Weekend figures

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My weekend Beowulf figure says $25,886,000 but Fantasy Mogul's Steve Mason says Beowulf took in $10.4 million yesterday and will probably reach $30 million by Sunday night. (Who can you trust? Every day brings deception.) Bee Movie will edge out American Gangster, $13,801,000 to $12,792,000, for the #2 and ##3 slots. And Fred Claus, believe it or not, dropped only 32% -- a pretty good hold. Critics and others with actual taste buds detested it, but the low-rent family audience will line up for almost anything cheery, glossy, broad and kid-friendly.

And yet they didn't support Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, which will earn $9,396,000 and just under $3000 a print by Sunday night -- a tank. (Was it the Dustin Hoffman factor? Family auds are renowned for their lack of standards so why did they blow this one off?) No Country for Old Men expanded to 148 screens and will end up $2,944,000 for the weekend -- just under $20,000 a print. Love in the Time of Cholera is a wipeout with $1,960,000 and $2300 a print for the weekend.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 17, 2007 at 7:53 AM

comment #1

D.Z. says ...

Mr. Magorium did badly, because you couldn't tell if it was about Hoffman, the toys, or Portman. They didn't keep the ad brief enough. Even if it opens to $30 m, Beowulf just isn't a must-see, and will probably drop as fast as Bee Movie.

Posted by D.Z. at November 17, 2007 9:53 AM

comment #2

Mike Ock says ...

Mr. Magorium tanked because it looks awful. A poor man's Willy Wonka. A friend of mine saw it and says its really tough to sit through.

Posted by Mike Ock at November 17, 2007 10:21 AM

comment #3

Mike Ock says ...

He also said Mr. Magorium is probably going to sweep the Razzies in a few months.

Posted by Mike Ock at November 17, 2007 10:26 AM

comment #4

D.Z. says ...

Mike: I imagine it'd lose to Transformers.

Posted by D.Z. at November 17, 2007 10:33 AM

comment #5

BurmaShave says ...

Why TRANSFORMERS? It really wasn't that bad. Last time I checked C+ action movies with rising stars don't win Razzies.

Posted by BurmaShave at November 17, 2007 10:40 AM

comment #6

Pelham123 says ...

Sight unseen, "Mr. Magorium" strikes me as one of those movies the "weird" kids of today will turn their dormmates onto over a fresh bowl in about fifteen years. Or it could just be "Toys".

Posted by Pelham123 at November 17, 2007 10:44 AM

comment #7

BurmaShave says ...

'or' it could be TOYS? Perhaps you've never watched TOYS with your mates and a fresh bowl.

Posted by BurmaShave at November 17, 2007 11:37 AM

comment #8

Undercover Brother says ...

3D Beowulf will keep packing them in for a long time. It'll likely go on and on like "Express" finally did. Everyone chalked that movie up to be a disaster after the first week, but people kept coming back for the 3D. I just saw it and the 3D was just too stunning to shrug off. And unlike "Express" this isn't a terrible movie with only a gimmick to keep bringing people back. Maybe it's not an out and out classic, but it's a solid picture in and of itself.

I hated Zemekis after "Polar Express." I thought him an overindulged hack who had finally hit the wall in a hard way. Now I see what he wants to do and I think he's damn close to achieveing it. The leap in quality from "P.E." to "Beowulf" is pretty incredible. I can only imagine what his next project will achieve. And Cameron's Avatar for that matter.

Posted by Undercover Brother at November 17, 2007 12:51 PM

comment #9

Undercover Brother says ...

Wells forgot to mention that "Southland Tales" wound up somewhere around 30th place with about $500 a print for the first day. It looks to make about $100,000+ for the weekend on 63 screens. Kelly should consider himself lucky that he's already making another movie. Otherwise he may never have been allowed to touch a camera again.

Posted by Undercover Brother at November 17, 2007 12:57 PM

comment #10

Craig Kennedy says ...

Who was it that said on these very pages not to underestimate Fred Claus based on opening weekend because it's a Christmas movie and will have legs?

Posted by Craig Kennedy at November 17, 2007 1:51 PM

comment #11

Gaydos says ...

undercover: regarding b'wulf, u b totally right. on all counts. whatever the strengths and weakness of beo, we'll look back at the progress made from polar to beo and remember this as the beginning of the virtual film experience revolution.

Posted by Gaydos at November 17, 2007 1:51 PM

comment #12

jeffmcm says ...

I didn't like Transformers, but it's far from the worst movie of the year and I doubt it'll see much Razzie action.

Posted by jeffmcm at November 17, 2007 2:07 PM

comment #13

D.Z. says ...

Undercover: "3D Beowulf will keep packing them in for a long time. It'll likely go on and on like "Express" finally did. Everyone chalked that movie up to be a disaster after the first week,"

Yeah, it just was a disappointment.

"And unlike "Express" this isn't a terrible movie with only a gimmick to keep bringing people back. "

But unlike Express, it isn't a family film, either.

"Wells forgot to mention that "Southland Tales" wound up somewhere around 30th place with about $500 a print for the first day."

Yeah, but everyone forgot Southland Tales was playing this weekend, so that's not surprising.

jeff: "I didn't like Transformers, but it's far from the worst movie of the year"

No, it's just the dumbest movie of the year. But I'm sure the Razzies will give it a special award just for that category.

Posted by D.Z. at November 17, 2007 2:46 PM

comment #14

jeffmcm says ...

DZ, please stop repeating the same garbage about Polar Express being a disappointment. I know you're being deliberately obtuse but find a different thing to be wrong about, okay?

Transformers was dumb, but it was also far from the dumbest movie of the year. The Reaping, The Hitcher, Norbit, and Severe Visibility were all dumber.

Also, DZ, you should see Lions for Lambs. You're a character in it.

Posted by jeffmcm at November 17, 2007 3:31 PM

comment #15

Dirty Harry says ...

Southland Tales: Easily, the worst movie of the year. Not a failed vision, because it has no vision. A complete mess and an ugly-looking mess at that. Nothing redeeming other than the score.

Posted by Dirty Harry at November 17, 2007 3:32 PM

comment #16

Don Murphy says ...

I am actually pretty sure D Z is retarded. Like for reals.

Maggorium tanked because Helm is a fraud. Hot air signifying nothing. He convinced this Joe Drake character to invest in FICTION and MMWE and they tanked.

Posted by Don Murphy at November 17, 2007 4:55 PM

comment #17

Undercover Brother says ...

Polar Express has made $300 million worldwide to date. I say to date because it's likely to keep making small amounts of money just about every Christmas from now until who knows when. $300 million is a Hell of a disappointment. I imagine Hollywood would like a few more $300 million disappointments.

Posted by Undercover Brother at November 17, 2007 5:51 PM

comment #18

D.Z. says ...

It's a disappointment, when it costs $165 million, and that doesn't including P&A.

Posted by D.Z. at November 17, 2007 8:11 PM

comment #19

IndiSB says ...

I saw Beo today in Imax at it was sold out-afternoon showing and night shows sold out. Plus, there were a lot of families there-young kids-too young to be seeing that sex scene.

Posted by IndiSB at November 17, 2007 11:34 PM

comment #20

jeffmcm says ...

DZ: What part of "5 million DVDs sold per year" don't you understand? And each DVD is almost pure profit to the studio, meaning well above $100 million? I mean, I'm sure you're going to dodge this one but is it sinking in on any level?

Posted by jeffmcm at November 18, 2007 12:44 AM

comment #21