Box Office: 12/14 - 12/18 (merged)
#151
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally Posted by GuessWho
Am I going to see this movie? Sure. Just because reviews are good--and while they can help me decide to see it--they don't make me need to see it in the next 24 hours. I'm not Jack Bauer.
#152
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Dr. DVD
You know what I really hate? People who feel the need to rub other people's noses in shit and dance on their disappointments on Internet Message Boards.
Otherwise, how does the boxoffice success/failure of a film affect you personally?
#153
DVD Talk Legend
I'm surprised at how the Kong bashers seem to be ignoring the MONSTER results that the movie is seeing overseas. It looks like this thing will make it's money back in 2 weeks at this rate.
How's that a disappointment? King Kong is a worldwide hit. It may be performing less than expected in the U.S. - but it seems to be doing extremely well everywhere else.
It's a great movie, and if it isn't the biggest hit of the year that doesn't take away from how good it is.
Oh, by the way, for those who think that Kong is just for the "fanboys," did you think the same thing about Jurassic Park? Same kind of movie.
It's funny, the 1976 version had similar reactions to its box office run, but it was one of the biggest hits of that year and made a huge profit. The big difference is that this version has gotten very good reviews across the board (for the most part), where the 1976 version was savaged by the critics.
How's that a disappointment? King Kong is a worldwide hit. It may be performing less than expected in the U.S. - but it seems to be doing extremely well everywhere else.
It's a great movie, and if it isn't the biggest hit of the year that doesn't take away from how good it is.
Oh, by the way, for those who think that Kong is just for the "fanboys," did you think the same thing about Jurassic Park? Same kind of movie.
It's funny, the 1976 version had similar reactions to its box office run, but it was one of the biggest hits of that year and made a huge profit. The big difference is that this version has gotten very good reviews across the board (for the most part), where the 1976 version was savaged by the critics.
#154
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
C'mon guys!! We're just discussing box office. I haven't seen the film yet, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it. It's an interesting discussion. Does anyone really care what a film does? Nobody owns shares in these studios, and nobody receives any percentages from the takes of these film.
#155
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Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
BTW, with movies like Munich, Fun With Dick & Jane, Cheaper By The Dozen 2, The Producers, and Rumor Has It ALL coming out this next week, and with Narnia and Potter still going strong - don't expect Kong to pull in much more than 25 or 30 million NEXT weekend...although it should still be the number one film. If it makes less than 25 million next weekend, Peter Jackson might have to go into hiding...
#156
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Coral
I guess you own shares in Universal?
Otherwise, how does the boxoffice success/failure of a film affect you personally?
Otherwise, how does the boxoffice success/failure of a film affect you personally?
Yeah, a lot of people in this thread is acting like they have a personal stake in the movie...
Just for the record, I LIKED the movie. And it IS a box office disappointment (so far, at least).
#157
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by B5Erik
I'm surprised at how the Kong bashers seem to be ignoring the MONSTER results that the movie is seeing overseas. It looks like this thing will make it's money back in 2 weeks at this rate..
#158
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Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
Yeah, a lot of people in this thread is acting like they have a personal stake in the movie...
Just for the record, I LIKED the movie. And it IS a box office disappointment (so far, at least).
Just for the record, I LIKED the movie. And it IS a box office disappointment (so far, at least).
#160
DVD Talk Godfather
Originally Posted by B5Erik
I'm surprised at how the Kong bashers seem to be ignoring the MONSTER results that the movie is seeing overseas. It looks like this thing will make it's money back in 2 weeks at this rate.
How's that a disappointment? King Kong is a worldwide hit. It may be performing less than expected in the U.S. - but it seems to be doing extremely well everywhere else.
It's a great movie, and if it isn't the biggest hit of the year that doesn't take away from how good it is.
Oh, by the way, for those who think that Kong is just for the "fanboys," did you think the same thing about Jurassic Park? Same kind of movie.
It's funny, the 1976 version had similar reactions to its box office run, but it was one of the biggest hits of that year and made a huge profit. The big difference is that this version has gotten very good reviews across the board (for the most part), where the 1976 version was savaged by the critics.
How's that a disappointment? King Kong is a worldwide hit. It may be performing less than expected in the U.S. - but it seems to be doing extremely well everywhere else.
It's a great movie, and if it isn't the biggest hit of the year that doesn't take away from how good it is.
Oh, by the way, for those who think that Kong is just for the "fanboys," did you think the same thing about Jurassic Park? Same kind of movie.
It's funny, the 1976 version had similar reactions to its box office run, but it was one of the biggest hits of that year and made a huge profit. The big difference is that this version has gotten very good reviews across the board (for the most part), where the 1976 version was savaged by the critics.
#161
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally Posted by Shannon Nutt
Yeah, a lot of people in this thread is acting like they have a personal stake in the movie...
At least all you Kong fans know what us Serenity fans were going through a few months ago, when no one would go see OUR film.
#163
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Well..they got my money today. I saw it today based on WOM, and me and the wife both thought it was amazing. Anyone we talk to tomorrow about the movie will get an earful, and they'll tell two friends..and they'll tell two friends.....and so on..and so on....
I'm more worried that if the movie does do well Sony might think greenlighting Godzilla 2 would be a good idea. And nobody wants that.
I'm more worried that if the movie does do well Sony might think greenlighting Godzilla 2 would be a good idea. And nobody wants that.
#164
DVD Talk Legend
Shannon: FWIW, I think Kong and Serenity shared a lot of audience when it comes to this message board. It kind of sucks for me because I liked them both, both were well received by critics, and both can't seem to connect with audiences. Technically, the jury is still out on Kong, but Serenity is long dead and buried.
#165
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Originally Posted by Dr. DVD
Shannon: FWIW, I think Kong and Serenity shared a lot of audience when it comes to this message board. It kind of sucks for me because I liked them both, both were well received by critics, and both can't seem to connect with audiences. Technically, the jury is still out on Kong, but Serenity is long dead and buried.
#166
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Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema
All the films experienced it.
Hmmm...that sounds familiar...
Originally Posted by scott shelton
Not really. It was just a Saturday spike.
All the films experienced it.
All the films experienced it.
#167
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by fumanstan
Just because people feel the opening weekend is a dissapointment or a "flop" does not mean they're a Kong basher. I haven't really heard anyone here in this thread writing about how much they hated the movie and saying that it deserves to do poorly.
Titanic (as noted many times) opened with about the same numbers, even adjusting for inflation (maybe even smaller numbers). I don't remember people calling that one a box office disappointment after 5 days (which they certainly could have based on the budget). Most people seemed to take a, "wait and see," attitude towards the entire run of that movie, and I don't see why some people aren't doing the same with this one.
King Kong is doing great business overall when you look at the worldwide numbers - enough that if the studio & Peter Jackson were interested they would likely greenlight a sequel (which is very unlikely since neither is really interested in doing "Son of Kong" - even though I'd love to see it).
#168
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Originally Posted by B5Erik
I don't remember people calling that one a box office disappointment after 5 days (which they certainly could have based on the budget).
But, again, most eyes were on the James Bond film that weekend.
#169
DVD Talk Legend
Titanic did beat out Bond that week (and every week), and I remember most people in the business saying that weeks 2 & 3 would tell the tale. They did - the movie just kept on going and going and going...
I don't expect Kong to do that, but I do still expect it to top $200 million in the U.S.
I don't expect Kong to do that, but I do still expect it to top $200 million in the U.S.
#171
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I know that Titanic had a slow start and picked up steam, but I don't see people who aren't neccesarily fans of action movies and monsters going to see this. For instance, my grandma won't see King Kong but she saw Titanic because of it's historical significance. She's not going to see Kong for the love story or acting.
#172
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to some degree, King kong is a historically significant movie that the elderly who remember the original will have some interest to see it.
Though yes, that doesn't mean it will pick up steam
Though yes, that doesn't mean it will pick up steam
#173
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Originally Posted by Matt Millheiser
Films opened smaller and lasted longer.
I respectfully disagree. I really don't think the business has changed that dramatically since then.
Again, the TITANIC example is a strange one for people to pull out of their ass, since that was a one-in-a-million style of hit.
#174
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
King kong is a historically significant movie that the elderly who remember the original will have some interest to see it.
#175
DVD Talk Legend
'King Kong' Mighty But No Monster
From boxofficemojo.com
King Kong did not scale expectations that were as high as the Empire State Building, but the giant gorilla had some reason to pound his chest.
Director Peter Jackson's $207 million remake of the of the seminal 1933 creature feature grabbed an estimated $50.1 million over the weekend from around 7,500 screens at 3,568 theaters. It ranks as the fourth highest-grossing first weekend on record for a December release, behind the last two Lord of the Rings movies and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Since bowing Wednesday, the three-hour thrill ride has amassed an estimated $66.2 million in five days, below distributor Universal Pictures' publicly-stated benchmark, the $75 million of Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and much lower than media and industry hype that had hoped for over $100 million. (Rival studios pegged Kong at $48 million and lower for the three-day weekend; actuals will be reported on Monday.)
"I think the industry and the media did not understand how a three hour movie performs," said Marc Shmuger, vice chairman of Universal. "Take Lord of the Rings out because that comes with the Tolkien nuts, and there aren't any examples. It's not surprising that we didn't understand it. As crazy as it is, the only one you can point to is Titanic. [King Kong] is writing its own pattern."
Shmuger noted how Kong enjoyed a bigger Saturday bump over Friday (40 percent) than any of the Lord of the Rings pictures or Titanic. "It suggests growing momentum behind the numbers," he added. "I'm feeling incredibly bullish."
Universal's exit polling on Saturday indicated that Kong's demographics skewed slightly male (53 percent), allaying concerns that it wouldn't play to women, and over 25 years old (55 percent). The "story," the "action" and the "special effects" were the top reasons people saw Kong, while, in reaction-tracker CinemaScore's surveys, moviegoers gave the picture an overall grade of "A-."
Still, King Kong, from its budget to its release pattern, is the kind of picture designed to devour the box office. The fact that it's not quite the behemoth it was positioned to be is a disappointment, especially given the resources and time tied up in such a production. Fortunately for Kong, the opening was powerful enough to establish a likely box office reign through the holidays—December is less about opening weekends than it is capitalizing on each day of Christmas vacation.
Despite the size of the production and Universal's showmanship, industry and media expectations were inflated, with reasons ranging from studio rivalry to a desire to see business turn around in a down year. Similar pictures to King Kong, like the remakes of Godzilla and Mighty Joe Young in 1998, failed in the past. Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park was an exception in part because of novelty but also because it was about humans experiencing dinosaurs for the
Adrien Brody and Jack Back in King Kong
first time—humans were presented as the main characters, the entry points for the audience, not the beasts as was the case with Kong's marketing.
Transforming the 1933 version's lecherous beast into a sensitive, realistic-looking gorilla did not help matters. Despite the digital bombast, Kong appears smaller than the stop-motion classic. He looks like a gorilla simply shown at giant scale, not the monster people know and love. What's more, while the original Kong is one of the most famous movies in history, it's a picture that resonates mostly for its innovation and influence—at its root, it was a well made B picture—and it's not a premise that screams "three-hour running time."
On top of the domestic haul, King Kong raked in an estimated $80.1 million from 8,123 playdates in 55 foreign markets, which Universal said was the ninth biggest overseas launch on record. That brings the five-day worldwide tally to $146 million. "What we're seeing internationally is what we're seeing domestically," said Schmuger. "We went from a $15.5 million Friday to a $24.5 million Saturday. The movie's momentum is building."
Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton in The Family Stone
The Family Stone was the only wide release to venture out in the shadow of the ape, and the $18 million Christmas-set comedy-drama was greeted with a solid $12.7 million estimate from 2,466 venues. Distributor 20th Century Fox's Friday surveys suggested that 77 percent of the audience was female, which Fox head of distribution Bruce Snyder said was his counter-programming target demographic. "I was hoping for $10 million, which for pre-Christmas would have been terrific," Snyder claimed.
Last weekend's champion, The Chronicles of Narnia, retreated 52 percent to an estimated $31.2 million. With $112.5 million in ten days, the family fantasy is firmly established to continue its box office crusade through the holidays.
Director Peter Jackson's $207 million remake of the of the seminal 1933 creature feature grabbed an estimated $50.1 million over the weekend from around 7,500 screens at 3,568 theaters. It ranks as the fourth highest-grossing first weekend on record for a December release, behind the last two Lord of the Rings movies and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Since bowing Wednesday, the three-hour thrill ride has amassed an estimated $66.2 million in five days, below distributor Universal Pictures' publicly-stated benchmark, the $75 million of Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and much lower than media and industry hype that had hoped for over $100 million. (Rival studios pegged Kong at $48 million and lower for the three-day weekend; actuals will be reported on Monday.)
"I think the industry and the media did not understand how a three hour movie performs," said Marc Shmuger, vice chairman of Universal. "Take Lord of the Rings out because that comes with the Tolkien nuts, and there aren't any examples. It's not surprising that we didn't understand it. As crazy as it is, the only one you can point to is Titanic. [King Kong] is writing its own pattern."
Shmuger noted how Kong enjoyed a bigger Saturday bump over Friday (40 percent) than any of the Lord of the Rings pictures or Titanic. "It suggests growing momentum behind the numbers," he added. "I'm feeling incredibly bullish."
Universal's exit polling on Saturday indicated that Kong's demographics skewed slightly male (53 percent), allaying concerns that it wouldn't play to women, and over 25 years old (55 percent). The "story," the "action" and the "special effects" were the top reasons people saw Kong, while, in reaction-tracker CinemaScore's surveys, moviegoers gave the picture an overall grade of "A-."
Still, King Kong, from its budget to its release pattern, is the kind of picture designed to devour the box office. The fact that it's not quite the behemoth it was positioned to be is a disappointment, especially given the resources and time tied up in such a production. Fortunately for Kong, the opening was powerful enough to establish a likely box office reign through the holidays—December is less about opening weekends than it is capitalizing on each day of Christmas vacation.
Despite the size of the production and Universal's showmanship, industry and media expectations were inflated, with reasons ranging from studio rivalry to a desire to see business turn around in a down year. Similar pictures to King Kong, like the remakes of Godzilla and Mighty Joe Young in 1998, failed in the past. Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park was an exception in part because of novelty but also because it was about humans experiencing dinosaurs for the
Adrien Brody and Jack Back in King Kong
first time—humans were presented as the main characters, the entry points for the audience, not the beasts as was the case with Kong's marketing.
Transforming the 1933 version's lecherous beast into a sensitive, realistic-looking gorilla did not help matters. Despite the digital bombast, Kong appears smaller than the stop-motion classic. He looks like a gorilla simply shown at giant scale, not the monster people know and love. What's more, while the original Kong is one of the most famous movies in history, it's a picture that resonates mostly for its innovation and influence—at its root, it was a well made B picture—and it's not a premise that screams "three-hour running time."
On top of the domestic haul, King Kong raked in an estimated $80.1 million from 8,123 playdates in 55 foreign markets, which Universal said was the ninth biggest overseas launch on record. That brings the five-day worldwide tally to $146 million. "What we're seeing internationally is what we're seeing domestically," said Schmuger. "We went from a $15.5 million Friday to a $24.5 million Saturday. The movie's momentum is building."
Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton in The Family Stone
The Family Stone was the only wide release to venture out in the shadow of the ape, and the $18 million Christmas-set comedy-drama was greeted with a solid $12.7 million estimate from 2,466 venues. Distributor 20th Century Fox's Friday surveys suggested that 77 percent of the audience was female, which Fox head of distribution Bruce Snyder said was his counter-programming target demographic. "I was hoping for $10 million, which for pre-Christmas would have been terrific," Snyder claimed.
Last weekend's champion, The Chronicles of Narnia, retreated 52 percent to an estimated $31.2 million. With $112.5 million in ten days, the family fantasy is firmly established to continue its box office crusade through the holidays.