Alternate headline: “Reports of 3D’s Demise May Have Been Greatly Exaggerated.”
Hot on the heels of a pretty damning report by Slate on the declining profits of 3D and the news that 2D has been kicking 3D’s ass in head to head screenings, a 3D re-release of The Lion King more than doubled the gross of its nearest competitor at the box office this weekend. Call it 3D’s dead cat bounce, or an allegory for notorious choker Tony Romo torching my Niners in overtime yesterday (ROMO! *shakes fist*).
This Wk |
Last Wk |
Title | Distributor | Weekend Gross | Cumulative Gross |
Wks | # of Theat. |
1 | – | The Lion King | N/A | $29,300,000 | $29,300,000 | 1 | 2330 |
2 | 1 | Contagion | Warner Bros. Pictures | $14,480,000 | $44,192,000 | 2 | 3222 |
3 | – | Drive | FilmDistrict | $11,018,464 | $11,018,464 | 1 | 2886 |
4 | 2 | The Help | DreamWorks Studios | $6,438,000 | $147,365,000 | 6 | 3014 |
5 | – | Straw Dogs | Screen Gems | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | 1 | 2408 |
6 | – | I Don’t Know How She Does It | The Weinstein Company | $4,502,000 | $4,502,000 | 1 | 2476 |
7 | 4 | The Debt | Focus Features | $2,945,897 | $26,543,546 | 3 | 1831 |
8 | 3 | Warrior | Lionsgate | $2,770,000 | $9,912,300 | 2 | 1883 |
9 | 6 | Rise of the Planet of the Apes | 20th Century Fox Distribution | $2,625,000 | $171,618,406 | 7 | 2340 |
10 | 5 | Colombiana | Sony Pictures Releasing | $2,300,000 | $33,347,000 | 4 | 1933 |
In other news, Drive did okay for a great movie that almost every girl I’ve talked to† hated (no small feat for a film starring that doe-eyed drink of honeybutter, Baby Goose), and I Don’t Know How She Does It stunk up the joint (shocker, I know). But not as much as Bucky Larson, which isn’t on the above graph because it landed at number 22, tied with Midnight in Paris, which opened 18 weeks ago. Bucky Larson earned $243 per screen, which is less than a third of what it averaged last week, when the average audience was eight people. You do the math.
In related news, a “lion king” is when you put your thumb in a girl’s butt, then wipe it on her forehead and hold her over a cliff. Some say it has the highest degree of difficulty of all Urban Dictionary sex moves.
[via Yahoo, BoxOfficeMojo]
†In fairness, it was like three girls, and they were all pretty dumb
Scar is making the greatest “releasing a massive dump” face I’ve seen on an animated character.
I don’t think it’s necessarily the 3D that’s drawing the crowd.
First and foremost, 3D tickets are generally about $3 (at least in Canada) more than regular tickets. I’d be interested in seeing ticket sales compared for the top three movies.
Second, the Lion King is a huge staple in the Disney universe and an extremely fond childhood memory for the 90s generation and probably then some. Between nostalgic adults, and parents looking for a family-friendly movie this weekend, it’s no surprise that Lion King is raking in the money considering the other movies at the top of this list.
I wouldn’t be so quick to backtrack on the “demise of 3D” as I think a re-release of Lion King even in 2D would have an excellent chance of dominating the box office.
You clearly aren’t talking to the right types of girls. I am a lady, and Drive is by far my favorite film of the year. It has everything I want in a film: Baby Goose, electro-pop, and head smashing.
I should add that it was only like three girls, and they were all pretty dumb.
I’m with you. I don’t know how much of a lady I am, but I saw it and LOVED it. Saw it with one of my girl friends and she loved it too, so I guess there are at least 3 girls who know what time it is.
I won’t be seeing Drive for another two weeks, as I have to take my kid to see The Lion King in 3-D next weekend. That’s true and that’s how it got to be #1.
I’m just happy that the Straw Dogs remake is completely irrelevant to everybody
Concur with the cool kids–Drive is the fucking tits. Baby Goose is a badass and Albert Brooks is, as they say, cast against type, but in a great way. Also, nice shout out to the LA Clippers.
Also very good was The Debt. As if there are any bad movies in the Nazi Gynecologist canon. Ladies, when the man with the speculum suggests undt von Papen schmear, run.
Sadly lacking are dwarf Nazi gynecologists. In fact the short performers on both ends of the speculum are rare.
That Straw Dogs remake was blasphemy to me.
Everyone should just rent and watch the original instead if you haven’t seen it. It’s awesome.
@ceRi–If I covered both ends of the porn spectrum I would use the name Roy G. Biv. If I covered both ends of a porn speculum, yuck.
I still think Disney made a huge mistake by basing the Lion King on Hamlet rather than Oedipus Rex.
As I was watching the Lion King (with my 3D specs) over the weekend, I realized something profound.
Since Mufasa is the head of the pride, that means he had sex with all of the female lions. Which means Nala and Simba are siblings. WHAT THE FUCK DISNEY?!
Sticking your thumb up a Catholic girl’s ass and then wiping it on her forehead in the shape of a cross is called an “Ass Wednesday”.
I think the really important question here is how to find a sweet satin scorpion jacket.
I guess this means Disney is going 3D-ify its entire catalog and re-release them in theaters to rake in the dough – I for one am excited to see The Country Bears in 3-D
Well, now we know why the lion is the sigil of House Lannister.
Bravo, Patty. By the way, “The Lannister” is a pretty hard move to pull off as well. You have to bang your sister then push a little boy out a window, crippling him for life.
Soo…when is the Little Mermaid coming out in 3D?
/hides boner
//in a fish
My girlfriend loved “Drive”. This may or may not be part of why I’m marrying her.