Man of Steel (our review here) grossed $113 million for the weekend (plus another $12 million from Thursday night sales), good enough for second best of the year behind Iron Man 3, and setting the record for June releases ahead of Toy Story 3‘s $110.3 million in 2010. The news comes at a crucial time, as before this, Hollywood was just about to stop making comic book movies.
Elsewhere, This is the End (our review here) earned $20.5 million for the weekend, $32.8 million over five days. Not bad, but not as good as I was expecting when I showed up to a 10 pm screening on a Wednesday night and the place was sold out. Younger kids buying tickets to other movies and sneaking in, maybe?
In a distant second place, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s apocalypse comedy This is the End earned $32.8 million through its first five days ($20.5 million for the three-day weekend). That figure is noticeably lower than Pineapple Express ($41.3 million), and also off from Tropic Thunder ($36.8 million). Still, it’s a good start for a modestly-budgeted movie in which the “stars play themselves” set-up could theoretically have been a turnoff for casual moviegoers. [BoxOfficeMojo]
The budget for This is the End is listed at $31 million, so for all intents and purposes it’s a hit. Basically, all comedies should be budgeted just below whatever number will keep the studio from focus-grouping it to death. This is the End didn’t feel like it had been. Unless the focus groups just happened to be a room full of junior college stoners going, “I dunno, bro, maybe add more jizz jokes?” Not that I’m complaining.
Meanwhile, The Internship (reviews here) dropped a whopping 60 percent from its opening weekend. Which is strange, because Pete Hammond said “Google my words: It’s a winner.” Seriously though, he actually said that. It’s funny because he’s supposedly a film critic. Does it still count as criticism if your only audience is studio PR reps looking for pull quotes? Because I’m pretty sure that’s called copywriting.
1. Man Of Steel (Warner Bros.) – $113,080,000
2. This Is The End (Sony) – $20,500,000
3. Now You See Me (Lionsgate) – $10,320,000 ($80,009,000)
4. Fast & Furious 6 (Universal) – $9,433,000 ($219,574,000)
5. The Purge (Universal) – $8,201,000 ($51,845,000)
6. The Internship (Fox) – $7,000,000 ($30,951,000)
7. Epic (Fox) – $6,000,000 ($95,429,000)
8. Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount) – $5,660,000 ($210,491,000)
9. After Earth (Sony) – $3,750,000 ($54,200,000)
10. Iron Man 3 (Disney) – $2,908,000 ($399,610,000) [Indiewire]
Fantasy Summer Box Office Standings
Laremy (First overall pick)
1. Iron Man 3 – $175.3
2. Man of Steel $113 million / $225 million budget = 44%, 100 minus 44 = 56.
3. Epic: 33.5
4. 300: Rise of an Empire (release pushed back an entire year, just like when Laremy picked GI Joe: Retaliation last year. Man is the kiss of death)
Total: 265
Vince (2nd pick):
1. 6 Fast 6 Furious: 97.4
2. Pacific Rim
3. The Wolverine
4. We are the Millers (Bomb)
Total: 97.4
Bret (3rd pick)
1. Star Trek 2: 71
2. Despicable Me 2
3. Lone Ranger (Bomb)
4. After Earth: 27
Total: 98
Brendan (4th pick)
1. Man of Steel: 113
2. Hangover 3: 41.7
3. The Internship: 18.1
4. The Great Gatsby (Bomb): $51 million on a $105 million budget, which equals 49 percent of budget, subtracted from 100 is 51.
Total: 224
Ben (5th):
1. Monsters University
2. Planes
3. World War Z
4. World War Z (Bomb)
Laremy is looking tough to beat.