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SUNDAY AM: The heated-up domestic box office just got even hotter... The lesson is that Hollywood should never underestimate moviegoers' tolerance for retread material. Even Universal knew when they announced a 4th installment of their worn-out street racing franchise that everyone else would say there was no life left. But they got the original 2001 cast together and made a true sequel that picks up the Fast & Furious story where it left off in The Fast And The Furious. ("New Model... Original Parts".) The result was a jaw-dropping $30.5 million haul Friday and $24.7 million Saturday (only -19%) and estimated Sunday $17.3 from 3,461 theaters for an unexpectedly humongous opening weekend of $72.5M. (Which now includes the Thursday midnight showings of $1.8M.)
That's a whopping 1/3 more than the studio thought possible, and now the biggest April opening ever by a mile (previous best was Anger Management's $42M in 2003) as well as the highest opening weekend of 2009 (besting Monsters v Aliens' $59.3 million). Fast & Furious also had the franchise's best opening weekend (2001's The Fast And The Furious $40.1M, 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious $50.5M, 2006's Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift $24M). It was also the best debut for a car-themed movie (passing Cars $60.1M). This just doesn't happen like this, folks, even with a great marketing and distribution campaign supervised by Adam Fogelson: Hollywood is in shock.
What's interesting is the movie that launched Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Michelle Rodriguez is now saving their careers since Vin and Paul have been in a succession of film flops, while Michelle's arrests could have lost her the Lost gig. They were directed by Justin Lin, who helmed The Fast And The Furious threequel Tokyo Drift -- which also was written by Fast & Furious scripter Chris Morgan. And producer Neal Moritz produced all four in the franchise.
Fast & Furious also opened day and date in 32 overseas markets, and it looks to have made in excess of $30.1M internationally, bigger than the openings of all the films in the Fast and Furious franchise. The film debuted No. 1 almost everywhere including Germany, Austria, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. So, from the first weekend in theaters, Fast & Furious had a worldwide gross of $102.6M.
The No. 2 film that was last week's top pic, DreamWorks Animation's Monsters v Aliens, hung on for $8.8 million Friday (down only 45% from a week ago) and $14.3 million Saturday. The 3-D toon playing in a total 4,109 venues took in as much as $33.5M this weekend for a fresh cume of $105.7M. In case you didn't notice, that's $1o5+M at the box office just between #1 and #2 -- when last year's total was $90M all in. Total FSS will be $150M, a staggering +75% from last year. (No wonder movie moguls don't want anyone knowing how much their studios are raking in the dough in this financial recession. Hard to argue they're having it as tough as everyone else, no?)
The other opener this weekend are Miramax's teen comedy Adventureland which, hurt by its R rating, only made $6M this weekend from 1,862 venues. The question is whether the Twilight girls turned out for Kristin Stewart. And Overture Releasing widened put R-rated Sunshine Cleaning into 479 dates for #10 and $1.8 million and a new cume of $4.7M.
Here is Friday's Top 10
1. Fast & Furious (Universal) OPENER [3,461] Wkd $71M
2. Monsters v Aliens (DWA/Par) Week 2 [4,109] Wkd $33.5M, Cume $105.7M
3. Haunting In Conn (LG) Week 3 [2,732] Wkd $9.5M, Cume $37.2M
4. Knowing (Summit) Week 3 [3,323] Wkd $8.1M, Cume $58.2M
5. I Love You, Man (DW/Par) Week 3 [2,829] Wkd $7.8M, Cume $49.2M
6. Adventureland (Miramax) OPENER [1,862] Wkd $6M
7. Duplicity (Universal) Week 3 [2,522] Wkd $4.3M, Cume $32.3M
8. Witch Mountain (Disney) Week 4 [2,825] Wkd $3.3M, Cume $58.3M
9. 12 Rounds (WWE/Fox) Week 2 [2,331] Wkd $2.3M, Cume $9M
10. Sunshine Cleaning (Overture) Week 4 [479] Wkd $1.8M, Cume $4.7M
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Wow. Adam and the gang at Universal did a great job marketing this one!
Any news on Adventure land?
How’d Adventureland do?
LAZ ALONSO is the real star of this film. He shoulda gotten top billing:
LAZ ALONSO in FAST AND THE FURIOUS. Everyone else is just window dressing
thx for info, you’re always the fastest
Wow! Congrats Universal! And credit goes to Justin Lin and Neil Moritz. Nice work guys! Sensational opening.
It’s Neal Moritz…not Neil.
congrats nonetheless.
great great opening.
You can’t predict what the crowd wants. We are going to watch what we want to watch.
Not surprised by the success — there’s a big audience for this franchise that seemingly just keeps on building. And with its original cast back, well…the sky’s the limit.
I see No. 5 whizzing around the corner by 2011…
Adventureland deserves to do better than $6 million this weekend. I’m not sure why Miramax didn’t work harder to make the film a Superbad-sized hit.
Now I know why the movie theater I work at was dead tonight. We opened Adventureland and no one showed up. We thought it was the forecast (Denver snow turned to rain). Looks like America was pre-occupied with another movie.
I consider myself a movie snob, but want to see Fast and Furious. I only liked the first one. I think this is going to lose steam after opening night. Wait and see.
I’d really like to know the name of the genius who found the tagline “New Model… Original Parts”. This is one the best taglines since “You know the name, You know the number” in 1995. This is marketing as an Art.
I have a longer review on my blog but “Adventureland” is a film that critics will love and nobody else will be interested in. It’s a romantic that has little romance and even less comedy. It’s little more than a forgettable 80’s teen romance with the contrived plot removed.
Critics will love that it is understated, well-acted, shot nicely, and celebrates Lou Reed and for those reasons they’ll overlook that it is as cliched and preposterous as any other low rent romance. A film like “He’s Just Not That Into You” is over-the-top for comedic effect; this film is understated for the sake of being understated. I thought Kristin Stewart did a great job but this film needed a magnetic personality more than an accomplished actress. (Also, the people who complained about the females in “He’s Just Not That Into You” and “Bride Wars” should have similar issues with these damsels-in-distress, all of whom are either defined by their relationship with men or by their conflicts with other women)
Not that Fast and Furious was good but it at least passed the time. It offered a bit of an escape whereas I just wanted to escape from Adventureland.
I love Nikki’s reactions. If it had made less money, she’d have been mocking it and calling it a complete disaster, but it’ll have a big opening weekend, so it’s a huge success and so, so, so, so exciting. Just wait for the big dropoff next weekend and we’ll see just how exciting this really is.
Adventureland is a sweet movie, but the R rating and lack of stars (Is there any doubt remaining that Stewart, despite being a good actress in Adventureland, is not a star?) will kill it this weekend. It doesn’t have enough R-rated content to justify maintaining that rating. With some minor adjustments, it could have carried a PG-13 and it’s grosses could be be at least 50% larger. It was never going to be a blockbuster, but you have to try to give it a chance to broaden some.
Oh, well.
WOW! Unreal! Did not expect that in the least. Even if you’re not a fan of the series you have to admit that the Friday gross is pretty damn spectacular considering its the 4th in a franchise. The 5th is rest assured already greenlit.
Bob, how much harder could Miramax have worked? If anything it feels like Adventureland opened a month ago because it’s been marketed down our collective throats for so long. I think the film looks great and intend to see it, but the film’s been very heavily marketed.
As for F&F making bank – further proof I know nothing about this business.
The movie would have been even better if it had been shot in full color rather than in blue and white and brown and white.
Fast Cars. Check
Hot Chicks. Check
Nice Stunts. Check
Big Stars. Check
This franchise is like comfort food for men. It’s the mac n’ cheese of movies with a side of steak. Of course it’s going to do well. They threw a lot of money on the marketing and it shows. There is ALWAYS a huge appetite for this kind of movie…+ no competition for this demo. Winner.
‘F&F Tokyo Drift’ promo was/is on most every Big Screen Demo of HD in the Big Box stores. The awesome drift chase and wreck through downtown Tokyo drew plenty of lookers in the stores, sold a bunch of Big Screen TVs (and sound systems) as well as DVDs. I was at the local Best Buy and people were asking for that scene on the promo disc to demo the TV they were interested in!
Just another area of solid promotion reaching into the corners.
Never underestimate the stupidity of the average moviegoer.
Congrats America!! You just earned yourself Fast and Furious 5, 6, and 7!
Fast cars, macho men, beautiful women, gasoline – if anything, this is the ultimate anti-Washington DC movie.
The public is crisis-weary, bailout-weary and sacrifice-weary. This movie fits the popular, anti-tax ‘tea party’ throngs perfectly. I hope it makes a billion dollars (or is that ‘a trillion’?).
Were they not selling enough lame ass cars to jocky cheesedicks that they had to take another dump on the screen?
Great marketing, people. The trailer got people buzzing. The New model, original parts tagline really worked. I was stunned when a huge sold out NYC Ziegfeld Theater crowd cheered and applauded the trailer. No doubt the film is crap, but if it can save Vin’s career, hey, more power to this flick.
WTF! TO ALL YOU IDIOTS OUT THERE GOING TO WATCH THIS MOVIE, THANKS FOR RUINING HOLLYWOOD. WE HAVE TO BOYCOTT STUPID ASS MOVIES LIKE THIS, OR THAT IS ALL THEY WILL MAKE.
THIS MOVIE CAN NOT COMPARE TO DARK NIGHT, LOST WORLD, TRANSFORMERS OR ANY OTHER TOP MOVIE.
Give credit where credit is due. This is a tremendous opening for ANY film. What makes these figures even more astonishing is the fact this is the fourth installment of what everyone thought was a finished franchise.
No one would have been surprised if it pulled $7.5 million. The actual result is nothing short of stunning.
Great job Adam! Amazing marketing.
As for “Adventureland,” watch for this pic to become HUGE in DVD-land.
What do you mean “WTF”? Just watch the Oscars and that alone should tell you why people will flock to a movie like F+F.
The people who write about bad about quality mindless movies need to get a life… I like serious movies with good acting just as much as the next person but Wow… Being able to enjoy different kinds of movies is what its all about…
WOW!!! Gotta’ hand it to the guys at uni and whoever put those trailers together. Very impressive way to remarket a tired series. Didn’t even know it was fast and furious till the middle and by then I was hooked. Good Job!
I agree with sentiment american, but seriously?? The Lost World?? Transformers??? Those are not top movies. In fact they are both awful movies.
Adventureland was great. But at the theater I went to (The Grove in Los Angeles), the high school kids where lining up for Fast and Furious.
American12345, your yelling diatribe would have made more sense if you left out Lost World and The Transformers from your idiocy tool bag. Transformers was pure trash. Are you Kurtzman or Orci?
The best reason to see this movie was another glimpse of Jordana Brewster
Besides being a homage to the legendary 1987 Buick Grand Nationals, the premise, settings, & people
are all iconically *AMERICAN*.
The mob-in-power in D.C. would never “get”
this movie, so don’t expect their lemming
lackeys to either.
For these 2 reasons, its doubling the prior #1 record
for April movies is no surprise, and is a concrete
harbinger of the *actual* minds & hearts of the USA.
I think beyond the nostalgia factor, what really sold this film was the teaser trailer that was running in theatres a couple of months back. An intense truck hijacking sequence that looked so cool before it revealed itself to be a trailer for F&F.
Saw the film last night and have to give them credit for actually focusing on the characters and making the film as much of a drama as as an action film. One might say there were actually a couple of dramatic scenes too many, which ended up producing some unintended laughter from the audience. But overall, it gave the audience exactly what it promised: sweet cars, great driving sequences, hot scantily-clad girls…and Paul, Vin and Jordanna with Special Guest Star Rodriguez thrown in.
ps. Carl Grey – what do you work for Andrew Rogers or something, hyping up Laz like that? Please note that, while Laz has produced decent performances in everything from Miracle at St. Ana to Stomp the Yard, no one outside of Paradigm knows who he is.
Of course this movie was going to do well. The 15 year old kids going to see it now were only 7 years old in 2001. They’ve been appropriately prepared with Grand Theft Auto video cames. In another 8 years they can release a new retread. Maybe include a Prius with 426 hemi.
Big Fan of 1st 3! Every time time they turn up on cable I can,t help to watch and relive all the Great Car Stuff that reminds me of all the Car Movies in the Early 1970’s.
oing Tonight and I’m predicting this movie will Gross over 83 for the Weekend!
The worst thing for ADVENTURELAND was how they plastered “From The Director of ‘Superbad’” and the movie’s comic elements all over it. This was, as Harold said, a pleasant COMING OF AGE film, not a raunchy teen comedy, and certainly could’ve been cut for a PG-13 because the movie actually has very little adult content in it.
It’s a terrific movie but I can’t help but think the way the picture was marketed was misleading, and really didn’t sell the film itself very well.
“This movie fits the popular, anti-tax ‘tea party’ throngs perfectly.”
Shhhhh! Don’t anyone tell him in the film there are people stealing gas and redistributing it among the poor.
I love crazy people.
“THIS MOVIE CAN NOT COMPARE TO DARK NIGHT, LOST WORLD, TRANSFORMERS OR ANY OTHER TOP MOVIE.”
Oh god. PLEASE Hollywood… PLEASE make 17,000 more Fast & Furious films rather than anymore Transformers or Lost Worlds. Thank you!
I’m not suprised by the opening of “Fast and Furious.” It was a good, action-packed movie. Put your brain on auto pilot and enjoy the movie. As far as “Adventureland” who cares. The trailer was awful and Jessie Eisenberg is the poor man’s Michael Cera. Greg Mattola had nothing to do with “Superbad’s” success. It was the Apatow brand, a really good script, and a perfect cast that made “Superbad” a hit.
American12345, you do realize that most people would say Transformers is as “stupid ass” as The Fast and the Furious franchise, right? And The Lost World got mixed reviews as well.
This year has been horrific so far so of course people are going to see a film from a franchise that they know is competent enough. Also, it’s a film that crosses racial divides: white, black, latino, Asian.
Rather than berate the mass audience for watching this film, maybe people could try to learn some lessons from it and producers could try to elevate the action genre in the future.
Now if Universal could just get rid of the NBC gang they would be all right.
Ditto the comments:
“Were they not selling enough lame ass cars to jocky cheesedicks that they had to take another dump on the screen?”
“Never underestimate the stupidity of the average moviegoer.”
And to the imbeciles who proudly say it’s comfort food to men, and count off the check list of ingredients to meet their high movie standards, you make men look like a massive bunch of morons. Also, “hot chicks,” as one erudite commenter wrote, are not some commodity to service your lame ass, lowbrow, pathetic, low IQ entertainment moron needs like some item on a grocery list. Men need to learn this. Idiots. Thanks for narrowing the already narrow possibility for good movies by guaranteeing more sequels from the crap movie diarrhea machine. Why don’t you improve yourselves and get a date rather than living vicariously through some sad movie.
What was the original prediction for F&F?
Why do people keep clinging to the fallacy that R rated pictures don’t do well? Friday the 13th anyone? I won’t waste time naming the others. While I’m sure the stats will sadly back up the PG-13 vs. R debate dollars-wise, I think it’s more of a case by case thing. If Alien 5 came out R rated tomorrow(assuming it was good), it would be huge.
As for why Adventureland, or any other film which is perceived to be good, hits or doesn’t is one of the great mysteries that everyone looks stupid analyzing because, as they saying goes, “nobody knows anything.”
But if we must offer explanation for this weekend, when you open a summer type blockbuster tentpole in the dead of spring of course it’s going to be huge and dwarf all others. Exactly why is the success of FAST AND FURIOUS a surprise to anyone? Original cast back in place and nobody thinks this will work? Hello?
The only real question is legs but F&F has a little breathing room before the guns of summer unload.
Adventureland should not be an R. Unless I blinked,there is no nudity…not even really bad language-yeah they smoke pot the whole time-so.. They should have added skin and sold it as a teenage sex comedy, or had it PG or PG13. And I really hope the powers that be don’t read into F&F and think vin is worth some huge bump.
Do we eat vegetables all the time? Sometimes we need sugar. Can’t wait for Vin on netflix….to celebrate I watched Tokyo Drift on on Demand today! I am not a jockey cheesestick but a demented old granny!!!
American12345, you’re a moron.
Go back into your art house and hide until the summer is over.
That car, the Charger, has been featured in a lot of successful movies. Going back to Bullitt There’s something about it, its mean looking. Looks bad ass.
Very American looking. Detroit Iron, nothing like it today. The car goes with Vin Diesel, it has the mystique, like a Harley.
The Fast and the Furious part 4 was a pure action movie. There was no peachy agenda, just car chases and narrow escapes. Nobody sees the error of their ways. This in itself is refreshing.
Ugh – we were this close to never having to hear the name “Vin Diesel” again.
Congrats American12345 for earning yourself a bunch of comments about how much of a snob you are.
The real victor here in Justin Lin. Congrats to Universal for keeping him around for the 4th installment. Tokyo Drift was a lot better than people here in America give it credit for. They still don’t want to take movies taking place in Asia seriously for some reason. But Justin brought the same vision to this installment and hit a home run.
I went and saw the DARK NIGHT, LOST WORLD, AND TRANSFORMERS. BY FARRRRRRRRRR FAST AND FURIOUS IS THE BEST. IT IS ONLY ONE DAY AFTER THE PREMIER AND IVE ALREADY SEEN IT 3X. IT HAS EVERYTHING A GOOD MOVIE NEEDS. COMEDY, SADNESS AND ACTION. WHAT COULD BE BETTER?
Um, American12345, Lost World and Transformers are ’stupid ass’ movies.
I got a free preview ticket to adventureland. Some of the studio people were in the audience. At least that’s what the signs said on the seats. Anyway, I was force to sit in the third row. The Seinfeld seats. The film sucked in that seventies kind of way.
After a half hour I left. I mean the Chevy Chase scene was a complete rip off of the great humor at the pool.
Anyway I predicted 8 million for its opening. Obviously M. Rodriguez and V. Diesel can still pack them in.
As for Adventure land, if they had held back four months and sent it back to the edit room it may have worked as a teen movie come memorial day weekend.
Hollywood is shot. When will they learn that are people other than 13 year old girls who want to pay money to see a good movie. god!
Hat/Cattle got it exactly right. Comfort food for the male soul.
My (rhetorical) question is this: as hot as Jordana Brewster is (and she IS damn hot), how did she finagle getting her full face in front of the line on the poster? Wouldn’t Vin want that ‘honor’? Well good for her, in any case.
Still, the list of sequels has been pining for the original “parts” to return for a reunion. Fueled by gasoline or illegal antics, you can’t deny the chemistry of/by the original cast members. Should be a helluva ride!
I agree! People should not have the freedom to choose what movie they want to see! The government should choose what movies they are ALLOWED to see! I HATE when people get what they want!
Fast has much going for it. First its an almost direct sequel to the first film. Yeah the first film did 150 mil in 2001, but it was and still is one of the top selling DVD’s of all time. I remember when I was one of the few in my area to have a dvd player, and the first film is the first film on DvD which sold out by 4 in the evening on that first Tuesday. Now add into it the fact all of the showings of the first film on TV, and you have a major audience. Now the second one opened well, but faded fast, but was still enjoyed. After watching the 2fast 2 furious, fans were hoping for a Vin Diesel return, but producers got rid of everyone and went a different direction with the third, I know Vin Cameo. Third did well, but every fan thought well that’s it no more people from the first or second, but you always hoped they would do another. Now Universal and the actors ponied up and gave the fans what they wanted, and the fans are now rewarding Universal with a big hit.
What Moe said.
Great. Now greenlight Riddick.
Thanks to this hit sequel, Vin Diesel still has a career as a Hollywood movie star, something in real doubt until Friday. Universal’s gamble paid off big time. Can number 5 be far behind? And did Universal sign the stars up for a two picture deal, or will Universal have to pay a lot more to get the acting crew to film number 5 in this series? Maybe now Michelle Rodriguez can afford to buy another place in Hawaii. She sold her first property there to pay big legal fees to a shyster lawyer defending her on a drunk driving rap. This lawyer sold her down the river, took the money and then did nothing except inwardly smirk as the judge threw the book at her, messing her life up. Something Michelle was capable then of doing on her own, thank you very much.
I have to say that when I saw the first it was a very well put-together movie and as proof that it was good movie there was about 2 dozen car focused movies that came out soon afterwards. When the pulled Vin Diesel from the line-up in number two, I and many others vowed it would not be as good, and it wasn’t. I didn’t even bother seeing number three because I couldn’t care less about randomn cars racing around in tokyo. But the original cast is what set this movie up, as the cast in a tv show is what makes the show endearing, and why changing cast members in tv shows often drops ratings.
The major mistake that the studios made was thinking that everyone going to see these movies just cared about the cars. Obviously that was not the case. The chemistry between Diesel and Walker was weird, but it worked, and it could keep the audiences coming back for a few more sequels, if there is a popular belief that there is a decent plot involved, which they will have to make sure is pretty airtite, because they just answered the questions from the open ended storyline in the first one.
WOMEN DO watch ACTION movies, too. They even manage to go to the theater without male supervision, pay with their own dough and have a good time. Be that FAST & FURIOUS 4, DEATH RACE, TRANSPORTER 3 or whatever. It’s fun to watch some hot guys work a little (especially after a day at the office where we have to watch Mr. fat&ugly moron-in-power, who gets his kicks from being a jerk.)
Filmmakers of action movies – most of them – completely ignore the female audience.
Some of the commenters here are talking about “comfort food for the male”. So Vin and Paul (and Jason and Cam and Christian and Scott and…) work out like mad to look super-hot to impress…. you guys? LOL. Sorry, but even the chicks who came to FF4 with their guys didn’t look as if they’d been forced to attend the screening.
I absolutely loved the beginning sequence of FAST & FURIOUS 4 with Michelle Rodriguez. For all its duration I thought how great it is, male and female action stars working together, how much more fun action movies can be when they do include female characters, not just half-naked female bodies or “love interests”. But no, they had to kill her character Letty off within the first 5 minutes of the movie. I couldn’t believe it and thought it would turn out to be an FBI ruse, but no… Too bad, I got a glimpse of something that could have been even more exciting.
It’s true, there are some non-action scenes in FAST & FURIOUS 4 that were a bit blah and the second tunnel-race wasn’t quite as exciting as the first one (and felt more like watching a video game than a scene in a film)… but Vin Diesel totally rocked and what they did with Paul Walker’s char was really pretty sweet. Poor Paul – next to Vin (big as a house, looks like he could stop a train with his chest) everybody just looks smaller.
PS Perhaps some women like to pretend they’re doing their bfs a big huge favor when they accompany them to a “dick flick” in order to then get to pick the next movie — which may or may not be a “chick flick”? Just a thought.
I really believe there’s a pent up demand for horsepower in this country right now. This just goes to prove it. Watch, all the statistical “experts” will probably be just as surprised by the success of the new Camaro. Oh the hilarity of those who can only see in numbers.
why is everyone in hollywood shocked tonight? fast and furious is the kind of movie people like to go see.
is there some kind of proof needed?
Two mistakes with Adventureland: (1) An “R” rating instead of a PG-13. Kiss of death. And (2) Going into wide release instead of limited release and building good word of mouth.
In terms of F&F, here’s a news flash for you. A lot of us are unemployed right now. The economy is in the tank. People are going into office buildings with guns are killing others. Some of us just want to forget the world for two hours. I’ll gladly see F&F this afternoon for that simple reason.
As that famous movie crtic James Carville observed, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
If Fast & Furious really makes $70M, it will be the biggest opening weekend since The Dark Night. Congrats to Neal Moritz, Justin Lin, and the rest of the team.
TOLDJA! Now THAT’S what you call a ‘blockbuster’. Not that scrawny 58 for ‘Monsters’.
“1. Fast & Furious (Universal) OPENER [3,461] Wkd $71M”
I guess it does pay to use a union crew, I just hope the “Producers” realize this fact
I love it when a movie opens huge and people talk about how the director did a good job, or whatever, seemingly ignoring the fact that the people who bought tickets HADN’T SEEN THE MOVIE YET!!! So it’s success doesn’t have anything to do with Justin Lin, or any of the content, beyond what’s presented in the trailer. Congratulate the marketing people all you like, or the studio as a whole, but unless it’s a critical or word-of-mouth hit, please spare me praise for the actual product.
Re AdventureLand: Haven’t seen it, but don’t think it was the R-rating that hurt it. After all, Superbad was R-rated as well, wasn’t it?
“The lesson is that Hollywood should never underestimate moviegoers’ tolerance for retread material. ”
Forgive me, but I read this at first as “retarded material”.
“If Fast & Furious really makes $70M, it will be the biggest opening weekend since The Dark Night. Congrats to Neal Moritz, Justin Lin, and the rest of the team.”
Congrats to you too, Thad. Saw your name in the credits.
This is an absolutely amazing feat. The marketing team on this film should be given the utmost credit for capitalizing on the 7 years of anticipation since the original, and creating materials that made the buzz deafening.
The trailers and television spots were fantastic. The print was slick and cool. The tag line was inspired.
Highest praise to all executives, and creative ad agencies involved!!!
peggy,
You’re a loser. First off Monsters did $59.5 million, not $58 million. Which is the BIGGEST OPENING in the history of 3D films and the third HIGHEST GROSSING OPENING for a film opening in March. The Fast and the Furious did well, no one is denying that, but that doesn’t take away the success Monsters and Aliens is having.
Monsters is at $105 million after this weekend (only its second) and is also opening wide around the world where it will probably do another $100 million this weekend alone (it’s only opened in Russia so far and has already done $12 million there alone). Meaning it’ll be at $200+ million WW by Monday morning.
That’s a “disappointment” i’m sure 99.99% of Hollywood would gladly take.
I love how you always get these people, like Peggy, who think they’re so clever by trying to convince others that a movie, which is doing well, is somehow NOT doing well. LOL.
Whatever gets you off Peggy. I’m not sure why you have so much invested in this. You’ve been trying to convince people that MvA was going to bomb before it ever came out. You predicted it would do “no better” than $45 million opening (and sink thereafter) and then tried to convince people that $59.5 million was actually bad, even though it outperformed your own prediction by nearly $15 million.
It’s opening did as well as Kung Fu Panda, which went on to make $600 million in world wide box office after all was said and done.
Maybe you should come up with another hobby, because your abilities as a box office forecaster is seriously lacking.
I bet it this movie made only 1 million people on here would be complaining that Hollywood should ket a clue nd stop making all these sequels and threequels. That they should get something”original” and that hollywood doesn’t “get it”. Now that this has made over 100 mil, the wackjobs are claiming it’s because this movie is “american”. Please you all need to grow a pair. This movie is a hit because of VIN DEISEL, get it? VIN DEISEL. I hope he leverages this to the hilt.
No credit for the director? Ha! And yes, the material presented in a trailer of an action movie IS the movie. When it comes to films like this, it’s about getting WOW trailer shots. And he succeeded. The actual quality of the film isn’t the point.
peggy…
This is the first time i’ve heard a $58 million opening being described as “scrawny.” That’s a monster.
Good grief, some people need perspective I think.
I’m not surprised that it was a success, it is just with the economy and all I’m surprised it was as much a success as it was.
I was in Panama City, FL for Spring Break two weeks ago, and they had a party bus decked out with speakers and neon lights and covered in Fast and the Furious decals. The bus offered all the spring breakers free shuttle rides anywhere along the strip. Needless to say, after eating some of the free snacks they offered (and getting safe rides while being blacked out), I went and saw the movie to “re-pay” them for their free service. Panama City was one location, and I was there for one week–the drivers said they have buses all of over the country and have been doing it for weeks–it appears they succeeded in reaching their target audience.
And another reason why it (FAST) was a hit, was because of the diversity of the casting. That was the reason the first movie was a hit too. When will Hollywood get it? The Urban audience is a “Monster” and it’s getting bigger. It’s been untapped since Bruce Lee died and blacksploitation went away.
For a movie that was hyped at the Super Bowl, 58 for (Monsters) IS very scrawny. Monster’s is already forgotten. Making 100 mil within 2 or 3 weeks is average these days. Taken made 100.
Let me school you haters on what makes a “hit”. One thing, is the movie referenced in the popular culture by institutions that are not related to it (i.e. comedians, talk show hosts or other media like sitcoms, comments sections of webpages)before and after it is released? Monsters? Hell No. Then it’s NOT a hit. Don’t kid yourselves. You’re falling victim to “Hit Inflation syndrom”. Hollywood calls every movie it releases a hit. You gotta be smart to know the difference and not take it personally just because you like the movie or know people who worked on it.
Peggy,
I think you need to go back to “school,” sweetie.
You were wrong and you continue to be wrong, and it makes you look very small minded, obtuse and stupid.
First off, AGAIN, Monsters vs. Aliens did $59.5 million in its opening weekend, not $58 million. It did $13 million midweek and then did another $33.5 million in its second weekend for a total cume of $105 million in North America in TEN DAYS.
It opened abroad this weekend (at number one) to another $34+ million and had done about $12 million in Russia alone prior to that.
These numbers are comparable to “Kung Fu Panda” which did $600+ million worldwide when all was said and done.
This brings its total so far to more than $154 million+ and counting (in only ten days in the US and three days abroad).
As for your definition of what makes a movie a “hit,” that was just funny and kind of sad, if you actually believe it. A “hit” is defined as one thing in Hollywood: a film which makes a lot of money at the box office. As far as Monsters vs. Aliens goes: so far, so good.
I seriously doubt that “Fast and the Furious,” as successful as it was in its opening weekend, will have the legs that “Monsters vs. Aliens” will have. Let’s see if it drops only 43% next week. Somehow I doubt it.
“Taken” hasn’t made $100 million yet at all. It hasn’t even made $60 million. Where do you get this stuff? Do you just make this stuff up? “The urban market?” What on God’s earth are you talking about? I think i’d take you more seriously if you weren’t just making stuff up, inventing (or downplaying) numbers and subscribing to analyses that no one has ever heard of before.
I seriously doubt someone as ridiculous as you could “school” anyone on anything. Stop trying to convince people, possibly yourself, that a movie which is doing well is somehow not doing well.
Watchmen took 31 days to make $105 million…
Monsters v. Aliens took 10.
Alright, I give up! Monsters vs. Aliens is a monster hit! Boxofficemojo.com is comparing it to “Role Models” and Forgetting Sarah Marshall! So you know it’s a blockbuster! LOL LOL
Meanwhile, “Fast” is tracking better than the first Bourne movie and setting records (for it’s genre) everywhere.
And TAKEN has made over 139 million, like I said.
I love ACTION films and I’m a woman… Especially the Bond and Bourne films… Why don’t I ever meet a guy like that… Guess I’ll have to settle for Hugh Jackman, or… Vin Diesel…