By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
Shiver Me Trimester ..
June 3 , 2007
Weekend Estimates
Domestic Market Share
The scurvy crew of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End once again plundered heartiest with an estimated weekend booty of $43.7 million. However, its fiercest competition came not from a tent pole but the bawdy high concept comedy Knocked Up that grossed $29.3 million.
The frame also featured less stellar result for national debuts of the thriller Mr. Brooks with a fourth place finish of $9 million and listless returns of $1.3 million for the inspirational sage Gracie. Limited release freshmen included a substantial $46,200 from five venues for Russia sci-fi odyssey Day Watch and a three-screen gross of $15,600 for the documentary profile Mad Love.
While business didn’t sail off the edge of the world, sharp drops were anticipated following the Memorial weekend holiday. In a summer that thus far has trued to the adage: the bigger they are, the harder they fall, Pirates took a hard 62% decline on the comparative three-day spans. Overall business declined by 37% from seven days earlier and slipped 2% from 2006 when the opening salvo of The Break-Up was the first seasonal surprise with a $39.2 million box office.
There had long been an inkling that Knocked Up – a randy relationship comedy with a soft center – would be well received pitted against the summer behemoths. However, no one anticipated the film would be warmly embraced by the critics. The film both exceeded expectations and skewed unexpectedly older and female and that adds up to prospects of a more durable theatrical run.
It was no such luck for Mr. Brooks, a nasty little thriller with Kevin Costner cast against type in a malevolent role. The nagging question boiled down to whether audiences weren’t buying the actor in the role or simply weren’t buying him period. And one had the sneaking suspicion that the masses steered clear of Gracie because its upbeat arc felt just a little bit to familiar and redundant.
The slow roll out of the Irish musical-romance Once continued to surprise. Industry wisdom almost demands distribution strike while the iron is hot but with such a subtle confection there’s every suspicion an aggressive push would squander its true potential.
The latest from Bollywood – Fool In Final – proved a disappointment and one suspects the bow of the contemporary vampire yarn Rise: Blood Hunter was propelled by contractual demands rather than commercial prospects.
The frame also featured Day Watch, the Russian follow up to Night Watch that garnered positive critical response but spurted out commercially in the U.S. The new entry shows signs of repeating that scenario and one has to speculate whether Fox will make good on its past promise of investing in a third episode to be shot English-language tovarich.
Weekend Estimates – June 1-3, 2007
Title | Distributor |
Gross (average)
|
% Chan
|
Theaters
|
Cume
|
Pirates of Caribbean: At World’s End |
BV
|
43.7 (10,020)
|
-62%
|
4362
|
217.1
|
Knocked Up |
Uni
|
29.3 (10,190)
|
–
|
2871
|
29.3
|
Shrek the Third |
Par
|
26.8 (6,520)
|
–
|
4109
|
254.7
|
Mr. Brooks |
MGM
|
9.0 (3,660)
|
–
|
2453
|
9
|
Spider-Man 3 |
Sony
|
7.6 (2,040)
|
-47%
|
3723
|
318.3
|
Waitress |
Searchlight
|
1.9 (3,160)
|
-38%
|
605
|
9.3
|
Gracie |
Picturehouse
|
1.3 (1,120)
|
–
|
1164
|
1.3
|
Bug |
Lions Gate
|
1.2 (710)
|
-64%
|
1664
|
6.1
|
28 Weeks Later |
Fox
|
1.1 (1,010)
|
-56%
|
1121
|
26.5
|
Disturbia |
Par
|
1.1 (1,050)
|
-44%
|
1035
|
76.7
|
Wild Hogs |
BV
|
.79 (2,150)
|
-43%
|
368
|
164.4
|
Georgia Rule |
Uni
|
.58 (610)
|
-69%
|
953
|
18.1
|
Fracture |
New Line
|
.52 (860)
|
-59%
|
608
|
38.1
|
Away from Her |
Mongrel/LGF
|
.51 (1,660)
|
-52%
|
308
|
3.9
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Box Offic |
–
|
$125.40
|
—
|
–
|
–
|
% Change (Last year) |
–
|
-2%
|
—
|
–
|
–
|
% Change (Last wknd) |
–
|
-37%
|
—
|
–
|
–
|
Also debuting/expanding | |||||
Once |
Searchlight
|
.44 (7,370)
|
33%
|
60
|
1.07
|
Fool In Final |
Shamaroo
|
84,500 (2,280)
|
–
|
37
|
0.08
|
Day Watch |
Searchlight
|
46,200 (9,240)
|
–
|
5
|
0.05
|
Rise: Blood Hunter |
IDP
|
23,700 (990)
|
–
|
24
|
0.02
|
Crazy Love |
Magnolia
|
15,600 (5,530)
|
–
|
3
|
0.02
|
International Grosses: To May 24, 2007
Title |
Distributor
|
Gross
|
Spider-Man 3 |
Sony
|
770,965,080 |
300 |
WB
|
440,949,612 |
Night at the Museum * |
Fox
|
393,645,651 |
Wild Hogs |
BV
|
236,820,424 |
Ghost Rider |
Sony
|
225,790,901 |
The Pursuit of Happyness * |
Sony
|
209,105,741 |
Mr. Bean’s Holiday |
Uni/Wk Title
|
176,801,339 |
Shrek the Third |
Par
|
169,008,690 |
Norbit |
Par
|
158,344,470 |
Music and Lyrics |
WB
|
145,956,146 |
Meet the Robinsons |
BV
|
145,630,981 |
Blood Diamond * |
WB
|
134,413,770 |
Blades of Glory |
Par
|
131,256,376 |
Bridge to Terabithia |
BV/Summit
|
119,149,335 |
Dreamgirls * |
Par
|
117,549,536 |
Rocky Balboa * |
MGM/Fox
|
106,742,344 |
Casino Royale * |
Sony
|
102,970,798 |
Happy Feet * |
WB
|
93,972,684 |
TMNT |
WB/Weinstein
|
88,726,509 |
Shooter |
Par
|
88,673,463 |
* does not include 2006 box office |
Domestic Market Share: To May 24, 2007
Distributor (releases) |
Gross
|
Mrkt Share
|
Sony (16) |
774.2
|
22.60%
|
Paramount (13) |
669.7
|
19.60%
|
Warner Bros. (17) |
461.6
|
13.50%
|
Buena Vista (13) |
398.7
|
11.70%
|
Fox (13) |
282.2
|
8.30%
|
Universal (9) |
216.9
|
6.30%
|
New Line (6) |
105.2
|
3.10%
|
MGM (11) |
81.7
|
2.40%
|
Lions Gate (9) |
73.1
|
2.10%
|
Fox Searchlight (8) |
59.9
|
1.80%
|
Miramax (4) |
43.2
|
1.30%
|
Focus (2) |
38.2
|
1.10%
|
Picturehouse (2) |
37.2
|
1.10%
|
Sony Classics (8) |
28.3
|
0.80%
|
Weinstein Co. (5) |
25.9
|
0.80%
|
Paramount Vantage (3) |
25.3
|
0.70%
|
IDP (5) |
21.9
|
0.60%
|
Other * (107) |
74.6
|
2.20%
|
* none greater than 0.4% |
3417.8
|
100.00%
|