The Mummy - 70 mill opening!!!

[Force Master Hunter]

0_0!!!!!!!

No way.... that estimate is incredible

[CMJ]

No kidding...we've all talked about how shocked we were on the Box Office thread. I think this summer is gonna be INCREDIBLY big. PEARL HARBOR will most likely beat LW's opening weekend in a couple of weeks.

[JonathanLB]

I concur -- $75 million for Pearl Harbor in three days. It'll be the new champ.

The box office weekend records, day records, etc, all change so rapidly. TPM was lucky to hold them for even a few years. It isn't a matter of how long you hold a record, either, it's just setting it that matters. Records are made to be broken, but rest assured, Mummy Returns will fall fairly quickly.

I'd say it'll do about $220 million or so, could make it to $250 million, no more. It was good entertainment, but it's not a very good movie at all.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I agree Jon, I doubt that The Mummy Returns will make more 250, I think it will between 220-230 much like the Lost World did and then steadly fall off because it has a small audience and will not be a big repeat movie. I also wonder how much the ticket increase had to do with, I know at the theater near me the price jumped a 50 cents across the board just in the last 6 months not even dealing with the last three years. I think Pearl Harbor will break it too, hey it might even be the first movie to break the 100 million barrier in 4 days but then EP 2 will then break that next year.

[JonathanLB]

Episode II will be the first movie to become the all-time highest grossing movie in Worldwide Box Office History in just one single day.

It will gross $1.9 billion on its opening Wednesday, filling every theater in the entire nation, all 34,000 screens, and everyone will be seeing it simultaneously at the first showing. In fact, they'll all voluntarily agree to pay $25 per ticket just to make it beat Titanic. Really. :)

LOL. That would be awesome! If everyone in the U.S. saw Episode II as many times as I saw TPM, then it would make about $70 billion (I think that's about right anyway).

[swooshdark]

Impressive. I believe Tomb Raider, which opens on June 15th, will actually make more money than The Mummy Returns. Not sure if it can beat that opening weekend, however.

Tomb Raider has basically the same audience (young teens, lots of males, lots of advance buzz among average joes, not to mention flat-out monsterous sex appeal). It's the same kind of film as well -- an adventure movie, likely with more than a few nods to Indiana Jones and The Matrix.

Episode II and The Matrix 2 I believe will both beat that on opening weekend if they both open on FRIDAY. Opening on Wednesday, like TPM did, is tough for kids in school to see a movie. Especailly in May. I don't think Pearl Harbor will come close to The Mummy Returns -- I doubt as many teenagers will see it, and also Shrek opens on the 18th. I think Pearl Harbor will do about $40 million to open.

[JonathanLB]

How much do you want to bet?

I will put $20 on Pearl Harbor opening at $50+ million with anyone here, but I doubt anyone would really take that bet, because everyone realizes it probably will make that much.

Ok, so there is no way it won't.

I am a teenager, and every one of my friends wants to see Pearl Harbor very badly. It'll rake in the money.

I agree with you about Tomb Raider, though, it appeals to a similar group of people and you're right, it should do well also.

[Force Master Hunter]

I really hope Tomb Raider bombs badly.

I personally think Pearl Harbour will somehow beat the Mummy Returns. 60 million should be dead easy opening, but the Hype is with Pearl Harbour. I dont give a rats about it, but I would guess America would have this "thing" for what was a defining day for them. Like Australia and ANZAC day.

Still... who the hell would have guess Mummy Returns would have started this big??!

[Darth23]

Pearl Harbor will have the Holiday Weekend, so it HAS TO open big. Especially since there's nothign else opening, and they've spent so much money on advertising already.

I'm kind of curious to see how a major disaster will be portrayed as some kind of Great Event, but I won't be seeing it in the theaters. (maybe I'll check out The Mummy that weekend :-P)

[buff jedi 2]

I know you guys in here hate (conspiracy type talk) but there is NO way the Mummy 2 made 70 mil in the opening weekend,and TPM only made about what 63 mil.I realize that the Rock had alot to do with drawing people into seeing it but I fill that the studio's are bumping up there grosses to con the people into thinking that they could go see something that everyone else is seeing.there has been a decline in movie revenue so this makes total sense to me ;) As for Pearl Harbor (what is it ?) and as Johnathan has said if we all go see EP 2 as much as he seen (and I) TPM it could gross 70 bil.Of course there is no doubt they will F with Episode 2 gross like they did with TPM.Im not a mean person BUT if the starwars fans dont come out in droves on the opening of EP 2 and beat the MUMMY and TITANIC (if they dont mess with the grosses) IM GOING TO BEAT SOME BOOTY!!!!!!!! ;) . because im good enough and buff enough and dog gone it, people like me.


BUFFjedi/wookieboy

[foxdvd]

How long will PH be? If it is over 3 hours, there is little chance it will do what the Mummy Returns did.

[CMJ]

I think I read PEARL HARBOR was 2 hours and 40 minutes long.

[General Ceel]

The owner of my Local theatre said that PH was 3 hours long.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I read it was closer to 2 and half but Titanic was over 3 and that didn't hurt that any. I think PH will easily make more on Memorial Day than the Mummy made. For one there will be larger crowds especially older people who lived through that event and like Jonathan said many teenagers want to see it, I know some too. I think it will at least make 80 million on the 4 days, I think it has a really good chance of destroying The Lost's world record because it is such a epic film and there is nothing opening against it.

[swooshdark]

If you're going to bet Pearl Harbor opens bigger than The Mummy Returns, I'll take that bet. Somehow, I doubt the 8-16 year olds that saw the Mummy Returns in *droves* will go see Pearl Harbor the same way. Although PH will have an older audience, I doubt they'll all come out in the same way. $40-$50 million total for the entire Memorial Day weekend -- The Mummy Returns did $70 million on a NON-HOLIDAY three day weekend.

SHREK (Dreamworks' CG animated fairy tale with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz) is opening on May 18th as well, which will draw a lot of kids and teenagers and I expect it to open to big box office as well. That is competetion, much more than The Mummy Returns had.

Tomb Raider will get the same exact audience that The Mummy Returns did. That's why I'm pinning it to do the same kind of box office. I've already seen teenagers clamouring around the poster at the theater (I'm sure Angelina Jolie's miracle-bra has something to do with that, too, heh).

[Jedi Master Carr]

I disagree first off there is no way it will only make 40-50 for the entire weekend. MI2 made more than that and it didn't draw in any kids either. It will make at least 70 million for the 4 days. Realize Memorial day is a huge weekend and I think load of people will go see it. Sure their is Shrek and I think it will make a lot of money but it will not do any damage to PH. PH just has too much going for it and I think we might see a few records broken that weekend.

[swooshdark]

M:I-2, like The Lost World and Mummy Returns was an action-oriented PG-13 sequel, that also had that music video played around the clock on MTV. Strong teenager demographic.

I'm not entirely convinced Pearl Harbor can get that big of a draw with teenagers, which is really what you need to get that kind of box office out of the gate. But I think rising ticket prices also play a part here...that's one reason The Mummy Returns was able to perform so well.

I'm going to go with a revised forecast of $60 million for the weekend. It won't touch The Mummy Return's for three-day take, however.

[CMJ]

Okay the final figures say 68.14M. Still a hell of a number.

[swooshdark]

I think these $50-$60 million (or even higher) opening weekends are becoming more and more of a commonplace occurance. I think 1999 really signalled that, when not only did the big blockbusters take in that kind of money, but films like Austin Powers 2 and Toy Story 2 -- something you'd expect to open strong but not *that* strong.

Tomb Raider is another one that I think will open to beyond $50-$55 million on opening weekend. I think The Lord of the Rings, even though it is opening during Christmas, will do the same. And next year, Star Wars Episode II, The Matrix 2, Spider-Man, Austin Powers 3, and Minority Report (talk about a packed summer!) all have legitimate shots at opening beyond $60 million a piece. How weird is that?

[JonathanLB]

Opening weekend grosses keep inflating to incredible degrees as audiences flock to films for one weekend, then abandon and ignore it for the rest of its run, more or less.

The Mummy Returns made more than TPM's opening weekend because it played in 400 more theaters and probably more like 800 to 1000 more screens. My theater only gave TPM two screens, despite the fact it would have sold out all 13. They gave Mummy Returns three, and it did sell out all screens, all showings, all weekend (I had friends who went Saturday and Sunday and they all seemed to be sold out too).

I guessed Mummy made $68 million, their $70 million estimate made no sense. I told Qui Gon Fission it'd be $68 million, hehe, they always overestimate with these films.

Compare the estimates:

Mummy Returns: $70 million
TPM: $61.8 million

Actual:

Mummy Returns: $68 million
TPM: $64.8 million

Much closer. What do you expect, it's typical, they knew it wouldn't make that much Sunday, but it doesn't hurt to fudge the figures a bit, it's honest still, because it is "just an estimate."

Ticket prices are higher, just because Mummy Returns made more than TPM opening weekend doesn't mean anything, it's two years later, and two years in the movie industry is a huge amount of time. Rest assured, Mummy will not crack the top 10 highest grossing films, no way, no how, but TPM made it to #3 in only 67 days (hmm...it might have been on the 66th actually, but it crossed $400 mil. in 67).

Pearl Harbor will probably clear $75 million for the four-day period, though I would not bet on it beating Mummy Returns' three-day weekend gross. That's hard to bet on, because that's a damn load of money. I still think there's more than a 50% chance it'll happen, though, it's a holiday weekend, after all, which helps Sunday's box office gross considerably.

I can see Pearl Harbor making an astounding $95 million in four days, erasing Lost World's record and sending all opening weekend box office records tumbling.

It will fall fairly steeply after that, 40% each weekend or greater, not because it'll suck necessarily, but because many people will have already seen it, and the summer competition is stiff, but it'll clear $250 million probably when all is said and done. I'd bet on $265 million.

[Force Master Hunter]

I tend to agree with Jon's analysis. It will be huge and a would think Memorial day weekend record (after all, aint this the biggest weekend of the year? Isnt it?) will fall. I just cant work out how The Mummy Returns opened soooooo big

[JonathanLB]

hahaha, there goes The Mummy Returns, just as expected.

This is what separates real blockbusters from wannabe ones that drop like a rock after opening weekend.

Under $5 million Monday? OUCH! TPM made well more than $10 million on the Monday after its Sunday, an all-time record for a non-holiday (and that still holds). Mummy Returns really bit it hard, in fact, harder than Lost World after its opening. This thing is going to tank so quick it's not even funny.

First, TPM's estimated gross for the weekend was $3 million below the actual, the first sign that movie was going to kick butt, and look at the Mummy Returns, $2 million over-estimate. That's bad. Really bad. Now its Monday gross is extremely unimpressive for a film that just set a new non-holiday record.

Ouch. Well, it'll make it to $180 or $190 million still.

[foxdvd]

I would like to point out from above..


I read it was closer to 2 and half but Titanic was over 3 and that didn't hurt that any.


My point was not how much money it will make in the long run, only that a movie over 3 hours is not going to make more then 70 million in 3 days. Just not going to happen with the theater set up we have today. I think the most Titanic ever made in 3 days was in the 30 million range, and that is prob. a record.


If PH has about 2.5 hours long, and opens large, it can do over 60 million easy for 3 days..if it is over 3 hours..it will be hard pressed to break 60 million. Even the next Star Wars movie would find it hard to break 60 million over 3 days if it was over 3 hours long.

[JonathanLB]

Fox is definitely right, that's an excellent point.

I think Titanic actually managed $44 million one weekend, didn't it? I think that was still three days, but...wait, maybe it was four. I don't remember. I'm pretty sure it at least did $35 million one three-day weekend, though. I'd have to check.

Still, making over $60 million at 3 hours, that's dang hard. I still think it'll make a crapload over 4 days, though. I think $75 million for 4 days is very possible.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I thought I read that Disney was pressing the theaters to show it every hour or something. I know it is suppose to be on a record number of screens and if that is the case then it will not be a problem. I am certain that it is not near 3 hours I am not certain of the exact running time somewhere between 2.5-2.75 is what I am guessing. I still think it will set records at least beat Lost Worlds' Memorial Day record

[foxdvd]

Any movie that open bigs gets theaters to show their show around the clock. The Mummy Returns did it, as did TPM and Lost World. If it is over 3 hours, they can still do that, but there will still be less showings a day then these other big movies. That is why no movie over 3 hours has come close to the top 20 grossing weekends of all time.

[obiwan shinobi]

i still can't believe the Mummy Returns made that much money in its intial release...

it should be interesting when Episode 2 and Spiderman come out next year...more records to be broken, to be sure