Hellboy II: The Golden Army is the weekend’s #1 film — it did $13.7 million last night and is projected to earn $35.8 million for the weekend. I was foreseeing something in the mid to high 20s, so this is a bit of a surprise. Of course, sequels are always hot the first day. And Hellboy II may be down 50% or more next weekend when The Dark Knight rolls in. it may be a push to reach $100 million domestic.
Awful-third-act Hancock will come in second with $34.6 million by Sunday night. It’s off only 35% from last weekend, and the cume right now is $166 million. It’s going to top $200 million easy, which is quite a marquee-draw accomplishment on Will Smith‘s part given the conviction in most quarters that it’s a piece of shit. The last 35%, I mean.
Journey to the Center of the Earth will come in third with about $19.6 million….fair.
WALL*E will come in fourth with about $19 million. It’s down to about $4900 a print, which means it could be a push to $200 million. It’s one of the two or three best films of the year and obviously a sizable financial success, but some are going to call these numbers disappointing. For whatever reason, the real-life tele-tubbies in the hinterlands aren’t going for it the way they could. Too arty, too adult? Are they hip to the satire element and not coming due to an undercurrent of resentment? “Make fun of us and our high-starch, high-cholestoral Jabba lifestyle?,” etc. “We’ll show you, Disney/Pixar!”
Fifth-place Wanted will take in $11.7 million. Get Smart will be sixth with $6.9 million — a current cume over $112 million. Eddie Murphy‘s Meet Dave will pull in a pathetic $4,927,000 with an average of $1600 a screen for a seventh- place showing.