Incredibles were Merely Super

November 8, 2004

The top film on the charts wasn't as impressive as predicted, but that helped some of the holdovers hold up better. Overall, there was a massive leap from last weekend at 43.8%, but a troubling 5.8% drop from last year. This extended pseudo-slump the box office has been in has cut 2004's lead over 2003 to just 2.1%, $7.641 billion to $7.480 billion. Unless 2004 can close strong, we will see the second year in a row with declining ticket sales.

Ok, I admit, perhaps I was a little bullish on The Incredibles' prospects at the box office. But that shouldn't lessen how impressive the amazing streak Pixar is on. The Incredibles earned $70.5 million over the weekend, about $200,000 above Pixar's last film, Finding Nemo. With the reviews the film earned, it should have great legs, maybe not as good as Finding Nemo, but more than Monsters, Inc. Split the difference and the film should still get $300 million or close enough that Disney will give it the push it needs.

Ray held up well over the weekend, but not as well as expected. The film pulled in $13.6 million over the weekend to raise its running tally to just shy of $40 million. And that should keep the studio happy.

The real pleasant surprise was the horror films, which didn't suffer from a post-Halloween slump. The Grudge brought in $12.7 million making a $100 million box office almost a lock. Saw also did well with a $11.1 million weekend, not bad for a film that cost just over $1 million to make.

On the other hand, Alfie couldn't live up to lowered expectations and only manage a $6.2 million opening. Poor reviews and a lower per theatre average suggest that the film won't be able to expand its lower theatre count, and that doesn't bode well for its legs.


Submitted by:

Filed under: The Incredibles, The Grudge, Ray, Saw, Alfie