Box Office Report Jan 16th 2006

Posted by: The Dude

Dude here again. Ok, so they didn't release numbers until today on account of the four day weekend. And since I'm not at one of those typical type regular jobs, I had to work today, and I'm only getting to this right now. So this is going to be truncated. Very much so. But still, I made a vow to keep doing this, and do it I shall. Dammit.

This week, we had three big releases, and more expansion in anticipation of the Golden globes, which are kind of stupid awards, but whatever. People like them, and movies like Brokeback Mountain get more money. So I have the four day totals here. Let's go to the numbers, shall we? (All in millions, remember, and these are the studio estimates. Numbers could change on Tuesday).

Hoodwinked (Weinstein Company)- $16.6, 2394 screens, week 1, $16.6 total
Glory Road (BV) - $16.497, 2222 screens, week 1, $16.497 total
Last Holiday (Par) - $15.7, 2514 screens, week 1, $15.7 total
The Chronicles of Narnia (BV) - $12.2, 3224 screens, week 6, $263.4 total
Hostel (LG) - $11.65, 2337 screens, week 2, $36.8 total
Fun With Dick and Jane (Sony) - $10.3, 3239 screens, week 4, $94.2 total
King Kong (Uni)- $9.2, 2814 screens, week 5, $204.667 total
Tristan and Isolde (Fox) - $7.85, 1845 screens, week 1, $7.85 total
Brokeback Mountain (Focus) - $7.055, 683 screens, week 6, $32.0 total
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (Fox) - $6.775, 2773 screens, week 4, $74.6 total

Ok, those are the numbers, so what does this all mean? Well, if you're Hoodwinked and Glory Road, you're fighting it pretty close. In the big scheme of things, the Weinsteins need to win this weekend, so they can stick it to Disney, the company that used to own them. Both companies are ruthless when it comes to these numbers game, and it's always fun to see two multi million dollar companies squabble like little girls on the playground. Regardless, Hoodwink also shows that it's not just the big boys of Pixar and Dreamworks that can make CG animated films that turn traditions on their ear. And Glory Road follows in the footsteps of last year's similarly themed Coach Carter, although with much lower box office results.

If you're Queen Latifah, you have to pretty happy. Your movie got some pretty bad reviews, but the one consistency with them was a unanimous praise for the performance of it's lead. Not bad. A remake of an old Alec Guiness film (which had a hell of an ending this movie wisely avoided, or did it?) that nobody was clamoring for or thought was a good idea. Still, Queen Latifah was getting raves from people who hated the film. And a relatively strong opening, just behind the top two, is pretty impressive.

And if you're Tristan or Isolde, I'm sorry. Nobody was willing to come out and see the original tale of love, before Romeo met Juliet, or some nonsense I heard in the trailer. Maybe it's good. Who am I to judge?

Brokeback Mountain opening up on 200 more screens, takes in the highest per screen average of the top ten. I'm fairly certain as I write this that it won the golden Globe for best Drama, so expect it to reach more theaters soon. And expect more controversy. Because people love to complain.

Everything else dropped significantly. I'm not gonna bore you with with the percentage drops.

Nothing much below the radar to speak about. Match Point increased it's take, Producers decreased. Same old story.

And in the "just because it's there and because I can" series: Derailed (the first release from the Weinstein Company) has taken in $23,900 this weekend, bringing it's total to $35,755,000 in 10 weeks.

There you have my wonderful break down. Next week, we have a hot leather clad chick beating up people in slow motion to techno music. Possibly firing guns. I'm excited to see it, but I think it's gonna suck.

Until next weekend....