The box office results for the weekend of August 3rd – 5th sees a cluster of sequels and remakes atop the financial rankings. Yet none of the new guys could take down Christopher Nolan’s Batman finale. Here are the studio estimates:
1. The Dark Knight Rises ($36.4 million)
2. Total Recall 2012 ($26 million)
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days ($14.7 million)
4. Ice Age: Continental Drift ($8.4 million)
5. The Watch ($6.3 million)
6. Ted ($5.4 million)
7. Step Up Revolution ($5.3 million)
8. The Amazing Spider-Man ($4.3 million)
9. Brave ($2.8 million)
10. Magic Mike ($1.3 million)
Analysis
The Dark Knight Rises is now up to $354.6 million on the domestic front. While it should be able to catch The Hunger Games ($406.2 million) and claim the #2 spot for 2012, it will not come to close threatening its 2008 predecessor’s total ($533.3 million).
As for the new guys, Twentieth Century Fox’s third edition of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise, reveals that it may have run out of juice and is starting to sputter. With a production budget of $22 million, the lowest opening in the franchise’s history shouldn’t be too much of a bother. This probably won’t cross the $40 million mark domestically, but it will more than likely see the black ink on the balance sheet after a DVD and On-Demand jaunt. All that said, the previous two have show some legs in theaters as a nice alternate for weekday showings.
The Total Recall remake will not have the luxury its lower-budgeted opening weekend counterpart had. Ringing up a $125 million production bill, the mediocre performance, for a labeled blockbuster, is not what Columbia Pictures was forecasting. And the lovely critics are not being so gentle, either. Good news is that the international markets eat this Sci-Fi stuff up and will more than likely offset the poor stateside reception.
Ted, the R-rated comedy from Seth MacFarlane is replicating the performance the first Hangover movie had back in the summer of 2009. Now up to $203.4 million – and with a little life left in the theatrical tank, it could become the 3rd highest grossing rated R comedy of all-time if it can pass 2005’s Wedding Crashers total ($209.2 million). The only two flicks in front of those two are both the respective Hangover products (part I – $277.3 million; part II – $254. million).
Brave currently holds the longest streak in the top ten with 7 weeks. Disney/Pixar’s latest is now up to $223.3 million on the home-front and has secured $315 million overseas. The critical darling had a production budget of $185 million.
This week, there are two flicks opening up on Wednesday in Nitro Circus 3D and Hope Springs. On Friday audiences will get The Bourne Legacy and The Campaign. Reviews for all will be right here my fellow Shockers!
