Note: Links don't work... I'm too lazy to take them out:

TW	LW	Title (Click to view daily chart)	Studio	Weekend Gross	% Change	Theater Count/Change		Average	Total Gross	Cost*	Week #
1	1	The Passion of the Christ	NM	$51,392,000	-38.7%	3,170	+127	$16,211	$212,034,000	$30 / $15	2
2	N	Starsky and Hutch	WB	$29,050,000	-	3,185	-	$9,120	$29,050,000	$60 / $25	1
3	N	Hidalgo	Dis.	$19,630,000	-	3,063	-	$6,408	$19,630,000	$100 / $25	1
4	2	50 First Dates	Sony	$7,700,000	-38.7%	3,040	-410	$2,532	$99,411,000	$75 / -	4
5	3	Twisted	Par.	$5,025,000	-43.6%	2,704	+1	$1,858	$16,382,000	- / -	2
6	4	Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen	Dis.	$4,036,000	-36.4%	2,180	-323	$1,851	$21,794,000	- / -	3
7	11	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	NL	$3,175,000	46%	1,903	+791	$1,668	$368,347,000	$94 / $50	12
8	5	Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights	Lions	$2,850,000	-51%	2,042	-	$1,395	$10,039,000	$25 / -	2
9	6	Miracle	Dis.	$2,638,000	-41%	1,654	-568	$1,594	$59,917,000	- / -	5
10	13	Monster	NM	$2,250,000	12.1%	1,082	+114	$2,079	$30,081,000	$8 / $10	11

Courtesy of www.boxofficemojo.com

Gibson is a genius.

Wow, another $100 mil hit for Sandler. Passion

Pretty solid openings for both Hidalgo and Starsky and Hutch.

In the next two weeks I plan on seeing both of these films. I hope they both do well.

Brilliant selection of opening dates for S&H and Hidalgo. Catch all the folks who were shut out for Passion ...

I mean really. Has anybody seen a weekend in early March with this much box office gross? SH and Hidalgo had to benefit from the Passion sell outs.

I guarantee that S&H would have had better numbers without the competition from Passion. I'm not as sure about Hildalgo in those regards.

I'll agree to that. Studio's weren't counting on S&H to have competition and they sure as hell didn't plan any brilliant selection of opening dates to catch folks who were shut out for passions.

Passion is #5 on the all time second weekend BO, based on estimates. I think it will beat TPM when the actual numbers are released.

Top 5 Second Weekends:
1 Spider-Man $71,417,527
2 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone $57,487,755
3 How the Grinch Stole Christmas $52,118,445
4 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace $51,399,863
5 The Passion of the Christ $51,392,000

It also now has the #1 BO weekend for both February and March. I think it is the first movie ever to do that (have #1 weekends in two different months).

It will also become the highest grossing R rated movie ever.

Current: The Matrix Reloaded $281,576,461

After 12 days Reloaded had $200,773,759, (versus Passion's $212,034,000) and it was VERY front loaded and had a much higher drop off than Passion is seeing (60% on second weekend VS 40% for Passion). Passion will probably be the first R rated movie to pass $300.

You mean the one will beat out the one?

Whoa.

$20M is a pretty good take for Viggo. Looks like he finally reached leading man status.

Impossible! Something smells fishy about that...

Final Figures for Weekend March 5 - 7, 2004
TW	LW	Movie	Studio	Fri - Sun Gross (Millions)	Pct. Chg.	Theater Count	Change	Screen Avg.	Total Gross	Cost	Weeks
1	1	The Passion of the Christ	NM	$53,246,801	-36.50%	3,170	127	$16,797	$213,888,740	$30 / $15	2
2	N	Starsky and Hutch	WB	$28,103,367	-	3,185	-	$8,823	$28,103,367	$60 / $25	1
3	N	Hidalgo	Dis.	$18,829,435	-	3,063	-	$6,147	$18,829,435	$100 / $25	1
4	2	50 First Dates	Sony	$7,637,128	-39.20%	3,040	-410	$2,512	$99,348,370	$75 / -	4
5	3	Twisted	Par.	$5,126,387	-42.40%	2,704	1	$1,895	$16,483,793	- / -	2
6	4	Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen	Dis.	$4,045,006	-36.30%	2,180	-323	$1,855	$21,803,186	- / -	3
7	11	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	NL	$3,037,822	39.70%	1,903	791	$1,596	$368,210,170	$94 / $50	12
8	5	Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights	Lions	$2,962,008	-49%	2,042	-	$1,450	$10,149,976	$25 / -	2
9	6	Miracle	Dis.	$2,543,422	-43.10%	1,654	-568	$1,537	$59,822,969	- / -	5
10	13	Monster	NM	$2,123,915	5.90%	1,082	114	$1,962	$29,954,254	$8 / $10	11

Still going strong!

Chris

Well it's actually #3 now, $53,246,801


Chris

Hopefully you know I was joking about the opening date. That was obviously set months ago.

However, I do happen to believe there was some residual benefit for those movies. Find me an early March date where the top 3 gross over 100 mil. I doubt SH does much better than 28 mil w/o Passion but maybe not much worse either. SH is not blockbuster material regardless of what's playing.

Yeah, I think S&H did exactly what it would have, with or without The Passion. This film is atypical, making crap loads of money and not really pulling from what I would say is the normal movie going audience. So I think the effect on the rest of the box office is probably rather muted.

Actually, I don't know where the sentiment for S&H doing better than 28 mil w/o Passion is coming from. Isn't this the biggest opening for either Stiller or Wilson? Why should this one do any better than their previous efforts. It isn't like the TV show was all that popular and it certainly isn't summer yet...