Optimus Prime faces off against Bone Crusher in TRANSFORMERS(2007).
© Dreamworks & Paramount
TRANSFORMERS Rolls Out to Victory
By: Jarrod Sarafin, News EditorDate: Sunday, July 08, 2007
The July 4th week has come and gone, the estimates are now in and the winner is locked. Honestly, there was never any doubt on who that winner would be. Transformers rolled out to victory this weekend pulled in 67.6 million in box office sales. For the week long totals (Monday 8:00 pm-Sunday), the Autobots took in 152.5 million in sales averaging $16,853 per showing in its 4,011 theaters across the country.
I’ve heard this question earlier today. How come Transformers didn’t beat Spider-Man 3’s opening weekend numbers?
Here’s the answer to it. Spider-Man 3 opened on May 4, 2007 with no competition against it. It was a planned worldwide event by the marketing geniuses at Sony. In a summer with so many studio executives making questionable decisions, Sony is coming out on top right there with Disney. The 3rd installment of Spidey opened up on more theaters (4,324) to less competition. You’ll see the answer by looking at this week’s second and third place rankings and their numbers.
Disney/Pixar’s Ratatouille continues to impress audiences everywhere and score big in the box office contest. The film focusing on Remy the Rat (Patton Oswalt) and directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles) only dropped 38.3 % from its debut to its second week of release even amidst all the competition on the market. Pixar’s latest installment in their collection has pulled in 109.5 million in 10 days flat and another 5.8 million overseas from last weekend. This weekend’s overseas numbers have yet to be tallied as of yet. Still, the film is at an impressive 115.3 million worldwide and is already looking good for the rankings in the top 10 movies of the year given the competition for its demographic.
Following behind in 3rd place is Fox’s Live Free or Die Hard taking in 17.4 million on 3,411 theaters. The fourth installment of John McClane has pulled in 84.1 million in domestic sales over 13 days of release and another 35.5 million overseas last weekend. This has its worldwide take at 119.6 million with a budget of 110 mil.
The other debut for this week was Warner Bros’ romantic comedy, License to Wed. The film pulled in 10.4 million on its 2,604 theaters here in the states averaging only $3,993 per theater. The market for romantic comedies is always there but releasing it now against so much light fare has the competition tearing into it.
The disaster comedy which might avoid disaster for Universal, Evan Almighty, lands in 5th place over the July 4th holiday taking in only 8.1 million. This places its domestic total at 78.1 million in 3 weeks of release. It needs 175 million to overcome its budget (no including marketing costs) so it still has a large hill to climb. Still, it’s not an all out “flop” for Universal. The fact that it’s so close to 100 million says something about this summer season. There seems to be no flops this summer and that spells out why films aren’t making as much money as people expected. It seems that all movies are taking their own piece of the pie.
The horror film 1408 continues to stand strong in its third week of release for MGM. The film starring John Cusack only dropped 33.3 % from its second week to its third week landing in 6th place. This kind of steady legs has it grossing 53.7 million against a budget of only 25 mil. Quite respectable numbers for MGM.
Another film with steady income is Universal’s Knocked Up. The comedy by Judd Apatow has surprised audiences and expectations by its performance over a 6 week box office haul. This week, it took in another 5.1 million making its domestic gross tally up to 132.0 million. It has yet to be released overseas.
Fox’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer lands in 8th place this weekend taking in only 4.1 million for the weekend. Fox has already pulled it out of 806 theaters which is a bit surprising given its release of only 24 days thus far. Still, the second installment of the FF series has taken in 123.7 mil here in the states and another 82.5 million overseas as of last week. It passed the 200. mil worldwide barrier on Friday morning and its worldwide total is sitting at 206.2 mil.
Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko also has a niche audience keeping it strong. The film debuted in 9th place last weekend and stayed in the same spot for this weekend taking in 3.6 million in box office sales. Its current theater release is 702 screens across the nation and it averaged a respectable $5,199 per showing. Thus far, it has made 11.5 million in box office grosses beating its budget of 9 million.
Last place for the weekend is Warner Bros’ Ocean’s Thirteen. The latest installment in the Oceans franchise pulled in 3.5 million over the weekend in its 2,102 theaters. This places its domestic gross at 109.1 million. As of last week, it had made another 124.1 million overseas so its worldwide total is at 233.2 mil in 31 days of release.
| Rank | Movie | Weekend $ | Theaters | Average $ | Total $ |
| 1 | Transformers | 67.6 mil | 4,011 | $16,853 | 152.5 mil |
| 2 | Ratatouille | 29.0 mil | 3,940 | $7,367 | 109.5 mil |
| 3 | Live Free or Die Hard | 17.4 mil | 3,411 | $5,101 | 84.1 mil |
| 4 | License to Wed | 10.4 mil | 2,604 | $3,993 | 17.8 mil |
| 5 | Evan Almighty | 8.1 mil | 3,460 | $2,345 | 78.1 mil |
| 6 | 1408 | 7.1 mil | 2,631 | $2,713 | 53.7 mil |
| 7 | Knocked Up | 5.1 mil | 2,219 | $2,324 | 132.0 mil |
| 8 | Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer | 4.1 mil | 2,618 | $1,585 | 123.7 mil |
| 9 | Sicko | 3.6 mil | 702 | $5,199 | 11.5 mil |
| 10 | Ocean’s Thirteen | 3.5 mil | 2,102 | $1,675 | 109.1 mil |
This marks the beginning of the end of the Summer Season. There is one more major release in terms of what theater chains dub the “real” summer season. By explanation of that concept, Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix will be the last movie which theaters have midnight showings the night before its wide release. Theater managers can then rest a little easier with normal showing times from that point forward for the rest of this summer’s films.
So how is it looking so far for this summer’s box office? Good but not as good as was expected. As I wrote in March, this summer season was so congested with so many tent pole movies; the studios took a large bite out of their own pocketbooks in the process. They overloaded audiences with swash buckling Pirates, Web slinging & Silver surfing heroes. Ensemble loaded crime comedies and Alien Robots kicking ass. You name it; this summer season has had it. It was just too much to take in for some audiences who just elected to wait it out and plan their DVD purchases ahead of time. For the most part, the people did show up for each movie’s release but a lot of making a blockbuster what it is in box office cash flow is the “repeat” viewing of the audiences. With so many movies in such a short space of time, repeat viewing is down somewhat to the past summers with less congestion.
Next summer is looking to be as congested as this one. Iron Man, Speed Racer, The Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones 4, The Dark Knight & Hellboy 2 already have release dates lined up for the summer 2008 season. More are on the way to fit in between these…
Before we take another look at the numbers at this summer’s releases thus far, I’ll bring up a good question thrown my way in the last box office report.
Maniac Captmathman: “Hey, Jarrod,
Just to be clear, are the Box Office predictions meant to be world-wide, or domestic?”
Just to be clear, are the Box Office predictions meant to be world-wide, or domestic?”
I should have been clear with this back in mid April when I posed this question for all of you. I’ve always meant worldwide because not everyone who comes here to Mania may be from our side of the pond. We have some overseas maniacs in our midst so I took the predictions to be worldwide in nature. As I said, I think I should have been clearer on that one. Smooth move, Jarrod!
Honestly, domestic guesses work for me too if you all want to go with that as well. From looking at the predictions, I can tell which ones guessed domestic especially with the users who went an extra step to provide box office numbers alongside the rankings.
Hah, I notice how Merin insulted himself in the talkback last week for being off. I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself, Merin. Actually some of your predictions seem very close to the mark, domestically. Your Spider-Man 3 and Shrek 3 predictions are nearly perfect.
To be more helpful, I’ll put up the rankings in Worldwide first. Then, I’ll put up the rankings in Domestic so you Maniacs can compare and contrast them.
Current Worldwide Top Rankings For the 2007 Summer Season:
Here’s a look at their placing and their numbers.
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Budget: 300 million
Opening Weekend: 156.1 million
Total Domestic: 301.7 million
Total Foreign: 608.9 million
Worldwide Total: 910.6 million
2. Spider-Man 3 Numbers:
Budget: 258 million
Opening Weekend: 151.1million
Total Domestic: 334.3 million
Total Foreign: 548.8 million
Worldwide Total: 883.2 million
3. Shrek 3 Numbers:
Budget: 160million
Opening Weekend: 121.6 million
Total Domestic: 316.5 million
Total Foreign: 262.1 million
Worldwide Total: 578.7 million
4. Transformers Numbers:
Budget: 150 million
Opening Weekend: 67.6 million
Total Domestic: 152.5 million
Total Foreign: 93.6 million
Worldwide Total: 246.1 million
5. Ocean’s Thirteen Numbers:
Budget: N/A
Opening Weekend: 36.1 million
Total Domestic: 109.1 million
Total Foreign: 124.1 million
Worldwide Total: 233.2 million
5. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Numbers:
Budget: 130million
Opening Weekend: 58.0 million
Total Domestic: 123.7 million
Total Foreign: 82.5 million
Worldwide Total: 206.9 million
7. Knocked Up Numbers:
Budget: 30 million
Opening Weekend: 30.6 million
Total Domestic: 132.0 million
Total Foreign: N/A yet
Worldwide Total: 132.0 million
8. Live Free or Die Hard Numbers:
Budget: 110 million
Opening Weekend: 33.3 million
Total Domestic: 84.1 million
Total Foreign: 35.5 million
Worldwide Total: 119.6 million
9. Ratatouille Numbers:
Budget: N/A
Opening Weekend: 47.0 million
Total Domestic: 109.5 million
Total Foreign: 5.8 million
Worldwide Total: 115.3 million
Now, let’s look at the Domestic rankings…
Current Domestic Top Rankings For the 2007 Summer Season:
1. Spider-Man 3 Numbers:
Budget: 258million
Opening Weekend: 151.1million
Total Domestic: 334.3 million
Total Foreign: 548.8 million
Worldwide Total: 883.2 million
2. Shrek the Third Numbers:
Budget: 160 million
Opening Weekend: 121.6 million
Total Domestic: 316.5 million
Total Foreign: 262.1 million
Worldwide Total: 578.7 million
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End Numbers:
Budget: 300 million
Opening Weekend: 156.1 million
Total Domestic: 301.7 million
Total Foreign: 608.9 million
Worldwide Total: 910.6 million
4. Transformers Numbers:
Budget: 150 million
Opening Weekend: 67.6 million
Total Domestic: 152.5 million
Total Foreign: 93.6 million
Worldwide Total: 246.1 million
5. Knocked Up Numbers
Budget: 30 million
Opening Weekend: 30.6 million
Total Domestic: 132.0 million
Total Foreign: N/A yet
Worldwide Total: 132.0 million
6. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Numbers:
Budget: 130million
Opening Weekend: 58.0 million
Total Domestic: 123.7 million
Total Foreign: 82.5 million
Worldwide Total: 206.9 million
7. Ratatouille Numbers:
Budget: N/A
Opening Weekend: 47.0 million
Total Domestic: 109.5 million
Total Foreign: 5.8 million
Worldwide Total: 115.3 million
8. Ocean’s Thirteen Numbers:
Budget: N/A
Opening Weekend: 36.1 million
Total Domestic: 109.1 million
Total Foreign: 124.1 million
Worldwide Total: 233.2 million
9. Live Free or Die Hard Numbers:
Budget: 110 million
Opening Weekend: 33.3 million
Total Domestic: 84.1 million
Total Foreign: 35.5 million
Worldwide Total: 119.6 million
There you go. These are the top 9 from worldwide rankings to domestic rankings.
The Top 10 Box Office Winners Question Continues:
Here are the Maniacs which have turned in their Top 10 Box Office estimates so far:
Snallygaster:
1. Spider-Man 3
2. Pirates 3
3. Shrek 3
4. Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
5. Transformers
6. Ratatouille
7. Fantastic Four
8. The Bourne Ultimatum
9. Rush Hour 3
10. Live Free or Die Hard
2. Pirates 3
3. Shrek 3
4. Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
5. Transformers
6. Ratatouille
7. Fantastic Four
8. The Bourne Ultimatum
9. Rush Hour 3
10. Live Free or Die Hard
jppintar326
1. Spiderman 3
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Transformers
5. Shrek the Third
6. The Bourne UItimatium
7. Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer
8. Live Free or Die Hard
9. Rush Hour 3
10. Surf's Up
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Transformers
5. Shrek the Third
6. The Bourne UItimatium
7. Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer
8. Live Free or Die Hard
9. Rush Hour 3
10. Surf's Up
SinisterPryde
1. Spider-Man 3
2. Pirates of the Carribean: At Earth's End
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
4. Shrek 3
5. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
6. Ratatouille
7. Transformers
8. Rush Hour 3
9. Ocean's Thirteen
10. Live Free or Die Hard
2. Pirates of the Carribean: At Earth's End
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
4. Shrek 3
5. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
6. Ratatouille
7. Transformers
8. Rush Hour 3
9. Ocean's Thirteen
10. Live Free or Die Hard
wessmith1966
1. Pirates 3
2. Spider-Man 3
3. Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
4. Shrek 3
5. Transformers
6. Ratatouille
7. Live Free or Die hard
8. Fantastic Four
9. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
10. Evan Almighty
2. Spider-Man 3
3. Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
4. Shrek 3
5. Transformers
6. Ratatouille
7. Live Free or Die hard
8. Fantastic Four
9. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
10. Evan Almighty
Captmathman
1 Spider-Man 3
2 Pirates 3
3 Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
4 Shrek the Third
5 Transformers
6 The Bourne Ultimatum
7 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
8 The Simpsons Movie
9 Evan Almighty
10 Ocean's 13
2 Pirates 3
3 Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix
4 Shrek the Third
5 Transformers
6 The Bourne Ultimatum
7 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
8 The Simpsons Movie
9 Evan Almighty
10 Ocean's 13
Merin (with Box Office predictions as well)
1. Pirates 3 - $450 million L
2. Spider-Man 3 - $350 million M
3. Harry Potter 5 - $325 million L
4. Shrek 3 - $315 million L
5. FF 2 - $205 million M
6. Simpsons Movie - $200 million M
7. Rush Hour 3 - $200 million L
2. Spider-Man 3 - $350 million M
3. Harry Potter 5 - $325 million L
4. Shrek 3 - $315 million L
5. FF 2 - $205 million M
6. Simpsons Movie - $200 million M
7. Rush Hour 3 - $200 million L
8. Transformers - $180 million L
9. Bourne Ultimatum - $175 million L
10. Ratatouille - $150 million M
10. Ratatouille - $150 million M
Hanso
1.Pirates 3.
2.Spidey 3.
3.Shrek 3.
4.Transformers.
5.Harry Potter 5.
6.Ratataouile.
7.Rush Hour 3.
2.Spidey 3.
3.Shrek 3.
4.Transformers.
5.Harry Potter 5.
6.Ratataouile.
7.Rush Hour 3.
8.Fantastic Four 2.
9.Chuck & Larry.
10.The Simpsons.
9.Chuck & Larry.
10.The Simpsons.
theCollector
1.POTC: AWE - 600 Million
2. Fantastic Four: ROTSS- 445 Million
3. Transformers - 400 Million
4. Knocked Up) - 380
5. The Simpsons/ Shrek the Third - 325 million
6. Spidey 3 - 320 million
7. Die Hard 4 - 310 million
8. Rush Hour 3 - 225 million
9.Harry Potter 5/ Evan Almighty- 210 million
10. Oceans 13 -205 Million
2. Fantastic Four: ROTSS- 445 Million
3. Transformers - 400 Million
4. Knocked Up) - 380
5. The Simpsons/ Shrek the Third - 325 million
6. Spidey 3 - 320 million
7. Die Hard 4 - 310 million
8. Rush Hour 3 - 225 million
9.Harry Potter 5/ Evan Almighty- 210 million
10. Oceans 13 -205 Million
Scorpionstryker
1.transformers
2. pirates3
3. harry potter 5
4. spiderman 3
5. shrek 3
6. fantastic four 2
7. simpsons
8. surfs up
9. rush hour 3
10. Chuck & Larry
2. pirates3
3. harry potter 5
4. spiderman 3
5. shrek 3
6. fantastic four 2
7. simpsons
8. surfs up
9. rush hour 3
10. Chuck & Larry
DaForce
1. Spidey 3
2. Pirates 3
3. Transformers
4. Shrek 3
5. Ratatouille
6. Harry Pothead and the Phoenix
7. FF2
8. Simpsons
9. Die Hard 4
10. Surf's Up
2. Pirates 3
3. Transformers
4. Shrek 3
5. Ratatouille
6. Harry Pothead and the Phoenix
7. FF2
8. Simpsons
9. Die Hard 4
10. Surf's Up
MaverickRenegade
1. Pirates 3
2. Spidey 3
3. Shrek 3
4. Transformers
5. Harry Potter
6. FF2
7. Die Hard 4
8. Simpsons
9. Ratatouille
10. Surf's Up
2. Spidey 3
3. Shrek 3
4. Transformers
5. Harry Potter
6. FF2
7. Die Hard 4
8. Simpsons
9. Ratatouille
10. Surf's Up
AlmostUnbiased
1. POTC3
2. spidey 3
3. Shrek
4. Harry Potter 5
5. Ratataouile
6. Ocean's Thirteen
7. The Bourne Ultimatum
8. Rush Hour 3
9. Transformers
10. FF:ROTSS
2. spidey 3
3. Shrek
4. Harry Potter 5
5. Ratataouile
6. Ocean's Thirteen
7. The Bourne Ultimatum
8. Rush Hour 3
9. Transformers
10. FF:ROTSS
Celt6
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: AWE
2. Harry Potter 5
3. Spider-Man 3
4. Transformers
5. Shrek 3
6. FF:ROTSS
7. Live Free or Die Hard
8. Bourne Ultimatum
9. Rush Hour 3
10. Ocean's 13
2. Harry Potter 5
3. Spider-Man 3
4. Transformers
5. Shrek 3
6. FF:ROTSS
7. Live Free or Die Hard
8. Bourne Ultimatum
9. Rush Hour 3
10. Ocean's 13
Wednesday July 11, 2007 Releases:
Wide Releases
Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix(4,100+ Theaters)
Limited Releases
Drama/Mex
Friday July 13, 2007 Releases:
Wide Releases
Captivity (1,500 Theaters)
Limited Releases
My Best Friend
Interview
Shortcut to Happiness
Talk to Me
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Weekend Box Office Report for February 16-18
(Sunday, February 18, 2007)
Video: 'Transformers', 'Transformers' and more 'Transformers'
(Tuesday, July 3, 2007)
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In regard to the last Transformers post...
To: Merin
Nice comparison...in respect to Die Hard doing up its villains right...and Transformers failing at it. In terms of Die Hard: The villain(s) showed-up, and...just as fast...time, and time again...proved they were deadly serious. So cold...they'd kill anybody...or anyone, who stood in their way. The only thing that saved Willis was his desperation to save his ex-wife...and his personal need for survival. He was pushed against the wall...and acted not only out of need...but fear--a fear that turned into controlled anger...and street smarts born cunningness!!!
Hans lost out of sheer arrogance...and refusal to to adapt to the changing circumstances, wrought by Willis. Hans thought he was so smart, that a mere street cop could not beat him, and that was the flaw in his logic, and hence, his plan!!! The same is true of Tarkin and Darth Vader in Star Wars...they assumed their plan was so without flaw...that they dropped their guard and got arrogant...leading to their ultimate loss!!!
It is these kinds of moments that the Transformers needed...the irony of how tables can suddenly turn...the sudden reversal of fortune for the villain who has every reason to win, but fails...ala Khan, from Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan!!! But to successfully accomplish these moments, you must make things personal between the villain and the hero!!!
Terminator set-up it's villain correctly...by introducing The Terminator as being merciless...first, killing the gun shop owner, beginning an unexpected spree of violence...which spiraled into him taking out every Sarah Conner he could find in the phone book...and killing the real Sarah Connor's best friend and her boyfriend--No mercy...no remorse!!! This impossibly...seemingly indestructible villain further proved himself by taking out patrons at a night club...cops...or who ever else got in his way...proving himself to be worthy of our (the audience's) fear and hate. The same was true of the shark in Jaws...or the creature in Alien...all proved to be worthy of our collective contempt. However, Transformers never gave us such moments to hate the villain(s)...resulting in the film undermining itself along the lines of those missing plot points!!! But come to think of it...I don't think Michael Bay has ever set-up (positioned) any of the villains, in any of his films, properly, ever--not one...hence, the weakness in his films!!!
PS-Merin: Nice ideas about what you'd do as President. I concur all the way...but sadly, your hopes for the world, and mine, will not begin to occur until Jesus returns... or some major war, or another kind of man made or natural disaster unfolds.
Why??? Truly evil people run our governments...both so-called home and friendly governments...as well as that of the enemy. They need a slave class...that is the reason they over tax us...deny medical care...and deny good schooling. As I like to tell my family...the government prints it's own "Monopoly--Funny Money"...so they can fund anything they want to...they just choose not to, save for there own needs, not ours. Everyone in the world...should be given a free education...but "The Powers That Be" don't want them to have it...and that leads to only a small group of people graduating from Ivy League Colleges--and they are the people who are picked to run, and fleece, the world. These people don't give a damn about any of us. They instead hit us with a never ending flood of taxes, from State Tax, Federal Income Tax, Property Tax, Franchise Tax, Sales Tax,...and hidden taxes in the form of Garbage Hauling Charges, Utility Charges, Recycling Charges, Bridge Tolls, Climbing Gas and Oil Prices, Over Priced Pricscription Drugs, Insurance and Medical Costs, etc.!!! And now they want a Freeway and Road Usage Tax???!!!
The whole system is designed to keep us down...and all politicians are a part of the problem...no matter what the political party!!! And it'll take a worldwide revolution to change that!!! Amen to the return of Christ!!!