EXCLUSIVE 3-DAY ESTIMATES: ‘Ghost Rider’ Wins with $19.3; '23' is Second with $14.3; 'Reno' Tanks with $9.5by Steve Mason
February 23, 2007
After Hollywood enjoyed a very successful President’s Day weekend, with 6 movies scoring more than $10 million, there was hope that this weekend (2/23-25) would continue the roll. Instead, it looks like only 3 movies will top $10 million this weekend. Sony’s $110 million dollar comic book adaptation Ghost Rider will roll to a second consecutive weekend win, but Johnny Blaze is running on fumes. The Mark Steven Johnson-directed action flick generated an estimated $6 million on Friday, which should translate to a $19.3 million weekend, but that’s down a staggering 57%. Despite a 10-day cume of $78 million by Monday morning, there is no way that Ghost Rider will crack $100 million with business falling off so dramatically.
The Nic Cage vehicle will do enough to hold off the new Jim Carrey film The Number 23 (New Line). Coming into the weekend, the poorly-reviewed Joel Shumacher pic, the TV adaptation Reno 911!: Miami (Fox) and Buena Vista holdover Bridge To Terabithia all looked to score in the high teens, and the battle for 2nd place was expected to be close. Instead, New Line’s horror/thriller will score an estimated $14.3 million to finish 2nd for the weekend after a $5 million Friday. Since Bruce Almighty opened to a $67.9 million weekend back in 2003, Carrey has only had one movie top $15 million in its opening 3-days – Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events with a $30 million weekend. Based on my projections, The Number 23 should finish its domestic run with a cume of $25-$30 million, making it an unmitigated disaster.
Bridge To Terabithia, which received sparkling reviews and a better-than-expected President’s Day weekend opening added an estimated $3.5 million on Friday, and, with a nice Saturday and Sunday matinee bounce, it will finish the weekend with approximately $13 million. That’s a steeper than expected 42% drop for the Disney/Walden Media adaptation of the Newbery Medal-winning children’s novel. Meanwhile, Fox’s Reno 911!: Miami, which is half-owned by Paramount, appears to be a major disappointment. Despite a strong showing in the late-week industry tracking, especially with Under 25’s, Reno has managed only $3.6 million today, and with an estimated 3-day of $9.5 million, it’ll finish no better than 4th for the weekend. Rounding out the Top 5 is Norbit (Paramount), which will suffer a less-than-expected drop-off of 45% for a 3-day of $9.3 million after a $2.8 million Friday. By Monday morning, Eddie Murphy’s bawdy comedy will have banked just under $75 million.
The other 2 major new releases are officially box office misses. The nicely-reviewed Polish Brothers film The Astronaut Farmer (Warner Brothers) starring Billy Bob Thornton managed only an estimated $1.3 million on Friday, which should add up to a meager 3-day of $4.6 million. It was even worse for The Abandoned (After Dark), which apparently has an apropos title with an estimated $275,000 on about 1,000 screens on Friday, and an expected weekend gross of just under $1 million.
One bright spot this weekend is Amazing Grace (IDP Films). Produced by Walden Media, a company whose mission it is to create family-friendly and Christian-themed films, has succeeded with this period piece about the writing of the world’s most beloved hymn. Despite being on only 791 screens, Amazing Grace generated $1.25 million on Friday and is expected to crack the Top 10 for the weekend with an estimated $4.5 million. Walden Media has certainly had its misses like I Am David ($288,000 domestic), big budget Around the World in 80 Days ($24 million domestic), Hoot ($8.1 million) and How To Eat Fried Worms ($13 million domestic), but its resume is filled with a growing number of hits. Because of Winn-Dixie ($32.6 million) was a nice mini hit, and Charlotte’s Web ($81.5 million domestic), Holes ($67.4 million), The Chronicles of Narnia ($291.7 million domestic) and Bridge To Terabithia (currently in release) are all solid or mega hits. They’ve got 12 more films in development or production including 2008’s Narnia sequel, so they are a company that can’t be underestimated.
EXCLUSIVE FANTASYMOGULS.COM EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. Ghost Rider (Sony) - $6 million
2. The Number 23 (New Line) - $5 million
3. Reno 911!: Miami (Fox) - $3.6 million
4. Bridge To Terabithia (Buena Vista) - $3.5 million
5. Norbit (Paramount) - $2.8 million
6. Music & Lyrics (Warner Bros) - $2.75 million
7. Breach (Universal) - $1.8 million
8. Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls - $1.5 million
9. The Astronaut Farmer (Warner Bros) - $1.3 million
10. Amazing Grace (IDP Films) - $1.25 million
* The Abandoned (After Dark) - $275,000
EXCLUSIVE FANTASYMOGULS.COM EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. Ghost Rider (Sony) - $19.3 million
2. The Number 23 (New Line) - $14.3 million
3. Bridge To Terabithia (Buena Vista) - $13 million
4. Reno 911!: Miami (Fox) - $9.5 million
5. Norbit (Paramount) - $9.3 million
6. Music & Lyrics (Warner Bros) - $8.7 million
7. Breach (Universal) - $6 million
8. Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls - $5.4 million
9. The Astronaut Farmer (Warner Bros) - $4.6 million
10. Amazing Grace (IDP Films) - $4.5 million
*The Abandoned (After Dark Films) - $975,000