The Avengers be breakin’ records, y’all. More records, I mean. Following last week’s record for the biggest domestic opening ever, it also locks up:
- Best second-weekend ever: An estimated $103.2 million (a distant second, Avatar, with $75.6)
- Fastest movie to $200 million (3 days – Number two: Dark Knight, 5 days)
- Fastest movie to $300 million (9 days – Number two: Dark Knight, 10 days)
- Fastest movie to $350 million (10 days – Number two: Dark Knight, 14 days)
- Highest eight, nine, and 10-day grosses ($299m, $342m, $373m) – Dark Knight 262, 290, 313
It’s currently at $373 domestically after 10 days in release. According to Disney, today (Sunday) it will become the 12th movie to surpass $1 billion worldwide. In the aftermath, look for Hollywood to focus on nothing but superhero movies for the next five years. Poor Meryl Streep is busy getting fitted for a cape and codpiece as we speak, while Daniel Day-Lewis is holed up in a lab somewhere, researching the actual science behind “reversing the polarity.” He’s just that method. Oscar schmoscar, he could get a Nobel for this.
Meanwhile, not to be outdone, Dark Shadows grossed an estimated $28 million. Hey! Did you guys know Dark Shadows cost $150 million to make? WHAAAAA? Who knew eyeliner was so expensive? I mean, it had to be the eyeliner, right? When Johnny Depp plays an aristocratic, colonial-era vampire, I just assume he he can just wear most of his own accessories.
Johnny Depp’s average daily wardrobe has more trinkets than Gary Busey’s bankruptcy sale.
Bret was initially bummed about picking Dark Shadows as his bomb pick in our Fantasy Summer Box Office game, but that was before we knew the budget was $150 million. Now it’s looking like the pick of the draft.
As expected, Dark Shadows couldn’t hold a candle to The Avengers, though its estimated $28.8 million opening is still a bit of a disappointment. Among recent Johnny Depp and Tim Burton collaborations, that’s a tiny fraction of Alice in Wonderland’s $116.1 million and around half of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘s $56.2 million. Those were both colorful, fun, recognizable properties, and Dark Shadows is much closer to Sweeney Todd and Sleepy Hollow. It significantly out-grossed Sweeney Todd ($9.3 million at 1,249 locations) but was a bit off from Sleepy Hollow ($30.1 million). [BoxOfficeMojo]
Ben should be unstoppable after picking The Avengers, but he wasted his second pick on Men in Black 3, so we’ll see. Then again, people love Will Smith. (See the Fantasy Summer Box Office standings below, beneath the weekly chart).
| TW | LW | Title |
Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | 1 | Marvel’s The Avengers | BV | $103,163,000 | -50.3% | 4,349 | – | $23,721 | $373,182,000 | $220 | 2 |
| 2 | N | Dark Shadows | WB | $28,805,000 | – | 3,755 | – | $7,671 | $28,805,000 | $150 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 | Think Like a Man | SGem | $6,300,000 | -22.3% | 2,052 | +42 | $3,070 | $81,917,000 | $12 | 4 |
| 4 | 3 | The Hunger Games | LGF | $4,400,000 | -21.3% | 2,531 | -263 | $1,738 | $386,902,000 | $78 | 8 |
| 5 | 5 | The Lucky One | WB | $4,055,000 | -24.5% | 2,839 | -166 | $1,428 | $53,721,000 | – | 4 |
| 6 | 4 | The Pirates! Band of Misfits | Sony | $3,200,000 | -41.8% | 3,079 | -279 | $1,039 | $23,104,000 | $55 | 3 |
| 7 | 6 | The Five-Year Engagement | Uni. | $3,100,000 | -38.4% | 2,569 | -372 | $1,207 | $24,377,000 | $30 | 3 |
| 8 | 16 | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | FoxS | $2,650,000 | +259.5% | 178 | +151 | $14,888 | $3,723,000 | – | 2 |
| 9 | 9 | Chimpanzee | BV | $1,624,000 | -34.6% | 1,559 | +28 | $1,042 | $25,586,000 | – | 4 |
| 10 | N | Girl in Progress | LGF | $1,350,000 | – | 322 | – | $4,193 | $1,350,000 | – | 1 |
Chart via BoxOfficeMojo
FANTASY SUMMER BOX OFFICE STANDINGS:
VINCE:
Dark Knight Rises
Total Recall
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
BOMB PICK: The Raven: $26 million budget – $7 million opening = 19 million
TOTAL: 19
BEN:
The Avengers: $207 million opening
Men in Black 3
Ice Age
BOMB PICK: Men in Black 3.
TOTAL: 207
BRET:
Brave
Snow White & The Huntsman
Bourne Legacy
BOMB PICK: Dark Shadows: $150 million – 28 million
TOTAL: 122
LAREMY:
Prometheus
GI Joe: Retaliation
Madagascar
BOMB PICK: Rock of Ages
BRENDAN:
Amazing Spider-Man
Battleship
Expendables 2
BOMB PICK: Battleship
TOTAL:
Johnny Depp Picture via SuicideBlonde.