Fahrenheit 9/11 tops weekend box office

POSTED BY: Succatash
UPDATED: Friday, January 27, 2006 02:22
VIEWED: 11141
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JCKNIFE

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Succatash:

You're sneezing at $20 million and comparing Fahrenheit to Inspector Gadgit. As if production costs mean nothing.

You're implying that Inspector Gadget's higher production costs made it a better film?

I wasn't sneezing at anything--this is a surprising success for an independent film. Just adding some perspective to the hooplah, is all.

SUCCATASH

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JCKnife:
I can't see this film generating word-of-mouth audience.

LOL!

JANIELYNN

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:16 AM

JCKNIFE

I can appreciate your perspective. Spider-man opens this Wednesday and will probably kill off this film.

But I do find it impressive that a political documentary with a minimal promotional budget claimed the #1 spot during the middle of the summer film season.

Regardless of Moore's politics, he pulled off something that most people in the film industry would consider remarkable.

SUCCATASH

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JCKnife:
You're implying that Inspector Gadget's higher production costs made it a better film?

Like the Blair Witch Project, cheap films that make a lot more than prodution costs are considered a success.

When you spend Multi-Millions on a film and gross $20 Million, then it's a flop.

By the way, the average top grossing film during the third week of April has made much less than $20 Million. Which means that if Serenity makes $20 million during the first weekend it will likely be the top box office movie and considered a success. Even though it made less than Inspector Gadget.

JCKNIFE

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:20 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by janielynn:

Regardless of Moore's politics, he pulled off something that most people in the film industry would consider remarkable.

No doubt, Moore's stock has risen as a result. (I mean that in a metaphorical sense and not an evil, "Big Business" sense). Sincerely, kudos to him. To capture that volume on limited screens with such a limited budget IS an achievement. He certainly had a lot of help from the press, but an achievement nonetheless. He's a galvanizing figure and a lightning rod of controversy.

Mecanical bulls were real popular for a while, too.

Perspective.

JCKNIFE

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Succatash:
...if Serenity makes $20 million during the first weekend it will likely be the top box office movie and considered a success. Even though it made less than Inspector Gadget.

If we do our jobs and spread the gospel, it can do better than that! I want a sequel!

SOUPCATCHER

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:30 AM

BoxOfficeMojo is where I go to get my numbers fix on all things movie related. This is their article on the weekend numbers:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/articles/news/?id=040627bo.htm
One thing I got from the article is that you have to look at the per screen average with a grain of salt. Here's a couple of paragraphs that I found interesting:

Quote:
Though Fahrenheit's $25,115 per theater average is extraordinary, it's not unprecedented. It ranks as the seventh highest all time for a wide release (adjusting for ticket price inflation knocks it down to no. 28) and the third best this year behind The Passion of the Christ's $27,554 and Shrek 2's $25,951. However, they were super-saturation releases playing at 3,043 and 4,163 theaters respectively -- the lower the theater count, the easier it is to have a high average as the release isn't diluted by less populous locations with lower ticket prices.

Fahrenheit's performance harkens back to the days when big movies wouldn't play in every nook and cranny of the country, but would bow at around 700 or 1,000 theaters to sell out crowds. Perhaps the greatest example of this, Return of the Jedi debuted to $23 million at 1,002 theaters in 1983, which would adjust to $45 million by today's ticket prices. In terms of raw dollars, Fahrenheit is actually the biggest opening ever for a movie playing at less than 1,000 theaters, topping Rocky III's $12.4 million at 939 venues.

I'll take a wait-and-see approach. It could be that everyone who wanted to see the movie already saw it this weekend. It could be that the movie will add theaters as chains see how profitable it is. But it could also be that 868 screens is all the movie will be shown on. I think we'll have a better idea on the box office potential of the movie after waiting a few weeks.

I shaved off my beard for you, devil woman!

JANIELYNN

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:36 AM

I read that they were planning on expanding to more theatres this coming weekend (Sorry, I don't have the source readily available).

I haven't seen it yet, plan on going sometime this week, with (hopefully) smaller crowds.

Typically big opening films drop by half the second week. But I still expect it to sustain an audience over the next month, my estimate is that it will eventually end up with about $55 million.

CALIGARI

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by janielynn:
JCKNIFE

I can appreciate your perspective. Spider-man opens this Wednesday and will probably kill off this film.

But I do find it impressive that a political documentary with a minimal promotional budget claimed the #1 spot during the middle of the summer film season.

Regardless of Moore's politics, he pulled off something that most people in the film industry would consider remarkable.

I for one agree with this; I just got back from seeing the film, and although it is a striking film, and very much within the oeuvre (except for the overt humor in this case) of Moore's work, I feel it doesn't have the "legs" of his prior work; the events are still in motion, the conclusions one draws from the film are ostensibly irrelevant, because we have yet to get the "whole" story (I for one am looking forward to the declassification of the Iran-Contra stuff now that Regan is dead). Suffice to say, love him or hate him, Michael Moore is a brave filmmaker, brave for standing for what he beleves, fighting for his vision, and I paid cash money just to place my "vote" for such courage, his politics notwithstanding. I'm an atheist, and I paid to see _Passion of the Christ_, for the very same reason. Courage should be rewarded....

HKCAVALIER

Monday, June 28, 2004 4:42 AM

Little statistic I read, I think it was on Yahoo yesterday: Bowling for Columbine has made something like 21 million to date, and was the highest grossing documentary in history until Fahrenheit 9/11 made that much in its first day.

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

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