I try not to post too many reminders about what a genius I am, because I figure that’s old news for most of my readers. But sometimes it’s unavoidable. Times like when I choose Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 for our fantasy summer box office contest and it has the biggest opening of all time, not that I’m bragging (*puts on bling ‘SUCK IT’ necklace*). Its $168.55 million smashed The Dark Knight’s previous, $154.8 million record. HP also broke the foreign record with $307 million overseas, up 18% from the previous record holder, Pirates 4. 61% of that came from higher-priced 3D showings, which also helped. All told, it’s made $475.55 million so far. In related news, I hear your mom earned enough to pay for dinner and only had to blow three truckers. It’s all relative.
HP also had a steepest-of-all-time Friday-to-Saturday decline of 53%, which continues the phenomenon of mega-frontloaded Harry Potter films. It’s not enough to see it, you have to be there opening night. I guess that’s so some punk-ass muggle doesn’t spoil the ending for you. Additional fun fact: Harry Potter accounted for two out every three movie tickets sold this weekend.
As a franchise, Harry Potter has now grossed $2.177 billion, and it’s on the brink of eclipsing Star Wars’ $2.218 billion to become the top-grossing franchise in history. In terms of estimated attendance, though, the eight Potter movies have had 57 percent of the impact of the seven Star Wars movies. Star Wars even wins on this front when just its initial releases are counted. However, Harry Potter has earned its place in the pantheon with remarkably consistent blockbuster performances. After Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the sequels’ maximum attendance difference was less than 20 percent. That first movie, though, should remain the best-attended, even as Deathly Hallows Part 2 becomes the top-grossing entry. [BoxOfficeMojo]
I’ve got your top ten and Fantasy Box Office standings below, while I savor my impending victory.
This weekend:
| This Week |
Last Week | Title |
Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | ||
| 1 | N | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | $168,550,000 | – | 4,375 | – | $38,526 | $168,550,000 | – | 1 | |
| 2 | 1 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | $21,250,000 | -54.9% | 3,917 | -171 | $5,425 | $302,800,000 | $195 | 3 | |
| 3 | 2 | Horrible Bosses | $17,630,000 | -37.7% | 3,134 | +94 | $5,625 | $60,002,000 | $35 | 2 | |
| 4 | 3 | Zookeeper | $12,300,000 | -38.7% | 3,482 | – | $3,532 | $42,352,000 | $80 | 2 | |
| 5 | 4 | Cars 2 | $8,344,000 | -45.1% | 3,249 | -741 | $2,568 | $165,326,000 | $200 | 4 | |
| 6 | N | Winnie the Pooh | $8,000,000 | – | 2,405 | – | $3,326 | $8,000,000 | $30 | 1 | |
| 7 | 5 | Bad Teacher | $5,200,000 | -41.7% | 2,659 | -303 | $1,956 | $88,505,000 | $20 | 4 | |
| 8 | 6 | Larry Crowne | $2,573,000 | -56.7% | 2,287 | -689 | $1,125 | $31,628,000 | $30 | 3 | |
| 9 | 7 | Super 8 | $1,925,000 | -60.2% | 1,459 | -833 | $1,319 | $122,242,000 | $50 | 6 | |
| 10 | 11 | Midnight in Paris | $1,891,000 | -28.2% | 706 | -113 | $2,678 | $41,793,000 | $30 | 9 | |
All Time Opening Weekends (Domestic):
| Rank | Title |
Studio | Opening* | % of Total | Theaters | Avg. | Total Gross^ | Date** |
| 1 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 | WB | $168,550,000 | 100.0% | 4,375 | $38,526 | $168,550,000 | 7/15/2011 |
| 2 | The Dark Knight | WB | $158,411,483 | 29.7% | 4,366 | $36,283 | $533,345,358 | 7/18/2008 |
| 3 | Spider-Man 3 | Sony | $151,116,516 | 44.9% | 4,252 | $35,540 | $336,530,303 | 5/4/2007 |
| 4 | The Twilight Saga: New Moon | Sum. | $142,839,137 | 48.2% | 4,024 | $35,497 | $296,623,634 | 11/20/2009 |
| 5 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest | BV | $135,634,554 | 32.0% | 4,133 | $32,817 | $423,315,812 | 7/7/2006 |
| 6 | Iron Man 2 | Par. | $128,122,480 | 41.0% | 4,380 | $29,252 | $312,433,331 | 5/7/2010 |
| 7 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 | WB | $125,017,372 | 42.4% | 4,125 | $30,307 | $295,001,070 | 11/19/2010 |
| 8 | Shrek the Third | P/DW | $121,629,270 | 37.7% | 4,122 | $29,507 | $322,719,944 | 5/18/2007 |
| 9 | Alice in Wonderland (2010) | BV | $116,101,023 | 34.7% | 3,728 | $31,143 | $334,191,110 | 3/5/2010 |
| 10 | Spider-Man | Sony | $114,844,116 | 28.4% | 3,615 | $31,768 | $403,706,375 | 5/3/2002 |
Fantasy Box Office Standings:
Vince’s Picks:
1. Harry Potter ($168.5 million opening)
2. X-Men: First Class ($55.1 million)
3. Green Lantern ($53 million)
4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
BOMB PICK: The Change Up
Running Total: $276.6 million
Ben’s (The Ear Rapist) Picks:
1. Cars 2 ($66 million)
2. Super 8 ($35.45 million)
3. Zookeeper ($21 million)
4. Friends with Benefits
BOMB PICK: The Smurfs
Running Total: $122.45
Brendan’s (Human Giant) Picks:
1. Transformers 3 ($98 million)
2. Captain America
3. Bad Teacher ($31 million)
4. Mr. Popper’s Penguins ($18.2 million)
BOMB PICK: Green Lantern ($200 million production budget minus $53 million gross = -$147 million)
Running Total: $347.2 million $294.2 million (never mind, I origianlly added the wrong number for this)
Bret’s (Grumpiest Man Alive) Picks:
1. Cowboys and Aliens
2. Smurfs
3. Spy Kids 4
4. Horrible Bosses ($28 million)
BOMB PICK: Transformers 3 ($195 million budget minus $98 million opening = – $97 million. A surprisingly decent pick).
Running Total: $125 million
Even with Harry Potter, I think Brendan’s still taking this. My bomb pick plus Rise of the Planet of the Apes have to beat Captain America by $71 million $21 million, and that seems like a long shot. Weak, dude. I don’t want to have to return this necklace, it’s already broken in. UPDATE: Yes, I added his numbers wrong the first time. It’s going to be close.