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SUNDAY AM: As July ended, three opening studio movies — Dinner For Schmucks, Charlie St Cloud (which collapsed 32% from Friday to Saturday because Zac Efron’s High School Musical fans frontloaded the grosses), Cats & Dogs 3D: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore – made for a crowded summer box office what with holdovers Salt, Inception, and Despicable Me still going strong. Here are Friday, Saturday, weekend, and cume U.S. and Canada grosses. This weekend will be the first since June 4th without a $30+ million grossing pic. But overall ticket sales still look to total $135M a point or two ahead of last year:
1. Inception (Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,545 Dates]
Friday $8.1M, Saturday $10M, Weekend $27.5M (-36%), Cume $193.3M
Look at those dreamy legs… Chris Nolan’s original film for Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures just keeps going, and going, with great holds. It’s the No. 1 movie for the 3rd straight weekend after briefly giving way to Dinner With Schmucks Friday.
2. Dinner For Schmucks (Paramount) NEW [2,911 Dates]
Friday $8.4M, Saturday $8.3M, Weekend $23.3M
TParamount, DreamWorks, and Spyglass all financed a third of the $62M budget. (This is the first movie new DreamWorks invested in.) Paramount has worldwide distribution and will roll out international in the fall. The behind the scenes maneuvering to turn this comedy from a mediocre grosser to average moneymaker makes for an always interesting but far from atypical story. Back on June 9th, I reported that the buzz had been “it’s not working” on this pic so Paramount, DreamWorks, and Spyglass delayed Dinner For Schmucks originally scheduled for release on July 23 to the younger-skewing weekend of July 30. Well, within minutes of my writing that, I was told no less than “129 people involved with the film lost their minds” as only Hollywood types can. I received panicky calls and emails admitting why the buzz was bad and explaining why it wasn’t anymore. What happened is that the movie’s first test screening last March in Thousand Oaks produced only average scores. Excellent was 35, the top two boxes were 70, and the definite recommend was 50. ”Literally, right on the norm. But not where you expect for a high-profile movie directed by Jay Roach and starring Steve Carell,” an insider told me. “Everyone felt a sense of disappointment.”
So the studio, the producers, Carell, and Roach huddled. Roach worked to fix the tone “making sure the movie didn’t play in mean-spirited fashion because the audience found that line had been crossed,” the insider explained. The result was that, at the next screening a month later, the scores had improved: Excellent was 60, the top 2 boxes were 90, and the definite recommend was 75. ”So you see how far the movie moved as Jay worked on it,” said an insider, praising Roach for being so “malleable”. (Is that a compliment for a film director?) Despite poor reviews, the film with its “B” CinemaScore this weekend now is meeting Hollywood’s mid-$20sM expectations. It tracked very well among young males and balanced across all age and gender ranges, and the audience was, too (55% male/ 45% female, 46% under 25/54% over 25) — similar to Carell’s last film Date Night (which opened to $25M and went on to gross over $100M).
3. Salt (Sony) Week 2 [3,612 dates]
Friday $5.9M, Saturday $7.7M, Weekend $19.2M (-47%), Cume $70.8M
Sony thinks this holdover starring Angelina Jolie has locked up $100M for sure, and probably at least $110M. It grossed an estimated $24.5M for the weekend abroad, bringing the international cume to $32.8M and a worldwide total of $103.6 million in a little more than a week.
4. Despicable Me 3D (Universal) Week 4 [3,602 Dates]
Friday $4.6M, Saturday $6M, Weekend $15.5M, Cume $190.3M
Still surprising people with its strength. Remember this was a cheap $69M toon, and it’s heading well past $200M domestic. ($230M? $240M?)
5. Cats & Dogs 3D: Kitty Galore (Warner Bros) NEW [3,705 Dates]
Friday $4.2M, Saturday $4.6M, Weekend $12.5M
Big box office disappointment even with those higher 3D ticket prices because the original 2D Cat & Dogs back in 2001 debuted on the Fourth of July with a $21.7 million first weekend. Sequel only mustered a “B-” CinemaScore, and only a +9% matinee bump from Friday to Saturday. For weeks now, the family tracking was not as strong as the studio hoped. What a stupid ad campaign, and those cats looked scary even to me.
6. Charlie St Cloud (Universal) NEW [2,720 Dates]
Friday $5.6M, Saturday $3.8M, Weekend $12.1M
Rival studios thought Friday’s result for this Relativity/Universal drama was frontloaded by Zac Ephron’s High School Musical fans. So right. The pic fell a jaw-dropping -32% from Friday to Saturday, which is either a big error or proof that Zac needs to stick to light comedy. Actually, weeks of tracking had indicated a $13M weekend, in line with other movies of this genre. (Miley Cyrus’ The Last Song debuted Easter weekend and its 3-day was $16M as a result.) Zac did everything publicity-wise including envelope openings to push this pic. But the marketing stupidly gave away the whole plot in the ads. Moviegoers gave it a “B+” CinemaScore overall but under-18s upped that to an “A-”.
7. Toy Story 3D (Disney) Week 7 [2,107 Dates]
Friday $1.4M, Saturday $2.3M, Weekend $5M, Cume $389.6M
At $826.1M globally, Toy Story 3 now stands as the 4th biggest animated title and 23rd biggest movie on a worldwide basis.
8. Grown Ups (Sony) Week 6 [2,269 Dates]
Friday $1.4M, Saturday $1.8M, Weekend $4.5M, Est Cume $150.7
9. Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Disney) Week 3 [2,524 dates]
Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.7M, Weekend $4.3M, Cume $51.8M
Jerry Bruckheimer’s domestic disappointment has now opened in 28 territories representing 30% of the international marketplace where it’s made $40.8M. Right now it’s global cume is $92.7M.
10. Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Summit) Week 5 [2,334 Dates]
Friday $1.3M, Saturday $1.5M, Weekend $3.9M, Cume $288.1M
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Zac Efron fans will love him in CHARLIE ST. CLOUD. He is starting to show some great acting chops and should have a solid career post HSM.
He needs to do less CHARLIE ST. CLOUD and more ME AND ORSON WELLES.
“Salt” has good word of mouth and will stay in the Top 5 for the next few weeks. Older audiences are checking it out and a lot of people I know are seeing it during the week. It should have no issues making $125 here and a boatload overseas. Also expect it to do well on DVD. Good for AJ.
There’s nothing wrong with a director being “malleable.”
The studio gave him a lot of money to make a movie people would want to see. Why is it a crime for the director to rework the movie towards that goal when his first pass fails to deliver? Anything less is irresponsible and disrespectful.
It’s a business. The best directors blend art and commerce to everyone’s satisfaction. Those prima donnas who whine and bitch about their artistic integrity would do well to not accept assignments from studios.
Being malleable doesn’t always work.
Ridley Scott was ‘malleable’ with Kingdom of Heaven. He opted to butcher his excellent 3+ hour cut into a subpar 2+ hour cut.
Just wait till STEP UP 3D opens…it will show them all whose boss!
75 million opening, at least!
I doubt it. Unless they triple 3D ticket prices. And I liked the last film.
Thank you for this post. 100% true on everything you say.
Why would you admit to being involved with studio films? That only makes you seemed biased.
Schmucks was a rental. It was nothing special. And it most likely won’t reach what Date Night made. 24M is hardly amazing when you take into account past grosses by Carell and Roach.
Get Him to the Greek was much better than Schmucks.
re: KITTY GALORE. ‘producer’ andrew-i-screamed-at-george-clooney-lazar is on a roll: JONAS HEX and KITTY GALORE. WB must really value that tool.
Reporting on the results of the first test screening is not hating. By your thinking, reporters would be banned from reporting that a director was asked to do additional reshoots, as well. While I agree that film criticism in America is deeply in need of some professional standards, I think it’s also pretty clear that you might want to attend some anger management classes.
Note to dudette:
Allow me to introduce you to Edith Pilaf’s sister, Rice.
And their cousin, Quinoa.
So where are all the people who said that “Inception” wouldn’t make $200 million, or even $150?
Hmmmmmmmmmm?
Were real (not flacks) people really saying that? If so they’re insane. Coming off of the Dark Knight Chris Nolan could have done 150 minutes of him dancing in his underwear and people would have stormed the theaters. I think he’s overrated, particularly on the story side, but he’s got more street cred than anyone else out there right now.
Salt had a budget of 110 million–sooo—how does doing 100 million in the US put it in the win column? To the poster that said Salt is now being seen by “older” people–what? By “older” do you mean, in their 30″s? Keep telling yourselves what a GREAT hit Salt is.
Salt is an international movie so domestic will probably makeup a third of it’s overall collect. Bring in ancillaries and you got a winner. Do the math. Angelina is the only true international female star who can open a movie on her own.
Both times I went to see Salt, most of the audience was middle-aged and up. It surprised me. I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad sign for business, though–with a PG-13 rating I thought it would have gotten a bump from a more youthful crowd but there were barely any teenagers or even twentysomethings from what I saw.
I saw Salt twice also, at two different theaters. And I noticed the exact same thing both times! I thought Salt would get a better hold this weekend because the younger crowd would migrate from Inception to Salt. Regardless, it should have a better third weekend hold.
Why should it surprise you? AJ looks like she’s middle-aged now, frankly, so I can appreciate people loving an action star who looks like them.
Hopefully not too many middle-aged people are delusional enough to think they look half as good as Jolie.
He is a legit box office player….knocked up, I love you man, role models
Seriously. You’re trying to sell Knocked Up as a Paul Rudd film? Come on. And Role Models and I LOve You, Man weren’t exactly boffo at the BO. Rob Schneider used to go over 100 mil for his crappy films a decade ago so 60 mil for a Paul Rudd film isn’t exactly killing it. Especially since these films have zero overseas BO.
Schneider has never gone over 100 mil. You’re an idiot.
You’re right – he’s only done 93 mil -
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=deucebigalowmalegigolo.htm
and 84 mil
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=animal.htm
So, what’s your point? Are you claiming Rudd is a big star because he’s doing Rob Schneider numbers ten years later? Because I Love You, Man did 91 mil and Role MOdels did 92. Who’s the idiot. Rudd isn’t a star. And this film is already showing a downward curve as the weekend goes on. Out of theaters in three weeks.
Bill,
My point is your an idiot. You tried to discredit another poster by making a false claim. You didn’t even bother to look it up which makes you lazy too. You’re a lazy idiot. And I don’t think Paul Rudd is a big box office draw. I never said he was. I only said that you’re an idiot which i backed up with a fact. You should stick to watching Schneider flicks, you derp-dee-derp idiot, and stay out of the talkbacks.
Also, Dinner With Schmucks — as godawful as it is — will not be out of theaters in three weeks. The world may wishes it was, but it won’t be. Only an idiot would think otherwise.
Dude,
The film went from 8.4 to 8.3 to 6.5 over the weekend. Bad word of mouth. It will be gone. In fact most films are all but gone after three weeks.
As for calling me an idiot. Typical of the kind of industry jackasses on this board. Sorry my basic point was lost on you since you’re busy playing the third grade school marm. Maybe you can high five one of the other folks in the Agency mailroom tomorrow.
Bill,
Sorry. I’m not in the industry. I’m 3,000 miles away. And I guarantee you Schmucks — as crappy as it may be — will still be at the AMC in 4 weeks time.
You’re an idiot.
First off, I haven’t seen Dinner For Schmucks. I do know, however, that the two best critics in the land in my opinion – Ty Burr and Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe – gave it a lukewarm thumbs up and a hard “stay at home” on there video blog.
As for Nikki’s articles. She has her biases but saying she doesn’t know the film business sounds like a statement from someone with a vested interest in the film. This comment page actually appears to be infested with Schmucks insiders and studio plants today. With 8.5 on Friday for a film that appears to be heavily front loaded I’m guessing this film with be an average to underperforming summer comedy. Which is probably what it deserves.
Make a better film and more folks will go see it.
Ty Burr gave it a lukewarm thumbs up. Wesley Morris gave it a massive thumbs down.
Never mind. I didn’t read it properly. You meant Burr gave it the lukewarm thumbs up while Morris gave it a hard “stay at home”.
Steve needs to go back to The Office before he ruins his so-called “career”.
Haven’t Carrell’s movies all been hits? I can’t think of one that was a bomb. He’s better of sticking to movies and I say this as a fan of “The Office”. Strike while the iron is hot.
Evan Almighty. A pretty famous bomb, but I agree he’s proven himself enough to leave TV successfully.
Say what you will about Evan Almighty, and it was quite the stinker, but it grossed 100 mil in the us and 75 mil overseas. Maybe it was flop in proportion to it’s budget but cleary Carell put butts in the theater seats.
Inception is the best movie of the year.
No. Older as in my friends who are 40+ status updating on FB that they finally got around to seeing “Salt” and are talking about how good it is. Expect to see it in the Top 5 for a few weeks on its way to 125 million at least.
omg how could zac be #4????? wooow
i went a supported and id my part..ppl plz GO SEE CHRALIE ST CLOUD
u WONT regret it trust meeeeee..
its my #1 movie pick…it was reallly goood
Don’t worry. Usually, dramas don’t make as much money as comedies, romantic comedies, or action movies. This is a good result for Zac. And you can be assured he will be a star in the future, because he’s doing the best of the young male stars, and Hollywood needs someone to step in and succeed.
It’s odd to me that there’s so much back and forth about whether Paul Rudd is a draw. I thought Schmucks was being marketed primarily on Steve Carell. The trailers are certainly focused mostly on him and his oh-so-zany antics.
Everyone – rent the original from Netflix (in french) called “The Dinner Game” – it’s fantastic.
In fact, the cast of The Dinner Game should invite the cast from Schmucks to a dinner as their idiots.
Most comedies are previewed, right? And most good comedy directors learn from how the films play at the previews and use that to improve their films. So are you implying Nikki that a director should stick to a version that’s “not working”? Your original slag on the film was that “it’s not working.” Then the director made it work much better, but now you think by doing so he’s worthy of your derision for being open minded and nimble enough to change it and make it work? You imply directors should be above that, yet your whole website is devoted to measuring who’s scoring best (box office, buzz or previews). I like your site, but that just seems hypocritical.
Whether you liked the film or not, I think we can ALL agree that a $24 mill opening weekend is a HUGE disappointment. All down hill from here.
Where are all the “Inception” haters now? Huh? No credibility, no taste. Have fun watching “Step Up 3-D”, you losers.
inception budget: 160-200 m. + ads. Wake up!
Um. The budget was $160 million. And even with advertising, it’s already going to make at LEAST $250 million – and that’s just domestic. It’s a complete hit. Deal with it.
Well considering that ‘Inception’ even with a budget of $160Mil – is already at $194Mil in the US and another $170 in International receipts.. $364Mil by anyone’s accounting method makes that movie a hit.. also ‘Inception’ has legs.. it could (and probably will) do $600Mil US/Foreign.
I knew it. I could tell from his infantile name calling in the above posts that right was a Nolan/TDK/Inception fanboy. You can spot them by their vile immaturity. Laughably, they think they are smarter than everyone else but everytime they post they reveal how intellecually, emotionally and psychologically deficient they are. Don’t let them perpetrate the same puerile fascist bullying they attempted with TDK. Call them on it everytime.
Whoa. I’ve never seen so many people get their panties in a bunch defending Zac Effron’s b.o. or worrying if Angelina Jolie has a hit or not. This is sad.
sadly, some of his tweeny fans have infiltrated this site and they don’t get film, so to them its the next ‘Oscar buzz movie’. most of them can’t even articulate what they saw. Sure, lets take our shirt off and stare at the camera so my tweeny fans can have an ‘O’ cause that’s good filmmaking..It’s mild tween porn…the movie was horrible, Burr should be ashamed, and I hope efron learned a huge lesson from this. He actually has a ton of talent but you don’t see it in this, it totally gets missed.
Looks like 2010 is Carell’s year with a three-for-three so far. I just hope he doesn’t blow it like Ferrell.
Cats & Dogs 2: The Revenge of Kitty Galore was made by the same production company and Producer that bought us such fine fare as… Jonah Hex. Just sayin’.
Jonah Hex was made by the same production company that brought us such fine fare as… Inception. Just sayin’.
Simply put, Jonah Hex was made by Legendary Pictures, while Cats & Dogs 2: The Revenge of Kitty Galore was made by Village Roadshow Pictures.
Next time, get your facts straight.
The previous poster is correct. Same producer, and production company on Cats and Dogs as Jonah Hex. He is the glue that binds those incredible cinematic masterpieces.
Also I just discovered… The producer of Cats and Dogs 2 and Jonah Hex is producing AKIRA too.
Please.
God.
No.
There’s a common producer on both projects, Andrew Lazar who’s outfit is responsible for primary development. He’s a cool guy. The original poster was correct and YOU are wrong. Next time you ought to be the one to get their facts straight.
There’s nothing incorrect about my post. The production company (Legendary Pictures) which produced Jonah Hex is also responsible for producing Inception. Cats and Dogs 2 production company (Village Roadshow Pictures) doesn’t have anything to do with the production of Jonah Hex.
You can clearly see that my (previous) post doesn’t mention anything about the producer of either movies, and that’s because I knew both films were sharing the same producer, but C&D2 had three different producers on board, so I don’t it’s fare to only blame the main producer and ignore the others like they have never involved with the project.
So, unless Warner Bros is being referred to as THE production company for both pics, I am being correct here and the first poster is incorrect (about the production company behind both pics).
Geez, I think I ruined my post by over-explaining, but I did that because I can’t exactly tell someone’s comprehension level of thinking by just seeing an incorrect claim being made by that poster.
Can’t believe ‘Cats & Dogs 2′ had a budget of $85Mil.. cause it doesn’t look like it did.
Went to see “Dinner for Schmucks” at the Saturday 7 p.m. show. The theater was packed and the audience laughed a lot. I thought it was fun, wacky, and entertaining. Loved the scenes with Steve Carrell and Zach Galifianakis interacting.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Carrell’s character Barry narrating the little mouse dioramas. Frickin’ hilarious.
Right
Unless you have a financial stake in “Inception”, its BO results
should be of no consequence to you. Leo’s only decent performance was when he went “full retard” in Gilbert Grape. As for Nolan, his most recent effort pales in comparison to “The Dark Knight”. Hell, it’s not even as good as the gloriously overpraised “Memento”. You keep slurping, though. It suits you.
Right on glen. You said it like I would.
Glen,
You keep “slurping”, whatever the hell that means. Inception’s BO disproves every one of your points. Leo is on fire and so is Nolan. How do I know this? Inception’s Box Office, that’s how. Enjoy “Step Up 3-D”, you loser.
Say Franck, what’s all this hullabaloo about this “Goose step”?
What’s that you say Ernie? They’re making a movie about Nazis marching?
Uhm, I think so, and would you believe, they’re making it in 3d!
-Sigh- Oh well, there are worse things.
There is nothing worse than “Step Up 3-D”. Nothing.
glen, this is a film industry site, and a movie like Inception’s box office does affect this industry; subsequently it will affect (at least in a small part) individuals who are trying to get original material off the ground. Who the fuck are you to tell other people what’s of consequence to them? Inception’s B.O AND critical reception indicate that people have really been enjoying themselves seeing it. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, as long as you realize that’s all it is and not fact.
“Shutter Island” and “The Departed” spring to mind.
Don’t hate Leo because he was in the biggest money-maker of all time!