Bad Boys do Good at the Box Office

July 21, 2003

Only one of the three wide releases was able to match predictions, however, better than expected performances from the holdovers helped the box office rise 3.65% from last weekend, and nearly 25% from last year.

Pulling in more in its first day than the original did its first weekend was Bad Boys II. Finishing first was expected, but the $46.5 million did beat expectations. Two factors make long term success doubtful. First, the reviews were bad at just 26%. Second, the movie is a sequel and recent history is pretty clear on how sequels do.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl second weekend was better than expected, with a smaller drop-off than even Finding Nemo. Pirates hauled in $34.o million, only 27% lower than last weekend. It broke the $100 million milestone in just 10 days and surpassed its production budget in just 12. Needless to say, there is a sequel in the works.

For the second week in a row The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen has done better that expected. This has more to do with really low expectations than with a genuinely good showing at the box office. Its second weekend total was $10.2 million, down only 56%. While bad, is not the complete collapse predicted.

With Terminator 3 falling faster than predicted, Arnold Schwarzenegger seems destined to start a career in politics. In its third week it could only must $9.3 million. For a movie that cost between $170 to $200 million to make, that is unacceptable.

Also Finishing a little weaker than I predicted was British comedy Johnny English. Only making $9.1 million may seem like a disappointment, but the movie has already made more than $100 million overseas. So whatever it makes in its domestic run is icing on the cake. Reviews are quite a bit better than the other two openers, but at only 37% that's not much of a compliment.

Mandy Moore's latest movie earned less than half what her previous movie earned its opening weekend. Even assuming a budget south of $20 million, its initial take of just $5.8 million must be seen as a disappointment. And the reviews don't suggest better results in the weeks to come.

Not only did Finding Nemo crack the $300 million club and top Star Wars: Attack of the Clones it did it with $7.3 million, quite a bit more than the weekend's predictions. Up next for this summer's unstoppable movie, Independence Day, which it should beat mid-week and Return of the Jedi which it will beat by next weekend.

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Filed under: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Bad Boys II, Johnny English, How to Deal