Harry and the Deathly Swallows … Gulp!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 ascended to an estimated $126.2 million and corralled more than 60% of weekend ticket sales. Comparatively speaking the remaining films in the multiplex had to settle for chump change, including the bow of the thriller The Next Three Days which slotted fifth with $6.7 million.
The session also included the new Bollywood release Guzaarish, which garnered a better than respectable $423,000 at 108 venues. Among the few exclusive bows both the British import Made in Dagenham and France’s White Material were just OK with respective openings of $39,300 and $35,800, each playing on three screens.
It was the biggest opening yet for a Harry Potter film but while the juggernaut provided a big box office boost from last weekend it was insufficient to stave off a decline from 2009.
Expectations were high for the first installment of the last chapter of the Potter franchise. Advance sales and online tracking anticipated a $100 million debut and that number expanded following word of advance Thursday midnight screenings estimated at $24 million. Large format engagements were estimated at $12.4 million and if that number holds up it will be a record.
Internationally the early estimates are roughly $205 million from 54 markets. It includes all-time records in the U.K. and Russia and otherwise just sensational debuts elsewhere. The final, final Potter putter is schedule for July 2011.
On a decidedly downbeat note, The Next Three Days came in well below tracking that suggested a $10 million launch. The film also received a drubbing from critics.
Weekend revenues lurched toward $200 million, which translated into a 64% hike from seven days back. It was however 25% behind the 2009 slate led by the second installment of Twilight (New Moon), which bowed bitingly to $142.8 million with the unexpectedly $34.1 million potency of The Blind Side right behind it.
The contender’s roster failed to see any additional dynamos this weekend and the titles already in the marketplace were finding the Darwinian aspect of the exercise unrelenting. Both Fair Game and 127 Hours added a significant number of playdates with the latter continuing to maintain a hefty $8,330 engagement average. The other surprise in the mix is the continuing stamina of the non-fiction Inside Job that’s racked up $2.2 million to date.
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Weekend Estimates – November 19-21, 2010
Title | Distributor | Gross (average) | % change * | Theaters | Cume |
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 1* | WB | 126.2 (30,600) | NEW | 4125 | 126.2 |
Megamind | Par | 16.2 (4,280) | -45% | 3779 | 109.5 |
Unstoppable | Fox | 13.0 (4,060) | -43% | 3207 | 41.9 |
Due Date | WB | 8.9 (2,760) | -42% | 3229 | 72.4 |
The Next Three Days | Lionsgate | 6.7 (2,590) | NEW | 2564 | 6.7 |
Morning Glory | Par | 5.2 (2,050) | -43% | 2544 | 19.8 |
Skyline | Uni/Alliance | 3.4 (1,170) | -71% | 2883 | 17.6 |
Summit | 2.4 (1,190) | -51% | 2034 | 83.5 | |
For Colored Girls … | Lionsgate | 2.3 (1,920) | -64% | 1216 | 34.5 |
Fair Game | Summit | 1.4 (3,730) | 41% | 386 | 3.7 |
Secretariat | BV | 1.0 (970) | -56% | 1010 | 56.4 |
Paranormal Activity 2 | Par | .93 (840) | -69% | 1101 | 83.6 |
The Social Network | Sony | .91 (1,590) | -49% | 571 | 89.2 |
127 Hours | Searchlight | .90 (8,330) | 104% | 108 | 1.9 |
Saw 3D | Lionsgate | .82 (1,020) | -71% | 806 | 45.3 |
Jackass 3D | Par | .72 (1,050) | -68% | 687 | 116.1 |
Life As We Know It | WB | .52 (930) | -50% | 558 | 51.6 |
Guzaarish | UTV | .42 (3,910) | NEW | 108 | 0.42 |
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest | Music Box/Alliance | .41 (2,180) | -22% | 188 | 3.5 |
Inside Job | Sony Classics | .37 (1,770) | -22% | 211 | 2.2 |
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) | $191.50 | ||||
% Change (Last Year) | -25% | ||||
% Change (Last Week) | 64% | ||||
Also debuting/expanding | |||||
Today’s Special | Reliance | 88,400 (1,670) | 53 | 0.09 | |
Made in Dagenham | Sony Classics | 39,300 (13,100) | 3 | 0.04 | |
White Material | IFC | 35,800 (11,930) | 3 | 0.04 | |
Queen of the Lot | Rainbow | 16,400 (2,730) | 6 | 0.02 | |
Copacabana | Seville | 14,100 (2,010) | 7 | 0.01 |
Domestic Market Share (Jan. 1 – Nov. 18, 2010)
Distributor (releases) | Gross | Market Share |
Paramount (18) | 1555.1 | 16.80% |
Warner Bros. (26) | 1538.8 | 16.70% |
Fox (17) | 1320.7 | 14.30% |
Buena Vista (15) | 1173.4 | 12.70% |
Sony (23) | 1160.3 | 12.60% |
Universal (18) | 790.4 | 8.60% |
Summit (11) | 508.5 | 5.50% |
Lionsgate (14) | 490.6 | 5.30% |
Overture (7) | 81.7 | 0.90% |
Fox Searchlight (7) | 80.3 | 0.90% |
Focus (7) | 75.1 | 0.80% |
Weinstein Co. (7) | 62.5 | 0.70% |
Sony Classics (21) | 57.3 | 0.60% |
MGM (1) | 51.2 | 0.50% |
CBS (2) | 50 | 0.50% |
Other * (288) | 240.7 | 2.60% |
9236.6 | 100.00% | |
* none greater than .04% |
Top Domestic Grossers * (Jan. 1 – Nov. 18, 2010)
Title | Distributor | Gross |
Avatar * | Fox | 476,883,415 |
Toy Story 3 | BV | 414,681,777 |
Alice in Wonderland | BV | 334,191,110 |
Iron Man 2 | Par | 312,445,596 |
Twilight: Eclipse | Summit | 300,551,386 |
Inception | WB | 291,914,445 |
Despicable Me | Uni | 248,900,040 |
Shrek Forever After | Par | 238,667,087 |
How to Train Your Dragon | Par | 218,685,707 |
The Karate Kid | Sony | 176,797,997 |
Clash of the Titans | WB | 163,214,888 |
Grown Ups | Sony | 162,147,232 |
The Last Airbender | Par | 131,733,601 |
Shutter Island | Par | 128,051,522 |
The Other Guy | Sony | 119,256,755 |
Salt | Sony | 118,485,665 |
Jackass 3D | Par | 115,357,091 |
Valentine’s Day | WB | 110,509,442 |
Sherlock Holmes * | WB | 106,967,985 |
Robin Hood | Uni | 105,425,146 |
* does not include 2009 box office |