Cinema Blend’s box office dude Scott Gwin is out this week. If the garbled message he left on my voicemail is to be believed, he’s at home marinating massive amounts of meat. I hear his Memorial Day barbecue tomorrow is going to be spectacular. In the meantime, the big news this week is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which is now the biggest movie of 2008.
The first estimates are in and if they prove accurate, then over the 3-day weekend Indy 4 will have earned a stunning $101 million. It’s not enough to break any all-time records, but it means that it earned one million more in its first weekend than the year’s pervious box office champ Iron Man did. Crack your whip and count me shocked. Friday’s totals had Indy earning less than Iron Man, but on Saturday and Sunday audiences showed up to boost Indy past Tony Stark. On Saturday Indy equaled Iron Man’s totals and on Sunday he flat out beat them to push Kingdom of the Crystal Skull over the top.
Indiana Jones 4 was the only new wide release to open this week, but the summer’s other big releases continued doing well in its shadow. In particular, Iron Man, though now second place, continues to earn big money. This week, it narrowly missed taking the number two spot from last week’s box office champ The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by a miniscule $23 million dollars. Don’t be surprised if next week Prince Caspian is lapped by Rober Downey Jr’s iron underwear hero.
Next week the aging harlots of Sex and the City get their big movie break in the aptly named Sex and the City: The Movie. Brace yourself men, your wives and girlfriends are going to want to see this. After Iron Man and Indy, you probably owe them. Will it take Indy’s box office crown or will Carrie Bradshaw and her gal pals be forced to settle for second place? We’ll find out. In the meantime, it’s Memorial Day weekend. Keep an eye on Cinema Blend tomorrow when we’ll update you with the holiday weekend’s 4-day box office totals. Expect more good things from Indiana Jones.
Here’s the full chart:
May 23 - 25
THTRS = Number of Screens
* Denotes new release.
Click on title to read CB Review
| 1. | Indiana Jones and theKingdom of the Crystal Skull * | $101,000,000 - Total: $101,000,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 4260 |
| 2. | The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian | $23,032,000 - Total: $91,077,000 | LW: 1 WR: 2 THTRS: 3929 |
| 3. | Iron Man | $20,147,000 - Total: $252,314,000 | LW: 2 WR: 4 THTRS: 3915 |
| 4. | What Happens in Vegas | $9,000,000 - Total: $54,246,000 | LW: 3 WR: 3 THTRS: 3188 |
| 5. | Speed Racer | $4,000,000 - Total: $36,213,000 | LW: 4 WR: 3 THTRS: 3112 |
| 6. | Made of Honor | $4,500,000 - Total: $39,061,000 | LW: 5 WR: 4 THTRS: 2393 |
| 7. | Baby Mama | $3,323,000 - Total: $52,131,000 | LW: 6 WR: 5 THTRS: 2158 |
| 8. | Forgetting Sarah Marshall | $1,666,000 - Total: $58,195,000 | LW: 7 WR: 6 THTRS: 1078 |
| 9. | Harold and Kumar 2 | $915,000 - Total: $35,908,000 | LW: 8 WR: 5 THTRS: 750 |
| 10. | The Visitor | $781,000 - Total: $4,432,000 | LW: 10 WR: 7 THTRS: 270 |
