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Box Office: TROPIC THUNDER Knocks Down the Batman

By Jarrod Sarafin     August 17, 2008


Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Nick Nolte, Ben Stiller and Brandon T. Jackson in TROPIC THUNDER (2008).
© DreamWorks Pictures
For five weeks now, The Dark Knight has ruled the box office reports. Many thought that perhaps the latest installment of The Mummy or Seth Rogen’s Pineapple Express may take it down but they were wrong. The caped crusader continued its victory flight, knocking down records and climbing the All-Time Blockbuster List as it went upward into the worldwide grossing stratosphere. Thirty one days later, the sequel has a #1 worldwide 2008 gross of $800.0 million, sits #2 on the All-Time Domestic Grossing List with $471.4 mil and ranks #39 on the All-Time Adjusted for Inflation List.
But it was time for a new film to win this weekend’s box office report.
With schools coming back in session around the country, older audiences opted for the R-Rated Tropic Thunder instead of going to see Bats again. The Paramount and DreamWorks co-production starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black pulled in $26.0 million this weekend on 3,319 prints around the nation, which makes for an audience average of $7,833 per showing. Since the film actually opened on August 13 in select theaters, its total domestic gross is at $37 million, which guarantees a successful run for the $92 mil budgeted comedy.
Following in 2nd place is The Dark Knight, which is still pulling in good numbers with repeat viewings and those who just haven’t had the chance to see it in its first five weeks. The Nolan-led production pulled in another $16.7 million this weekend and since it’s still showing in 3,590 theaters around the nation, the film still has a respectable average of $4,676 per showing. As I say above, the sequel has a total domestic gross of $471.4 mil and if you add the $328.6 mil from oversea theaters, it’s currently the #1 Worldwide Grosser of 2008 with $800.0 mil.
Warner Bros. likewise takes the following 3rd spot with its debuting Star Wars: The Clone Wars coming into theaters this weekend with a $15.5 mil payday. The animated film, which is launching the first two hours of the upcoming series on TNT and the Cartoon Network, scored big than expected with audiences this weekend, averaging $4,491 per showing. The film has also grossed another $7.6 in foreign theaters so it has a worldwide gross of $23.1 mil after three days of release. Not bad at all for the WB and Lucasfilm.
Kiefer Sutherland and 20th Century Fox also released a new Rated-R horror film this weekend and wound up in 4th place. The Alex Aja-directed Mirrors pulled in an estimated $11.1 million on a smaller 2,664 theater prints and averaged $4,176 per showing. No budget is listed but this isn’t that bad an opening against the demographic and PG/PG-13 competition that it had.
If you include the 10th spot’s Vicky Christina Barcelona’s average, there are 5 five films in this report with averages above $4,000 per showing. It’s clear that audiences were a bit spread out this weekend as the school season kicks back into gear.
Returning for its second weekend of release, Sony’s comedy Pineapple Express dropped to 5th place by pulling in another $10.0 mil on 3,072 theaters. The film has already doubled its listed pricetag with a domestic haul of $62.9 mil and a budget of only $27 mil.
Theaters have begun pulling The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor out of some auditoriums this weekend, taking it out of 415 theaters but the sequel is still showing in 3,363 others around the country and wound up with a $8.6 mil as a result. This pushes its domestic gross to $86.6 mil for Universal Pictures. It seems that foreign audiences are loving the film more than American audiences with the third film grossing another $141.9 mil overseas, which has its worldwide gross currently at $228.5 mil after 17 days of release.
Universal Pictures also takes up the 7th place with its highly successful musical Mamma Mia! continuing to take the advantage of counter-programming minded audiences. The film pulled in another $6.4 mil this weekend and pushed its profitable domestic gross to $116.4 million. With a budget of only $52 mil and a worldwide gross of $290.7 mil, this film is a success for Universal.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. find themselves in 8th place with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 after only its second weekend of release. The sequel dropped 4 places to 8th by pulling in another estimated $5.9 mil this weekend. Not exactly too damaging since its domestic gross is now $32.1 mil after 10 days of release with a budget of only $27 mil.
Step Brothers also dropped 4 places to 9th place in this report, having a weekend gross of $5.0 mil on its 2,648 theaters around the country. The studio has the budget listed at $65 mil and it has grossed $90.8 mil after four weekends at the box office.
Taking up the final 10th place is the limited release of Vicky Christina Barcelona. The film debuted in only 692 theater prints this weekend and yet had an estimated haul of $3.7 mil for MGM. This means it had the second highest average rate of $5,361 per showing with audiences around the country.
 
 
Rank
Movie
Weekend
Theaters
Average
Total
Budget
1
Tropic Thunder
$26.0 mil
3,319
$7.833
$37.0 mil
$92
2
The Dark Knight
$16.7 mil
3,590
$4,676
$471.4 mil
$185
3
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
$15.5 mil
3,452
$4,491
$15.5 mil
----
4
Mirrors
$11.1 mil
2,664
$4,176
$11.1 mil
----
5
Pineapple Express
$10.0 mil
3,072
$3,255
$62.9 mil
$27
6
The Mummy 3
$8.6 mil
3,363
$2,559
$86.6 mil
$145
7
Mamma Mia!
$6.4 mil
2,771
$2,345
$116.4 mil
$52
8
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
$5.9 mil
2,714
$2,184
$32.1 mil
$27
9
Step Brothers
$5.0 mil
2,648
$1,888
$90.8 mil
$65
10
Vicky Christina Barcelona
$3.7 mil
692
$5,361
$3.7 mil
----
 
 
Overall Numbers for Summer 2008 Tent Poles
 
The Dark Knight Numbers:
Budget: $180 mil
Opening: $158.4 mil
Domestic: $471.4 mil
Foreign: $328.6 mil
Worldwide: $800.0 mil
 
 
Indiana Jones 4 Numbers:
Budget: $185 mil
Opening: $100.1 mil
Domestic: $315.6 mil
Foreign: $461.4 mil
Worldwide: $777.1 mil
 
 
Iron Man Numbers:
Budget: $140 mil
Opening: $98.6 mil
Domestic: $317.0 mil
Foreign: $253.9 mil
Worldwide: $571.0 mil
 
 Kung Fu Panda Numbers:
Budget: $130 mil
Opening: $60.2 mil
Domestic: $211.9 mil
Foreign: $349.6 mil
Worldwide: $561.6 mil
 
Hancock Numbers:
Budget: $150 mil
Opening: $62.6 mil
Domestic: $225.1 mil
Foreign: $332.2 mil
Worldwide: $557.3 mil
 
Sex and the City Numbers:
Budget: $65 mil
Opening: $57.0 mil
Domestic: $151.8 mil
Foreign: $227.3 mil
Worldwide: $379.2 mil
  
Prince Caspian Numbers:
Budget: $200 mil
Opening: $55.0 mil
Domestic: $141.2 mil
Foreign: $216.7 mil
Worldwide: $358.0 mil
 
Mamma Mia! Numbers:
Budget: $52 mil
Opening: $27.7 mil
Domestic: $116.4 mil
Foreign: $174.2 mil
Worldwide: $290.7 mil
 
Wanted Numbers
Budget: $75 mil
Opening: $50.9 mil
Domestic: $133.3 mil
Foreign: $120.7 mil
Worldwide: $254.0 mil
 
The Incredible Hulk Numbers:
Budget: $150 mil
Opening: $55.4 mil
Domestic: $134.1 mil
Foreign: $101.5 mil
Worldwide: $235.7 mil
 
Wall-E Numbers:
Budget: $180 mil
Opening: $63.0 mil
Domestic: $214.1 mil
Foreign: $33.6 mil
Worldwide: $247.8 mil
 
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor Numbers:
Budget: $145 mil
Opening: $42.4 mil
Domestic: $86.6 mil
Foreign: $141.9 yet
Worldwide: $228.5 mil
 
Get Smart Numbers:
Budget: $80 mil
Opening: $38.6 mil
Domestic: $127.7 mil
Foreign: $73.6 mil
Worldwide: $201.3 mil
 
The Happening Numbers:
Budget: $60 mil
Opening: $30.5 mil
Domestic: $64.3 mil
Foreign: $83.0 mil
Worldwide: $147.3 mil
 
Hellboy II: The Golden Army Numbers:
Budget: $85 mil
Opening: $34.5 mil
Domestic: $74.6 mil
Foreign: $24.6 mil
Worldwide: $99.3 mil
 
Speed Racer Numbers:
Budget: $120 mil
Opening: $18.5 mil
Domestic: $43.9 mil
Foreign: $44.6 mil
Worldwide: $88.6 mil
Like this weekend, next weekend is shaping up to be a heavily competed debut schedule. It seems strange that currently the comedies are getting more prints than the highly marketing Death Race but since the studio isn’t being specific, that 2,400+ prints for the remake may jump up to 3,000 prints by next weekend.
This week, we’ll have a lot of interviews for Death Race going up on a daily basis so be sure to check them out.
 
Friday August 22, 2008 Releases:
Wide
The Rocker (2,700 theaters)
The House Bunny (2,600+ theaters)
Death Race (2,400+ theaters)
The Longshots (2,000 theaters)
Limited
Hamlet 2
I.O.U.S.A

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COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

Showing items 1 - 10 of 29
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WISEGUY562 8/17/2008 2:50:11 PM
Kudos and congrats to TDK. Now #2 all time domestically. Even at #2 for the weekend it had a very respectable showing and a nice average.<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />Saw Tropic Thunder wednesday and again saturday and I laughed just as much the second time around. Loved the entire film and IMO is the best comedy of the year by far.<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />Mirrors was just ok. Some of the eye candy is nice but was hoping for more. And Kiefer is Jack Bauer to me so it's hard to accept him in anything else. That's the risk of doing a character that long.<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />The last couple of weeks has IM puttting more distance between it and Indy. So since HP is off this years schedule it looks like it may be TDK #1 and IM #2. I'll settle for that, I mean nobody expected that from IM to begin with.
7thGuest 8/17/2008 2:54:01 PM
Crap! I want to see Tropic Thunder since it does look good, but I was hoping that The Dark Knight would win again this weekend. Oh well, it had to become second some day and at least it didn't get beat by Sisterhood of the traveling implants 2. That would have really pissed me off.
johncocktostin 8/17/2008 3:21:00 PM
Hanso, TDK doesn't own anymore son.
Dazzler 8/17/2008 4:07:32 PM
Tropic Thunder was the SHIT! Funnier than anything out this year, or last! I can see why Simple Jack is pissing many people off. But it's comedy. "Never go full retard." Glad Batman is going down finally. I think it's made enough money.
evilbeagle 8/17/2008 4:39:15 PM
I had to see the Travelling Pants with my wife--and there were no implants--trust me. Movie was boring, and I even liked the first one. Anyway, this report doesn't surprise me. Tropic Thunder had a lot of buzz, and TDK is bound to start winding down some. Time to get ready for 2-3 months of crap movies until christmas season. Thank god, Iron Man is hitting DVD in September at least. Watched Doomsday yesterday. What a bunch of crap. Even Rhona Mitra's hotness couldn't save that pile of cannibal dung. Very disappointing after Descent was such a well made film. Now that Potter is off the list, what is there to look forward to? And, don't tell me Star Trek or Bond--don't care about either of them.
evilbeagle 8/17/2008 4:41:11 PM
BTW, I bet the DVD turn around time for Mummy 3 just got a lot shorter.
hanso 8/17/2008 4:42:59 PM
I finally got the chance to see TDK in IMAX and it was fckin awesome, the movie gets better & better with each viewing. Can't wait to own it on Blu Ray to see it in all it's HD glory.<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />Also saw the #1 movie this weekend, Tropic Thunder. That shit was fuckin hilarious. The trailers at the beginning of the film were great, almost pissed my pants, especially the Alpa Chino one. Downey Jr was funny as fuck in that, he's the best guy in that film in my opinion.<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />I pity the poor souls who shelled out $ to see Clone Wars.<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />Glad to see TDK going strong, only like 30 mil for to reach $500. Oh and John...TDK owns son, always! Don't u forget it. "Lead farmer, motherfucker!"
hanso 8/17/2008 4:58:48 PM
Did anyone go see VicyBarcelona? I wanna know if there's some 3way involving Scarlett that's worth watching. <BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />evil, how can you not look foward to Bond? No big franchises left If I'm not mistaken outside of Madagascar2 & High School Musical 3 if you are into that. There's also Twilight which has a following and the western Australia I'm looking foward to Eagle Eye, Zack & Miri do a Porno, Yes Man, Day the Earth STood Still, Defiance, the Road, Role Models & Quantum of Solace.
audioslave69 8/17/2008 5:00:48 PM
Aww TDK owns no more. i might see tropic thunder tomorrow.
almostunbiased 8/17/2008 5:25:52 PM
I wanted to see Tropic Thunder pretty bad, but I just can't drag myself away from the Olympics. I'm watching diving right now. Love it. Love it more than movies. I know there's something wrong with me.<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />Well it will be over in a week and then I can actually live my life away from the television.<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />9:20 am Aug 21st greatest race ever. Watch it.
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