Box Office (Dec 25-28) | Tell me again why Lionsgate opened SPIRIT on Christmas?

[bartleby]

EARLY CHRISTMAS DAY ESTIMATES

1. NEW – Marley & Me (Fox) - $13.9M, $3,994 PTA, $13.9M cume
2. NEW – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount) - $11.1M, $3,715 PTA, $11.1M cume
3. NEW – Bedtime Stories (Disney) - $9.75M, $2,649 PTA, $9.75M cume
4. NEW – Valkerie (MGM/UA) - $7.35M, $2,711 PTA, $7.35M cume
5. Yes Man (Warner Bros) - $4.85M, $1,412 PTA, $32.27M cume
6. Seven Pounds (Sony) - $3.8M, $1,378 PTA, $24.46M cume
7. NEW – The Spirit (Lionsgate) - $3.15M, $1,255 PTA, $3.15M cume
8. The Day the Earth Stood Still (Fox) - $2.58M, $1,074 PTA, $55.39M cume
9. Tale of Despereaux (Universal) - $2.1M, $676 PTA, $18.8M cume
10. Four Christmases (Warner Bros) - $2.06M, $821 PTA, $106.44M cume

11. Doubt (Miramax) - $1.2M, $950 PTA, $2.89M cume
12. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) - $955,000, $1,554 PTA $14.55M cume

[bartleby]

But aside from THE SPIRIT, it was a pretty good day to open a movie with the four others making it into the top 12 Christmas Day openings of all time. MARLEY & ME is the biggest Christmas opening ever. BENJAMIN BUTTON opened way bigger than most people expected and keeps itself firmly in the Oscar race. And VALKYRIE, which once looked like a disaster, ended up with a very solid opening.

[DaveCummings]

Well, not saying anything at all about the quality of the Spirit, I figured that it would be about where it was on the list. I mean, you have a movie based on a hugely successful novel, a movie with tremendous buzz that's on everyone's top 10 list, a movie that would appeal to kids, and a Tom Cruise movie (say what you want about him being nuts, but he will still bring in people. Not nearly enough as he used to, but he still does). I figured it would be around the 5-7 spot on the list.

That said, for a property that is totally unknown to non comic readers that is highly stylized (which can be a risky sell to the average viewer) and in a VERY crowded weekend, I don't think that it did that badly. $3.5 million isn't alot and I'm waiting to see what the rest of the weekend holds, but it's not setting up for the movie to be a tremendous flop like alot of people are hoping for. I mean, I don't know what the budget for the movie is, but I'm just basing it on Sin City's budget, which was about $40 million. It would have to not make anything else this weekend to be considered a tremendous flop.

But, I agree. It was a mistake to open it on Christmas Day. Though, I think if it opened on a uncrowded weekend, it's opening weekend would be around $10-17 million.

[Ultimate Lurker]

More and more it seems like people are turning to entertainment as a release from the depressing worries of the economy. Interesting.

[Ray G.]

Wow, Marley and Me? Really?

[schizorabbit]

Well, not saying anything at all about the quality of the Spirit, I figured that it would be about where it was on the list. I mean, you have a movie based on a hugely successful novel, a movie with tremendous buzz that's on everyone's top 10 list, a movie that would appeal to kids, and a Tom Cruise movie (say what you want about him being nuts, but he will still bring in people. Not nearly enough as he used to, but he still does). I figured it would be around the 5-7 spot on the list.

That said, for a property that is totally unknown to non comic readers that is highly stylized (which can be a risky sell to the average viewer) and in a VERY crowded weekend, I don't think that it did that badly. $3.5 million isn't alot and I'm waiting to see what the rest of the weekend holds, but it's not setting up for the movie to be a tremendous flop like alot of people are hoping for. I mean, I don't know what the budget for the movie is, but I'm just basing it on Sin City's budget, which was about $40 million. It would have to not make anything else this weekend to be considered a tremendous flop.

But, I agree. It was a mistake to open it on Christmas Day. Though, I think if it opened on a uncrowded weekend, it's opening weekend would be around $10-17 million.

I agree. And as I posted on The Spirit thread, I surprisingly enjoyed The Spirit!!!!

[DaveCummings]

I agree. And as I posted on The Spirit thread, I surprisingly enjoyed The Spirit!!!!

With the crowded weekend, if anyone thought that the Spirit would be #1 this weekend would be insane. Especially with the movies I listed. The Spirit is an unknown property with a bunch of actors who are either fairly unknown or aren't really big headlining actors. I don't think anyone was expecting it to beat the other movies.

With it's budget, I figure to be considered a flop, it would have to make less than $10 million in it's entire take. Anything more than that, but less than say $30 million, it probably be considered disappointing. More than that, considered a success. It's like Rob Zombie with his movies. People acted like they hated it and wanted him to fail, but with as little as his movies cost, it didn't have to make much at all to be considered successful and it was near impossible to be considered a flop. And it pretty much ensured that he was still going to have a movie career.

[RickLM]

Because our country can no longer turn to the late Jimmy Stewart for comfort, so now we look to Samuel L. Jackson.

[Scotty]

I saw Valkerie yesterday and it surprised the hell out of me. I figured we just laugh at this train wreck, but I was entertained for the two hours it was on. Wasn't the worse movie we've seen on x-mas, so not to shabby.

[moonspider]

haw haw