new stars and directors have been added to our archive! More...

Compare this performance with other movies…

Domestic Cumulative Box Office Records

Weekend Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 5, 2008 9 $3,445,559   687 $5,015   $3,445,559 1
Dec 12, 2008 12 $1,585,407 -54% 688 $2,304   $5,909,492 2
Dec 19, 2008 17 $606,748 -62% 701 $866   $7,046,250 3
Dec 26, 2008 26 $270,365 -55% 180 $1,502   $7,712,287 4
Jan 2, 2009 28 $205,855 -24% 180 $1,144   $8,134,217 5

Daily Box Office Performance

DateRankGross%YD%LWTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossDays
Dec 5, 2008 9 $1,211,421     687 $1,763   $1,211,421 1
Dec 6, 2008 9 $1,390,788 +15%   687 $2,024   $2,602,209 2
Dec 7, 2008 9 $843,350 -39%   687 $1,228   $3,445,559 3
Dec 8, 2008 9 $258,348 -69%   687 $376   $3,703,907 4
Dec 9, 2008 10 $227,626 -12%   687 $331   $3,931,533 5
Dec 10, 2008 10 $205,454 -10%   687 $299   $4,136,987 6
Dec 11, 2008 10 $187,098 -9%   687 $272   $4,324,085 7
Dec 12, 2008 13 $439,108 +135% -64% 688 $638   $4,763,193 8
Dec 13, 2008 12 $719,867 +64% -48% 688 $1,046   $5,483,060 9
Dec 14, 2008 12 $426,432 -41% -49% 688 $620   $5,909,492 10
Dec 25, 2008 - $85,000     180 $472   $7,442,000 21

Weekly Box Office Performance

DateRankGross% ChangeTheatersPer TheaterTotal GrossWeek
Dec 5, 2008 9 $4,324,085   687 $6,294   $4,324,085 1
Dec 12, 2008 14 $2,115,417 -51% 688 $3,075   $6,439,502 2
Dec 19, 2008 24 $1,002,498 -53% 701 $1,430   $7,442,000 3
Dec 26, 2008 27 $486,440 -51% 180 $2,702   $7,928,362 4
Jan 2, 2009 29 $209,638 -57% 180 $1,165   $8,138,000 5

International Cumulative Box Office Records


Worldwide Cumulative Box Office Records


Weekly US DVD Sales

DateRankUnits
this
Week
% ChangeTotal
Units
Spending
this
Week
Total
Spending
Weeks
in
Release
Mar 15, 200910126,438 126,438$2,473,127$2,473,1271
Mar 22, 20091541,543-67% 167,981$705,816$3,178,9432
Mar 29, 20092632,358-22% 200,339$632,922$3,811,8653
Apr 5, 20092439,204+21% 239,543$783,688$4,595,5534
Apr 12, 20093042,378+8% 281,921$847,136$5,442,6895
Apr 19, 20092929,675-30% 311,596$504,178$5,946,8676

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.