Posted on 12/22/2005 7:09:38 PM PST by dangus
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" expanded its daily box office take again from Tuesday to Wednesday, despite the wide releases of two fims, one of which was very family-oriented. Three more movies will enter wide release of Friday, but they are expected to neither rival Narnia's box-office receipts, or draw movie-goers from the same market as Narnia. The result is that Narnia seems to be inevitably this year's Christmas box-office champion. (As an aside, if you haven't seen this movie, see it; it is simply fantastic. It's actually unfortunate that it has drawn comparison to the excellent, but slow and dark Lord of the Rings trilogy.)
Narnia beat King Kong, by about $70,000; totalling $127 million; Kong's $4.9 million yesterday continues its disappointing slide. So far, the movie has only made $82 million dollars; it cost over $200 million to make.
The surprisingly political and lightly promoted "Fun With Dick and Jane" opened dismally for a Jim Carey movie, making less than $3.8 million. "Cheaper By the Dozen 2" made only a little over $2.5 million. The movie is a sequel to a movie which made $135 million.
At #5, "The Family Stone" continued to slide, down to $1.5 million ($17.5 million total); Harry Potter is faring better in a Christmas-minded audience than it has lately, making $1 million; #7 "Syriana" slides further to $745,000; #8 "Walk The Line" collapses 25%, adding only $435,000 to its otherwise impressive $84 million take; #9 "Pride and Prejudice" continues to rebound, making $380,000.
The last spot seems somewhat contentious. Exhibitor Relations gives the tenth spot to "Yours, Mine and Ours," down a whopping 45%, probably due to its similarity to "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," making only $332,000. That means "Brokeback Mountain" made less, but Box Office Mojo, which has been heavily promoting BM awards it the tenth spot with $340,000. Either way, the box office take for Brokeback Mountain has been plummeting.
Friday, the "The Ringer" and Steven Spielberg's "Munich" come out; neither are expected to have a major box-office impact. "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Brokeback Mountain" also expand further. On Sunday, "Rumor Has It," "Casanova," "Wolf Creek," and "The Producers" are all released. Previews of The Producers have been very weak, while Casanova and Rumor are both merely art-house films. Of the lot, Wolf Creek and Munich seem to have the potential to surprise and become box-office factors, but both are very adult moves, not the sort of family fare to compete with Narnia.
It really is pathetic.
As far as Spielberg goes, he has blown all the goodwill and credibility he built with Shindler's List and Saving Private Ryan with this horrible Munich movie. He goes overboard trying to draw a moral equivalent between the cold blooded murder of 11 Israeli athletes and bringing to justice the same murderers by the Mossad.
It has been claimed by critics that "Munich" seems to sympathize with the Pali murderers and not the Israeli athletes who were killed at the Games. If true, few Jews are going to see the movie, nor will I.
We thought our 4 year old grandaughter might not be able to sit through a movie this long, and thought some of the scenes might be too intense for her. She sat on the edge of her seat through most of the movie, though, and was able to discuss it in depth the next day. The folks that made this movie did an incredible job!
I saw Narnia last week and intend to see it with my whole family over Christmas. It's a great Christmas film - snow, ice, family oriented, and even Father Christmas and gift giving.
It is like Lord of the Rings, except a bit more child oriented and of course the message is wonderful. I thought it a touch slow in the beginning but it picked up later on. The special effects were better than I thought they would be.
It really does create a wonderful world. I can't wait to see it again.
>> and even Father Christmas and gift giving. <<
Well, Fr. Christmas breaking out the weapons of war is just so darned "red-state." :^D
I'm afraid you could be right about the Oscars. Ebert gave BM 4 stars while 'Narnia' only got 3.
The movie sounds totally disgusting. You can read the review at:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/REVIEWS/51019006/1023
(Although the movie sucked, Rachel McAdams just made my "must watch" list.)
I also had the same feeling when I watched HP. There are too many side stories, and the main story was not well developed compared to the earlier movies.
Narnia, on the other hand, despite being a kid movie, was really entertaining.
Merry Christmas, everyone...
Since you all commented to a previous article I wrote about the failure of Brokeback Mountain, I thought I'd update you:
Friday, Brokeback Mountain expanded to 217 theaters, 10 more than the number of theaters last week. And yet, the total box-office take was down this week. Even with many people having the day off, and box-office in general soaring. The per-theater take is down 70% from last Friday, and more than 90% since its debut.
The extra-fast exppansion is not a sign of success, I believe, but failure... The initial statements by the filmmakers was that they were going to tightly control access to the movie to keep it virtually sold out. So why the change if not to responde to high demand? I believe theater owners were starting to complain that they were going to end up paying first-run prices for what would be a second-run movie by the time they got their hands on it?
Like I told some strange FReepers who were "optimistic" of Borkeback Mountain: You can't extrapolate from a premier, ultra-exclusive, mega-theater, initial box-office take to what the movie will do in the larger nation; in spite of appearing in more than 40 times more theaters, the movie took in less than four times its premier take.
I did say that the movie would not top what it took in last week, and its on a pace not to. Howver, the movie is shown in 50% more theaters than it was announced for. So I could imagine it improving on Sunday over the previous week.
Another wierd thing: Box Office Mojo is now claiming the movie cost only $14 million to make. I had first seen $30 million. When BOM said $18, I presumed that the difference was that the $30 million figure included marketing costs, which would be infered to be $12 million. Now I figure that BOM is going along with a campaign to make the movie LOOK like it is making mney when it is failing; $14 million is an easier target than $30 million, and actually is about what I'd estimate the movie will make, before the Oscar nominations.
Whatever the claimed costs, you can'ta ssemble that cast, crew and on-location sets for $14 million. If it did cost that little, it's because the makers were foregoing normal rates to get the movie made. So whether the studio loses money, or the principles lose money, the point is the movie loses money. On the other hand, BOM has, without explanation, raised the production costs of Narnia from $150 million to $180 million. 'salright... Narnia will make about $250 million.
Brokeback is expected to expand to over 400 theaters by the end of January... I'm thinking some theater owners may ask why they should shell out first-run dough for a second-run movie.
I agree with you, I remember seeing the $30 million budget figure too and thinking that it probably would not gross that amount. Looks like the spin is on. Doesn't really matter ... they (the studio) will know they lost money and be much more hesitant to shell out bucks for another "love" story like that.
How can BBM be in "10 more than last week" unless last week it was in 207 theaters, when it was in 69 theaters until Thursday? Also, the budget number I've seen has been @$15 mil consistently.
Here's my source btw:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/daily/chart/?sortdate=2005-12-23&p=.htm
Friday, Brokeback Mountain expanded to 217 theaters, 10 more than the number of theaters last week. And yet, the total box-office take was down this week.
What's that, the new math? Last week it earned approx. $2.250, this week it earned $3--that's only per week, not cumulative.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=brokebackmountain.htm Even with many people having the day off, and box-office in general soaring. The per-theater take is down 70% from last Friday, and more than 90% since its debut.
From BOM:"It's natural for a picture's average to drop significantly as it adds smaller markets." And yet, your assertions about "70% from last Friday" and 90% since its debut are completely off.
Look at the Friday numbers--the red and blue numbers refer to the drop/gain from the previous day/Friday. I see a drop of "2.6%" since last Friday--see the red number? Where do you get 70%? And 90%--it opened with less than $200k, and Friday made $745k.
The extra-fast exppansion is not a sign of success, I believe, but failure... The initial statements by the filmmakers was that they were going to tightly control access to the movie to keep it virtually sold out. So why the change if not to responde to high demand? I believe theater owners were starting to complain that they were going to end up paying first-run prices for what would be a second-run movie by the time they got their hands on it?
You're wrong. As I quoted above, there's always a per screen drop when a movie goes wide. How could it be a "second run" movie if it wasn't yet available yet in any of these markets?
Like I told some strange FReepers who were "optimistic" of Borkeback Mountain:
You're making the mistake many FReepers are making--that those of us who are telling the truth about the numbers this movie is doing are somehow "strange," trying to imply that by saying "this is making money" we are supporting the message of the film. That's just silly, it's like saying "Hillary is no threat" is somehow supporting her. The strange ones are those who can't separate their feelings about the content from the business facts--something you're having a very hard time doing.
You can't extrapolate from a premier, ultra-exclusive, mega-theater, initial box-office take to what the movie will do in the larger nation; in spite of appearing in more than 40 times more theaters, the movie took in less than four times its premier take.
That's just a figure snatched out of the air and doesn't take a lot of factors into account. The big mega-productions are in ten times the number of theaters this is in, or even twenty. Multiply this take by those numbers and you're talking a gigantic hit for a drama. These numbers are very good on what is still a limited number of screens. (Kong is on 3500 screens.)
I did say that the movie would not top what it took in last week, and its on a pace not to.
You're already wrong, though. Last week: @$2.3; this week so far: @$3.
However, the movie is shown in 50% more theaters than it was announced for. So I could imagine it improving on Sunday over the previous week.
It already has.
Another wierd thing: Box Office Mojo is now claiming the movie cost only $14 million to make. I had first seen $30 million. When BOM said $18, I presumed that the difference was that the $30 million figure included marketing costs, which would be infered to be $12 million. Now I figure that BOM is going along with a campaign to make the movie LOOK like it is making mney when it is failing; $14 million is an easier target than $30 million, and actually is about what I'd estimate the movie will make, before the Oscar nominations.
I've never seen a number other than @$15mil.
Whatever the claimed costs, you can'ta ssemble that cast, crew and on-location sets for $14 million. If it did cost that little, it's because the makers were foregoing normal rates to get the movie made.
Again, not true. Actors and above-the-line talent often take a smaller portion upfront for more on the backend. Pardon the pun. Below-the-line costs depend on if it was a union shoot, which I doubt. You certainly can assemble that cast and etc. for $14mil.
So whether the studio loses money, or the principles lose money, the point is the movie loses money. Again, not true. On such a low budget, foreign, TV and DVD sales will produce a profit, even if it doesn't earn out in its theatrical run, which it is clearly on its way to doing.
On the other hand, BOM has, without explanation, raised the production costs of Narnia from $150 million to $180 million. 'salright... Narnia will make about $250 million.
Just yesterday I posted a clip from an article about the co-investor who put in "half the budget"--$90million dollars. The budget's been $180 mil as long as I've been reading about it.
Again, you've got to stop pushing a movie because you like its message if we're dealing with the numbers.
Brokeback is expected to expand to over 400 theaters by the end of January... I'm thinking some theater owners may ask why they should shell out first-run dough for a second-run movie.
You clearly don't understand the term "first-run" or "second-run." If a movie hasn't been available for viewing in an area, it's not a "Second run" even rhetorically. How can people see it already and lose these theater owners money if they knew about its limited release plan all along? Also, movies like this often expand to more theaters after early success.
Please see a posted reply to dangus's post on the BBM numbers on the thread.
My bad--I meant: "...it's like saying "Hillary is a threat" is somehow supporting her.
>> How can BBM be in "10 more than last week" <<
Hmmm... a cut and paste error? It was supposed to be "10 more than three times."
>> What's that, the new math? Last week it earned approx. $2.250, this week it earned $3--that's only per week, not cumulative. <<
OK, last one was my error... This one you're being unreasonable. I'm comparing this Friday to last Friday. Obviously, it wouldn't make sense to compare a whole week to a whole week, since it only expanded Friday.
>> Where do you get 70%? And 90% <<
PER THEATER.
>> How could it be a "second run" movie if it wasn't yet available yet in any of these markets? <<
It IS available in virtually every MARKET, just not in every THEATER within each market.
>> That's just a figure snatched out of the air <<
Snatched out of the air? Hardly 5 x 40 = 200. So, 217 is more than 40 times 5.
From here on out, you seem to be deliberately missing my point.
>> Last week: @$2.3; this week so far: @$3. <<
I'm perplexed. You seem to be ignroant that I'm talking Friday-to-Thursday, the typical movie week. And then, on a Saturday night, you refer to "this week so far." And you recognize that I'm referring to this coming Sunday as part of this week.
Last Friday: $765,000. This Friday: $745,000. That's DOWN $20,000. Now, if we ARE talking Sunday-Friday, it's pretty damn pathetic if its up only marginally after expanding to 40 times more theaters.
>> I've never seen a number other than @$15mil. <<
Fine, Your ignorance of a fact is no dis-proof of it. Go look at BOX again... It's at $14 mil. That's a number other than $15 mil.
>> The budget's been $180 mil as long as I've been reading about it. <<
Well, then you haven't been reading about it very long. Again, you seem to thnik your ignorance is proof of something.
>> If a movie hasn't been available for viewing in an area, it's not a "Second run" even rhetorically. <<
You seem to not understand that there are a lot more theaters than markets, and that most of the added theaters are in markets where the movie is already playing. It's in pretty much all of the top 100 markets already. And if a theater is not in the top 100 markets, it's not likely to sell thousands of tickets for a gay cowboy movie.
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Try to understand my basic point:
The liberals and fudge-packers hailed the initial showings as indicating a triumphant showing, because they ridiculously relied on a per-screen take as if it were indicative of future box office success. Which would prove more indicative of the show's final success, the per-screen take, or the total take?
When it opened, it made a hell of a lot of money per screen, and ridiculously little money overall, because it opened on a very small number of very big theaters. On the 9th, it showed in 5 theaters and made $191,000. On the 16th, it showed in 69 theaters and made $765,000. On the 23rd, it showed in 217 theaters and made $745,000.
That means, its PER-SCREEN take dropped from $38,309 to $3,433, or more than 90%. It played in 40 times more theaters, 217 compared to 5, but made less than four times as much money &45,000 compared to $191,000. It even played in more than three times more theaters Friday, than it did the previous week, yet it's Friday take was less than the previous Friday.
So which said more about its box-office success, its total gross, or its per-screen take. I had argued its total gross did. And since its total gross went DOWN even while the number of screens went up, I was proven correct.
Everyone forgets Lucy's life-healing Cordial, which is possibly the most prominantly used gift in the movie.
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