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SUNDAY AM: Weekend estimates show that the sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian‘s 3-day opening fell far short of the original despite a No. 1 box office finish this weekend. 
The 2005 first installment of the joint Disney/Walden Media fantasy, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was a surprise success with a $65 million weekend debut. But the sequel grossed only $56.6 million for FSS after earning $19.3 million Friday from 3,929 theaters. The pic managed only a modest 5% bump for Saturday, when kiddie matinees usually rule, to take in $20.3 million. With an estimated $17 million Sunday, that’s a total far less than the $80M which box office analysts expected this weekend. The main problem was the sequel’s darker content: the friendly woodland creatures gave way to murder and betrayal and political intrigue as the sequel devolved into what reviewers complained was basically a war movie. That proved bad for domestic box office. Internationally, the sequel did much better: opening day and date in 12 markets, Disney said Sunday that Prince Caspian earned $20.7 million, which represents a 27% improvement over the first Narnia. (Above, Saturday matinee for Narnia 2 at El Capitan. Photo by Jim Stevenson)
Marvel/Paramount’s blockbuster Iron Man came in #2 with $8.7M from 4,154 venues Friday and $13.5M Saturday for a new cume of $222.4M and a $31.2M weekend. Fox’s romantic comedy What Happens in Vegas placed 3rd with $13.8M f(-31%) from 3,255 plays for the weekend for a new cume of $40.3M. Warner Bros’ anime actioner Speed Racer continues as a major bomb, ending Friday No. 4 with only $7.7M (-59%). The $160M movie’s cume is just $29.8M — which means it won’t get beyond $50M in total domestic box office. Sony’s Made of Honor came in #5 with $4.6M weekend and cume of $34M. Universal’s Baby Mama placed 6th with a $4.5M weekend and new cume of $47.2M. The No. 7 pic was Universal’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall with $2.5M for the weekend and new cume of $55M. In 8th place, Warner Bros’ Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay took in $1.8M for FSS for a new $33.9M cume. The Weinstein Co/Lionsgate’s The Forbidden Kingdom took 9th with $1M and a new cume of $50.3M. And, rounding out the Top 10, Overture Films’ The Visitor earned $687K for a new $3.4M cume. Overall, box office is way down from last year when Shrek 3 ruled the box office by opening to a gargantuan $121 mil.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Billy, I’m a bit confused by your post. I neither recommend nor condemn the choice to make the film darker. I just predicted it would lower the draw for the film.
Also, this is not an argument about a film series known as high art. It is Entertainment with a capital E.
Comment by Billy Walsh — May 18, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
Billy, I am no ‘regular studio suits’ but what I am is a moviegoer and we’re the ones that the movie studios should be listening to if they want us to fork out our money to pay for the movie they put in the cinemas. Sure, I know nothing about the production, direction etc..but if these producers and directors wants me to watch their end-product, then they better deliver something I am willing to watch for 2 and half hours and not regretting what I could have done better with that wasted time.
We’re not asking for much are we? A movie that entertains, that makes us want to go for repeat viewings, that forces us to be the 1st to watch it when it hits the big screen, that made us grab the video as soon as it is out.
Give us what we want and we will reply with our pockets. audien
Though Prince Caspian was down from the first Narnia picture, I’d be interested in knowing if The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe had another film with the appeal of Iron Man playing at the same time of its debut. With the darker themes of the current film, its box office seems very respectable.
Alfie –
Generally family films released in the winter tend to do better than those released in the summer because there is so much more competition in the summer.
Consider the legs of recent family films released in the winter such as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Night at the Museum or the first Narnia.
This one has to keep going up against Speed Racer, Iron Man and a new blockbuster every week following.
I’m thinking this movie would have done better if released during the holiday season, but would hardly call it a disappointment after a 60-mil opening. If anything, the predictions by the “experts” were poorly calculated.
I went to see Prince Caspian on Friday and loved it. Unlike the first one, I will be going back to see it in theaters again and I’ve been encouraging all my friends to see the film.
As to the darker themes, the movie reflects the book accurately. Don’t expect it to get better because the series gets progressively darker the further into it you get.
Thanks for the support, Billy Walsh. I feel passionately about good story-telling and I think it’s important that folks stay open-minded about why a movie is or isn’t successful. I don’t want to see good filmmakers with a strong story to tell urged to make their movie “less dark” or to “lighten thing up” if that doesn’t fit the best interest of their story. Part of the reason Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are so successful is that they have villains the filmmakers take seriously. However, it is important to note that the “darkness” of the villains is counter-balanced in both cases by heroes who are deeply human and interesting. Although that’s just one aspect of the success of these films, it is an important ingredient. The stories like these that resonate with audiences all have deeply human, unique characters faced with a great and terrible threat. I wonder what would have happened if Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings weren’t books but were submitted to the studios as original screenplays. Would the execs have urged the filmmakers to “lighten up” the villains to make it more “fun”? Those films wouldn’t have been nearly as successful if that had happened because they would have been transformed into movies that were no longer dramatically fulfilling.
“Narnia followed the same pattern as other sequels, Spiderman and Harry Potter, which also opened lower than the original. I don’t understand why people thought this would open higher.”
You need to look at the numbers, virtually every sequel these days opens bigger than the original. The only reason Spidey 2 had a smaller opening weekend was because it opened Wednesday while the first opened Friday. While the weekend itself was lower, the opening was much bigger since it made 60 million just on wednesday and thursday. When Spidey 3 moved back to a friday opening, it set a new opening record (which still stands).
So yeah, when a sequel opens lower than the original these days, it doesn’t meet expectations.
“total for the movie is UP from the first one”
Worldwide, maybe. But if it’s down domestically, that isn’t a good sign.
And the first Narnia was well received overall. Sure, it probably benefitted from LOTR, but there’s no way it would have made so much just from that. The opening weekend was decent but nothing amazing – it made the big money because it had great legs. Word of mouth was good so it held up very well week after week.
And didn’t it do well on dvd as well?
Why do people always feel the need to invent a reason when a movie underperforms? The answer is the same every time: The movie underperformed because people didn’t go. Why didn’t people go? Well, you’d have to talk to them to find out. And I don’t see a lot of pollsters seeking out people who stayed home from the movies on a particular weekend and asking them why they’re home with Netflix and TiVo instead of at the local cineplex.
The movie failed because it was darker. Oh, of course. Just like LOTR: Two Towers failed because it was darker than Fellowship of the Ring, and Return of the King failed because it was the darkest of all of them. Just like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom failed. Just like Empire Strikes Back failed. Just like Superman 2… hell, is there ANY sequel out there that isn’t at least somewhat darker than the orginal (and doesn’t have the words “Electric Bugaloo” in the title)?
Like Bill Goldman says, nobody knows anything. I wish at least a few people in the industry could admit that.
I don’t think Caspians’ “Darker Content” was the cause of the less-than-expected box office sales. I think the movie-going public has been beaten to death with the Fantasy genre. And spending their gas money to experience another Braveheart style army-clash might be too much of a “been-there-done-that” to justify the cost.
To all the posters that want “mature” movies, when was the last 35-65 blockbuster? Let’s narrow it a bit, geared toward women?
Seriously, please stop worrying about what is already is out there, if you want to change the system, change it! Otherwise the “Iron Man” will rule the roost.
Christopher T,
You’re right, my use of the term recession was wrong. But i didn’t so much want to talk about the worlds of banking and business in details then use a word that describes the mood i find with most people (and news, written news in supposedly serious papers): money is tight and saving / not being wasteful seems a bigger issue now than it was the last years. And I guess this mood will have its traces on box office. (“Let’s see the must see’s and skip the ok ones”.)
But i do not think that’s the main reason why Narnia’s numbers are lower than estimated by some, I’d say it’s mainly a lack of excitement surrounding the title.
And how dare you call me fox watching!
Well, that also might just be based on the fact that first one was a pile of shit. And, that this one is most likely also a pile of shit.
why is it “not good” for being “down” domestically, yet UP internationally, as well as OVERALL????? The frakin movie has been out for less then a week its already made almost 50% of its budget back!!!
its asinine to think this was a bad weekend.
especially with a LONG holiday weekend coming up and the rest of the summer. I know tons of people simply waiting for the holiday to see movies. whether its this one or the others.
my two local theatres have this film up on several screens for a reason: it sold/sells ALOT of tickets.
also, fo rthe poster who said “this didnt have a strong female vibe” wtf??? there was female written all over this movie!!! did you even see it? the girls kicked major butt and the youngest girl was key to the whole PLOT!!! Not one of the female characters had a weak scene. They were perfect.
like i insinuated earlier, there are more than a few anti-christians that are very happy this movie didnt meet “expectations” and supposedly “failed.” I find their knowledge of what the film is ALL about lacking in any fact at all, if not out and out lying to draw attention away from their own bias & bigotry.
I hear folks say “its darker” yet it was very funny and adventurous as well, and even had romance. its “darkness” was no darker than the first movie. does anyone remember when alsan was killed in the first one? that was horrific and i couldnt believe it was a PG movie for that one scene alone.
I cannot wait to see it again, and will spread the word even more so seeing that so many anti-christians dont want this movie to be successful.
I also cannot wait for the next sequel.
cheers
Don’t forget the original Narnia movie was the same book that was based on a popular television version that a LOT of people saw. Caspian is based on the book that was not. For Caspian to do even near as well as the original is a win. A lot of people went to see the first movie remembering the original they saw long ago as children. Caspian only has the name of the series and previous movie to build from. I doubt the change in revenue has to do with it being too violent, and I think most movie execs would consider over $50M opening weekend a success, not a failure.
“Well, that also might just be based on the fact that first one was a pile of shit. And, that this one is most likely also a pile of shit…” so speaks a modern day bigot.
how can anyone say “most likely” when they HAVENT even SEEN the movie.
i love it when bigots play at being God too, and seem to KNOW IT ALL.
pfft…
the lenghts they will go to lie about something they have NO CLUE about.
Did it hurt Lord of the Rings that it was “too dark” and violent? They had to make it more adult. The first one was too childish. That had the advantage of being the first one though, so it had the curiousity factor and of being able to get the christian audience. Alot of those people didnt come back because the first one wasnt what they expected; it was more fantasy than religious. Plus this one doesnt have the religious symbolism the first one had.
You cant just depend on the kids to have a blockbsuter either. A big budget movie has to have more general appeal. Older teens and young adults have to want to see it too. Had they made more for children Im sure it wouldnt even have done as well as it did.
Comment by Benjamin — May 19, 2008 @ 10:39 pm
Such un=PG words you say Ben.
Not nice though it fits the movie very well (*!*)
….and yet Armand the bigot didnt see it either…yet he somehow KNOWS that Ben’s comments are accurate, and yet Ben didnt see it either??? so he didnt like the first one and yet he wasted $ to see the second?
…another liar as well as a bigot.
This movie isn’t flopping by any stretch of the imagination. While performing below expectations domestically, it’s surpassing expectations in the international markets where it’s been released — and it has yet to open in the UK, Germany, France, Australia and Japan where LWW enjoyed its highest overseas grosses. Expect its take in the UK to be huge — Brits like “dark” fantasy (witness the success of Golden Compass in the UK) and the book is also better known there.
This doesn’t even take into account the DVD release, which should be just nicely in time for Christmas.
Disney isn’t losing any sleep over this one, folks.
Comment by lu-ee — May 21, 2008 @ 9:17 pm
Are you working for Disney or something? Sheesh!
Muat be..