Weekend Box Office: It's November, so that means it's 'Christmas'

[The Clown Prince]

A big thank you goes to The Penguin last weekend for filling in. Thank You! :)

With November having arrived it means Christmas is already here as studios attempt to maximize profit for it's holiday films. Disney's very expensive adaptation and another re-telling ($200 million) of A Christmas Carol debuted this weekend in first place with $31 million. Like all holiday films before it, it'll be interesting to see how it's performance ends up the closer to Christmas we actually get.

Last weeks number one movie This Is It fell 39.7% to second place with $14 million and a $57.8 million total.

Opening in third place was The Men Who Stare at Goats with $13.3 million.

Debuting as well and in fourth place was The Fourth Kind with $12.5 million.

And rounding out the top 5 is Paranormal Activity with $8.6 million and a $97.4 million total.

Also opening this weekend was The Box which came in sixth place with $7.8 million.

Meanwhile, opening in 18 theaters was Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire which scored $1.8 million.

Out of the top 12 this weekend is Amelia (14th), Zombieland (15th), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (16th), and Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (17th).

Opening next weekend are two new movies. First up is the latest big budget disaster flick courtesy of Roland Emmerich 2012 (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=42194) (rated PG-13) and starring John Cusack, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, and Woody Harrelson.

And the other new movie of the weekend is Pirate Radio (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=42154) (rated R) with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sturridge, Talulah Riley, and January Jones.

Opening in New York and Los Angeles before opening wide November 25th is the stop motion animated Fantastic Mr. Fox (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=20486) (rated PG). Directed by Wes Anderson it stars the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wally Wolodarsky, Eric Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, and Jarvis Cocker.

Here are your numbers....


1) A Christmas Carol- $31,000,000 ($31,000,000) NEW!
2) This Is It- $14,000,000 ($57,855,000)
3) The Men Who Stare at Goats- $13,309,000 ($13,309,000) NEW!
4) The Fourth Kind- $12,521,000 ($12,521,000) NEW!
5) Paranormal Activity- $8,600,000 ($97,430,000)
6) The Box- $7,855,000 ($7,855,000) NEW!
7) Couples Retreat- $6,428,000 ($95,980,000)
8) Law Abiding Citizen- $6,172,000 ($60,873,000)
9) Where the Wild Things Are- $4,225,000 ($69,268,000)
10) Astro Boy- $2,588,000 ($15,073,000)
11) Saw VI- $2,000,000 ($26,220,000)
12) The Stepfather- $1,875,000 ($27,490,000)
13/14) Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire NEW!

[Old Guy]

Also,



The specialty box office roared to life as Lionsgate’s “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” opened to $1.8 million from 18 locations for a record-breaking $100,000 per location average.

[Peter Paltridge]

I thought The Box was going to do better.

I also thought the terrible ads were going to sink Christmas Carol. I mean seriously, all they've let anyone see is Scrooge moaning while being hurled through the air and that's IT. It doesn't look appealing in the slightest.

[Old Guy]

I also thought the terrible ads were going to sink Christmas Carol. I mean seriously, all they've let anyone see is Scrooge moaning while being hurled through the air and that's IT.

Family movies can get away with a lot.

[cartoonscartoons]

Please no one watch the Fourth Kind it is not worth the time/money.:mad:








200th Post!!!

[JasonFox]

Wondering what goes through Robert Zemeckis' mind? Polar Express and A Christmas Carol both with Christmas and motion capture and then we have Beowulf which was totally weird for Zemeckis, its based off a poem its not that good.

Ok onto the Box Office points, I did go and see Christmas Carol and I thought it was pretty good, average christmasy and such and I liked it.
This is it was also good.

A Christmas Carol: 8.5/10
This Is It: 9/10

[CaptainHero]

Also,


I was wondering why that was blatantly left out of the box office report. It did indeed break records.

[Tay the Cat]

What's left out of the box office report is that A Christmas Carol actually had a less-than-stellar opening.

While it did open decently, Disney was expecting a bigger opening weekend. They're still hoping Thanksgiving weekend will help it in the long run, though.

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/carreys-christmas-carol-wraps-up-31m-weekend-ap

[TnAdct1]

Anyone else hoping that 2012 bombs in the box office?

[CaptainHero]

Anyone else hoping that 2012 bombs in the box office?


I predict it will open big but fall pretty hard after it's big opening.

Similar to Emmerich's last flop movie 10,000 BC.

Expect a $90-130 million final gross for 2012.

The budget has to be in the $200 million area.

[Peter Paltridge]

Anyone else hoping that 2012 bombs in the box office?
Yes. The ads they've got going now are very unintentionally funny, especially the shot where a plane flies through a thousand different disasters in the same place including a geyser of lava. If it was me, I would have added a giant shark and it would've been perfect.

[Michael24]

Yes. The ads they've got going now are very unintentionally funny, especially the shot where a plane flies through a thousand different disasters in the same place including a geyser of lava.
Every time I see that, I can only think of one thing: "Why doesn't the pilot just pull up?" :D

Seriously, I enjoyed The Day After Tomorrow well enough. It was dumb, but I still enjoyed it. But 2012 just looks bad. Another one of those "Hey, the world's being destroyed and humanity along with it, but look how 'awesome' it all looks" movies. :shrug: I liked Emmerich's Universal Soldier and The Patriot, and loved Stargate, but I'll pass on this one.

[The Clown Prince]

I was wondering why that was blatantly left out of the box office report. It did indeed break records.

Hey, I don't go and blatantly leave things out. So don't accuse and look for something that is not there. It wasn't a wide opening film which is why I didn't mention it. Very rarely do limited opening films get mentioned in the box office report. But since it did very well for a limited opening film (sort of like how Paranormal Activity did), I should have included it in the first place, again like how Paranormal Activity did. But you and Old Guy brought it up so I went back included it.

But again, don't accuse me of going and blatantly leaving something out. I don't know what you were implying, if anything there, but it didn't sound very good.

[CaptainHero]

Hey, I don't go and blatantly leave things out. So don't accuse and look for something that is not there. It wasn't a wide opening film which is why I didn't mention it. Very rarely do limited opening films get mentioned in the box office report. But since it did very well for a limited opening film (sort of like how Paranormal Activity did), I should have included it in the first place, again like how Paranormal Activity did. But you and Old Guy brought it up so I went back included it.

But again, don't accuse me of going and blatantly leaving something out. I don't know what you were implying, if anything there, but it didn't sound very good.


Sorry, didn't mean for it to come off rude. I was just surprised it wasn't included because it broke records for the amount of money it grossed on such few screens.

[brightwindow]

what have you done for the Christmas day,everybody?

[Mesousa]

I will always, always call 2012 the iffy movie of the year.

I just really can't decide if I'll watch it, but if, somehow, it gets more positive reviews that I thought, maybe I will.

[Mek]

Anyone else hoping that 2012 bombs in the box office?

Yes. Because IMHO, Emmerich is a one-trick pony. I just wish moviegoers would realize that.

Also, given that Fantastic Mr. Fox is opening the day before my birthday, I may just see that as a birthday present to myself... providing theaters are open that day, of course.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Every time I see that, I can only think of one thing: "Why doesn't the pilot just pull up?"

Because it's not in the SFX budget :D.

[Knight]

Well im going to see 2012. I want a preview of the end of the world before it really happens. :)

[HG Revolution]

That the trailer for 2012 begins with a complete research fail (the Mayans were far from "the world's oldest civilization") is enough to give me very low expectations.

[Mala Loba]

That the trailer for 2012 begins with a complete research fail (the Mayans were far from "the world's oldest civilization") is enough to give me very low expectations.

No one show that trailer to my dad... He'll start talking about the Sumerians and Mesopatamians again.

[Steve Carras]

I saw and very greatly enjyed "A Christmas Carol", quite true to the original book. Jim Carrey's best performance so far.

[Eleanor Hugbees]

As highest grossing film opening in fewer than 100 theaters, making a reported $1.8 million on a total of 18 screens. It also holds the record for the highest grossing average per screen in under 50 theaters.

and according to Box office mojo


the $104,025 per-theater average is the 12th highest ever -- but the 11 films ahead of it were all playing in no more than six locations. Precious played in 18 and still had a huge per-theater average. Any way you slice it, the delightful feel-good romp of the year opened with a splash.
The 100,000 average gives it the third best live action per-theater-average of all time, surpassed only by 2006’s “Dreamgirls” and 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain.” However, those two films had opened on 3 and 5 theaters respectively. “Precious”‘s wide-by-comparison 18 theaters make it all the more impressive.http://omg.yahoo.com/news/precious-breaks-box-office-records-in-limited-release/30880

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/entertainment/movies/_Precious__Breaks_Box_Office_Records_In_Limited_Release-69524422.html


Precious opens everywhere November 20

I never thought I would hear the words "Mariah Carey" "Monique" and "Oscar" in the same sentence, but...wow. The movie was incredible.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I'm amazed this movie didn't get a wider release. It has Oprah power behind it.

[Blipsy]

It will probably get a much wider release soon. A lot of "Oscar bait" movies like this start off by playing in only a handful of theaters, but start to get rolled out into many more theaters. For example, Brokeback Mountain and Dreamgirls only played in very few theaters at first, but eventually got wide releases.

[Old Guy]

we do have a box office thread:
http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=238378

[PeppeRaskell1]

I wanted to see this movie the moment I first saw its trailer on the MTOD channel.

Too bad I have to wait 'till 11/20 to go see it when it goes into wide release...or travel all the way to Nyack, NY to see it.

Or wait for its inevitable release on DVD...

Anyway, the film's getting great reviews, and they're already talking Oscars for Mo'Nique's character.

[underdog]

Yeah, this movie has been quite buzz-worthy this past year, many thanks to Queen Oprah.

[Old Guy]

Early Friday Estimates:

1. 2012 (Sony) - $25M
2. A Christmas Carol (Disney) - $5.5M
3. The Men Who Stare At Goats (Overture) - $2M
4. The Fourth Kind (Universal) - $1.9M
5. Precious: Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire (Lionsgate) - $1.75M
6. Paranormal Activity (Paramount) - $1.5M
7. Pirate Radio (Focus) - $1M

Paranormal Activity has officially grossed the $100 million mark.

[underdog]

Net bad for 2012, though this movie would seem to have fit better during the summer season.

[Ioz]

Great start for 2012, Christmas Carol has a nice hold.

[Old Guy]

2012 is gonna be this year's The Day the Earth Stood Still. Great opening, but it's gonna tank after that. Next week Twilight New Moon is opening. Then the following weekend, which is Thanksgiving weekend, there's Fantastic Mr. Fox, Old Dogs, and Ninja Assassin. So, the competition that's coming up is gonna be intense.

[RonDrakenfan17]

2012 is gonna be this year's The Day the Earth Stood Still. Great opening, but it's gonna tank after that. Next week Twilight New Moon is opening. Then the following weekend, which is Thanksgiving weekend, there's Fantastic Mr. Fox, Old Dogs, and Ninja Assassin. So, the competition that's coming up is gonna be intense.

You don't consider Planet 51 comppetion :ack:

[Old Guy]

You don't consider Planet 51 comppetion :ack:

It's being released as counter-programming for Twilight. So, it's gonna flop. The Twilight sequel, New Moon is gonna be huge next weekend, while Planet 51 is gonna be another Battle for Tera.

[R. Escobar]

It's being released as counter-programming for Twilight. So, it's gonna flop. The Twilight sequel, New Moon is gonna be huge next weekend, while Planet 51 is gonna be another Battle for Tera.

I disagree with this, it's family movie, no way it's flopping. All the teenage girls will go to Twilight and all the parents and kids will go to Planet 51

[Old Guy]

it's family movie, no way it's flopping.

Not all family movies are invincible.

[Ioz]

2012 is gonna be this year's The Day the Earth Stood Still. Great opening, but it's gonna tank after that. Next week Twilight New Moon is opening. Then the following weekend, which is Thanksgiving weekend, there's Fantastic Mr. Fox, Old Dogs, and Ninja Assassin. So, the competition that's coming up is gonna be intense.2012 more than doubled The Day the Earth Stood Still's opening weekend box office.

deadline.com:


SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM: These numbers will be refined as more info comes in. But sources are telling me tonight that Sony Pictures' 2012 opened as a runaway No. 1 with $23.7 million Friday and $25.5M Saturday (+8%) from 3,404 theaters, including $1M in Thursday midnights, for what's looking like a $64M weekend. Plus, it's on its way past $170M worldwide. That's big for a PG-13 popcorn pic that's neither a previously established brand or franchise. Yet another in a long line of signature Roland Emmerich films featuring world destruction, this catastrophe film was anything but at the box office and became Sony Pictures' 8th #1 North American film this year. It did that by exceeding expectations due to an aggressive marketing campaign that went into overdrive 6 weeks ago.

Disney's A Christmas Carol showed an excellent hold for No. 2, down just -23% from a week ago with $5.6 million Friday and $10.4M Saturday (+87%) from 3,653 plays for a $23M weekend.

Because of amazing word of mouth propelled by Oprah and Tyler Perry, and castmembers Mariah Carey and Mo'Nique, and even George H.W. Bush, Lionsgate's Precious also did $1.9 million Friday and $2.4M Saturday (+26%) for a $6.2M weekend after expanding to still only 174 plays in arthouse and African-American neighborhoods. Precious also is pulling off an impressive feat; it represents a healthy 10% of Fandango’s daily online ticket sales.

In 4th place, Overture's The Men Who Stare At Goats was down -52% from a week ago for $1.9 million Friday and $2.6M Saturday from 2,453 dates and $6.1M for the weekend.

In 5th place, Michael Jackson's This Is It for Sony Pictures had a $5.1M weekend from 3,036 theaters.

[ThePRPD]

Anyone else hoping that 2012 bombs in the box office?

*raises hand*

[Lord Dalek]

I am going to say this right now. New Moon will not equal or exceed Twilight's rediculously big opening numbers. Too much competition this time around.