July 25-27: No. 1 ‘Dark Knight’ $75.6M, ‘Step Brother’ $30M, ‘X-Files 2′ $10.2M

COMMENTS (19)

• Well, if The X Files didn’t make money is isn’t because of the quality of the movie. It is more due to the stunning lack of promotion by FOX. If the movie was going to make more money than Stepbrothers, FOX should have promoted it more than Stepbrothers. Instead it got about 1/10th of the promotion. But is is a quality, scary movie. International numbers will relly help it.

  Comment by Cory — Saturday July 26, 2008 @ 11:17pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Simply unreal. Props to Nolan & Co. for making a great film.

  Comment by Jeff — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 5:31am PDT  Reply to this post

• $400M by the end of next weekend?

  Comment by Fuddler Stone Esq. — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 6:41am PDT  Reply to this post

• break Shrek 2 record …
  hoping for 500M n 1000M ww….

  Comment by rick — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 8:19am PDT  Reply to this post

• Simply amazing numbers. But a shot at Titanic? No way. It would have to stay this strong for weeks and weeks, and that’s just not going to happen.

  500M domestic? Maybe. Billion worldwide? I’d say it probably has a good shot, especially if they’re smart with their release schedule. But 600M domestic or 1.8 billion worldwide? I don’t see it.

  Comment by milo — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 8:40am PDT  Reply to this post

• “Quality” is in the eye of the beholder, Cory. X-files could have been great, but the script was just OK. And Carter shot it like a TV show, way too many close-ups. The action scenes were cool, but Carter has killed the golden goose.

  Comment by Eric the Red — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 9:04am PDT  Reply to this post

• The X-Files 2 is a far better film that the reviewers try to make one believe. I am hopeful that it pulls in enough globally to merit a sequel, because Chris, you did a fine job here, stripping it clean of all the unsightly layers of conspiratorial silliness that had built up over the years to make a lean and intimate film that nicely echoes shows in the early days of the original series, neatly integrating a matured and believable present day Mulder and Scully into a fairly creepy narrative. (takes a breath)

  Shame that FOX decided not to promote it……

  Comment by DayOldDaddy — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 10:02am PDT  Reply to this post

• I’m sorry, but I’m the type of person Fox wants to attract, i.e., not a fan of the show and a casual moviegoers, and I was bored to tears. I’m sure it’s a very satisfying movie for fan, but for the average moviegoer not so much.

  Comment by Mark — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 11:35am PDT  Reply to this post

• milo – how can you say “maybe” to 500M when it’s 60% there in 10 days? WAKE UP.

  Comment by BH — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 4:19pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Too bad many didn’t get X-Files. Being a fan, a big fan that I am, thought this sequel was superb, just like the 1st one.

  Having said that, I wasn’t expecting a 158M opening weekend like say, TDK!

  This one will make its money on DVDs and TV, not counting overseas cume.

  TDK is officially a mega-blockbuster as we knew it on its opening day last Friday. A shot at 500M is possible but like many have said, 600M is beyond its reach. Hey! At least it will be only movie to hit more than 500M (here’s hoping it will) and leave behind the 400M-ish.

  One thing I am glad to see is Hancock hitting 200M. Given its relatively new story and only with its star to drive the movie, I’ll say it is success for the studio.

  Now what do we make of Wall-E. Seems like it is not going to win the Summer’s animated crown from KungFu Panda. I like them both but Panda is def a crowd puller. Time for the folks at Pixar to get some talking animals back ibto their production

  Comment by Armand — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 5:27pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Comment by BH — July 27, 2008 @ 4:19 pm:

  “how can you say ‘maybe’ to 500M when it’s 60% there in 10 days? WAKE UP.”

  That additional 40% or so is going to be hard to get. At the current rate, it will have to play in the same number of venues until the weekend of September 12-14 to reach $500 million. Remaining in 4,300+ venues until September is unlikely. The count is almost certain to drop by the 4th or 5th weekend.

  It’s also unlikely that TDK can catch “Titanic.” “Titanic” was the #1 grossing film every week for over 3 months (15 weeks). It was a top ten grosser for a half-year (26 weeks). Its 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th weekend grosses were higher than its first. Its 5th weekend was higher than its 4th. Its 9th weekend was higher than its 8th. During its first 17 weeks, its venue count went UP, not down. It actually ADDED 500 theaters during those weeks. It was a legendary box office performance.

  TDK is not going to be a top ten grossing film for 26 weeks. It’s going to be on DVD/Blu-ray within five months. Its grosses are not acclerating. They are declining by a respectable amount, but they are declining. It’s not going to be adding more venues.

  TDK also doesn’t have the revenue dynamic of “Titanic.” The central love story of “Titanic” that had pre-teen and teenage girls (with boyfriends in tow) flocking to the theater repeatedly is not present in TDK.

  TDK is a great movie and strong performer, but the strongest attribute in its favor for catching “Titanic” is one that doesn’t have much to do with the movie itself.

  It’s monetary inflation.

  Comment by Harold — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 7:10pm PDT  Reply to this post

• BH your analysis is fine but it – and the other doubters – are ignoring a crucial factor – this film has amazing repeat value, 67 per cent if I read the report on this site correctly a week ago. It’s not new bums in seats tht are going to propel this thing forward toward 500 (or even 600) its all the old bums. There now I’ve used the term ‘old bums’ in a post. That is not good but regardless, the reality remains. This thing has legs and old bums.

  Comment by bk — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 8:36pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Well. I believe or I should say, I know that THIS movie is GOING to break TITANIC down. I have watched it 11 times and every time its as fresh ever. Good work guys.

  Dear Heath. We love you. Where ever you are, rest in peace.

  Comment by Partha — Sunday July 27, 2008 @ 11:41pm PDT  Reply to this post

• jus an ask…
  is it possible to archieve 40+M at 3rd week?
  -40% of 2nd week’s boxoffice….

  Comment by rick — Monday July 28, 2008 @ 4:56am PDT  Reply to this post

• This review demonstrates that people will see what they like to see in this movie. I saw no political overtones whatsoever and do not believe Nolan was trying to comment on the Obama McCain contest. I agree with one of them…but not the other…but thats my business.

  I am really not sure this movie can stand the enormous pseudo burden different folks are thrusting on to it. Maybe this just demonstrates that most summer movies in this country are so starved of any intellectual heft…that when a movie comes along with intellectual pretensions almost everyone in sight seems to rush to join the bandwagon. I thought the movie was good “movie”…but its intellectual pretensions were hard to swallow. If carefully analysed, the inherent hypocrisy and contradictions in the movie dont stand up to scrutiny. My biggest disspointment was the Joker’s character (I am not focussing on Ledger’s acting here…just the conceptulization of the character). If he were truly a unhinged agent of chaos…capable of random fearsome illogical violence…then he truly would be scary. Here is came across as a scheming manipulative guy…a pedestrian terrorist in bad makeup. Ledger was good in the role….but not a masterpiece. He might even get an Oscar…after all…Man is an emotional animal and even the Oscar judges may not be immune to the Ledger mania sweeping this country in light of his untimely death. I have noticed that any attempt (including my other deliberately pointed attempts) to criticize his performance invites a firestorm of criticism and I have developed a “fan following” here that quite enjoys what they believe is “bashing” me. Like the Joker perhaps, I am enjoying my own little “social experiments” here. Ledger’s performance and the Dark Knight itself are NOT sacred…and if they are good…will withstand negative criticism including my own without the help of the other “Jokers” here. All in all, its been fascinating to watch the interaction on this site and rabid fan reactions. Peace. I m Download Movie http://www.80millionmoviesfree.com have DVD Quality Movie I Recommend

  Comment by duminda — Monday July 28, 2008 @ 9:13am PDT  Reply to this post

• BH, movies drop off quickly. TDK is holding very well, and I think it’s likely to see 500M, but nothing is guaranteed.

  Look at historical 10 day totals, and how many of them ended up having their first 10 days make up 60% or more of their total gross.

  http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/grossbydays.htm?days=10&p=.htm

  Look at Spidey 3, after ten days it was at 240 million. By your logic, it should have been guaranteed 400 million since it was 60% there. But it only made it to 337 million. TDK has much better WOM and much better legs, but after ten days there’s no way to know how the rest of the run will go.

  I stand by my “maybe”. It has a good shot at it, but you’re the one who needs to “wake up” if you think it’s a done deal.

  Comment by milo — Tuesday July 29, 2008 @ 8:50am PDT  Reply to this post

• Harold – all good points, and IMO the 600Mil mark is a whole nother ballgame from the 500M mark which seems set to fall within 3 weeks.

  Your stats about Titanic are sound, but some of it is apples to oranges given that Batman opened by far MUCH wider than Titanic so to expect them to open more screens isn’t logical.

  Also, even at 2 and a half hours, you can still screen TDK 5 times for every 4 times Titanic (3:15) was able to.

  Also, with the 500mil mark, keep in mind this weekend wrapped at 314. So ‘only’ 185 needs to be made to clip to $500.

  I don’t know what Monday’s (yesterday) take was, but it seems fair to bet it’s cume sits at $400 a week from today.

  Comment by BH — Tuesday July 29, 2008 @ 9:38am PDT  Reply to this post

• Yes, it truly is sad that movies such as “Schindler’s List” and other truly moving movies do not make the big bucks. But get over it. Action and fiction movies which take viewers away from their ordinary lives are the ones that make the money. Just look at the list of movies which have made over 300 million domestic. There are 29, and 75% of those are about pirates, superheroes, wizards, jedis, ogres, talking animated wildlife and hobbits.

  But anyways, I am rooting for The Dark Knight, because I do not want to see the latest installment of Indiana Jones have the best world-wide box office for 2008. The movie was just not that good. Just look at the weekly drops after the first weekend, after people figured out that Harrison Ford is too old to play the part and the movie was not as good as everyone expected it to be, it started dropping like the temperature in Alaska after summer. I knew that after the trailer. The only bit that the trailer really showed was Dr. Jones swinging from the rafters in the warehouse. And it was then I knew that the movie had no substance.

  If it requires The Dark Knight to earn $500 million domestic so that it can beat IJ4′s WW total, so be it. TDK may not be the best movie ever, but it is sure a heluva lot better than IJ4.

  Comment by I_r_baboon — Wednesday July 30, 2008 @ 12:21am PDT  Reply to this post

• i voted for Batman! Ever since spent a bunch of millions but still didn’t make profit. Too bad.

  Comment by free full movies — Wednesday March 4, 2009 @ 1:48am PST  Reply to this post