'Sith' Scores $50 Million on First Day in Theaters [Biggest Open in History]

Dow Jones Market Watch ^ | May 20, 2005

[West Coast Conservative]

"Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" scored $50 million in first-day receipts at 3,661 theaters across the nation on Thursday, box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations said Friday. The take handily beats the one-day record of $44.8 million set last year by "Shrek 2." "Sith" is distributed by News Corp.'s (NWS) 20th Century Fox film unit.

[agooga]

Worst part: "NNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

(If you've seen it, you know what I mean).

[Junior]

It was worth the $14 I paid for two tickets to see it. If the average ticket price across the country is $10, that means only 5 million folks hit the theaters yesterday (a little over 1.5 percent of the population). I would've expected the total to be much higher.

[NCSteve]

I'm not going to go demand two and a half hours of my life back, but I could have missed it and my life would be no less for it.

The film has a marginal plot line, Lucas' absolutely awful dialog, overwhelming special effects, and a surprisingly awful performance by Natalie Portman. Whoever told Hayden Christensen he could act needs to be publicly pilloried. Ewan McGregor stepped through the entire movie like he was expecting a pie in the face, but did a pretty decent acting job despite what he was given to work with. Samuel L. Jackson couldn't overcome the abysmal script. Fortunately for his career, his parts were short. He must have a smart agent. When the best performance in a movie is turned in by a CGI (Yoda), you know the film is in deep trouble.

On the bright side, hopefully Lucas will give up writing and directing and stick to producing.

[West Coast Conservative]

Roger Ebert thinks Episodes VII, VIII, and IX will be made.

[tang-soo]

being that it was burger king, you should have.

Had to read this twice. At first I thought "Yoda speak say you".

[Yardstick]

It's a damn good movie. I loved it, and will see it plenty more times.

What did you think of the previous two Star Wars movies?

[krb]

It's surprising that a sequal to a kid's film would hold that record.

Well, I guess it still does :-)

[ConservativeDude]

Is this a liberal movie? Are we going to come out in the same mood as "kingdom of heaven"?

[Junior]

It's surprising that a sequal to a kid's film would hold that record.

Shrek 2 was far from being a kid's film. The nice thing about that film, as well as its predecessor, is that it is written in such a way that adults get something out of it too.

[mewzilla]

Roger Ebert thinks Episodes VII, VIII, and IX will be made

Sigh. Of course they will :)

[Junior]

I did find that a bit ... off.

[Borges]

He's always been a lousy writer and bad director of actors. I don't see why people are surprised that he still is.

[Momaw Nadon]

I saw Episode III at 12:01 A.M. on the 19th. It is the best movie I have ever seen, EVER!!!

[discostu]

One thing I wonder in this modern age of buying tickets in advance is what day do things count on. I bought my ticket to see the movie today (in a couple hours) yesterday. Did that money count as part of yesterday's grosses or today's?

Ahh such a cushy life I lead where I get to wonder about things like that.

[NCSteve]

You don't get out much, do you?

[Bombardier]

It's your money. I'll just watch The Desperate Trail on DVD.

[oldleft]

Originally Lucas wrote the script for 9 movies, but he has claimed he's not doing anymore.

Being a Star Wars Uber-geek, I can tell you I won't be saddened if he doesn't make them. The story after episode 6 goes downhill a bit. Luke and Leia are Jedi Masters, Han Solo and Leia are married and their kids are Jedi's, there's even a Wookie Jedi. The story follows them tracking down the last of the Empire and rebuilding the Republic. One interesting thing, one of the new Sith Lords is a woman. I'm just not sure how much you could do with it.

I told you I was an Uber-geek.

[MotleyGirl70]

People bought lots of pet rocks, too.

Tom:

"You know there are people in this world who don't have to put up with all this shit? Like that guy that invented the pet rock. You see, that's what you have to do. You have to use your mind and come up with some really great idea like that and you never have to work again!"

[snarks_when_bored]

"Do you like Kung Fu?"

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

It is the best movie I have ever seen, EVER

Never seen Orson Welles' Othello, then?