BOX OFFICE: INDIANA JONES SECOND TO 'SEX'

[MichaelDoran]

Chick-flick trumped "genre" at the North American box office this weekend as the Sex and the City big screen movie claimed the #1 spot on Friday with an estimated $26 million dollars, bumping Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull down to the #2 slot in its second weekend.

According to estimates at Boxofficeguru.com, Indy 4 scored an estimated $12.2m on Friday, a sizable 60% decline from its opening Friday showing.

Universal's horror film The Strangers landed in third place with a respectable $7.6m gross, and the still-strong Iron Manleap-frogged Prince Caspian for a 4th place showing, declining just 31% from last Friday. Caspian declined 49% from Friday to Friday, according to boxofficeguru.

[Tom Daylight]

So the rumours were false, then. Indiana Jones is NOT better than sex...

[pak256]

The problem with this article is that it is either from the future or it should say that these are estimates and not just that the amount made are estimates because it's Saturday afternoon and we still have the rest of today as well as all of tomorrow before we know how much each movie made.

[MattBrady]

Originally Posted by pak256

The problem with this article is that it is either from the future or it should say that these are estimates and not just that the amount made are estimates because it's Saturday afternoon and we still have the rest of today as well as all of tomorrow before we know how much each movie made.

Historically, unless there's some unprecedented rush to a movie, a 2:1 box office relationship on a Friday will probably stick through the entire weekend. But that said, we will have final estimates later this weekend.

MattB

[Xhumation]

Looks like somethings never change.

Sex sells.

[JLAJRC]

Sits back and watches fanboys either make excuses or have heart attacks.

[bartleby]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Historically, unless there's some unprecedented rush to a movie, a 2:1 box office relationship on a Friday will probably stick through the entire weekend. But that said, we will have final estimates later this weekend.

There's really not a hard rule that says that. There are historic models you can look at to gauge how a movie is going to perform given certain data. But it depends on a lot of factors. A movie in its second weekend is going to be less frontloaded in its second weekend than its first weekend. A movie that appeals to families and kids is going to be loaded toward Saturday and Sunday rather than Friday. You also have to take into account that SEX AND THE CITY's Friday number included $2.5 million from Thursday midnight shows.

There's really no reason to think that just because SEX beat INDY by a 2:1 on margin that the margin will hold for the full weekend.

INDY will finish the weekend with $40-45 million. SEX should top out at $65-70 million.

[Ozmodiar]

Originally Posted by Xhumation

Looks like somethings never change.

Sex sells.

Even if a horse and lots of elderly people are involved. Who would have thought...

[malshnut]

chicks kick fans boys asses let's be honest the highest grossing movie of all time was titanic and that was the ultimate chick flick. Also from the feedback i've gotten from many friends indy was not so good...

[Predabot1]

Bah. Horrible! Indy4 was a great movie. Saw it tonight, fantastic.

I haven't even seen the Sex-movie, but since I've seen the show, and it should be similar to the show, then I can honestly say that Indy no doubt is the better craft, and more entertaining.

And YES, I'm one of those damn fan-boys...But I'm trying to the fan-MAN damnit...

[Drew Melbourne]

Watching the new Indiana Jones movie was a bit like watching your dad fit into tight jeans. Even if you accept the now baffling truth that dad was once extremely cool, you'd still rather he just sit in the corner quietly and enjoy his soup.

(Out of respect, I will not go out of my way to distinguish -- between George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford -- which is the dad, which is the tight pants, and which is the soup.)

[GreggN]

The Strangers was surprisingly great up until the weak ending. I went in expecting the Hostel-style torture move that the media was complaining about all week, but it ended up being a very tense, very creepy thriller.

Seeing in a theater with a lot of pre-teens screaming at all the scary parts helped the experience though.

[Beheader]

Come on, it's not rocket science here. All the husbands and boyfriends that dragged their women to go see Indy last week are now being forced to pay back by going to see Sex in the City this week.

And it's not like Sex opening weekend is going to beat Indy's opening.

[EMeadow]

Originally Posted by JLAJRC

Sits back and watches fanboys either make excuses or have heart attacks.

Nah you forgot the fanboy standard if they have a girlfriend:

They went to see Indiana Jones with you, now you've got to go see Sex in the City with them.

[Starbird]

I'll never understand why movie critics (and studios) glow about how well a NEW movie did against other films, films which had already been in theaters for a week or more.

If Indian Jones and Sex and The City and Iron Man all came out on the same weekend...Sex would be 3rd, Indiana Jones 2nd and Iron Man number 1. For Sex And The City to be hailed as the number 1 movie of the weekend, although a true statement, it was primarily going against movies, which had already been released and now are on the downslide of their short-lived hype and popularity. Hell...Iron Man has been out almost a month now and is STILL kicking butt.

Sex and The City beat Indiana Jones? For this weekend...sure. For overall ticket sells...I doubt it. We'll just have to wait and see.

[bartleby]

Originally Posted by Starbird

I'll never understand why movie critics (and studios) glow about how well a NEW movie did against other films, films which had already been in theaters for a week or more.

First of all, movie critics rarely bother with such things as box office performance.

Second, we're dealing with apples and oranges comparing the performance of SEX AND THE CITY with movies like INDIANA JONES and IRON MAN. Warner Brothers has different expectations for their movie than Paramount does with their two. The target audience is different, the business model is different, and the standard for success is different.

SEX AND THE CITY is going to have an opening weekend of what now looks like around $60 million. Regardless of how you try to spin it, that's a big deal. The movie is performing like movies of its type rarely do, and at least for the short term, will force Hollywood to change the way it does certain things.

[sfritz]

OK...l.let's see....

The opening weekend of Indy Jones drew twice the dollars of the opening weekend of SITC.

Does this mean there are twice as many sexually frustrated fanboys than there are women?

Something to consider.

-s

[Beheader]

Originally Posted by sfritz

Does this mean there are twice as many sexually frustrated fanboys than there are women?

-s

Now if only the sexually frustrated fanboys going to see Indy could get together with the sexually frustrated cougars going to see Sex/City. All would be alright in the world.

[apo11o]

The thing is Indy is a sequel which tend to do better. Also didn't it open on a long weekend? I'm from the U.K but heard it was a public holiday when it opened. So it didn't do that great with those in mind. I have seen both and Sex and The City is better. I loved Indy 1,2 and 3 but 4 was made because Lucus, Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg needed a hit and wanted to make money. The same could be said for Sex and The City but it just worked a lot better.

[Beheader]

Well, Sex in the City wins the weekend with an estimated $55,740,000 to Indy's $46 mill (getting my numbers from boxofficemojo.com).

BUT fanboys rejoice. While Sex did win Friday and the weekend, Indy did better on Saturday ($19.8 mil to $17.9mil) and Sunday ($13.8 mil to $10.8 mil), estimates, of course.

Sex in the City doesn't have legs... Insert your own Sarah Jessica Parker/horse/putting down joke.

[sfritz]

Originally Posted by Beheader

Well, Sex in the City wins the weekend with an estimated $55,740,000 to Indy's $46 mill (getting my numbers from boxofficemojo.com).

BUT fanboys rejoice. While Sex did win Friday and the weekend, Indy did better on Saturday ($19.8 mil to $17.9mil) and Sunday ($13.8 mil to $10.8 mil), estimates, of course.

Sex in the City doesn't have legs... Insert your own Sarah Jessica Parker/horse/putting down joke.

MOre interesting numbers care of Box Office Mojo:


1. Sex and the City (New Line)
$55.7 million | 3,285 | $55.7 million | 1

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount)
$46.0 million | 4,264 | $216.9 million | 2

Now if I remember correctly, Indy did $151 million its first week. So yeah, the 2/3's drop off happened, but 1/3 of Indy's numbers ($50 million) is pretty damn good for most movies no matter how you look at it. What will SITC look like next week? That's the real q.

I already saw Kung Fu Panda and I think another major film is on the way next weekend. How tired are the girls going to look then?

-s

[jgiannantoni]

After seeing Indy 4, I (a diehard fan of the original Indy trilogy) wish I could travel back in time and convince myself to see SITC instead (let's pretend I had to see one or the other), even though I've seen only one episode of SITC.

[bartleby]

Originally Posted by sfritz

MOre interesting numbers care of Box Office Mojo:


1. Sex and the City (New Line)
$55.7 million | 3,285 | $55.7 million | 1

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Paramount)
$46.0 million | 4,264 | $216.9 million | 2

Now if I remember correctly, Indy did $151 million its first week. So yeah, the 2/3's drop off happened, but 1/3 of Indy's numbers ($50 million) is pretty damn good for most movies no matter how you look at it. What will SITC look like next week? That's the real q.

INDY did $150 million over a 5-day weekend. It did $100 million over the F-S frame, so it's second weekend drop was around 54%, which is better than the 64% drop that AT WORLD'S END had this weekend last year.

[hatutzeraze1]

Originally Posted by malshnut

chicks kick fans boys asses let's be honest the highest grossing movie of all time was titanic and that was the ultimate chick flick. Also from the feedback i've gotten from many friends indy was not so good...

Two things.

First, when adjusted for inflation, the fanboy film Star Wars easily grossed more than Titanic.

Second, it's odd that I can't think of at least five post-Titanic "chick flicks" that grossed $200 million or more. By contrast, fanboy films pull in such numbers pretty regularly. Post-Titanic examples include the Star Wars prequels, Spider-Man trilogy, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Harry Potter films, The Incredibles, I am Legend (remake), War of the Worlds (remake), Batman Begins, X-Men 2 and 3, Pirates of the Carribean, Signs, Transformers, Iron Man, and 300.

So, the better question to ask is "Why do chick flicks lack the broad appeal of fanboy movies?"

hatutzeraze1

[Lars]

Originally Posted by hatutzeraze1

Two things.

First, when adjusted for inflation, the fanboy film Star Wars easily grossed more than Titanic.

And, the number one movie of all time when adjusted for inflation?
Gone with the Wind

Point is moot.

Guys will go anywhere to make chicks happy.

And to the kids freakin' out "oh, these is estimates! You just be from future! etc etc":
The estimates almost always hold true, and did in this case and in ALL of the other cases that I've heard whining about it of late, unless listed as being tight, when one made 5 bucks more than another..

You don't like estimates? Wait until the final tally on Monday and get over yourselves.