islandclaws

1. Early North American box office numbers show that Universal Pictures is going to enjoy something it hasn't had in a very long time: a big hit film. That's because rival studios say that weeks of great parent-kid family tracking for Despicable Me 3D today is translating into "amazing" attendance of $21.7 million for what could be a $58.1M weekend opening despite having two other 3D family films in the marketplace. Still, Despicable Me found 3,476 theaters, of which 1,551 locations will be in 3D.

2. Hollywood is expecting $35M for Summit Entertainment's holdover -- the Twilight Saga threequel Eclipse which made $10.9 million today, -61%, from its record-setting wide release of 4,468 locations a week ago. New cume is a gigantic $238M for the U.S. and Canada. Everyone knew this was a front-loaded pic.

3. Robert Rodriguez also is a magician when it comes to filmmaking budgets, especially at his Troublemaker studios in Austin. Still, it's a shocker that in this day and age of $300M negative cost movies he managed to bring in Twentieth Century Fox's Predators for just $38M as its writer-producer. That takes enormous pressure off this R-rated scifi actioner riffing off the 1987 original with Adrien Brody substituting for Arnold Schwarzenegger. (I know... I know...) It looks to perform on target with $10.4 million today and maybe a $25.8M opening this weekend from 2,661 theaters.

4. Starting its 4th week in release, Disney's Toy Story 3 keeps raking it in. The 3D megahit made $6.6 million today for probably a $22M weekend and mighty new cume of $342M.

5. On its 9th day in release, Paramount's The Last Airbender made $5.3 million today for an expected $17M from 3,233 dates and a possible cume of $100.7M.

6. Grown Ups (Sony) Week 3 [3,463 Theaters]
Friday $5M, Estimated Weekend $16.5M, Est Cume $111M

Today it will become Adam Sandler's 11th picture to hit $100 million in the last 12 years. Pretty amazing.

7. Knight and Day (Fox) Week 3 [2,628 Theaters]
Friday $2.3M, Estimated Weekend $7.5M, Est Cume $62M
8. Karate Kid (Sony) Week 5 [2,458 Theaters]
Friday $1.7M, Estimated Weekend $6.3M, Est Cume $165.2M
9. The A-Team (Fox) Week 5 [1,236]
Friday $550K, Estimated Weekend $1.7M, Est Cume $74.5M
10. Cyrus (Fox Searchlight) Week 4 [200 Theaters]
Friday $365K, Estimated Weekend $1M, Est Cume $3.2M


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Solid opening for Predators. Even if the film isn't as amazing as I wanted it to be, a good return means that we should get a sequel, which I'm definitely game for. I was just happy to have a good action movie to sit through this summer. Now just a short wait until The Expendables (or far too long, if you ask Solid Snake) can boost my testosterone to infinite levels.

TS3 is now the highest-grossing film of the year, btw.

Edit: to add refined numbers from DHD.

Mr. Cinema

Very impressive opening for Predators, especially when it's only at 2,669 theaters. For a major franchise opening today, that's a pretty small number. I'm seeing it tomorrow and very much looking forward to it.

Iron Man 2 should eek to $310 mil after the weekend. A-Team is closing in on $75 mil. Hopefully it can stretch that to $80 mil. That's the one movie that should have done better numbers.

Matthew Chmiel

Would you say that Predators is apart of a "major" franchise?

Predator: $60m domestic gross ($12m opening weekend)
Predator 2: $31m domestic gross ($9m opening weekend)
Alien vs. Predator: $80m domestic gross ($39m opening weekend)
Alien vs. Predator - Requiem: $42m domestic gross ($10m opening weekend)

I don't even know if I would consider it a "highly regarded" franchise as most hated the AvP films and some (including myself) consider Predator 2 to be a guilty pleasure.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited it did well. However, let's hope Fox keeps Rodriguez on board as producer for a sequel and not fuck up again... like its done numerous times on this franchise.

I'm honestly shocked that the production budget of Despicable Me only cost $70m. Okay, the P&A budget is probably sky high due to the barrage of advertising Universal has put us through; but with most of the "big" CGI-animated films coming from DreamWorks and PIXAR costing $150m (Shrek 4 and Toy Story 3 both cost $200m alone in production), it's weird to see one that looks just as good but costing only a third of the price.

Mr. Cinema

Considering how popular and highly regarded the original is, I'd say the Predator brand is a major franchise. Mega franchise to me is stuff like Harry Potter, Batman, Star Wars, etc. So yeah, I'd use major to describe Predator. I'm sure the original's numbers would be much higher using today's ticket prices.

The Antipodean

I think people THINK Predator is more of a major franchise than it actually was as it's built up a rep over the years. The only one I've ever had time for was the first one and I consider the second and the Alien ones pretty poor attempts to MAKE it a major franchise. Haven't seen the new one yet, though I hope to soon...

resinrats

I wouldn't say Predator is major but it is highly recognizable by many people.

JJE-187

Kinda surprised The Last Airbender did better than A-Team and Knight & Day

Thrush

Kids movies = $

JJE-187

Delgo. Battle For Terra.

Solid Snake

Since 1991, baby. WOOO! I can't wait!

On a more serious note. I'm glad that Predators did pretty good. Add in that that this fucker will have even stronger legs on DVD/BD.

Thrush

Neither of which had the built in audience and name recognition of Air Bender.

Drexl

Hopefully it will lead to a proper special edition of the movie on BD.

Solid Snake

as in with all those badass features? Yeah...hopefully he doesn't pull a Grindhouse or Sin City.

Drexl

Oh crap, I meant to say the original Predator. That one needs a proper SE.

Solid Snake

Ah...yes...one day. We'll get a proper SE of that awesome action classic on BD. Damn you, DNRing fuckers at Fox. UGHHHH!

d2cheer

And I would not in this day and age consider a summer movie opening to ~25 million a hit either regardless of the budget. Word of mouth might carry it but I doubt it. Good thing the budget was low.

Sean O'Hara

Predator was a major film, but the franchise itself is pretty minor.

rexinnih

Can't believe how Rodriquez can bring in an action movie at that cost.

The Bus

Considering the number of Predator games and comics, I'd say it's a major franchise, but not a "mega" franchise. It's on par with many horror films.

And it's' certainly a notch (or two) below Aliens.

Mr. Cinema

BOM:

1 N Despicable Me Uni. $60,117,000 - 3,476 - $17,295 $60,117,000 $69 1
2 1 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Sum. $33,400,000 -48.5% 4,468 - $7,475 $237,000,000 $68 2
3 N Predators Fox $25,300,000 - 2,669 - $9,479 $25,300,000 $40 1
4 3 Toy Story 3 BV $22,000,000 -27.3% 3,753 -275 $5,862 $340,200,000 $200 4
5 2 The Last Airbender Par. $17,150,000 -57.5% 3,203 +34 $5,354 $100,227,000 $150 2
6 4 Grown Ups Sony $16,400,000 -13.9% 3,463 -71 $4,736 $111,315,000 $80 3
7 5 Knight & Day Fox $7,850,000 -24.8% 2,628 -476 $2,987 $61,939,000 $117 3
8 6 The Karate Kid Sony $5,700,000 -28.8% 2,458 -651 $2,319 $164,600,000 $40 5
9 7 The A-Team Fox $1,800,000 -43.6% 1,236 -917 $1,456 $73,971,000 $110 5
10 11 Cyrus FoxS $1,375,000 +77.5% 200 +123 $6,875 $3,521,000 $7 4
11 N The Girl Who Played with Fire MBox $965,000 - 110 - $8,773 $965,000 - 1
12 8 Get Him to the Greek Uni. $707,000 -42.7% 442 -442 $1,600 $59,420,000 $40 6

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I guess people just can't get enough of Adam Sandler. That is a superb hold. It's smooth sailing for them until Schmucks shows up in 3 weeks. And it looks like Knight & Day has found its audience.

Predators also took in $18 mil overseas, so it's off to a very strong start. Can't believe the production budget was only $40 mil. RR knows how to make 'em cheap. Universal's last big opening movie was Fast & Furious with $70 mil way back on April 3, 2009. They haven't had much to be excited about since then, so they are probably ecstatic about their new animated hit.

clappj

Fixed.

Daytripper

Woo hoo!! ROCK ON, "Girl"! Making nearly a million this weekend and only playing in 110 theaters. I went to my local art house theaters today to see "I Am Love" and poked my head in the auditorium playing this (the biggest theater) and it was completely packed. At 4:30.

whoopdido

Right. The movies, themselves, might not have been major hits, but the Predator character is one of the more recognizable movies characters around. Not the most recognizable. Not even in the top 10, but nonetheless a very recognizable character in movie history.

Giles

soooo, just out of curiosity how far did 'Jonah Hex' fall in terms of box office intake for last week?

Solid Snake

FUck..I totally forgot about film. Never saw it...but...well...I don't usually forget about recent US mainstream films....well guess that shows how weak it is.