A look at the box office: 1998 and on

[Triligors]

NOTE THIS IS A FORUM ABOUT THE SUMMER BOX OFFICE


My other thread was to see..... who will come out on top? Pirates 2 or Superman Returns? Both have alot going for it. One is a sequel to a film that placed third on the box office of 2003. And one is a cultural icon.

Yeah, but we already have threads like this!...

Starting from 98' on... I will give a comprehensive look, only facts- no opinions will enter this at all, of the box office from 1998 on to 2005. Looking at the hype, whether a successful original mattered or not, what the reviews were for those film and hopefully some source to tell me what the hype was like for all of these films.

I used 05' summer box office in defense of SR.... but, lots have been stating other movies- even movies which make us shake our heads and scream "what the hell? no way!" but.... um.... can work in defense of one of the blockbusters. In here, hopefully looking into the past we'll get answers into several of these questions- such as:

Does a 4th of July date really matter?

And

Does being a sequel to a succesful first film with an established fanbase matter?

Over the next couple of hours I will be putting together a base of knowledge of years past on this forum here. Hopefully from this, we can get to the bottom of this once and for all. Because the poll- obviously isn't working... last night POTC was in the lead, when I woke up SR was in the lead- now POTC is in the lead again.... it's like watching a never ending stock market. Thus, maybe this will help instead.


Some of this information is pretty surprising, TheVileOne where are you?, you might actually have a solid point. CGI fun family films can beat out highly anticipated sequels & a kick ass original movie. Look at the year 2003: Finding Nemo (!) was #1- and I'm 100% serious.... it beat both Matrix: Reloaded & Pirates! So, that possibility- Cars or Over the Hedge #1? Possible....

Please note that this will be taking me a couple of hours to complete and put together- thus, don't expect immediate results.

Also, note, that I will only look at box office rank- not number. Because we all know, ever since pirating came along- box office got a brand new enemy.

 

[Triligors]

1998. The year of disaster films, welcoming back long lost heroes- or villains in some cases, and visiting the past.

THE TOP TEN

1. Armageddon July 1st
2. Saving Private Ryan July 24th
3. Deep Impact May 8th
4. Dr. Doolittle June 26th
5. Godzilla May 19th
6. There's Something about Mary July 15th
7. Lethal Weapon 4 July 10th
8. The Truman Show June 5th
9. Mulan June 19th
10. Mask of Zorro July 17th

THE HYPE

For these earlier years it's going to be REALLY tough. Because not alot of information- if you remember anything, please share.

The following I was able to get from Christian Sauve's Movies of Summer '98: The Essay

A quick analysis of the numbers reveal a few surprises, especially when compared to the pre-summer predictions. Everyone expected GODZILLA and ARMAGEDDON to clean up at the box office. While these movies did well, they didn't bring in the expected 250-300$M range. If anything, they suffered from very negative critical opinion: They're the films everyone saw but nobody liked. (Reuters New Media: "Armageddon has been the sort of Bill Clinton of movies this summer. Despite being disrespected by the press, it's the biggest release of the summer," said Phil Barlow, president of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, a Disney unit.)

On the other hand, sleeper hits included SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, DR. DOLITTLE and DEEP IMPACT, but especially THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. THE MASK OF ZORRO also did well. LETHAL WEAPON 4 was a disappointment, given that it cost almost as much to produce than it has brought in. Massive bombs include BASEKETBALL, which didn't even make the Top-10 on its opening week and THE AVENGERS, bringing in ~23$M for a 60$M budget.

THE REVIEWS (RATING)

As for the *quality* of the movies, there can obviously be no numbers attached to that, right? Wrong! A hardy bunch of Internet-connected movie fans has been quietly compiling the ratings of major critics across America to come up with an incredibly useful "average" rating. Here are quantified ratings for this summer's biggest 30 films, on a four-star scale:

3.76 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
3.63 THE TRUMAN SHOW
3.36 OUT OF SIGHT
3.30 MULAN
2.94 THE MASK OF ZORRO
2.77 EVER AFTER
2.76 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
2.72 THE X-FILES
2.63 THE PARENT TRAP
2.58 WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE?
2.57 SNAKE EYES
2.55 THE NEGOTIATOR
2.52 SIX DAYS, SEVEN NIGHTS
2.40 BLADE
2.36 LETHAL WEAPON 4
2.25 HALLOWEEN H20
2.24 DR. DOLITTLE
2.23 HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK
2.06 FEAR & LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS
2.03 DEEP IMPACT
2.01 CAN'T HARDLY WAIT
1.99 BASEKETBALL
1.98 GODZILLA
1.92 DISTURBING BEHAVIOUR
1.90 ARMAGEDDON
1.89 AIR BUD 2: GOLDEN RECEIVER
1.86 54
1.69 MAFIA!
1.35 THE AVENGERS
1.29 DEAD MAN ON CAMPUS

THE RUN TIME

Finally, if the movies of this summer shared a characteristic, it's that most of them were *long*. Two-hours action pictures used to be a rarity; Summer'98 had six of them!

For our case, since the run time has obviously and most films are 2 hrs., thus:

165m SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
164m THE HORSE WHISPERER
150m ARMAGEDDON

 

[Triligors]

1999. The year of a cultural icon returning, TV shows & films being remade, and two chick flicks that actually made a dent in the box office!

THE TOP TEN

1. Star Wars: Phantom Menace May 19th
2. Austin Powers: The Spy who shagged me June 11th
3. Sixth Sense August 6th
4. Tarzan June 18th
5. Big Daddy June 25th
6. The Mummy May 7th
7. Runaway Bride July 30th
8. Blair Witch Project July 16th
9. Notting Hill May 28th
10. Wild Wild West June 30th

THE HYPE, ETC...

Wasn't able to find anything. Only hype, etc. that I can find is that during this time people were wondering if Star Wars would surpass Titanic. Which we all know now, how that one ended. But, from the start- Star Wars was more or less guaranteed #1. Star Wars was everywhere, heck kids everywhere started to collect and trade Phantom Menace pogs coming fro KFC and other fast food chains- that's what I remember.

Remember what people thought about the other movies? If so, please post what you remember.

Ratings also- probably would not stand the test of time. Since I know not many Star Wars fans were happy with Phantom Menace. Thus, ratings have been ommited (only source I can think of is Rotten Tomatoes).

 

[Triligors]

2000. The year of sequels, movies that went on to attain sequels, and movies that transported you to another time.

THE TOP TEN & RATINGS

Also includes rating from Rotten Tomatoes- note: may have changed over the years.

1. Mission Impossible 2 May 24th 58%
2. Gladiator May 5th 78%
3. The Perfect Storm June 30th 48%
4. X-Men July 14th 80%
5. Scary Movie July 7th 52%
6. What Lies Beneath July 21st 45%
7. Dinosaur May 19th 63%
8. Big Momma's House June 2nd 30%
9. Nutty Professor 2 July 28th 27%
10. The Patriot June 28th 61%

THE HYPE

Information comes from: Dr. Daniel's Movie Emergency- The X-Ray Machine- Summer 2000

"Then comes Memorial Day -- the "official" start of summer. And who better than Tom Cruise to escort it in. His much-delayed and much-anticipated Mission: Impossible 2 kicks off that weekend, and before you dismiss this one as "just another sequel", let me lay a name on you. John Woo. John Woo is THE reigning master of action pictures, having laid waste to all competitors in his decades of work in Hong Kong, and recently making his mark in the U.S. with Face/Off. The odds are in our favor here, and the only point to ponder is this - did Cruise let Woo direct, or did he screw things up trying to "help?" If I was a betting man -- and I am -- I'd say this thing is going to be more complex than before, if that's possible, and be laced with some phenomenal stunts and action sequences. Will it last through the summer?"

"This Friday has been marked for the first "big" movie of the season. Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, is a huge-scale action picture set in the days of the Roman Empire, with former Roman general Maximus (Crowe) being betrayed and sent as a slave to the gladiator arena. While I can't help but think "Spartacus with a lot more tricks" about this, it's probably going to score big, if for no other reason than the hype surrounding it."

"On July 14, Twentieth Century Fox releases X-Men, the first of a planned series of films based on the Marvel Comic. This movie, people, should be THE movie of the summer. The Internet has been buzzing this thing almost as hard as it did for Phantom Menace, and, truthfully, people like me that are fans of the comic book have been waiting for this thing for years."

X-Men marks truly marks the beginning of the super hero movies to come.

 

[Triligors]

2001. Yet another year of sequels, movies that would go on to spawn sequels- added however is a hit CGI film, a film that transports us to another time, and a remake of an old classic.

THE TOP TEN AND RATINGS

1. Shrek May 16th 88%
2. Mummy Returns May 4th 46%
3. Rush Hour 2 August 3rd 50%
4. Pearl Harbor May 25th 25%
5. Jurassic Park 3 July 22nd 50%
6. Planet of the Apes July 29th 46%
7. The Fast and the Furious June 24th 50%
8. Tomb Raider June 17th 18%
9. American Pie 2 August 12th 50%
10. Dr. Doolittle 2 June 24th N/A

THE HYPE

Gathered from: Dr. Daniel's Movie Emergency- The X-Ray Machine- Summer Preview 2001

"The next weekend promises to be big with the Dreamworks guys launching their own computer-animated magnum opus, called Shrek. This is a fun fantasy tale about a huge green ogre named Shrek who teams up with a donkey to save a beautiful princess from an evil villain. Mike Myers provides Shrek's voice, with Eddie Murphy lending talent as the hip donkey with an attitude and Cameron Diaz doing the same as the princess. This one reports to be as full of quick in-jokes as Disney's Toy Story franchise, which ought to make it a lot of fun for kids and adults. And, according to Dreamworks Jeff Katzenberg, the evil villain, Lord Farquaad (same THAT name fast) bears an interesting resemblance to a certain former boss of The Big Katz, namely Disney's Michael Eisner, which might up the ante between the two studios' rivalry."

"The blindsiding surprise hit last year, The Mummy, gets things going again this year with The Mummy Returns, a sequel with the whole cast returning for more mind-boggling effects tricks. Ahhh, but this time, they have an even better secret weapon, WWF wrestling superstar The Rock. The erstwhile Dwayne Johnson joins the cast, which will build an even bigger audience. I make no bones about the fact that I love pro wrestling, but, apparently, The Rock made enough of an impression as an actor to spawn his own sequel for next year. His character, The Scorpion King, is a minor one here, but with a winning combination only getting more help, The Mummy Returns promises to be a huge success, with a killer opening weekend."

Interesting:
"If, and I say if, the meeting of these two minds proves to be what it could be, AI might set this summer on fire. Both Rat Race and AI have the long weekend for the Fourth of July to build impressive numbers and huge word of mouth for the coming month."

I bet not a lot of people expect a CGI movie to come in 1st place! Shrek marks that as a first in this 98'- "look back"

 

[Triligors]

2002. The year that belonged to a superhero. 2002 was filled with sequels, a movie to later get 'a sequel,' family films, science fiction, and comedy.

THE TOP TEN AND RATINGS

1. Spider-Man May 3rd 89%
2. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones May 16th 66%
3. Austin Powers: Goldmember July 26th 55$
4. Signs August 2nd 76%
5. MIB II July 3rd 36%
6. Scooby Doo June 14th 27%
7. Lilo & Stitch June 21st 85%
8. Minority Report June 21st 92%
9. Mr. Deeds June 28th 23%
10. xXx August 2nd 46%

THE HYPE

From what I can see. Spider-Man seems destined for #1 box office.

Once again, if you remember the 'weather' of the box office of this year- the (maybe) big SW vs. SM debate- feel free to post what you remember.

 

[Triligors]

2003. A year Finding Nemo beat all. The year of 2003 saw MANY sequels. With original movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, among the top. This year shows that a sequel can be number 1, but bow to an unsuspected CGI champion.

THE TOP TEN AND RATINGS

1. Finding Nemo May 30th 98%
2. Matrix Reloaded May 15th 74%
3. Pirates of the Caribbean July 9th- 79% Note: POTC2= July 7th
4. Bruce Almighty May 23rd 50%
5. X-Men 2 May 2nd 87%
6. Terminator 3 July 2nd 72%
7. Bad Boys 2 July 18th 25%
8. Hulk June 20th 60%
9. 2 Fast 2 Furious June 6th 38%
10. Spy Kids: 3-D July 25th 44%

THE HYPE

"With its $8.5 million, not only did Finding Nemo beat Home Alone this weekend, it also beat The Empire Strikes Back. It is now in 16th place on the All-Time chart. By the end of next weekend, Finding Nemo should pass $300 million."

If you have any information or remember who was supposed to be box office champion of the year, please post what you know. To further the information for the year of 2003.

 

[Triligors]

2004. Yet another year of sequels. With science fiction epics, a film that takes us into the battle of Troy, and a very controversial documentary. Shrek once again proves to be king of the box office.

THE TOP TEN AND RATINGS

1. Shrek 2 May 21st 88%
2. Spider-Man 2 June 30th 93%
3. Harry Potter: Azcaban June 4th 88%
4. Day After Tomorrow May 28th 46%
5. Bourne Supremecy July 23rd 82%
6. I, Robot July 26th 60%
7. Troy May 14th 54%
8. Van Helsing May 7th 22%
9. Farenheit 9/11 June 25th 88%
10. Dodgeball June 18th 69%

THE HYPE

From what I can see alot thought Spider-Man 2 would beat Shrek at box office. This is from what I have gathered. Didn't follow box office back then- thus, don't remember. If you do, please post your thoughts.

 

[Triligors]

2005. This year marks the end of the Star Wars films, the start of a new Batman, and comedies making a dent in the box office.

THE TOP TEN AND RATINGS

1. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith May 19th 82%
2. War of the Worlds June 24th 72%
3. Batman Begins June 17th 83%
4. Charlie and the Chocalate Factory July 15th 83%
5. The Wedding Crashers July 15th 75%
6. Madagascar May 27th 55%
7. Mr. & Mrs. Smith June 10th 60%
8. The Longest Yard May 27th 29%
9. Fantastic Four July 8th 25%
10. Monster-In-Law May 13th 17%

Interesting note: As for as rotten tomatoe measure, the ratings actually reflect their standing in box office this time around. With WOTW being the only misplaced reviewed film- everything else is best % to worse %.

THE HYPE

From what I remember:

There wasn't really an argument about it- Star Wars, even though the second didn't do so good at box office, was destined to become the movie of the summer. Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader- the moment fans and general audiences have been waiting for. Definitely the most hyped movie of the summer.

The ultimate question though was- who would become box office champ? War of the Worlds- Spielburg. Or Batman Begins- classic comic book icon. Both had the Fourth of July to guarantee this films success- especially since the word of mouth on both was very strong and very positive.

Charlie and the Chocalte Factory was the film that everyone knew would do good, but wasn't sure how it would turn out. Johnny Depp playing Willy Wonka in a way that interested movie goers everywhere... and how would this Burton remake come out?

Wedding Crashers. Word on this film was everywhere. The funniest comedy of the year and perhaps funniest R rated comedy ever. I knew this film was destined to become among the top because of the VERY strong word of mouth that was floating around.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a film that also had strong word of mouth. The film had everything. Action, comedy, romance. Ontop of that- great reviews. Glad to see a first time screenwriter have one of his first films in the top ten.

The Longest Yard. For those who didn't see the original- it was good. For those that did, it was horrible. I remember liking it, but my father and grandfather complaining that word for word it was the original film all over again just with a new cast.

Fantastic Four. The film that fans hoped would rake in the big bucks. Marvel's flag mark- although not as widely known as Spider-Man. Unfortunately, translation to screen did gain wonderful reviews. While it was a good movie, it was a good popcorn flick and that was about it.

If you remember Summer of 2005, tell us what you remember...

 

[Triligors]

1. Long awaited superhero films can make a monster of a profit, even going head to head with established sequels.

2002- Spiderman

Note: Superman Returns might be another Spider-Man and become the champion of the 2006 box office.

2. Shrek is king of box office, might be a safe bet that Shrek 3 will be #1 once again- when it comes out....

3. Well established characters making a return might not neccessarily mean champion at the box office.

1998 - Godzilla, Mask of Zorro

4. Good sequels tend to make great money, but does not guarantee 1st place

In the years, MI2 & Shrek2, being an exception and becoming #1.

1999- Austin Powers 2
2001- Mummy Returns, Rush Hour 2, Jurassic Park 3, AP2, Doolittle 2
2002- SW:AOTC, MIB
2003- Matrix Reloaded, X2
2004- Spider-Man2, Harry Potter, Bourne Supremecy

Note: Pirates might be an exception and get #1.

5. Fourth of July start does not guarantee everything, though it does help

1998- Armageddon
2004- Spider-Man 2
2005- War of the Worlds

Note: This might be one of the things that sets SR for #1, but this isn't always, and Pirates did do great on it's July 9th launch, which explains DMC's July 7th launch date.

6. Don't discount "kid flicks"

2001- Shrek
2003- Finding Nemo
2004- Shrek 2

Note: Don't discount Over The Hedge, or Cars yet. They just may climb or race their way into #1.

7. Controversy does not mean everything, but it does help.

2004- Farenheit 9/11

Note: Di Vinci Code actually has pretty good legs still.

8. Doesn't hurt to be part of the culture, but doesn't always guarantee #1

1999- SW: Phantom Menace
2005- SW: Revenge of the Sith

Note: Superman is a part of culture, but will it have the same effect as Star Wars?

Looking back still shows that there is no guarantee and that there is actually 3 possible #1 champions- Pirates, Superman, & Cars. Each with equal amount of possibility and each have the past to back it up, but these cases can not always be applied. Only time will tell which is the box office champion of Summer 2006.

 

[WarBlade]

NOTE THIS IS A FORUM ABOUT THE SUMMER BOX OFFICE

No really it's not.

 

[Hunter Rider]

It seems like an extensive round about way of repainting your view from the other thread that SR will beat POTC2

 

[Triligors]

Actually it is summer box office.

I found from another site that Pirates actually did make more than Matrix Reloaded after the 'cut date' of the summer box office. Some of these lasted past summer, while others didn't.

Also note that in this thread I did not state which I think will come out on top. But, which films have a possibility of coming out on top.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Yes but it all comes back to you figuring from this analysis that SR should beat POTC2

 

[Triligors]

NEVER stated it on here. Thus, I'm ending it at that. If you wish to continue- please transfer your thoughts into the MAN OF STEEL VS. PIRATES forum.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

This is actually interesting.

 

[Cmill216]

Triligors, you have WAY too much time on your hands.