Weekend numbers
It was going to be neck-and-neck between Fred Claus and American Gangster with both in the mid 20s...wrong. Claus is going to come in third with $19,463,000, and will probably end up in the $50 million range, at best, which makes it a shortfall in relation to production costs. A stumbler, a groaner...an occasion for long faces.
And they're going to get longer next weekend. Mr. Magorium's Emporium will be strong family-trade competition starting next weekend (11.16), and then Enchanted opens on 11.21, not to mention the Claus word-of-mouth effect. (It's not very funny --critics despise it.) Exhibition has only two more weekends of business anyway. The over-30s start to disappear after Thanksgiving and don't return until just before Xmas. So the big weekend box-office story is the death of Claus.
Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie has held decently and will be the weekend's #1 film with $25,22,000 by Sunday night, give or take. American Gangster, off about 46% from last weekend, will be #2 with a little more than $25 million. Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs will end up with $6,667,000 -- $3000 a theatre in 2200 situations.
No Country for Old Men's limited opening (28 theatres) will wind up with a little more that $29,000 a print, which is spectacular. Every last seat was apparently sold at every Arclight show yesterday except for the final late-night one.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 10, 2007 at 10:01 AM
comment #1
p.Vice
says ...
And they say the critical opinion doesn't matter.
Posted by p.Vice
at November 10, 2007 10:49 AM
comment #2
T. Holly
says ...
RIP Norman Mailer, on behalf of a fan of Jeffrey Wells, the Norman Mailer of bloggers.
Posted by T. Holly
at November 10, 2007 10:51 AM
comment #3
BurmaShave
says ...
Way to bury the lead on BEE MOVIE, everybody.
Posted by BurmaShave
at November 10, 2007 10:52 AM
comment #4
BurmaShave
says ...
Indeed. I'd sleep better with Norman Mailer as my Mayor, now that he's dead.
Posted by BurmaShave
at November 10, 2007 10:55 AM
comment #5
Zimmergirl
says ...
Totally burying the lede...
Posted by Zimmergirl
at November 10, 2007 11:12 AM
comment #6
D.Z.
says ...
So who was telling me American Gangster was gonna reach $150 million again?
Posted by D.Z.
at November 10, 2007 11:13 AM
comment #7
T. Holly
says ...
It's bury the LEDE indeed, lead foot. You know how well I spell when I speech. No plot = no spoilers.
Posted by T. Holly
at November 10, 2007 11:13 AM
comment #8
BurmaShave
says ...
Yeah fuck, lede, oops. Not going to make any excuses, just careless. My only hope now is for a swift and honorable death!
Posted by BurmaShave
at November 10, 2007 11:17 AM
comment #9
Wrecktum
says ...
"Bury the lead" is perfectly acceptible. Let's not all be grammar nazis, por favor.
Posted by Wrecktum
at November 10, 2007 12:07 PM
comment #10
Craig Kennedy
says ...
Jeezus. Buncha hardasses.
Posted by Craig Kennedy
at November 10, 2007 12:18 PM
comment #11
T. Holly
says ...
Not really CJ. When I return many, many, many hours from now (sighs of relief from everywhere), I expect B.O. comments from people who care.
In the meantime, follow the link. I'm very moved by the best line yet to come out of the strike, "Pick up a sign, walk the line."
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/tonight-shows-head-writer-speaks-out/
Posted by T. Holly
at November 10, 2007 12:26 PM
comment #12
BNick
says ...
No Country for Old Men's per screen average of $29K is "fantastic", but its the same as Jesse James's average on its opening weekend (on 5 screens) and half of Into the Wild's (on 4 screens).
What am I missing? Is it just because NCfOM is playing on 28 screens? It's only playing on 4 in NYC while Jesse James and Into the Wild were playing on 2 each.
Posted by BNick
at November 10, 2007 12:50 PM
comment #13
George Prager
says ...
Mr. Magorium's Emporium?
I prefer Tex & Edna Boil's Organ Emporium:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv-82Q0ofs8
Posted by George Prager
at November 10, 2007 1:03 PM
comment #14
Wrecktum
says ...
"What am I missing? Is it just because NCfOM is playing on 28 screens?"
Yes, that's the reason.
Posted by Wrecktum
at November 10, 2007 1:24 PM
comment #15
Stephe96
says ...
Posted by BurmaShave at November 10, 2007 11:17 AM
"Bury the lead" is perfectly acceptible. Let's not all be grammar nazis, por favor.
************************************
Uh, it's spelled 'acceptable.' But I'm just having fun here. In fact, I will now intentionally mispell a word so that others can correct me!
Posted by Stephe96
at November 10, 2007 1:28 PM
comment #16
Stephe96
says ...
Oops, sorry. Posted by Wrectum...not BurmaShave.
Posted by Stephe96
at November 10, 2007 1:31 PM
comment #17
JD
says ...
$50 million at best for Fred Claus? I don't know about those projections, Jeff. Christmas movies always open modestly -- because people aren't really feeling Christmas yet -- then take off in December. Elf opened with $31 million and made $173 million. The Polar Express did roughly the same. Even Santa Clause 3 managed to make $85 million after opening with numbers similar to Fred Claus. If Fred Claus opens with $19 million, it could still easily make somewhere in the region of $80-90 million. And I say that as someone with absolutely no desire to see it.
Posted by JD
at November 10, 2007 1:41 PM
comment #18
jeffmcm
says ...
It looks like the Saw series peaked with 3 and is on its way down, which is good news. And P2 - why did they bother?
Posted by jeffmcm
at November 10, 2007 2:32 PM
comment #19
Terry McCarty
says ...
What's the buzz on MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM? I wasn't impressed by the trailer.
Posted by Terry McCarty
at November 10, 2007 3:26 PM
comment #20
Chicago48
says ...
"So who was telling me American Gangster was gonna reach $150 million again?"
Actually, I would be very surprised if ANY of the so-called "adult" Oscar contenders made $150Mil....AG will make its money outside of the first-run theatre....
Posted by Chicago48
at November 10, 2007 3:51 PM
comment #21
CharlieDontSurf
says ...
Magorium is by far the most kid friendly(esp little ones) of the bunch. Its also rated G compared to the PG Claus and Enchanted. Very little marketing for it though given it comes out in a week
Posted by CharlieDontSurf
at November 10, 2007 3:56 PM
comment #22
D.Z.
says ...
jeff: Weren't you saying Saw IV was gonna be as big as the last three films?
Posted by D.Z.
at November 10, 2007 4:28 PM
comment #23
jeffmcm
says ...
DZ, that's what _you_ said. I believe you said that you expected the series to peak at Saw IV. Anyway, it'll top out at $60m which is more than the first one and still way more money than it deserves, ensuring Saw V-VII.
Posted by jeffmcm
at November 10, 2007 4:46 PM
comment #24
hiviper
says ...
throw this SOB into Westchester.... Jacob Burns, anywhere!
Posted by hiviper
at November 10, 2007 9:00 PM
comment #25
bmcintire
says ...
Hoffman in all of the promotional materials for MAGORIUM looks skeevy and "funny-uncle"-ish. I am anticipating a huge flop - on the level that will make FRED CLAUS seem satisfying.
On a complelety different note (and I don't know which thread would be appropriate to post it) I finally saw BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD tonight. And I can barely begin to express how much I HATED it. I'm not sure how to approach this as a non-spoiler way, but Jesus! I can hardly contain how much it sucked. It makes me angry in its shiteousness, because I really, really, really wanted to LOVE this one.
Grrr.
Posted by bmcintire
at November 11, 2007 2:22 AM
comment #26
bmcintire
says ...
Not to ruin this for those who haven't seen BEFORE THE DEVIL. . , but
SPOILER WARNING ! ! !
Two choices - Your parents' jewelery store or the the cash-flush heroin dealer/geisha/tranny you frequent on the down-low: Which one would you choose to rob first?
My hatred for this grows the longer I think about it.
Posted by bmcintire
at November 11, 2007 2:29 AM
comment #27
ScottMendelson
says ...
Re - Before The Devil...
Spoilers obviously...
.
.
.
I agree with you in a logical sense, but I think we can presume that the choice of the robbery location was deeply personal for Hoffman, and thus he didn't think of the more logical target. He obviously hates his father, but in all likelihood he considers his mother an enabler (ie - his father treats him like crap but his mother doesn't stand up for him), so he would resent her too.
Also, he likely didn't want his brother to know about his habits, so he wouldn't want to enlist him in using that location. Much of the movie revolves around the stunningly stupid choices that the brothers make (especially Hawke), so the initial target being a poor choice didn't bother me.
The irony of your observation is that Hoffman and Hawke also chose the folks' place because they presumed they could avoid violence, yet Hawke's bonehead choices all but guaranteed bloodshed. So, of course, with the plan they had in place at 'go time', they might as well have used the safer drug apartment.
I didn't go gaga over the movie like many people, but I did enjoy it.
Scott Mendelson
Posted by ScottMendelson
at November 11, 2007 8:32 AM
comment #28
Gordie Lachance
says ...
Whats always interesting to me is how people who defend good films are always well-thought-out and articulate, and the ones who attack are always confused and illiterate ("it makes me angry in its shiteousness" ???)
SPOILERS:
It was adressed in the film by Hoffman's character that there was no way to rob the dealer without killing him/her. Thus, the jewelry store plan.
Posted by Gordie Lachance
at November 11, 2007 11:36 AM
comment #29
bmcintire
says ...
Let's see, Gordie: The two guys who had worked the jewelry store for fifteen years weren't aware that its owners had a gun in the drawer as well? It made both targets a shooting risk, which made Andy's repeated question of "Why did you bring a gun ?" increasingly stupid with each mention (especially in light of the fact that Hank's gunman was killed by the mother's gun). By the end of the movie, I almost felt bad for poor Ethan, Amy and Marisa, as they were pretty much the only two actors in the film that didn't get to handle and/or fire a gun.
And "shiteousness," though not clever and probably worn-out in its web-speak welcome, is not quite a signal of confusion or illiteracy.
Douche.
Posted by bmcintire
at November 11, 2007 2:21 PM