$10.66 million Monday

[JonathanLB]

Still a good sign I suppose because this film fell less than Spider-Man on its first Monday and that should be a good sign.

[JMK]

That's a good number, no? Let's keep our fingers crossed! I like that its more than Spidey on its first monday!

[JonathanLB]

Spider-Man actually had $11 million on its first Monday, but the point is that Spider-Man also had a WAY larger Sunday gross ($32 million or something? I don't remember) and fell a lot more on its Monday than AOTC did, yet Spider-Man also had been open one less day so it should have enjoyed an even stronger hold Monday.

It's too bad we didn't take the record, though, and TPM did actually make $10.9 million on its first Monday. So this number is a bit below what I was hoping, but it's not a bad sign or anything, it's just not enough information to conclude anything.

[Dutchy]

Originally posted by JonathanLB
TPM did actually make $10.9 million on its first Monday.

With 1 day MORE open, too. Still an impressive number, though.

[Quadinaros]

I think this is a disappointing number. Aside from the fact that it is lower than TPM's first Monday, comparing it to Spider-Man's first Monday drop has few merits since there are alot more college kids out of school now than there were two weeks ago which should boost weekday numbers a bit.

Oh, well. We'll see how it holds up as the week goes on...

[JonathanLB]

That is true Dutchy. I think people were waiting for the long lines to shrink a bit with TPM, but with AOTC there wasn't that same level of hype. I don't know, but it seems that way to me, anyway. I think AOTC must survive on word of mouth because it doesn't have the same degree of anticipation or hype to benefit it.

Let's just hope that weekend 2 shows Star Wars is still very much on track to be a major Force here, hehe.

[Dutchy]

Well, $10M+ is a very impressive number for any movie on a non-holiday Monday, I'd say. I think $10.66M is about in the same league as Spider-Man's and TPM's comparetive Monday were.

[JonathanLB]

I think Dutchy is right here. It is a very impressive number, even though maybe we had wished to see $13 million, for instance, anything above $10 million on any day is good for a lot of movies (in fact, most movies never make $10M in a single day, even on their opening Friday or Saturdays). $10.66 million is a good figure.

I think we'll just have to see how this next weekend goes before we may have some idea how well this film can hold.

I'd just like to see it clear $400 million personally, even if it was like $402.5 million or something, hehe. It's not that it matters how much it makes as far as my impression of the film, because I already love it, but I'm just afraid that if it makes less than $400M many people in the media will unfairly label it a disappointment. I'm not exactly sure WHO it would be a disappointment to, though...? Lucas just wants his films to crack the top 10 to 20 highest grossing of all time. He admitted that it would have been a disappointment had TPM not cracked the top 10, which it did very easily and very quickly (I believe around 28 days or less).

AOTC will also crack the top ten without problems, hehe.

Thing is, anything above $300 million is really really good, even in light of LOTR and Harry Potter, because those were both first films in their franchises and made just over $300M. I really don't see what would be wrong with a fifth film in a series making $300 million, but we all know the media would make a huge deal of it.

I am not worried, I think AOTC will probably make it beyond $400 million without too many problems, though second weekend is critical. Third is probably just as important because it's after a holiday frame and AOTC must fall less than 40% (TPM fell 36%).

[Marcus Telcontar]

Disappointing number???? I dont believe I read that. For ANY movie, 10 million on a weekday is an EXCELLENT number.

[JMK]

Star Wars is in a class on its own though. If it makes less than 300M, it will be labeled a disapointement because in this day and age, a SW film is 'supposed' to blow everything away.

[Marcus Telcontar]

Less than 300 million!?! There is no way AOTC will make less than that!

[darth_mcbain]

Yeah, I would think that 300M is a lock for AOTC... How much further than that it makes is anyone's guess, but I'd be really surprised if it doesn't make the 300 plateau.

[JonathanLB]

Well $300M is not in question, we all know that, and I think that alone should make it a VERY SOLID success! What about all of the other franchises that tanked after a few episodes, like Batman & Robin, or Alien Resurrection even, or Superman 4, or whatever else. Why would JUST $300 million be a horrible bomb to the media? Yes, we would all be very disappointed, but in practically expecting AOTC to make $400 million, none of us will appreciate how much money that really is. Only a few movies have ever made $400 million, and only two movies have ever done it in one single release. Yet $400 million is absolutely expected of AOTC.

I'm not saying we shouldn't predict AOTC will make more than $400M, because I think it definitely well, all I'm saying is that regardless of what we predict, we should look at the facts as they stand and be impressed if they are impressive, regardless of what we guessed.

$10.66 million, for instance, is a few million below what I would have predicted, yet it's still an incredible gross for a Monday.

You need look no further than Harry Potter's $6.5 million or so on its first non-holiday weekday and you realize that AOTC is holding way stronger, and does that not bode well for us given that HP made well more than $300 million? That would seem to be a great indication that AOTC should sail past $350 million with ease. I don't think there is honestly anything to worry about, just go and enjoy AOTC while it's in theaters and enjoy the Star Wars phenomenon, don't dwell on the fact we didn't break a record by $0.345 million or whatever the heck it is ;)

The ability to duplicate nearly the same level of awesome success over and over is unique to the Star Wars franchise. No other series of films has managed it. Sure, trilogies have done very well before, each film, but not phenomenally well. They've done "mega blockbuster well," but TPM wasn't just a mega blockbuster ala ID4 or Men in Black, it was a downright phenomenon with people seeing it time and again. If TPM wasn't a box office phenomenon, then nothing else was either besides Titanic. I'd go so far as saying that The Sixth Sense, separated by much more than $100 million, was also still a box office phenomenon, not just a mega blockbuster...

[Jedi Master Carr]

300 seems to be a lock its at 120 million+ right now and it should be at close to 150 before Friday (it should average at least 9.5 for the next three days hopefully it can clear 10 at least one more time this week) then it is basically half-way there. 300 is given, we won't know if it can make it to 400 or beyond until its 3rd weekend.

[Dutchy]

I'd say that AOTC so far is doin' slightly less than TPM, just slightly. But that's just based on its first 5 days of release, so too soon to draw any conclusions. Also, if it's doing slightly less than TPM, it could still outgross it.


Originally posted by JonathanLB
I'd go so far as saying that The Sixth Sense, separated by much more than $100 million, was also still a box office phenomenon, not just a mega blockbuster...

Yes! It dropped only 3.5 freakin' % the 2nd weekend! And just 7% the next. It's 2nd Saturday was bigger than its 1st. And it had five $20M+ weekends, $29M in the FIFTH weekend. Damn, that movie ruled, boxoffice-wise. And not only boxoffice-wise, coz it stands as one of my all time Top 10 favorite movies. One of THE most brilliant screenplays ever written, IMO.

[JonathanLB]

I don't think that's necessarily true.

If it makes $80 million this four-day weekend, we know it will have a very very good chance at hitting $400 million. But I suppose, yes, we won't know for sure then until the third weekend.

I don't think AOTC will average $9.5M for the next three days, so don't be surprised when it doesn't.

I think it will make about $25 million for the next 3 days.

[JonathanLB]

Unlike a lot of people who just like bashing the films that went up against Star Wars movies, lol (you know who you are: Matrix, Spider-Man, and TSS bashers), I actually loved The Sixth Sense when I got it on DVD (didn't bother renting it...).

I think TSS is a brilliant film, easily four stars for me and one of my top 50 films probably. The screenplay is excellent, but the direction is really great too. I think M. Night Shyamalan is a genius. Writer and director, and he's done two films I really enjoyed, both Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense, and now a great looking with film Signs. I just hope it's good...

Yeah TSS was quite a wonder at the box office, really caught on. It just proves that if a film has good word of mouth, people DO listen to their friends and get out to theaters to see it, doesn't matter if it's the end of the summer, the middle of fall, winter, whatever, people want to see good movies. "The Others" was what I call the mini-Sixth Sense, hehe, in more ways than one. :)

Did you ever see that Dutchy? I loved that movie too.

[Dutchy]

Originally posted by JonathanLB
If it makes $80 million this four-day weekend, we know it will have a very very good chance at hitting $400 million. But I suppose, yes, we won't know for sure then until the third weekend.

Yeah, boxoffice-tracking-wise holidays suck, coz you can't quite value a movie's increase or decrease. Good thing with AOTC is that we have TPM to compare it too.

Why don't all movies open on Fridays of non-holiday weekends that are followed by a non-holiday weekend so we can all nicely compare them? :)

[Dutchy]

Originally posted by JonathanLB
Unlike a lot of people who just like bashing the films that went up against Star Wars movies, lol (you know who you are: Matrix, Spider-Man, and TSS bashers), I actually loved The Sixth Sense when I got it on DVD (didn't bother renting it...).

I think TSS is a brilliant film, easily four stars for me and one of my top 50 films probably. The screenplay is excellent, but the direction is really great too. I think M. Night Shyamalan is a genius. Writer and director, and he's done two films I really enjoyed, both Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense, and now a great looking with film Signs. I just hope it's good...

I was less than impressed with Unbreakable, I must say. But TSS is a brilliant movie, yes. The way Shyamalan managed to hide all the hints to the final outcome was fantastic. Watching TSS the 2nd time is one of my most thrilling movie experiences of all time.


Yeah TSS was quite a wonder at the box office, really caught on. It just proves that if a film has good word of mouth, people DO listen to their friends and get out to theaters to see it, doesn't matter if it's the end of the summer, the middle of fall, winter, whatever, people want to see good movies.

Yep, TSS opened in the boxoffice trash-can called August, so go figure.


"The Others" was what I call the mini-Sixth Sense, hehe, in more ways than one. :)

Did you ever see that Dutchy? I loved that movie too.

I would NEVER call it that, though, coz that's a huge spoiler. :)

Yep, I saw it and I loved it too. Very surprising movie and very well done. I was totally surprised by the twist at the end. One of last year's best movies, or one of my faves anyway.

[JonathanLB]

The Others easily made my top 10 for 2001. I was not calling it a mini-TSS just for the plot twist at the end, actually its box office run was full of low declines and it was released around the same time of year and had the same eerie feeling as TSS, so that is what I meant basically. But yeah, even a major twist at the end. Both films share many similarities.

Well I really liked Unbreakable but I must admit at first I was a bit disappointed, because it's not as good as TSS by a long ways. I gave it 3.5 stars the first time I saw it, but after two more viewings I think it's a low four star film for me. I was just hoping for more at first... But I understand that the movie polarized audiences.

[Marcus Telcontar]

TSS B.O. run was amazing, no doubt about that! To be honest, I am more impressed with the likes of TSS and LOTR, which opened smaller, but still went on to make big, big dollars. I cant remember what LOTr made in it's first weekend, but it wasnt really huge, something liek lees than half of Harry Potter? Yet, is still going (Made 450K last weekend and hold steady!) and got quite close for overall B.O. Staying power is what I want to see. Now, Spider man opened mind bogglingly huge, but has shown some unexpected staying power! It has consistently dropped less than expected and I would say should reach 400 million. easily.

What that goes to show is that huge record setting movies are rarely predicted. Who would have thought Titanc would have had the kind of staying power it had? Or Star Wars when it first came out?

[JMK]

I'm in the minority here, but I don't care, because I thought that the Others was SOOOOOOO boring. I wasn't "terrified" like the ads said I would be, I was not engaged in this movie whatsoever, and frankly I thought it was super lame. I could see that plot twist coming a mile away, and I guess that's why I thought it was so disappointing.

[dbn]

I wish I had that link now.

I just read that Attack of the Clones has sold more than 1 million more tickets than TPM after 4 days. So, AotC is doing better than TPM so far on ticket sells.

I think 10.66 is a good number for a monday, and still considering that Spider-man is playing on more screens to get people that cannot see AotC from sold out rooms. To know that we were only $340,000 dollars off from breaking the 11 million mark is a little painfull..but still a good number:)

[JonathanLB]

I am not sure that I agree that AOTC is 1 million tickets ahead.

AOTC has $120 million after 5 days, TPM had $105.7 million. Adjusted for inflation, TPM would be slightly ahead. So I disagree with that assessment on ticket sales.

Still AOTC is doing very well and in actual gross, it is of course well ahead of TPM right now.

[dbn]

Here is the link (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=&ncid=762&e=5&u=/ap/20020521/ap_en_mo/box_office_11)

Ok, I think I miss read it. I believe it is saying that it sold 1 million more tickets than TPM druing its opening weekend.

[JonathanLB]

I suppose that would be true, then. I'd say TPM sold more tickets on opening day and on its first Monday than AOTC did, however. Not significantly, but a little bit.

[Jedieb]

That's a good number for Monday. I think the end of the college semester (You lucky bastards!) is a great help to AOTC. For many, this next weekend is a 4 day weekend, not just 3. My school is off Fri.-Mon. If other school systems follow suit that could boost grosses as well.

[Jinn Fizz]

I actually think the gross for yesterday was very, very good, and a very promising sign. And especially since there's no real competition coming out this weekend, I don't think there's any doubt as to which movie will be ruling the Memorial Day weekend box office ;).

[JonathanLB]

Yes, my "friend" Liz just got back from college last night at midnight. I can't wait to see her again, lol, as she knows ;)

A lot of college kids are getting back pretty close to now. My best friend and the college I am going to next year doesn't let out until mid-June, though. He will be back this weekend, as will my other friend who goes there, because of the holiday. That may help boost admissions, it always seems to be a big deal on holiday weekends, more people are available to go see movies basically.