Box Office Numbers

I want to see Wanted and Wall-E. Both look pretty awesome.

Batman Is Robbin' The Box Office
22 July 2008 10:34 AM, PDT

Although some industry analysts had contended that Warner Bros. had inflated its estimate of what The Dark Knight took in on Sunday so that it could claim a record weekend, the final box office result showed that the studio's estimate was actually conservative. The film grossed $158.3 million, some $3 million more than the studio's forecast, according to the final figures from box-office trackers Media by Numbers. Perhaps most impressive of all was the per-theater gross at IMAX venues -- an average of more than $67,000 each. (And that doesn't count profits from IMAX tickets that were scalped on eBay for upwards of $50 apiece.) At the same time, Mamma Mia, starring Meryl Street set a box-office record for the best domestic opening for a musical as it grossed $27.7 million, edging out the previous record holder, Hair Spray, which took in $27.5 million last year.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):
1. The Dark Knight, Warner Bros., $158,411,483, (New);
2. Mamma Mia!, Universal, $27,751,240, (New);
3. Hancock, Sony, $14,040,178, 3 Wks. ($191,543,979);
4. Journey to the Center of the Earth, Warner Bros., $12,340,435, 2 Wks. ($43,504,712);
5. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Universal, $10,117,815, 2 Wks. ($56,526,885);
6. Wall-e, Disney, $10,070,396, 4 Wks. ($182,732,709);
7. Space Chimps, Fox, $7,181,374, (New);
8. Wanted, Universal, $5,072,805, 4 Wks. ($123,322,635);
9. Get Smart, Warner Bros., $4,125,021, 5 Wks. ($119,608,695);
10. Kung Fu Panda, Paramount, $1,860,854, 7 Wks. ($206,616,381).

So does that make The Dark Knight the biggest first week opening in cinema history? It doesn't specifically say so, but...

We're still in the first week, homie. Goes until Thursday.

It probably will be.

I wonder if the box office take will dip because of Bale allegedly roughing up his mom and sister.

-HECK!

I read an article about the deal with his sister and mum. It's interesting, they're both quick to come out and say "it's a private, family matter" but add "the police are looking into it."

Not really a private family matter, then, is it?

The other thing that strikes me as odd is they were in his hotel room at the time. It also says that he moved to LA to be with his father (who is an environment activist) when he was young. His mother and sister continued to live in the UK.

It all sounds fishy, if you ask me.

Total fish factor. Who knows. But all people see is 'arrested' and 'battery'. Perception is reality.

-HECK!

The Bat let his woman get blown up by Joker, what's a few hits to a mom and sister?

The Dark Knight set a record for 5-day sales.

$200 million.

Ya'll hear? $200 MILLION!

I hear ya bubba.

$200 mill. That's what, twice what I make in a year. Psss.

-HECK!

I don't understand why everyone's so surprised that Batman is breaking all these records. It was set to be a great movie in the first place, Heath's performance was touted as being Oscar-worthy even before he died, the movie was generally said to be the best Batman movie yet, and then Heath dies, well of course that increases the profile of the movie and then it didn't really have any other big movies to compete with in it's opening weekend. OF COURSE it was going to rake in the money. Duh!

Everybody knew it was going to make money, but $200 million in 5 days! Biggest 5 day earnings ever. It killed the previous record. Incredible.

Is it going to sink the Titanic?

Titanic sunk itself by sucking so bad. Ziiing.

Yeah... that's why it grossed so much money!!

I have no idea why it grossed so much. I guess folks needed an epic love story around that time. It didn't hurt that it had Leo in it.

But it's still top of my 'Top 10 Worst Ways To Spend 3 Hours' list.

I don't think that it was a bad movie. But, it isn't one that I'd want to watch, over and over. I can tolerate it... if I have it in small doses.

Still, I'm praying that "The Dark Knight" will take it's place as the all time biggest grossing movie. I think that it has the potential since it's already taken in well over $300 million.

Hard to say, it needs to rake in $600 million. If I remember right, there were women lining up for weeks seeing the movie time after time. Skipping work and all that.

hmmm... Notice how you find the DVD in bargain bins now?



I'll admit it had good moments in it, but it should have stuck to the ship sinking. The love story was just tedious.

It looks set to beat everything but Titanic in the top grossing movies list.

Grant... the love story was added in because it would sale tickets. And, the story about the necklace was true. There was a woman who had a blue diamond on the Titanic, and they've been searching for it, for years. That actual woman was interviewed. I remember seeing that.


I think that "The Dark Knight" has the potential to break those records, and that a lot of people are seeing it multiple times. I know that I wouldn't mind going to see it again. It was KICK ASS!!!

I don't know if it'll reach 600 million, but it'll definitely beat the 460-something million that is second place (Star Wars Episode IV, unfortunately...).

Yeah, the love story in Titanic was what sold tickets to so many women over those many, many months the movie showed. Still think it's the most overrated movie ever. And you know, I've never met anybody who has said their favorite movie is The Titanic?

It's definitely not mine. Though, it's a favorite of one of my exes... and that isn't saying much (about her).

No, no, no. Millions of 12-17-year-old chicks saw this flick and creamed shorts, so they saw it time and time again.

Plus, it showed in far less screens initially and throughout its run. Blockbusters these days shoot their load too early and open on as many screens possible for more money in the short run.

-HECK!

Can Knight Beat Titanic?
12 August 2008 10:36 AM, PDT

The Dark Knight has come within striking distance of displacing the original Star Wars as the second-highest-grossing movie of all time. Final weekend figures released by Media by Numbers on Monday indicated that the latest Batman sequel grossed $26.1 million over the weekend to keep it at No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week.

It has now grossed $441.32 million, or about $20 million short of Star Wars' achievement. However, it's far behind the George Lucas classic when inflation is taken into account. If tickets in 1977, when Star Wars came out, had cost what they do today, the movie would have earned $1.23 billion -- an amount The Dark Knight has no chance of equaling. (When adjusted for inflation the top film of all time is Gone With the Wind, which would have made $1.26 billion in today's dollars.)

Analysts also suggest that it has no chance of equaling the $600 million (unadjusted for inflation) that Titanic took in a decade ago. Indeed Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman conceded as much in an interview appearing in today's (Tuesday) Hollywood Reporter. "Titanic was once in a lifetime, and I don't think we'll ever have another gross like that in the history of the industry," Fellman said.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):
1. The Dark Knight, Warner Bros., $26,117,030, 4 Wks. ($441,628,497);
2. Pineapple Express, Sony, $23,245,025, 1 Wks. ($41,318,736 (From Wednesday);
3. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Universal, $16,490,970, 2 Wks. ($71048920);
4. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Warner Bros., $10,678,430, 1 Wks. ($19,620,128 (From Wednesday);
5. Step Brothers, Sony, $9,128,662, 3 Wks. ($81132136);
6. Mamma Mia!, Universal, $8,208,580, 4 Wks. ($104,144,505);
7. Journey to the Center of the Earth, Warner Bros., $4,871,478, 5 Wks. ($81,775,323);
8. Hancock, Sony, $3,317,450, 5 Wks. ($221,726,791);
9. Wall-e, Disney, $3140083, 7 Wks. ($210,206,582);
10. Swing Vote, Disney, $3,125,290, 2 Wks. ($12,020,828).