“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ makes record-setting $43.5 million at midnight screenings
With 3,800 locations screening “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ at midnight Thursday, the eighth and last movie based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved books netted $43.5 million in its first three hours of release.
The midnight haul for “Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ crushed the previous record held by “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” which recorded $30 million in midnight earnings in 2010, reports my intrepid colleague Adam Kemp.
With the movie’s opening-weekend projections are aimed at $150 million. But it will be interesting to see if “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” can challenge for the record for all-time best opening weekend. “The Dark Knight,” starring Christian Bale, the late Heath Ledger and “Harry Potter” actor Gary Oldman, rocketed to $158 million the weekend of July 18, 2008.
Read more of Adam’s story on the huge buzz surrounding “Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ by clicking here.
-BAM
Box office report for July 11, 2011: “Transformers 3″ tops the chart for second straight week
Michael Bays’ third bombastic outing with Shia LaBeouf and Hasbro’s “robots in disguise” continued to rule the box office for the second straight weekend.
According to IMDB, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” took in an additional $47 million over the weekend, raising its total to $261 million since its opening the week before Independence Day.
Two new films were in the second and third spots: The R-rated comedy “Horrible Bosses,” starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis, was No. 2 with $28.1 million, while the family-friendly comedy “Zookeeper,” starring Kevin James, was No. 3 with $21 million.
“Transformers 3″ will undoubtedly have to yield the top spot to another sequel this weekend: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II,” the final film in the wildly successful franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved books, opens at midnight Friday.
1 Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) $47M $261M
2 Horrible Bosses (2011) $28.1M $28.1M
3 Zookeeper (2011) $21M $21M
4 Cars 2 (2011) $15.2M $149M
5 Bad Teacher (2011) $9M $78.8M
6 Larry Crowne (2011) $6.26M $26.5M
7 Super 8 (2011) $4.83M $118M
8 Monte Carlo (2011) $3.8M $16.1M
9 Green Lantern (2011) $3.12M $110M
10 Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011) $2.85M $57.7M
-BAM
Box office report for June 27, 2011: “Cars 2″ races to the front of the box-office pack
Pixar Animation remains undefeated at the box-office races with the past weekend’s opening of “Cars 2,” even if the powerhouse’s previously pristine critical streak has sustained its first big dent.
The Disney unit’s animated sequel “Cars 2″ cruised to a No. 1 finish with a $68 million opening weekend, according to the Associated Press. That makes 12 victories in a row for Pixar since the company’s first feature film, 1995′s “Toy Story.”
“Cars 2″ added $42.9 million in 18 overseas markets, giving it a worldwide total of $110.9 million.
Domestically, “Cars 2″ nearly matched the $68.1 million debut of Disney-Pixar’s “Up” two years ago, but it was well below the company’s record of $110.3 million for last year’s “Toy Story 3.”
The original “Cars” had a $60.1 million debut in 2006, but factoring in today’s higher admission prices, it sold more tickets than “Cars 2.”
While Pixar’s box-office streak keeps zipping along, “Cars 2″ became the first to crash as far as the critical consensus is concerned.
While I gave “Cars 2″ a 3-star review and chose to evaluate it as a playful, deliberate detour from Pixar’s usually high-brown fare – c’mon, it stars the vocal talents of Larry the Cable Guy – I was apparently among the minority of critics.
“Cars 2″ earned a lemon-esque 33 percent positive or “fresh” on review aggregation site RottenTomatoes.com. It was the first Pixar film to score less than the 60 percent needed to be considered fresh.
Every other Pixar film has scored at least 90 percent fresh, with the exception of its predecessor, 2006′s “Cars,” which scored around 75 percent.
Interestingly, RottenTomatoes.com users have given “Cars 2″ a much fresher 66 percent fresh score.
Premiering in second place at the weekend box office, was Cameron Diaz’s classroom comedy “Bad Teacher” with $31 million. The Sony Pictures release added $12.9 million overseas in about 10 countries, according to the AP.
Both new wide releases came in ahead of industry projections, which had pegged “Cars 2″ at an opening of around $60 million and “Bad Teacher” at about $25 million, reported the AP.
“Cars 2″ features Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy reprising their voice roles for race car Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater as the two are caught up in a spy adventure during an international racing tour.
The movie overcame unusually harsh reviews for Pixar, whose films include such critical darlings as “Ratatouille,” ”Finding Nemo,” ”The Incredibles” and “WALL-E.”
Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney, reaffirmed what Rotten Tomatoes’ users scores indicated. Viane told AP that audiences gave “Cars 2″ top grades in exit surveys, a sign that the movie should have a long life at theaters, like previous Pixar flicks.
“I’m always concerned when it comes to dollars and cents. What does the paying public think?” Viane told the AP.
With global settings that include Japan, Italy, France and Great Britain, “Cars 2″ also has strong prospects as it continues to roll out overseas. According to the AP, the international haul for “Cars 2″ included $9.3 million in Russia, $8.1 million in Mexico and $7.6 million in Brazil.
While the G-rated “Cars 2″ cornered the family market, “Bad Teacher” was the weekend’s grown-up choice, starring Diaz as a foul-mouthed, boozy, gold-digging educator.
While women accounted for 63 percent of the audience for “Bad Teacher,” Sony executives hope word-of-mouth over Diaz’s brazen performance will draw more men to see it in the coming weeks, reports the AP.
The previous weekend’s No. 1 flick, Ryan Reynolds’ “Green Lantern,” fell to third-place with $18.4 million. That was off a steep 65 percent from its revenues over opening weekend, raising the domestic total for the Warner Bros. superhero tale to $89.3 million.
Overall domestic revenues totaled $176 million, up 6.7 percent from the same period last year, when “Toy Story 3″ remained No. 1 in its second weekend with $59.3 million, according to the AP.
For the year, revenues are down 7.6 percent compared to 2010′s, though a strong summer has helped Hollywood erase most of a big downturn in business from the sluggish winter and spring.
The upcoming Fourth of July weekend looks huge as Paramount’s sci-fi sequel “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” blows into IMAX theaters Tuesday night and general cinemas Wednesday. That will be followed in mid-July by the hopefully magical finale “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” based on J.K. Rowling’s novels and distributed by Warner Bros.
Here are the top 10 movies, from the AP. Where available, latest international numbers are also included.
1. “Cars 2,” $68 million ($42.9 million international).
2. “Bad Teacher,” $31 million ($12.9 million international).
3. “Green Lantern,” $18.4 million.
4. “Super 8,” $12.1 million ($10.5 million international).
5. “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” $10.3 million.
6. “X-Men: First Class,” $6.6 million.
7. “The Hangover Part II,” $5.9 million.
8. “Bridesmaids,” $5.4 million ($11.5 million international).
9. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” $4.7 million ($13.5 million international).
10. “Midnight in Paris,” $4.5 million.
-BAM
Box office report for June 20, 2011: “Green Lantern” flies to the top of the list
Another weekend, another comic-book adaptation soars to the top of the domestic box office.
But “Green Lantern,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong as members of DC Comics’ intergalactic corps of protectors of all that’s good and right, had the least super theatrical opening of the hero-heavy summer.
“Green Lantern” debuted at No. 1 with $52.7 million domestically, a fair but unremarkable opening compared to other comic-book adaptations, according to the Associated Press. The movie added $17 million in a handful of overseas markets where it has opened, including Great Britain and Russia.
Released by Warner Bros., “Green Lantern” brought up the rear among superhero movies to open so far this summer, behind the $65.7 million debut of “Thor” and the $55.1 million launch of “X-Men: First Class.”
For comic-book fans keeping score at home, that means the Marvel stars “Thor” and “X-Men” so far have proven mightier than DC’s “Green Lantern.”
The movie was trashed by critics, and after a solid $21.6 million haul on opening day Friday, “Green Lantern” trailed off sharply as revenues dropped 22 percent Saturday. That’s often a sign that a movie lacks staying power, since revenues for new releases typically rise on Saturday, noted the AP.
The previous weekend’s top flick, Paramount Pictures’ sci-fi adventure “Super 8,” dropped to No. 2 with $21.3 million. Its domestic total rose to $72.8 million.
Although it was directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, Paramount told The Hollywood Reporter last week that “Super 8″ cost $50 million to produce, far less than other summer studio movies.
Jim Carrey’s family comedy “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” released by 20th Century Fox and based on the acclaimed children’s book, slipping into third place with $18.2 million.
In narrower release, Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts’ teen romance “The Art of Getting By,” which received horrid reviews, flopped with a debut of just $700,000.
Released by Fox Searchlight, “The Art of Getting By” played in 610 theaters and averaged a dismal $1,148 a cinema.
That compared to a $13,806 average in 3,816 theaters for “Green Lantern” and $5,451 in 3,339 cinemas for “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.”
Overall business cooled for the second straight weekend. According to the AP, Hollywood revenues totaled $149 million, down a steep 25 percent from the same weekend last year, when Disney’s Pixar Animation blockbuster “Toy Story 3″ debuted with $110.3 million.
On Friday, Pixar will release its newest animated sequel, “Cars 2.” Look for my review Friday here on BAM’s Blog, on NewsOK and in The Oklahoman.
Here are the top 10 movies at the domestic box office over the weekend, according to the AP. Where available, latest international numbers are also included.
1. “Green Lantern,” $52.7 million ($17 million international).
2. “Super 8,” $21.3 million.
3. “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” $18.2 million.
4. “X-Men: First Class,” $11.5 million.
5. “The Hangover Part II,” $9.6 million ($21.4 million international).
6. “Kung Fu Panda 2,” $8.7 million ($52.5 million).
7. “Bridesmaids,” $7.5 million ($7.3 million international).
8. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” $6.2 million ($25.9 million international).
9. “Midnight in Paris,” $5.2 million.
10. “Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer,” $2.2 million.
- BAM
Box office report for June 13, 2011: “Super 8″ tops the box office
J.J. Abrams’ period sci-fi mystery “Super 8″ opened to a better-than-expected $37 million at the domestic box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Including paid previews on Thursday, the period sci-fi pic has earned $38 million in its first four days.
Overseas, “Super 8″ began rolling out in a handful of markets, grossing $6.7 million for a worldwide launch of $44.7 million.
Produced by Steven Spielberg and intended as an homage to his films, “Super 8″ had been tracking to open with $25 million to $30 million domestically, despite the involvement of high-profile filmmakers Abrams and Spielberg
According to the trade publication, distributor Paramount made apparently successful efforts to generate buzz on the eve of the film’s release. On Thursday, the studio partnered with Twitter to host paid previews across the country, preceded by free sneaks Wednesday in 11 cities.
The film performed on par with the August 2009 sleeper-hit “District 9,” which opened to $37.3 million at the domestic box office. Plus, “Super 8″ made more money Saturday and Friday – $14 million, versus $12.2 million on Friday – an indication of positive word-of-mouth, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I think we accomplished what we set out to do. It was never positioned as a big blockbuster, but as a smaller movie,” Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore told the trade publication. “We used the sneaks to infuse the marketplace with great word-of-mouth, and it certainly looks like it paid off.”
Paramount told the trade publication “Super 8″ didn’t need a big opening, since it cost $50 million to produce, far less than other summer studio movies.
Set in 1979, “Super 8″ tells the story of a group of kids who are filming a home movie when there’s a violent train crash. When unexplained events start to threaten their town, they begin to suspect something inhuman escaped from the train.
In second place at the weekend box office was 20th Century Fox’s reboot “X-Men: First Class,” which grossed $25 million in its second weekend for a cumulative take of $98.9 million. The prequel fell 55 percent, the second best hold for any X-Men film besides “X2: X-Men United,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Overseas, First Class grossed $42.2 million for a cumulative of $124.2 million and worldwide total of $222.5 million.
Two films jumped the $200 million mark over the weekend at the domestic box office—Warner Bros.’ “The Hangover Part II,” which came in No. 3, and Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which placed at No. 5.
“The Hangover Part II,” reuniting Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms, dropped only 41 percent to an estimated $18.5 million for a domestic cumulative of $216.6 million. The comedy’s international cume is now $215.5 million for a worldwide total of $432.1 million, not that far behind the $467.5 million earned by the 2009 original.
The fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film grossed $10.4 million domestically for a cumulative haul of $208.8 million. Overseas, the 3D blockbuster grossed $41.1 milion, bringing the movie’s international total to a massive $678 million and worldwide total to $886.8 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
At the domestic box office, DreamWorks Animation and Paramount’s “Kung Fu Panda 2,” leaping into fourth place and kicking up another $16.6 million for a cumulative of $126.9 million. Overseas, the 3D cartoon grossed $56.5 million to jump the $200 million mark and reach a worldwide total of $331.9 million.
Besides “Super 8,” the weekend’s other new nationwide release new was Relativity Media and Smokewood Entertainment’s “Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer,” which debuted to a soft $6.1 million. The film, based on the bestselling children’s book series, was distributed by Relativity, although Smokewood paid for all marketing costs in addition to fully financing the $20 million movie.
Domestic box office revenues were down roughly 7 percent from a year ago, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Here are the top 10 movies over the weekend, from IMDB:
1 Super 8 (2011) $37M $38M
2 X-Men: First Class (2011) $25M $98.9M
3 The Hangover Part II (2011) $18.5M $217M
4 Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) $16.6M $127M
5 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $10.8M $209M
6 Bridesmaids (2011) $10.2M $124M
7 Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (2011) $6.27M $6.27M
8 Midnight in Paris (2011) $6.15M $14.2M
9 Thor (2011) $2.37M $174M
10 Fast Five (2011) $1.71M $205M
-BAM
Box office report for June 6, 2011: “X-Men: First Class” tops at the box office
“X-Men: First Class” had a solid but unspectacular No. 1 opening with a $56 million weekend, according to the Associated Press.
But the 20th Century Fox prequel chronicling the formative years of the comic-book mutants found smaller audiences than the franchise’s first four big-screen adventures, which featured older versions of the X-Men.
Debut weekends for the last three “X-Men” flicks ranged from $85.1 million to $102.8 million. The original “X-Men” opened 11 years ago with $54.5 million, but that would amount to about $80 million today adjusting for ticket-price inflation.
Fox distribution executive Chris Aronson told the AP the studio achieved its goal of opening the prequel at about the same revenue numbers as the original “X-Men.”
“This is just an excellent start in launching a brand new chapter of the ‘X-Men’ franchise,” he told the AP, dismissing comparisons to the $85.1 million debut of Hugh Jackman’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” in 2009.
“You can’t compare this one to any of the other ‘X-Men’ movies, except maybe” the first one, Aronson said. “Something like ‘Wolverine’ is a totally unfair comparison because that had a bonafide worldwide star in Hugh Jackman and arguably the most popular character in the ‘X-Men’ stable.”
The prequel presents a rising cast of new talent rather than the established stars of the franchise’s previous chapters.
“X-Men: First Class” features James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Marvel Comics mutants Professor X and Magneto, roles originated by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in the characters’ older years.
The prequel follows their first meeting, early alliance and eventual falling out as they take opposite approaches in their dealings with ordinary humans fearful of the superpowered mutants.
The movie added $64 million from 74 overseas markets for a worldwide total of $120 million.
The previous weekend’s top movie, the Warner Bros. sequel “The Hangover Part II,” fell to second-place with $32.4 million. That raised its domestic total to $186.9 million but represented an expected steep 62 percent drop from its huge opening weekend.
Domestic revenues totaled $164 million, up 27 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when “Shrek Forever After” was No. 1 with $25.5 million, according to the AP.
Hollywood continued to close the gap between revenues this year and last year. Receipts through Sunday totaled $4.2 billion, off 7 percent compared to 2010′s, reports the AP.
Earlier this year, revenues had been down by more than 20 percent as a weak lineup failed to live up to 2010′s big winter releases.
DreamWorks Animation and Paramount’s sequel “Kung Fu Panda 2″ slipped from second- to third-place in its second weekend with $24.3 million. The animated adventure raised its domestic total to $100.4 million.
Also crossing the $100 million mark was Universal’s sleeper comedy “Bridesmaids,” which held up well in its fourth weekend with $12.1 million. That lifted its domestic haul to $107.3 million.
The year’s top-grossing film domestically, Universal’s action sequel “Fast Five,” pulled in $3.2 million and pulled past the $200 million mark.
But Disney’s sequel “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” is sailing ever closer, grossing $18 million to raise its domestic take to $190.3 million.
Both movies have done far bigger business overseas, with the latest “Pirates” installment plundering a worldwide total of $790.7 million and “Fast Five” zipping to $568.6 million globally.
Here are the top 10 movies at the weekend domestic box office, from the AP:
1. “X-Men: First Class,” $56 million.
2. “The Hangover Part II,” $32.4 million.
3. “Kung Fu Panda 2,” $24.3 million.
4. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” $18 million.
5. “Bridesmaids,” $12.1 million.
6. “Thor,” $4.2 million.
7. “Fast Five,” $3.2 million.
8. “Midnight in Paris,” $2.9 million.
9. “Jumping the Broom,” $865,000.
10. “Something Borrowed,” $835,000.
-BAM
Box office report for May 31, 2011: “Hangover Part II” sets comedy record
Plenty of film fans were ready for more cinematic overindulgence over the Memorial Day weekend: “The Hangover Part II” binged at the box office with a $103.4 million haul over the four-day holiday weekend. The sequel to the 2009 Las Vegas-set blockbuster set a new revenue record for a comedy debut, according to the Associated Press.
“The Hangover Part II,” which brought back Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha as pals whose drunken antics get them into all sorts of outrageous trouble, this time in Thailand, surpassed the previous best comedy opening of $85.7 million for “Bruce Almighty” over Memorial Day weekend 2003.
The weekend’s other new wide release, the animated sequel “Kung Fu Panda 2,” opened in second-place with $60.9 million, according to the AP.
To read my review of the super-fun “Kung Fu Panda 2,” click here.
Here are the top 10 movies from the Memorial Day weekend, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, according to the AP:
1. “The Hangover Part II,” Warner Bros., $103,426,875, 3,615 locations, $28,610 average, $135,037,242, one week.
2. “Kung Fu Panda 2,” Paramount, $60,871,175, 3,925 locations, $15,509 average, $66,675,304, one week.
3. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” Disney, $50,012,338, 4,164 locations, $12,011 average, $163,607,625, two weeks.
4. “Bridesmaids,” Universal, $20,736,910, 2,958 locations, $7,010 average, $89,343,465, three weeks.
5. “Thor,” Paramount, $12,080,141, 3,296 locations, $3,665 average, $162,439,444, four weeks.
6. “Fast Five,” Universal, $7,889,650, 2,981 locations, $2,647 average, $197,308,750, five weeks.
7. “Midnight in Paris,” Sony Pictures Classics, $2,555,210, 58 locations, $44,055 average, $3,460,194, two weeks.
8. “Rio,” Fox, $2,443,571, 1,672 locations, $1,461 average, $135,484,845, seven weeks.
9. “Jumping the Broom,” Sony, $2,385,436, 939 locations, $2,540 average, $34,666,502, four weeks.
10. “Something Borrowed,” Warner Bros., $2,278,192, 1,440 locations, $1,582 average, $35,192,518, four weeks.
-BAM
Box office report for May 23, 2011: “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” plunders its way to No. 1
The fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film, “On Stranger Tides,” plundered its way to the top of the domestic box office over the weekend, earning $90.1 million domestically.
But the reboot found its smoothest sailing overseas, where it took in a record $256.3 million at the international box office, according to the Associated Press.
The latest “Pirates” sailed past the previous record foreign opening of the sixth “Harry Potter” film, 2009′s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” which earned $236 million internationally.
“On Stranger Tides’” combined worldwide total is $346.4 million, the fourth largest global opening ever.
After treating their characters so badly in the third film, the new 3-D installment jettisons co-stars Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom. It shifts the even more emphasis to Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow, a character I feel works best as a supporter rather than a lead. “Chicago” director Rob Marshall takes the helm from Gore Verbinski, who directed the trilogy. Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane join the franchise with the new film.
It was a risky reboot considering the popularity of the previous “Pirates” films. The last, 2007′s “At World’s End,” opened with $114.7 million, according to the AP.
But “At World’s End” was badly reviewed and disappointing to much of its audience. So Disney, who has expansive merchandising and theme park tie-ins connected to “Pirates of the Caribbean,” which originated with the Disney ride, too drastic measures to keep the franchise from sinking. The first three movies earned a combined $2.7 billion worldwide, according to the AP.
“The whole play of this particular movie was based on a worldwide release because of our feeling of how strong the international marketplace would be,” Chuck Viane, head of distribution at Disney, told the AP. “Johnny is not just a domestic star. Johnny is an international star.”
Viane said the result vindicated the franchise’s new look, that audiences “loved the rebooted attitude.” Viane didn’t comment on whether this meant a subsequent fifth film, but that seems likely, provided Mr. Depp jumps back onboard. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer already has a script in the works.
“On Stranger Tides” was the only new film in wide-release on the weekend. In its second week of release, the well-reviewed comedy “Bridesmaids,” starring “Saturday Night Live” standout Kristen Wiig, finished second at the box office with $21 million. It was an impressively small drop of just 20 percent from the Universal release’s opening weekend of $26.2 million.
According to the AP, the slight decrease was even smaller than comedies like “The Hangover” and “Wedding Crashers,” which had similarly strong word-of-mouth.
Last week’s top film at the box office, the comic book adaptation “Thor,” from Paramount, slid to third place in its third week of release. It earned $15.5 million, bringing its domestic cumulative total to $145.4 million.
Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of the fantastical Marvel comic has thundered up an additional $247 million internationally, for a global total of $392.4 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
Though “On Stranger Tides” had the best North American opening of the year, the international revenue was the larger story. The film traded on its foreign appeal by casting international stars like Cruz and setting itself in bright tropical locales.
“This proves the importance of the global marketplace,” Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com, told the AP.
The film performed especially strong in Russia, China and India, accounting for $52.6 million. It set an all-time record in Russia, taking in $28.6 million.
The film benefited from higher ticket prices for 3-D showings, but perhaps more importantly from IMAX screenings. “On Stranger Tides” set a global record for IMAX with $16.7 million worldwide, according to the AP.
Propelled largely by the “Pirates” installment and the continuing success of “Bridesmaids,” it was the second “up” weekend in a row as compared with box office figures from the same weekend last year. Next weekend, the three-day Memorial Day weekend, also appears bright, with the anticipated – and polar opposite – sequels “The Hangover Part II” from Warner Bros. and “Kung Fu Panda 2″ from Paramount opening in theaters. (Look for my “Kung Fu Panda 2″ review on Thursday, the day it opens.)
Combined with the second weekend of “On Stranger Tides,” Dergarabedian told AP he expects it to be one of the biggest moviegoing Memorial Day weekends ever.
Here are the top 10 movies from the weekend, from the AP:
1. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” $90.1 million.
2. “Bridesmaids,” $21 million.
3. “Thor,” $15.5 million.
4. “Fast Five,” $10.6 million.
5. “Rio,” $4.7 million.
6. “Priest,” $4.6 million.
7. “Jumping the Broom,” $3.7 million.
8. “Something Borrowed,” $3.4 million.
9. “Water For Elephants,” $2.2 million.
10. “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family,” $990,000.
-BAM
Box office report for May 16, 2011: “Thor” keeps throne at No. 1
“Thor” continues to rule the box office, holding onto the No. 1 spot over the weekend, according to the Associated Press.
Paramount’s 3-D superhero film starring Chris Hemsworth as Marvel’s hammer-toting god of thunder earned $34.5 million in its second weekend, according to the AP.
That brings the total haul of “Thor” to $119.2 million, which wasn’t quite as superheroic as fellow Marvel stalwart “Iron Man 2,” which earned $211.2 million by its second weekend the same time last year.
“‘Thor’ had a really great playing field to work on for its second weekend in theaters,” Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com, told the AP. “For a big-budget Marvel Comics film that opened very solidly to drop only 48 percent indicates some very strong word of mouth. I think Kenneth Branagh being the director really brought a lot to the table.”
Universal’s “Bridesmaids,” the raunchy comedy starring “Saturday Night Live” standout Kristen Wiig as a down-on-her-luck maid of honor, debuted above expectations in second place with $24.4 million, according to the AP. Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, attributed the movie’s good reviews and word of mouth to wide audience appeal: 67 percent of the audience was female; 33 percent male.
Universal’s car-racing and heist-pulling sequel “Fast Five” with Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson shifted into the third position with $19.5 million in its third weekend in theaters. According to IMDB, the fifth film in the franchise has now made $170 million domestically.
Sony’s 3-D vampire-hunting graphic novel adaptation “Priest” opened in fourth place with $14.5 million. Fox’s animated bird tale “Rio” flew past the $125 million mark, according to IMDB, landing at fifth place with $8 million in its fifth weekend in theaters.
The next adversary for “Thor” arrives this week with the opening of “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” the fourth film in the blockbuster Disney franchise starring Johnny Depp as outrageous pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow. On Memorial Day weekend, the sequels “The Hangover Part II” from Warner Bros. and “Kung Fu Panda 2″ from Paramount arrive in theaters.
“The cavalry is about to arrive,” Dergarabedian told the AP. “We’re poised for a strong Memorial Day weekend. We’re down year-to-date about 13 percent on revenue. A month ago, we were down 20 percent. We’re making up ground, and this weekend was down only 3 percent, which is impressive considering the strength of ‘Iron Man 2′ in its second weekend a year ago.”
Here are the top 10 films, from the AP:
1. “Thor,” $34.5 million.
2. “Bridesmaids,” $24.4 million.
3. “Fast Five,” $19.5 million.
4. “Priest,” $14.5 million.
5. “Rio,” $8 million.
6. “Jumping the Broom,” $7.3 million.
7. “Something Borrowed,” $7 million.
8. “Water for Elephants,” $4.1 million.
9. “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family,” $2.2 million.
10. “Soul Surfer,” $1.8 million.
-BAM
Box office report: “Thor” hammers into the No. 1 slot
It was “hammer time” at the domestic box office over the weekend: “Thor” kicked off the summer movie season by smashing into the top spot with a $66 million opening weekend, according to the Associated Press.
The 3-D action picture from Paramount, based on the Marvel comic, was by far the No. 1 movie.
Australian actor Chris Hemsworth stars as the arrogant Norse god of thunder who’s sent down to Earth as punishment. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh, best known for making films based on Shakespeare plays such an epic “Hamlet,” and featured a supporting cast that included Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, Oscar winner Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Tom Hiddleston and Kat Dennings.
To read my glowing review of “Thor,” which is based on my favorite comic-book hero, click here.
Although the opening for “Thor” wasn’t as huge as those of other superhero movies, it still exceeded studio expectations, which were around $55 million. According to the AP, it was the third-highest opening for a Marvel franchise launch, behind “Spider-Man,” which made $115 million in 2002, and “Iron Man,” which made $98.6 million in 2008.
Don Harris, Paramount’s executive vice president for distribution, told the AP he thought the film held appeal for both men and women; 37 percent of the audience was female.
“Chris Hemsworth looks like he’s going to be a movie star,” Harris told the AP . “Kenneth Branagh made a very smart movie, and the idea that the man who’s most closely identified with Shakespeare is making a Marvel superhero movie, I always thought was pretty interesting. Audiences connected with the Natalie Portman relationship, between her character and Thor. The movie looks spectacular on the screen. It was fun, and it’s a big, epic movie.”
Hollywood.com box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the AP that “Thor” had a pretty respectable opening given that it’s a lesser-known comic book title.
“Expectations always get wildly overblown with superhero movies — a superhero movie has the biggest opening weekend of all time: ‘The Dark Knight,’” Dergarabedian said of the hit in the Batman franchise. “Expectations are always extremely high, especially on the first weekend in May, which is traditionally a huge weekend.”
“It may have a solid hold,” he added. “Sometimes it’s not just about opening weekend. Sometimes it’s about playability.”
In a super-packed summer for franchise blockbusters, “Thor” actually gets a rare bit of breathing room: The next big competition for the Marvel hero comes in two weeks on May 20, with the opening of “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” the fourth film in the blockbuster Disney franchise. On Memorial Day weekend come the sequels “The Hangover Part II” from Warner Bros. and “Kung Fu Panda 2″ from Paramount.
In second place over the weekend was the car-racing sequel “Fast Five” from Universal Pictures, starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson.
It made $32.5 million for its second week, zooming to a total of nearly $140 million in just 10 days and successfully pushing the long-running franchise into more heist movie territory.
Opening in a close third and fourth place were two new wedding-themed movies, both of which served as counter-programming to the effects-laden spectacles in theaters.
“Jumping the Broom” from TriStar Pictures came in third with $13.7 million, higher than studio expectations, which were around $10 million. Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine star as the mothers of two families that clash as they’re about to be united in their children’s marriage.
In fourth place was the Warner Bros. romantic drama “Something Borrowed,” based on the Emily Giffin best-seller, which made about $13.2 million. Ginnifer Goodwin stars as a lawyer who realizes she’s in love with the fiance of her best friend, played by Kate Hudson.
In limited release, Summit Entertainment’s “The Beaver,” starring Mel Gibson as a depressed man who communicates through a beaver hand puppet, made $104,000 at 22 theaters. Directed by and co-starring Jodie Foster, the dramedy marks Gibson’s first major role since a series of off-screen rants and scandals tarnished his reputation. It is set to opening in Oklahoma City on May 27.
Here are the top 10 movies over the weekend, from the AP:
1. “Thor,” $66 million.
2. “Fast Five,” $32.5 million.
3. “Jumping the Broom,” $13.7 million.
4. “Something Borrowed,” $13.2 million.
5. “Rio,” $8.2 million.
6. “Water for Elephants,” $5.6 million.
7. “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family,” $3.9 million.
8. “Prom,” $2.4 million.
9. “Soul Surfer,” $2.1 million.
10. “Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil,” $1.9 million.
-BAM
