Up trounced everyone at the box office this weekend with an excellent $68 million take. The rest of the field, however, was disappointing. Drag Me to Hell, despite good reviews, couldn’t get past $17 million, while Night at the Museum fell more than anticipated. Same goes for Star Trek and Terminator. Star Trek did become the first film of 2009 to top the $200 million mark.
Up – $68.2M – $68.2M
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – $25.5M – $105M
Drag Me to Hell – $16.6M – $16.6M
Terminator Salvation – $16.1M – $90.7M
Star Trek – $12.8M – $210M
Angels & Demons – $11.2M – $105M
Dance Flick – $4.9M – $19.2M
X-Men Origins: Wolverine – $3.9M – $171M
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past – $1.91M – $50M
Obsessed – $665K – $67.5M
Ben Stiller’s ‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’ has claimed a box office victory over Christian Bale’s ‘Terminator Salvation,’ pulling $70 million in ticket sales over the Memorial Day holiday.
The big-budget family film easily beat the bigger-budgeted action movie at the domestic box office, as Fox’s “Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian” grossed $70 million for the four-day holiday weekend, while Warner Bros.’ “Terminator Salvation” took in $53.8 million. While it didn’t significantly outperform pre-release tracking or come remotely close to the blockbusters that Memorial Day weekend has seen for the last few years, “Museum” pulled in a healthy haul for a film budgeted at about $125 million. It could go on to a very big total, given that family movies tend to hold well and the original “Museum” ultimately grossed more than eight times its opening weekend. However it does have one very big challenge: Disney and Pixar’s “Up,” which opens Friday and is going after the same audience. After a decent start Thursday, “Terminator Salvation” quickly fizzled, indicating weak audience word of mouth. Its four-day total was $53.8 million, and its total gross since Thursday is $67.2 million. That’s less than what studio executives had expected based on tracking and a relatively weak start for the $200-million blockbuster, which was financed by The Halcyon Co. and is being distributed by Warner Bros. domestically and Sony overseas. – From LA Times
Three new movies. Three similar results: so-so. First, the big boys. Terminator Salvation, continuing the adventures of John Conner (sans Arnold), gets the big budget, action treatment. The four day weekend will probably net around $60-65 million. Watch for strong attendance from the guys, but it doesn’t look like a chick flick. Next comes Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Ben Stiller returns, and this film will rake with the families. We predict it will take the crown, with $80-85 million. The only other wide release is the Wayans Brothers Dance Flick spoof film. The trailer is actually has some funny moments. Watch for $15-20 million. Star Trek and Angels & Demons should do good business as well – $25 millionish a piece.
New this week:
Terminator Salvation
The early look of this was pretty encouraging. But reviews have confirmed the fears we had – the film is humorless and too mechanical (no pun intended) for it’s own good. As much as everyone loves to point at Dark Knight, films this grim looking don’t get a lot of people excited. We blame the director, McG. Why? That stupid friggin’ name. What professional film director goes by the name McG? We digress. Sorry.
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
The first Museum film snuck up on people and turned out to a be a big hit, despite it’s many pitfalls (some shoddy effects, some uninspired performances, some silly sequences). But the film brought in lots of families, and the new one should do the same. Reviews have been so-so, but most point out it’s bigger, better and funnier than the original.
Dance Flick
These spoof movies are usually shit. But at least the Wayans Brothers have some history of doing some decent work (as well as a lot of crap). This won’t be the worst of the genre ever made – but not the best.
