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Box Office: KNIGHT Slides Past The Mummy
By
Jarrod Sarafin
August 03, 2008
Batman (Christian Bale) on his new bat pod in THE DARK KNIGHT(2008).
© Warner Bros.
The Dark Knight continues to be a phenomenon for Warner Bros. and director Christopher Nolan. With the film pulling in $351.0 million by Thursday night, the film’s 14th day of theatrical release, there seemed little chance that it would rule the box office for a third weekend straight against Universal’s The Mummy sequel. Not with most moviegoers already having seen the latest Bats sequel. Well, the expectations of a new champion were wrong and repeat viewers answered the call by helping Knight pull out yet another victory in its third weekend of release. The film grossed another $43.8 million this weekend, just 1.5 mil ahead of the Mummy’s $42.3 mil debut numbers.
By grossing as much as it did in its third weekend, the Knight will become the Fastest All-Time to $400 Million on Monday or Tuesday, breaking yet another record previously held by Shrek 2 (43 days). As of this afternoon, the sequel has grossed $597.3 mil worldwide in 17 days of release. When the international numbers come in, expect it to be much higher.
Next up is the latest installment in Universal’s Mummy franchise, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which also performed very well for theaters across the country. As said above, it barely missed the top spot this weekend by pulling in $42.3 million on its 3,760 theaters, which makes it the #1 average per showing of this report with $11,289. The film has already opened up overseas, making another $59.5 mil in foreign markets so its worldwide gross is currently at $101.9 mil. The studio set the budget at $145 million.
If you’re wondering how this compares to the previous Mummy films for Universal, the latest film’s debut is ranked 3rd in the franchise, falling just one mil shy of the 1999’s Mummy picking up $43.3 mil.
The original installment, The Mummy, opened up in 3,210 theaters on May 7, 1999 and wound up with $43.3 million, making it the #1 film of that weekend as well. It would go on to gross $155.3 mil domestically and another $260.5 mil in foreign markets, which means a $415.9 worldwide gross for the studio.
The Mummy Returns opened to even better fanfare for the studio, having grossed $68.1 million on its debut weekend back on May 4, 2001. Universal wound up with a slightly better worldwide gross as well with it tallying up $433.0 mil worldwide, $202.0 of that being domestic.
Their spin-off, The Scorpion King, wound up with less than stellar results, though it was profitable for the studio. While the film also won #1 on April 19-21, 2002 by hauling in $36.0 mil in receipts, the $60 mil budgeted film would only gross $91.0 mil domestically. With its $74 foreign tally, it grossed $165.3 mil worldwide.
So, there you have it on the Mummy franchise numbers. Now, it’s time to talk the remaining 8 films of this weekend’s report.
Step Brothers is proving to be a success for Sony Pictures, nearing its $65 mil budget line after only 10 days at the box office. The film landed in 3rd for this report by grossing another $16.3 mil on its 3,094 theaters. In two weekends of release, the film has grossed $62.9 mil domestically. It has yet to be released overseas.
Alongside Universal’s successful opening of their Mummy installment, they also have some room to celebrate for their musical Mamma Mia! continuing to do well by taking advantage of counter-programming movie goers. The film landed in 4th place, taking in another $13.1 million this weekend on its 3,062 theaters. In three weekends of release, the musical has grossed $87.9 million, set against a budget of only $52 mil. The film is pulling in even better numbers overseas, having grossed $140.7 mil in foreign markets. Universal has hauled in $228.6 million for this musical, which means I’m putting it in the summer tent pole list below.
Brendan Fraser has two films in the top 5 for this report, making July 2008 a very good month for the actor. The remake of Journey of the Center of the Earth 3-D came out the same time as Hellboy II: The Golden Army, yet the former film is still in the top 5 while the latter has already dropped out of the top 10. It’s easy to see that families are flocking to this remake of the classic with the film grossing another $6.8 mil in its fourth weekend of release. As of this afternoon, the remake has grossed $73.1 mil domestic and another $11.7 mil in foreign sales. A worldwide gross of $84.8 mil, set against a budget of $60 mil.
The last debuting wide release to talk about in the report is Swing Vote landing in 6th place by taking in $6.3 mil on its 2,213 theaters. Since Disney kept the budget very low at $21 mil, this is a decent debut against such overwhelming theater competition.
Sony and Will Smith continue to tack onto their Hancock success with the film grabbing 7th place after a full month at the box office. The film pulled in another $5.2 mil this weekend and has a domestic gross of $215.9 million. If you include its foreign gross of $179.8 million, the Smith-led vehicle has grossed $395.8 mil worldwide against a $150 mil budget.
Pixar and Disney follow in 8th place with their Wall-E finally setting some distance away from its $180 mil budget. Their latest animation grossed another $4.7 mil this weekend on 2,555 theaters across the nation, which means it now has a domestic gross of $204.2 mil. The film still hasn’t been released in most foreign markets as of Friday so its foreign gross is still at $3.1 mil.
Alright, here’s a question. What happened to all the X-Files fans? Speaking as one, I bet I’m not the only thinking the same question and I’m sure 20th Century Fox is thinking the same thing. It could be a number of causes for this one, one of which is overwhelming competition and a less than decent advertising campaign by Fox. Perhaps, the fans are waiting for DVD? Either way, The X-Files: I Want to Believe finds itself in 9th place in its second weekend of release, having grossed only $3.4 mil for this report. If you include last weekend’s debut, the film has grossed $17.0 mil domestically in 10 days of release. 20th Century Fox can thank their lucky stars that Carter kept the budget low to the tune of only $30 million. It still begs the question “Where did all the X-File fans run off to?”
The final film to talk about is 20th Century Fox’s other July release Space Chimps. The animation pulled in another $2.8 mil this weekend. This means it now has a domestic gross of $22.0 mil, set against a budget of $37 million.
| Rank | Movie | Weekend | Theaters | Average | Total | Budget |
| 1 | The Dark Knight | $43.8 mil | 4,266 | $10,267 | $394.8 mil | $185 |
| 2 | The Mummy 3 | $42.4 mil | 3,760 | $11,289 | $42.4 mil | $145 |
| 3 | Step Brothers | $16.3 mil | 3,094 | $5,268 | $62.9 mil | $65 |
| 4 | Mamma Mia! | $13.1 mil | 3,062 | $4,285 | $87.9 mil | $52 |
| 5 | Journey to the Center of the Earth | $6.8 mil | 2,285 | $3,008 | $73.1 mil | $60 |
| 6 | Swing Vote | $6.3 mil | 2,213 | $2,846 | $6.3 mil | $21 |
| 7 | Hancock | $5.2 mil | 2,782 | $1,869 | $215.9 mil | $150 |
| 8 | Wall-E | $4.7 mil | 2,555 | $1,857 | $204.2 mil | $180 |
| 9 | X-Files: I Want to Believe | $3.4 mil | 3,185 | $1,075 | $17.0 mil | $30 |
| 10 | Space Chimps | $2.8 mil | 2,134 | $1,330 | $22.0 mil | $37 |
Overall Numbers for Summer 2008 Tent Poles
Indiana Jones 4 Numbers:
Budget: $185 mil
Opening: $100.1 mil
Domestic: $314.3 mil
Foreign: $430.0 mil
Worldwide: $744.4 mil
Iron Man Numbers:
Budget: $140 mil
Opening: $98.6 mil
Domestic: $315.6 mil
Foreign: $251.7 mil
Worldwide: $567.3 mil
The Dark Knight Numbers:
Budget: $180 mil
Opening: $158.4 mil
Domestic: $394.8 mil
Foreign: $202.5 mil
Worldwide: $597.3 mil
Hancock Numbers:
Budget: $150 mil
Opening: $62.6 mil
Domestic: $215.9 mil
Foreign: $179.8 mil
Worldwide: $395.8 mil
Sex and the City Numbers:
Budget: $65 mil
Opening: $57.0 mil
Domestic: $151.1 mil
Foreign: $221.6 mil
Worldwide: $372.8 mil
Kung Fu Panda Numbers:
Budget: $130 mil
Opening: $60.2 mil
Domestic: $210.4 mil
Foreign: $154.1 mil
Worldwide: $364.6 mil
Prince Caspian Numbers:
Budget: $200 mil
Opening: $55.0 mil
Domestic: $140.4 mil
Foreign: $161.5 mil
Worldwide: $302.0 mil
Mamma Mia! Numbers:
Budget: $52 mil
Opening: $27.7 mil
Domestic: $87.9 mil
Foreign: $140.7 mil
Worldwide: $228.6 mil
The Incredible Hulk Numbers:
Budget: $150 mil
Opening: $55.4 mil
Domestic: $133.2 mil
Foreign: $95.1 mil
Worldwide: $228.4 mil
Wanted Numbers
Budget: $75 mil
Opening: $50.9 mil
Domestic: $131.3 mil
Foreign: $95.4 mil
Worldwide: $226.7 mil
Wall-E Numbers:
Budget: $180 mil
Opening: $63.0 mil
Domestic: $204.2 mil
Foreign: $3.1 mil
Worldwide: $207.3 mil
Get Smart Numbers:
Budget: $80 mil
Opening: $38.6 mil
Domestic: $126.5 mil
Foreign: $56.0 mil
Worldwide: $182.5 mil
The Happening Numbers:
Budget: $60 mil
Opening: $30.5 mil
Domestic: $64.0 mil
Foreign: $78.9 mil
Worldwide: $143.0 mil
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Numbers:
Budget: $145 mil
Opening: $42.4 mil
Domestic: $42.4 mil
Foreign: $59.5 yet
Worldwide: $101.9 mil
Speed Racer Numbers:
Budget: $120 mil
Opening: $18.5 mil
Domestic: $43.9 mil
Foreign: $42.2 mil
Worldwide: $86.1 mil
Hellboy II: The Golden Army Numbers:
Budget: $85 mil
Opening: $34.5 mil
Domestic: $71.2 mil
Foreign: N/A yet
Worldwide: $71.2 mil
Two new comedies coming for next weekend reports and both films are debuting on Wednesday instead of the normal Friday schedule. Sony is taking on the action-comedy genre with its Pineapple Express hitting 2,800+ theaters while Warner Bros. hopes for the successful sequel in the way of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Will either film overcome The Mummy and The Dark Knight? We shall see…
Wednesday August 5, 2008 Releases:
Wide
Pineapple Express (2,800+ theaters)
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2,600+ theaters)
Limited
Hell Ride
Beer for My Horses
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