ianholm

so much for Hannibal's R-rated opening record!

From Box Office Mojo


'Matrix' Loads Record Opening Day
by Brandon Gray
May 16, 2003



HOLLYWOOD (Box Office Mojo) - Warner Bros. programmed the highest screen count ever for The Matrix Reloaded, and the box office reality lived up to the hype on opening day.

The hotly anticipated middle movie of the Wachowski Bros.' cyber-epic raked in an estimated $42.475 million at 3,603 theaters on Thursday, storming past the $30,141,471 that Attack of the Clones posted on this same day last year as the biggest weekday gross ever. It also could go down as the highest opening day ever, ahead of Spider-Man's $39,406,872. Although, there's an asterisk next to that record as Reloaded's Thursday is counting grosses from the Wednesday night previews.

Reloaded grabbed an estimated $5 million from its Wednesday 10 p.m. showings at 2,750 theaters, according to the studio's executive VP and general sales manager of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein. "For a strictly 10 p.m. show, that's a record," Goldstein noted. "The previous record holder was Jurassic Park's $3.1 million."

Final figures for Reloaded's opening will be available later today. "When you have so many prints at so many locations, it's difficult to be accurate with these estimates," said Goldstein.

Spider-Man's $114,844,116 opening weekend record will likely remain intact, in part because Reloaded burnt off some of its demand with its Thursday bow. However, it should beat Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's $90,294,621 for the No. 2 spot, and could top $100 million, which would bring its four-day haul to around $140 million.

Warner Bros. unleashed Reloaded on a record 8,517 screens, inching past previous champ and studio stablemate Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets's 8,515 tally. That 8,517 count is strictly prints that the studio sent out and does not include any interlocking that theaters might have done, i.e., using one print to show the movie in two auditoriums. The 3,603-theater count, though, was well shy of X2: X-Men United's 3,741 opening record, which grabbed $31,247,979 on its first day.

Looking at the first movie's gross alone could not have portended such a spectacular showing for Reloaded. The Matrix mustered $4,803,310 at 2,704 sites on its Wednesday bow, March 31, 1999. That led to a $27,788,331 weekend at 2,849 theaters en route to $171,479,930. Those were enormous numbers, but not in the rarefied uber-blockbuster air of a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. But in those four years, The Matrix fanbase multiplied and became more devout on home video and television. The DVD was the first to sell a million copies and is estimated at having sold over 5 million so far, generating around $100 million in revenue. The under-$100,000 The Matrix Revisited DVD documentary is estimated to have added another $20 million to the franchise's coffers. More importantly, The Matrix became a cultural phenomenon well beyond its grosses, it's bullet-time fight scenes mimicked and spoofed in many movies since.

Reloaded and the third installment The Matrix Revolutions were made simultaneously and will be released six months apart (the latter due Nov. 5). Though a specific accounting of what was spent on each movie is unavailable, the combined production cost came in at $300 million (about the same as the three Lord of the Rings movies), far beyond the $63 million spent to make the first movie. Throw in the lofty $100 million being spent on marketing, and that's a $400 million investment in two sequels to a movie that grossed $458 million worldwide ($286.5 million of that overseas).

Perhaps emboldened by the success of The Lord of the Rings's staggered release, Warner Bros. copied the strategy employed for the second and third Back to the Future movies, Part II of which came out four years after Part I just like The Matrix. If history repeats itself, audience reaction to Reloaded will be crucial to Revolutions's success. Back to the Future Part II got mixed word-of-mouth and wound up with $118,450,002 despite a then record-breaking $43,016,225 five-day Thanksgiving berth. Even though Part III was generally better liked, the damage was done, and it lassoed $87,727,583 by the end of its run, or 74% of Part II's tally.

Zodiac_Speaking

Why so suprized?? We all knew, due to the hype, that it was going to do phenomenal. But I'll be the first to say after week 2 or so expect huge dropoff, due to negative word-of-mouth. Everyone at my job, says it was "just alright", me included.

Great news about X2, it made more money in two in a half weeks than the first did in it's entire theatrical run!!

Top 5 B.O. movies in 2003:

1-Lotr: Return of the King
2-Hulk
3-MatrixR/Revolutions
4-X2
5-T3

Spooky

Top 5 B.O. movies in 2003:

1-Lotr: Return of the King
2-Hulk
3-MatrixR/Revolutions
4-X2
5-T3

This is a pretty good list, but due to Return of the King's running time (3+ hours), it's unlikely that it will be the number one grossing movie of the year - plus the fact that it comes out in November...giving it only two months in 2003 to top whatever came before it. Plus you have Reloaded and Revolutions together - those are two seperate films.

A more likely scenario:

1. The Hulk
2. Matrix Reloaded
3. X-Men 2
4. Return of the King
5. Terminator 3

Patman

Actually, before this weekend, 8 Mile had the largest opening for a R-rated film.

matome

I think he's right about Hannibal:

Hannibal - $58,003,121

8 Mile - $51,240,555

from boxofficemojo.com

Pants

I don't think the Hulk will gross as much as you guys think.

The average joe is not nearly as interested in Hulk as he was in Spiderman. I'd be surprised if it made more than Matrix Reloaded.

If I'm any indicator, I saw Spiderman twice opening weekend yet I don't plan on seeing Hulk at all.

LBPound

Well, I didn't see Spider-man in theaters, and I'm probably not going to see The Hulk in theaters. So, take that for whatever it means when calculating your estimates.

Jason

Not surprising it set a record. As the local DJ said this morning, Matrix Reloaded is still going strong in theaters.

Jason1973

I agree with Pants.

Groucho

After one whole day? Wow, this movie's got LEGS!

matome

Gotta go with Pants here as well. I don't think there's a chance in hell that The Hulk will be the #1 movie of the year. It's either gonna be Matrix Reloaded or LOTR: Return of The King

Jepthah

If you think X-Men will outgross Return of the King I have a bridge to sell you--it's about to experience some very sharp drops and will be fortunate to make it to $200 million. Matrix will make a lot of money but may experience very steep drops if people don't love it. The Hulk is an unknown quantity. T3 will likely not even make the top five of this year.

Also, it doesn't make any difference how late in the year a film comes out--if it comes out in a calendar year, it is counted as a moneymaking film for that year. Example: for 2002, Spider-man was the #1 film (premiered in May) and The Two Towers was #2 (premiered in December).

Dubya

I agree. It will be in the top 10 for the year but I highly doubt it will be top 3.

Daytripper

True, "Return of the King" will make more than "X2". Don't be ridiculous. But if you think "X2" will struggle (or in your words, be fortunate enough) to make $200 million, then *I* have a bridge to sell you ! It's almost at $160 million now. Most of the box-office analysts that I have read have predicted it'll make in the neighborhood of $225-$250 million by the end of it's run.

Tarantino

Agreed.

1. The Hulk looks stupid.
2. The Hulk looks stupid.
3. The Hulk looks stupid.

I loved Matrix Reloaded and I think that LOTR won't even come close.

Deftones

wholly mother of mary. I predicted that the Matrix would open in the 70-80 million range. It'll hit about $140 million this weekend.

Krug

C'mon. You all know Legally Blonde 2 will make more money than all of 'em.

zuffy

T3 don't have a chance in the top 10 IMO. It will be the bust of the summer. I think Hulk will be in the top 10.

My list:
1) LOTR: Return of the King
2) Matrix: Revolution
3) Matrix: Reloaded
4) X2
5) Bad Boys 2

Goldberg74

I'm not paying for my ticket to see The Hulk... I bought three rolls of Glad Plastic Wrap®!

Gunshy

If you wrap yerself up in plastic wrap, they let you in to see the Hulk free?

Is this some inside nod to some superhero I'm not aware of?



-Gunshy

freedexter

I'm placing my bet on From Justin to Kelly.

Kellehair

I think some of you are underestimating the amount of times people who enjoyed Matix Reloaded will see the movie again. I've already seen it twice myself and evenyone I know who has seen it wants to see it again ASAP. My personal experiences aside, I think people will want to see it agian because it's so damn complex. Just look at the discussion threads on this board. Everyone's got their own explanations for the many mysteries of the movie. Even the action sequences are more complex and hard to completely take in. Anyone who liked the movie will want to see it again at least once IMO. How many people are gonna want to see X2 twice (or The Hulk even once)?

Terrell

The average joe is probably far more interested in the Hulk than you claim. 250 million dollars at least.

Actually, the Hulk looks like a great film, especially if early reports are true. As for Reloaded, well it's awful. The film is a complete mess. Terrible film. It's amazing some people have given the godawful dialogue and acting in this film a free pass. I predict after the first weekend it will drop like a rock.

ROTK will wipe the floor with Reloaded in the quality department, and so will probably Hulk. X2 already has. As for box office, who really cares. When they start giving me a cut, then I'll get emotionally invested in which film does what at the box office. Give me a great film that makes little money over a Reloaded that makes a trillion.

$tarr

Yeah, X2 had many Oscar worthy performances in it and the dialogue was pure genius. All joking aside, I made the mistake of watching X2 right after seeing The Matrix Reloaded and in my opinion X2 wasn't all that great.

The Hulk will do good if it is a good MOVIE. Spiderman was a good movie and that is why it did well. Unlike many other comic book movies, Spiderman didn't just throw some comic book characters on the big screen and let all the comic book fans go run up the box office total for it. If The Hulk can manage to be more than just a show case for comic book fans it will do very well. Some may say that being a show case for comic book fans is what it should be and that's fine, but don't expect it to rake in a lot of cash if that's all it is.

And as for ROTK, bring on December 17.

RichC2

No it wasn't

X2 was highly enjoyable the second time, though for some reason it rubbed me the wrong way the first time I saw it.

oh and Matrix Reloaded made another $31.2m on Friday.

-Rich