By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com
Bean Counters
August 26, 2007
Weekend Finals
Domestic Market Share
Superbad continued as the top draw in North American multiplexes with an estimated $17.9 million that represented a 46% drop in its second weekend in release. In these dog days of summer there was only limited solace for a torrent of new product hoping to get a quick hit prior to the traditional box office doldrums that kick in post-Labor Day.
Mr. Bean’s Holiday led the newcomers with a better than anticipated $10 million debut that ranked fourth overall. The action-packed War followed with $9.7 and the droll comedy The Nanny Diariesrecorded $7.4 million. While the trio at least registered a pulse the hat trick of Resurrecting the Champ, Illegal Tender and September Dawn were casualties in all respects with respective openers of $1.7 million, $1.4 million and $570,000.
There was an equal fierce wave of movies targeted at niche or alternative crowds including Heyy Baby on the Bollywood circuit with a better than average $300,000 bow in 68 locations. The tragic non-fiction sea odyssey Dark Water looked promising with $21k at two moorings and there was a fair start of $22k for the American indie Dedication at four venues. Otherwise the premieres were disappointing ranging from The Hottest State, Ethan Hawke‘s adaptation of his novel; the terrorist themed Right at Your Door and the talk to the sea animals Eye of the Dolphin.
Overall the summer ebb continued with weekend revenues of approximately $107 million fall back 18% from the prior frame. It still represented a 5% boost from 2006 when Invincible led the field with a $17 million debut.
With the summer season closing in eight days box office is already at a gross record of $3.97 billion that exceeds summer 2006’s total by 5.6%. Paramount will easily walk away with market share bragging rights with Universal’s late surge securing it second spot.
The perennial disregard of teens and tweens in tracking studies once again reared its head with an under-evaluation of Mr. Bean’s Holiday. The character’s international appeal has been staggering but he continues to mystify Americans with puerile pantomime that’s confined him to the cognoscenti and sub-teens delighting in the cheap laughs.
Once positioned as an award’s contender The Nanny Diaries shifted gears following tepid previews and equally lukewarm reviews promoted no better than OK commercial returns. The positioning of both Resurrecting the Champ and September Dawn clearly bargained for a late seasonal toe-hold that would secure steady returns and attention in the early fall. However neither film was able to stir up much of a media spotlight and as Fitzgerald noted there are no second acts in American lives and the situation for movies is more severe by any yardstick.
Weekend Estimates – August 24-26, 2007
Title |
Distributor
|
Gross (average)
|
% change
|
Theaters
|
Cume
|
Superbad |
Sony
|
17.9 (6,060)
|
-46%
|
2948
|
68.4
|
The Bourne Ultimatum |
Uni
|
12.6 (3,440)
|
-36%
|
3679
|
185.4
|
Rush Hour 3 |
New Line
|
11.5 (3,370)
|
-46%
|
3408
|
108.3
|
Mr. Bean’s Holiday |
Uni
|
10.0 (5,850)
|
x
|
1714
|
10
|
War |
Lions Gate
|
9.7 (4,240)
|
x
|
2277
|
9.7
|
The Nanny Diaries |
MGM
|
7.4 (2,830)
|
x
|
2629
|
7.4
|
The Simpson Movie |
Fox
|
4.3 (1,660)
|
-37%
|
2600
|
173.4
|
Stardust |
Par
|
3.9 (1,660)
|
-31%
|
2339
|
26.4
|
Hairspray |
New Line
|
3.5 (1,730)
|
-23%
|
2016
|
107.5
|
The Invasion |
WB
|
3.0 (1,090)
|
-49%
|
2776
|
11.4
|
Harry Potter & the Order of the Ph |
WB
|
2.5 (1,870)
|
-32%
|
1322
|
283.3
|
Underdog |
BV
|
2.3 (1,030)
|
-41%
|
2209
|
36.7
|
Becoming Jane |
Miramax
|
2.0 (1,680)
|
-31%
|
1210
|
12.8
|
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Lar |
Uni
|
2.0 (1,300)
|
-45%
|
1529
|
114.2
|
Resurrecting the Champ |
FreeStyle
|
1.7 (1,080)
|
x
|
1602
|
1.7
|
Illegal Tender |
Uni
|
1.4 (2,750)
|
x
|
512
|
1.4
|
No Reservations |
WB
|
1.3 (1,190)
|
-44%
|
1117
|
39.1
|
Transformers |
Par
|
1.2 (1,400)
|
-41%
|
826
|
308.6
|
Ratatouille |
BV
|
1.1 (1,160)
|
-32%
|
956
|
199
|
Death at a Funeral |
MGM
|
1.0 (3,910)
|
-20%
|
261
|
2.9
|
The Last Legion |
Weinstein Co.
|
.85 (440)
|
-69%
|
1935
|
5
|
Daddy Day Camp |
Sony
|
.68 (690)
|
-65%
|
986
|
11.1
|
September Dawn |
Slow Hand
|
.57 (670)
|
x
|
857
|
0.6
|
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) |
$102.40
|
x
|
|||
% Change (Last Year) |
5%
|
x
|
|||
% Change (Last Week) |
-18%
|
x
|
|||
Also debuting/expanding | |||||
Heyy Baby |
Eros
|
.30 (4,460)
|
x
|
68
|
0.3
|
Right at Your Door |
IDP
|
28,500 (1,430)
|
x
|
20
|
0.03
|
Eye of the Dolphin |
Monteray
|
27,700 (290)
|
x
|
130
|
0.03
|
Dedication |
Weinstein Co.
|
22,300 (5,570)
|
x
|
4
|
0.02
|
Deep Water |
IFC
|
21,100 (10,550)
|
x
|
2
|
0.02
|
The Hottest State |
Thinkfilm
|
8,200 (2,730)
|
x
|
3
|
0.02
|
Hannah Takes the Stairs |
IFC
|
4,800 (4,800)
|
x
|
1
|
0.01
|
The Bothersome Man |
Film Movement
|
1,820 (1,820)
|
x
|
1
|
0.01
|
Top Worldwide Releases: To August 23, 2007
Title |
Distributor
|
Gross
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End |
BV
|
956,963,689
|
Spider-Man 3 |
Sony
|
890,256,837
|
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix |
WB
|
873,918,184
|
Shrek the Third |
Par
|
738,826,903
|
Transformers |
Par
|
668,937,299
|
300 |
WB
|
455,946,644
|
The Simpsons Movie |
Fox
|
443,435,988
|
Night at the Museum * |
Fox
|
394,527,282
|
Ratatouille |
BV
|
359,319,553
|
Live Free or Die Hard |
Fox
|
348,407,741
|
Ocean’s Thirteen |
WB
|
296,725,092
|
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer |
Fox
|
267,995,797
|
Wild Hogs |
BV
|
253,368,238
|
Ghost Rider |
Sony
|
229,847,486
|
The Bourne Ultimatum |
Uni
|
213,882,729
|
The Pursuit of Happyness * |
Sony
|
209,817,552
|
Mr. Bean’s Holiday |
Uni/Wk Title
|
189,020,934
|
Knocked Up |
Uni
|
166,776,153
|
Norbit |
Par
|
159,215,810
|
Meet the Robinsons |
BV
|
153,871,163
|
Domestic Market Share: To August 16, 2007
Title |
Distributor
|
Gross
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End |
BV
|
956,963,689
|
Spider-Man 3 |
Sony
|
890,256,837
|
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix |
WB
|
873,918,184
|
Shrek the Third |
Par
|
738,826,903
|
Transformers |
Par
|
668,937,299
|
300 |
WB
|
455,946,644
|
The Simpsons Movie |
Fox
|
443,435,988
|
Night at the Museum * |
Fox
|
394,527,282
|
Ratatouille |
BV
|
359,319,553
|
Live Free or Die Hard |
Fox
|
348,407,741
|
Ocean’s Thirteen |
WB
|
296,725,092
|
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer |
Fox
|
267,995,797
|
Wild Hogs |
BV
|
253,368,238
|
Ghost Rider |
Sony
|
229,847,486
|
The Bourne Ultimatum |
Uni
|
213,882,729
|
The Pursuit of Happyness * |
Sony
|
209,817,552
|
Mr. Bean’s Holiday |
Uni/Wk Title
|
189,020,934
|
Knocked Up |
Uni
|
166,776,153
|
Norbit |
Par
|
159,215,810
|
Meet the Robinsons |
BV
|
153,871,163
|