'Megamind' Barely Edges Out 'Due Date' to Top the Friday Box-Office
Weekend is shaping up to potentially be the largest since November 2003
It's a close race at the top, but considering Megamind caters to the kiddies I expect it to take its tiny lead over fellow newcomer, Due Date, and turn it into a rather easy box-office victory.
Opening on Friday in 3,944 theaters, Megamind and its 18% 3D price hike took home $12.5 million, which will have the film eying a $40-42 million weekend. Resident Box-Office Oracle, Laremy Legel, predicted exactly $42 million so he may be enjoying a Sunday morning of "toldja so." However, this number is quite low compared to tracking, which had the film as high as $51 million.
By comparison, Due Date's Friday was actually more impressive taking in $12.3 million in only 3,355 theaters. Obviously being in fewer theaters makes it a more impressive result, but the fact it isn't benefiting from 3D ticket prices also shows people really wanted to see what Todd Phillips had in store for them after The Hangover. That $12.3 million will likely translate into something around $34 million.
The week's other major newcomer was Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls, which opened in 2,127 theaters and brought in $7.4 million. Given the R-rating and adult subject matter I don't see this one making much headway over the weekend and will likely finish around $20-21 million, also below tracking.
However, despite all three films having a hard time living up to tracking estimates this weekend is setting up to be quite big. As Variety points out in their report of Friday's numbers, "if the numbers hold up, box office is on track to coming close to the 2003 industry record of $153 million for the first weekend in November." So perhaps we'll have more than just individual movies to talk about on Sunday morning.
Either way, stay tuned, I'll be back on Sunday with a complete box-office wrap-up. For now here are Friday's top ten numbers.
- Megamind – $12.5 million
- Due Date – $12.3 million
- For Colored Girls – $7.4 million
- Red – $2.6 million
- Saw 3D – $2.6 million
- Paranormal Activity 2 – $2.34 million
- Jackass 3D – $1.6 million
- Secretariat – $1.2 million
- Hereafter – $1.1 million
- The Social Network – $1 million
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Due Date has strong numbers
I told you, due date was gonna beat expectations
Not really, tracking had Due Date at about $36 million, so it's about right on target.
I saw The Kids Are All Right today. I wish THAT movie would be #1 instead of these crappy films. I don't get why movies like For Colored Girls, MegaMind and Due Date get to have huge releases while The Kids Are All Right sits on the sidelines.
Because not many people are interested in lesbians. Movies with an iffy subject matter aren't exactly tentpole material.
Right, because Brokeback Mountain didn't make over $80 million. Silly us.
Tentpole releases sell big time, that's why blockbusters like Avatar are as big as they are.
In a perfect world, which would be run by the public, anticipated tentpole flicks like Avatar, Revenge of the Fallen, 2012 and The Half Blood Prince would have been this year's Best Picture nominees while shit films like Precious, The Hurt Locker and An Education would be shut out.
did you just call Revenge of the Fallen and 2012 great movies? And Precious The Hurt Locker and An Education "shit films" I bet you're looking forward to ZooKeeper and Transformers: the shit stain of the moon.
You are a dumbass.
Are you guys not fed up of hearing about Iraq?
To me, and a lot of us Brits, watching The Hurt Locker was like watching a short news bulliton stretched over 2 hours, 15 minutes in I lost patience with it.
If films are made for escapism and entertainment, why do we even need depressing films like Precious anyway?
As for An Education, it seemed to be just an excuse for Rosamund Pike to dress up like an upper class tart. That's why I am not planning on seeing Made in Dagenham either.
Shoo, troll!
An Education and The Hurt Locker were the best films of last year. And comments like yours are the reason why the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies can make $200 million in this country.
The Alvin & the Chipmunks movies were big because family films sell big time.
Incidently I didn't see either of the 2 installments from the Chipmunks.