Double_Oh_7

Gotta wonder what WB and DC execs are thinking right now... not just in terms of TDKR (which I don't think will even come close to these numbers), but the fact they can't get their shit together with their other superhero franchises.

Decker

Wow. We knew it was going to be big, but $200 Million? The current record (HP & The Deathly Hallows Part 2) was $169M, and that was in IMAX 3D as well. To hit the magical $200M platform would be astounding.

It should also be noted that Deathly Hallows pt2's total take was $381, so that's almost half your total box office take in the first weekend for a huge hit. I guess that's how things work these days when a film is on so many screens; nobody has to wait a week to see a movie they're interested in anymore. I remember it took me months to finally get into a showing of Raiders of the Lost Ark because it was showing in only one smallish theater on the entire island of Oahu. Times change.

Dr. DVD

While this might not necessarily translate into another Firefly movie, it will definitely give Whedon more prominence, and guarantees his subsequent efforts will boast "from the director of Avengers". If he can keep the A-game he's had with this and Serenity, hopefully more people will come to admire his talent.

Solid Snake

I don't think they'd broadcast Serenity too much. While popular on a critical scale it also had some flaws. namely the "ok" action. Great dialogue and character interaction but the action was ok at best. Also...it didn't even hit it's budget while in theaters.

I think if a major studio is going to broadcast him...it'll be most likely as the guy who made the Avengers.

Giles

damn impressive, but my fourteen bucks wont get factored in til tomorrow - don't like the weekend crowds (when everyone is at work and school) - will see it at noon tomorrow.

Ash Ketchum

I wish Whedon would make a western. Not one set in outer space, either, but in Texas or the Southwest ca. 1870-80. It's so hard to make westerns nowadays but if you've suddenly got clout like this, use it to make something that normally can't get made.

Decker

Let's not over-estimate the bump Whedon gets from this. Sure it's nice to have a major hit, but for the most part credit for superhero or established franchise movies is given to the licenced material, not to the director. Sure Tim Burton and Chris Nolan got big boosts for their re-interpretations of Batman, and certainly JJ Abrams got two with MI:3 and then Star Trek, but for most others, success doesn't guaranty much except a spot helming a sequel. Any bump Jon Favreau got was immediately killed when Cowboys & Aliens hit screens. David Yates has gotten very little credit for making four very good, very successful Harry Potter films (and quick : what films has Chris Columbus directed since Harry Potter 2? -- Rent, I Love You Beth Cooper and Percy Jackson).

bluetoast

I agree with your post Decker, but just want to add that Columbus produced The Help, so at least he had some recent success on the other side of the camera.

superdeluxe

200.3 million!

fumanstan

Crazy!

stingermck

Deserves every penny:

Domestic: $200,300,000 31.2%
+ Foreign: $441,500,000 68.8%
= Worldwide: $641,800,000

Production Budget: $220 million

superdeluxe

It broke the previous record by 31 million lol

Supermallet

Sorry, I call shenanigans. Serenity had GREAT action. The style of action people are raving about in The Avengers is clearly present in Serenity. The fight in the bar, the giant space battle at the end, the fight between Mal and the assassin at the broadcast node, all of that was great.

As for the box office take...Avengers: Fuck yeah. Saving the motherfucking day, yeah!

bluetoast

I never saw Firefly. I thought the trailers for Serenity sucked (except for a couple moments, like "I'm unarmed" *shot*), but someone on another forum asked that I give it a chance...I did and really enjoyed it. Still haven't seen Firefly though, rented it and only saw the first few min.

Solid Snake

No it didn't. Avengers had great fights. Serenity's fights weren't like that. They were slow and flawed, not bad..but they weren't great. I always remember any fight w/ River and seeing all the chaos but never really believing she could do it cuz of the choreography it was too slow. Again great drama leading up to it but the fights never lived up to what preceded it as a lead in.

Supermallet

Disagree. Strongly.

Mr. Cinema

I hope that $200 mil figure holds, but when a studio gets close to such a monsterous total, they tend to overestimate. I saw it today at 11:00 with a jam packed house with lots of families there. This thing is going to coast past $400 million and I hope it gets near $500 mil.

At the very least, it must earn more than Dark of the Moon's worldwide total.

Dr. DVD

I'm not saying he(Whedon) has huge clout at this point, but I would wager if he wanted to do a modest "Super 8" type movie he wouldn't have much of a problem.

Deftones

I can't wait to quote this post in another week and a half after it's passed $400 million.

RichC2

I'd rank em as pretty bad, reminded me a lot of Dark Angel quality in Serenity.

But again, I didn't care for much in that movie to begin with, so I may be slightly skewed. I also don't like the fighting in Haywire because of how unnaturally staged they all look.

Solid Snake

odd...I liked Haywire's fights a lot more than Serenity could ever muster. Quick, not very flashy, and to the intended point.

bootsy

So you don't think TDKR will get even close if not more than $200 million when it comes out? Even if TDKR doesn't get to $200 million OW it's still going to be close.

Mr. Cinema

I don't think TDKR will open to $200 million. I'm not sure it'll even break TDK's opening number. I don't think the anticipation for TDKR is as high as the previous film, and certainly not on the level of what it was for The Avengers.

Nolan's Batman series could somewhat mirror the Pirates films, where the 2nd one had the highest numbers.

Mr. Cinema

The Avengers' estimate for Sunday was $50.1 million. It now owns the opening weekend record, and highest Saturday and Sunday records as well.

Deadline posted they think Disney is being very conservative on the opening number and that Sunday will be even higher. The film has not yet opened in Japan, which should provide another big boost in foreign sales.

Dr. DVD

So this means the movie could drop 50% next weekend and still rake in $100 million . I don't see Dark Shadows being a hit, looks too weird and quirky. I like that, but a lot of people don't. Hell, if Avengers drops 60% it can still have an impressive haul.

What's interesting is that with all of this money it made, I don't recall a single sold out show in my area.