WEEKEND BOX OFFICE TOP TEN
August 18 - 20, 2006 |
LW = Last Week WR = Weeks Released
THTRS = Number of Screens
* Denotes new release.
Click on title to read CB Review |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 4. | Accepted * | | $10,112,000 - Total: $10,112,000 | | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 2914 |
|
| 5. | Step Up | | $9,867,000 - Total: $39,448,000 | | LW: 2 WR: 2 THTRS: 2639 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 10. | Pulse | | $3,528,000 - Total: $14,704,000 | | LW: 5 WR: 2 THTRS: 2323 |
|
[UPDATE: 8/21/06 AFTERNOON - Official numbers were released, turning the top ten slightly on its ear. Snakes On A Place did indeed take number one, but just barely. Check out the official numbers in our Box Office update.
Matters at the box office took a bizarre turn this weekend. It was highly anticiapted that the Samuel L. Jackson vehicle Snakes On A Plane would be the top movie of the weekend. Unfortunately, few people actually went to see Snakes On A Plane, which made it kind of hard for it to win. Instead Talladega Nights got to go one more round at the number one spot. When final confirmed numbers come out tomorrow that could be reversed, but for now it looks like Ricky Bobby truly only knows how to count to the number one.
For an ultimate twist of irony, Thursday night previews, which were meant to boost Snakes On A Plane's word-of-mouth marketing effort, actually killed its chances of making number one. The nearly $1.5 million that fans threw at the movie on Thursday night don't count since only Friday through Sunday totals are tallied. That extra little bit would have given Snakes the edge it needed to overcome Talladega. The two movies ended the weekend with Snakes less than $500,000 behind. [UPDATE, 8/21/06 MORNING - a majority of news reports are using New Line Cinema's estimate which includes Thursday night previews in the numbers, thus giving their film first place. The information we're reporting, which is supported by Box Office Mojo, leaves out anything before 12AM Friday. Go with whichever you like. It's not the end of the world.]
College comedy Accepted opened in fourth place with $10.1 million, right behind World Trade Center which held onto number three. Little Miss Sunshine absolutely exploded onto the scene, expanding into only 700 theaters but still earning $5.6 million. It's $8,000+ per theater was double that of anything else in the top ten, giving it the potential to go even higher with future expansions of release.
The Duff sisters fell flat on their faces with a disappointing $4.6 million. Lucky to have even made the top ten, they still failed to beat out Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, now in its seventh week of release. Pirates, which has held on incredibly well, finally broke the $400 million mark over the weekend, something that up until last week I honestly didn't think would happen. Most movies, even the big dogs, tend to drop out of the running within four to five weeks. I guess it really does take a lot to take Jack Sparrow down.
Next weekend the glut continues with yet another four movies rolling onto screens. Frat-like comedy Beerfest will go head to head with the football drama Invincible. Men will have to choose which they like more, feel good football or drunk guys doing stupid stuff. Sadly enough, that's going to be a tough call for some. Those with significant others will no doubt have the decision made simpler for them. Kids movie How To Eat Fried Worms and the two hour long OutKast music video Idlewild will scramble to pick up the scraps.
More than half-way through the third quarter studios are still struggling to make good at the box office. Overall year to date sales are better than last year, but that's not saying much since last year saw one of the biggest slumps in over a decade. Total sales are still lower than studios would probably like them to be. With high numbers of movies struggling to perform at the box office, matters are slowly worsening. This glut of mediocre movies through the disappointing summer hasn't helped, and with an anticpated record breaking number of films released in 2006, expect the mediocrity and lack of box office performance to continue. At this rate, 2006 could end up in yet another slump.
|
