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Sony Pictures now has a hefty $24.2 million total domestic gross in 1 1/2 days for its dramedy Hancock starring Will Smith and directed by Peter Berg: $6.8M Tuesday (from two evening shows starting at 7 PM at 3,680 North American theaters) and $17.3M Wednesday (from its full run in 3,965 venues for its official opening). I hear Sony is hoping for rain on July 4th around the country because it's traditionally not a big moviegoing day. Still, Hancock should have no trouble getting to $100M and maybe to $115M for the 5-day holiday.
See my full story and analysis here:
Will Smith's 'Hancock' Off To Fast Start: Predicted $115M High For July 4th Wkd
'Hancock' Soars To $17.3 Mil Wednesday
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Is this actually a victory for Sony? I mean, Will Smith is certifiably the king of July 4th Weekend, and clearly the box office take is big… but this number is going to pale in comparison to the execrable Transformers and its 6.5 day opening weekend. The actual opening day numbers are about TEN MILLION less than Transformers’ opening day number (while the evening showing the night before, Hancock was only off by about 2 million). Doesn’t seem to me that Hancock is going to have legs.
Isn’t that on the low side to make it to 115 in 5 days? That means they need to average 25M for the other four days. Or maybe you’re counting the tuesday grosses, but typically the ones that aren’t midnight showings aren’t included in the five day.
Today isn’t a holiday, so based on other Wednesday releases, isn’t the Thursday usually lower than the opening Wednesday? I guess it could get a boost tonight from people being off tomorrow, but I don’t see a big one happening.
Looking at a few previous Wednesday openings, the opening day has virtually always been the biggest of the five. If that holds true, they’re looking at under 90 for the five day (being generous) and 97 when you add the tuesday shows.
While that’s a good opening, “soaring” seems like a big overstatement. It sure doesn’t seem like a fantastic number compared to the high expectations (115m).
Any word yet on what Wall*E made yesterday? I’m really curious how it holds up, I suspect many parents who would ordinarily take their kids to a Will Smith popcorn movie may have heard that it’s not kid friendly and go to Wall*e or Panda again instead.
Have you all become so jaded that 24 million or even 17 million for a WED is not superb for any movie — especially given the negative reviews this movie has been getting — which after watching, I think they are being a bit too hard on it. In my opinion, certainly better than the near borefest that I am Legend was. I hear a lot of things were cut especially stuff that would seem to guarantee an R rating.
Moviegoers must be lining up in other cities, because I went to a screening in Westwood yesterday and the ticket taker told me there were less than a hundred people inside. I counted 105 before the movie started (yeah, I was already bored). And there’s a reason the movie gets bad reviews. I’m just lucky Mann’s accepted a pass they owed me.
I agree, based on the Tuesday and Wednesday performance and the godawful reviews, I don’t see this one topping $100 million. It’ll probably really do in the high 90s, though I expect Sony to fudge it up to $100.1 million or something to get that “perception v reality” thing going. And Nikki will continue to play it up due to her friends at Sony feeding her info.
“Have you all become so jaded that 24 million or even 17 million for a WED is not superb for any movie”
First, it is 17 and not 24. And second, you don’t have to be jaded to know that a 17 million opening day for a major blockbuster is not “superb” or “soaring”. Sure, it’s a pretty good opening. But it’s probably not good enough to get the 115M opening weekend some have hyped.
We’re talking about an opening day that’s only the eighth biggest opening day of the year, behind things like Hulk, Caspian, and only about 2/3rds as big as the opening day of Sex in the City.
It only made about 2.5 times as much as the tuesday sneak previews, which were only two shows compared with an entire day, and on many fewer screens. For comparison, Iron Man’s opening day made ten times what it got in sneak previews the day before.
I’m not saying it’s a terrible opening day, but I’m baffled by the attempts to spin it as something we should be impressed by or excited about. It’s just overhyping, setting expectations too high, and setting people up for even bigger disappointment.
I just don’t see how Hancock is going to reach those numbers being quoted. The movie isn’t that good and word of mouth is not very interesting.
I hear more about Will Smith rapping at his premiere and Charlize Theron getting all the good reviews…not good.
So I’ll go take my son to see Wanted this weekend.
Not to say that I don’t agree that it is not the blockbuster of Iron man or what the dark knight seems it will be, but I don’t think anything in Nikki’s article says anything about “soaring” — it was only made in reference to the fact that hancock is a superhero. People consider hits if they open a weekend with 17 million much less for one day and I know it’s a will smith movie — but we all need to lower our expectations — he’s opened 8 consecutive 100 million + movies. If that’s not impressive, i don’t know what is — even I am Legend, which I kinda thought was kinda dull and boring made an astonishing amount of money. I don’t think anyone is trying to make it something what it isn’t — it made 17 million, not record shattering, but given the bad reviews, it’s still a lot of money, anyway you cut it.
“People consider hits if they open a weekend with 17 million much less for one day”
Not if the movie cost 150 million. And nobody is saying this isn’t a hit, we’re actually saying what you are – just that expectations are too high.
Why are you kissing Will Smith’s now apparently $cientology ass?
Lets say that Sony fudges the total up to $100.1 from $99.9 million total this weekend, Nikki will be a total bitch regarding the movie’s performance. Forget $100 million, Nikki will likely be raking Sony through the coals for greenlighting this material and giving Will Smith horrible material. Here are the predictions for the rest of this weekend:
Thursday: $19.3 million
Friday: $15.9 million
Saturday: $14.1 million
Sunday: $13.2 million
Weekend Total: $86.6 million
Yes Virginia, heads will roll for a good $86 million take.
People, people…have we not learn anything yet?
Terminator 3, Transformers, War of the Worlds, Superman all of them are movies from a well known source of materials, sequels or fan-fav fiction.
Hancock has none so the subject is unfamiliar with the masses. The only 1 thing they know is it has Will in it. So please stop comparing Hancock with the rest of the movies for it is a dumb comparison.
24M for less than 36 hrs of showing is not bad but not great either. Lets see the collection for tomorrow and then we will be able to gauge its overall weekend performance
Now, go get some sleep
OK, Armand. Let’s compare Hancock to other Will Smith films not sequels or based on well known other media.
Hancock had a smaller opening day than I am Legend, I Robot, or Independence Day. Not to mention a smaller opening day than seven other movies opening this year including Wall*E, Kung Fu Panda, and Wanted. It just barely beat Cloverfield.
And nobody has mentioned WOTW, T3, or Superman, so it’s a moot point if they are a dumb comparison – nobody has made that comparison, it’s a straw man argument.