TOP 10: Long weekend means big bucks for SPIDER-MAN 2

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Monday, July 05, 2004

SPIDER-MAN 2 is a hit. That surprise to no one was obvious from the weekend box office ticket receipts; Sony's $200 million dollar budgeted sequel ignited theater screens and took in an impressive $115 M over the Friday to Monday Independence Day long weekend. While that figure doesn't break the $114.8 M three-day take that the first film netted two years ago, don't forget that SPIDER-MAN 2 opened mid-week, and has been counting its coins for two more days than the original SPIDER-MAN movie had going for it. As it stands today, Sony estimates that SPIDER-MAN 2 will have earned approximately $180 M at the box office. SPIDER-MAN 2 will almost certainly forge a new record for the fastest grossing film to reach $200 M (the current record holder is the first SPIDER-MAN which took 9 days.)

Even with SPIDER-MAN 2's accumulated tally and first place standing, there was another winner at the box office. After becoming the highest-grossing documentary in the history of cinema in its opening weekend, Michael Moore's FAHRENHEIT 9/11 fell "down" in its second week of release and took in about $21 M. For a documentary that feat in and of itself is perhaps more significant than SPIDER-MAN 2's opening weekend receipts. F 9/11 now has earned $60 M and will expand its release again next weekend.

The weekend's other significant accomplishment is with DreamWorks' SHREK 2 which has now surpassed FINDING NEMO as the highest-grossing animated film of all time. If there's still anyone that doesn't believe SHREK 2 won't be taking home the Oscar for Best Animated Film at next year's Academy Awards, I'll take that bet and I accept Paypal payment.


Here are the estimated box office receipts of the top ten films from July 2 through to July 5 with their weekend gross and the movie's total domestic gross to date.


BOX OFFICE FRIDAY JULY 2 to MONDAY JULY 5, 2004:


1. SPIDER-MAN 2 $115,800,000 $180,056,000
2. FAHRENHEIT 9/11 $21,000,000 $60,091,000
3. WHITE CHICKS $12,000,000 $47,115,000
4. DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY $10,450,000 $86,704,000
5. THE NOTEBOOK $10,325,000 $31,637,000
6. THE TERMINAL $10,200,000 $56,700,000
7. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN $8,135,000 $225,314,000
8. SHREK 2 $7,900,000 $410,200,000
9. TWO BROTHERS $3,631,000 $12,625,000
10. GARFIELD: THE MOVIE $3,600,000 $63,552,000


Got a scoop? Know something that you need to tell us about? Send it to us!