Box Office Numbers (& Competition)

[Carp Man]

Fridays estimate is in. Updates below. $ 2,965,000. Up 183.5 % from Thursday. Down 49.7 % from last Friday.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ What's wrong w/Rambo 4? I can't wait.

 

[Carp Man]

^ What's wrong w/Rambo 4? I can't wait.

If it's Stalone then I puke. Can't see Rambo walking with a cane. Could work with someone else.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ No it could not work with someone else. The story is going to work around his age quite a bit actually. Sort of like the old dog who doesn't need sophisticated weapons and gadgets to get the job done outdoing the young guns with all the tech gear in battle. He's been that way throughout the 3 films.

 

[Advanced Dark]

FantasyMoguls up's Ghost Rider and Zodiak dissapoints bigtime:

<H2 class=entry-header>UPDATED 3-DAY ESTIMATES: 'Hogs' Wins w/$32.5 mil and Almost $10g PTA; 'Zodiac' Disappointing #2 w/$11 mil; Vantage 'Moans' w/$3.4 mil

by Steve Mason

March 3, 2007

Buena Vista has marketed Wild Hogs as the new City Slickers, and it is opening way above industry expectations. The teaming of Travolta, Allen, Lawrence and Macy is being critically savaged – only 15% Fresh at RottenTomatoes – but it’s not dampening its opening weekend performance. Wild Hogs has scored an estimated $10.8 million Friday and is expected to finish the weekend with a monstrous $32.5 million - nearly tripling the business of 2nd place Zodiac (Paramount).

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Wild Hogs is the 3rd consecutive $20 million plus opening weekend for both John Travolta and Martin Lawrence. For Travolta, Hogs follows 2004’s Ladder 49 ($22 million) and Be Cool ($23.4 million) in 2005. Meanwhile, Lawrence is coming off of last year’s Open Season ($23.6 million) and Big Momma’s House 2 ($27.7 million). After the mildly disappointing The Shaggy Dog ($16.3 million opening weekend - $61.1 million cume) and the disastrous Zoom ($11.9 million cume), Tim Allen has now scored 2 hits in a row following November’s The Santa Clause 3 ($19.5 million opening weekend - $84.5 million cume). The forth member of the Harley-riding quartet, William H. Macy, is in a different league. Hogs will be his biggest hit since Sahara ($18 million opening weekend - $68.6 million cume).
As expected, David Fincher’s Zodiac (Paramount) will finish 2nd for the weekend, but it will score a softer-then-expected 3-day of $11 million after only a $4 million on Friday. If you’ve read the review I posted earlier this week, you know I love the film, but it is clearly being hurt by its 160 minute running time. Zodiac is at 2,362 locations compared to 3,287 for Wild Hogs, but Paramount is trying to make up for the difference with multiple prints at over 700 locations. If my numbers hold up, this will tie Fight Club as the weakest opening weekend for a Fincher-directed film.
Panic Room - $30 million opening weekend - $96.3 million cume
Alien 3 - $19.4 million opening weekend - $55.4 million cume
The Game - $14.3 million opening weekend - $48.3 million cume
Se7en - $13.9 million opening weekend - $100.1 million cume
Fight Club - $11 million opening weekend - $37 million cume
The third spot for the weekend will be won by Ghost Rider (Sony). In its 3rd week, Johnny Blaze picked up an estimated $3 million to start the weekend, and that should translate to $10.8 million for the 3-day and a cume of $86.3 million. Bridge To Terabithia (Buena Vista) delivered an estimated $2 million Friday, but with a nice kiddie bounce on Saturday and Sunday, the fantasy film, based on the Newbery Medal-winning children’s novel, should finish 4th and deliver $8.4 million for the weekend. Meanwhile, The Number 23 (New Line) is experiencing a disastrous second weekend. After an estimated $2.1 million Friday, it will bank only an estimated $6.2 million by Monday morning.
The other new wide release Black Snake Moan (Paramount Vantage) will not be breaking any box office records. At 1,252 locations, the new film from Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer managed only an estimated $1.3 million in Friday business, and it will likely finish the weekend with no more than $3.4 million.
EXCLUSIVE FANTASYMOGULS.COM EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. Wild Hogs (Buena Vista) - $10.8 million
2. Zodiac (Paramount) - $4 million
3. Ghost Rider (Sony) - $3 million
4. The Number 23 (New Line) - $2.1 million
5. Bridge To Terabithia (Buena Vista) - $2 million
6. Norbit (Paramount) - $1.9 million
7. Music & Lyrics (Warner Bros) - $1.7 million
8. Black Snake Moan (Paramount Vantage) - $1.3 million
9. Reno 911!: Miami (Fox) - $1.2 million
10. Breach (Universal) - $1 million
EXCLUSIVE FANTASYMOGULS.COM EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. Wild Hogs (Buena Vista) - $32.5 million [$32.5 million cume]
2. Zodiac (Paramount) - $11 million [$11 million cume]
3. Ghost Rider (Sony) - $10.8 million [$86.3 million cume]
4. Bridge To Terabithia - $8.4 million [$57.7 million cume]
5. The Number 23 (New Line) - $6.2 million [$23.75 million cume]
6. Norbit (Paramount) - $5.6 million [$82.1 million cume]
7. Music & Lyrics (Warner Bros) - $4.8 million [$38.6 million cume]
8. Black Snake Moan (Paramount Vantage) - $3.4 million [$3.4 million cume]
9. Breach (Universal) - $3.3 million [$25.3 million cume]
10. Reno 911!: Miami (Fox) - $3.2 million [$15.8 million cume]

In the weekend PTA race, Wild Hogs will ride to an easy victory with an estimated $9,887 per location. Sony Classics smartly rolled out German film The Lives of Others after its Best Foreign Language Film win at Sunday’s Oscars, and it will score an estimated PTA of $5,850 for the 3-day. Into Great Silence (Zeitgeist), a doc about live in a monastery in the French Alps, is expected to place 3rd for the weekend with a PTA of $5,565, followed by Thinkfilm’s Avenue Montaigne and new film Wild Tigers I Have Known (IFC Films).
EXCLUSIVE FANTASYMOGULS.COM EARLY FRIDAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. Wild Hogs (Buena Vista) – 3,287 locations – $3,907 PTA
2. The Lives of Others (Sony Classics) – 91 locations - $1,838 PTA
3. Into Great Silence (Zeitgeist) – 2 locations - $1,755 PTA
4. Zodiac (Paramount) – 2,362 locations – $1,693 PTA
5. Avenue Montaigne (Thinkfilm) – 15 locations - $1,670 PTA
6. Wild Tigers I Have Known (IFC Films) – 1 location - $1,213 PTA
7. Black Snake Moan (Paramount Vantage) – 1,215 locations - $1,138 PTA
8. Amazing Grace (IDP Films) – 791 locations - $1,076 PTA
9. Ghost Rider (Sony) – 3,608 locations - $1,031 PTA
10. The Number 23 (New Line) – 2,759 locations - $920 PTA
EXCLUSIVE FANTASYMOGULS.COM EARLY 3-DAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. Wild Hogs (Buena Vista) – 3,287 locations - $9,887 PTA
2. The Lives of Others (Sony Classics) – 91 locations - $5,850 PTA
3. Into Great Silence (Zeitgeist) – 2 locations - $5,565 PTA
4. Avenue Montaigne (Thinkfilm) – 15 locations - $5,420 PTA
5. Wild Tigers I Have Known (IFC Films) – 1 location - $4,750 PTA
6. Zodiac (Paramount) – 2,362 locations - $4,657 PTA
7. Amazing Grace (IDP Films) – 791 locations - $3,140PTA
8. Ghost Rider (Sony) – 3,608 locations - $2,993 PTA
9. Black Snake Moan (Paramount Vantage) – 1,215 locations - $2,798 PTA
10. The Number 23 (New Line) – 2,759 locations - $2,247 PTA

</H2>
Ghost Rider almost beat Zodiak. LOL

 

[Benstamania]

If it's Stalone then I puke. Can't see Rambo walking with a cane. Could work with someone else.

Stalone is a good actor/writer. A lot of people b&m'd about Rocky Balboa before it came out as well. Then it hit and BOOM, probably the best Rocky since the first.

I can't wait for John Rambo.

 

[Kasady]

If my numbers hold up, this will tie Fight Club as the weakest opening weekend for a Fincher-directed film.
Panic Room - $30 million opening weekend - $96.3 million cume
Alien 3 - $19.4 million opening weekend - $55.4 million cume
The Game - $14.3 million opening weekend - $48.3 million cume
Se7en - $13.9 million opening weekend - $100.1 million cume
Fight Club - $11 million opening weekend - $37 million cume

He'd be one of my favorite directors if he hadn't made The Game. Man I hate that movie. As much as I love Fight Club and Seven that movie really made me lose respect for him as a director. I saw it after I saw Fight club not befor.

 

[Advanced Dark]

I liked The Game it was quite cool. i wish Wayne Kramer would make a Marvel film like Punisher 2.

 

[UltimateJustin]

He'd be one of my favorite directors if he hadn't made The Game. Man I hate that movie. As much as I love Fight Club and Seven that movie really made me lose respect for him as a director. I saw it after I saw Fight club not befor.

I just lost respect for you as a human based on your opinion of the Game. :heart:

 

[PenanceStare]

^ What's wrong w/Rambo 4? I can't wait.

Me either, I heard they are going to rehash that scene where they hose John Rambo down naked, only this time it's a couple of males nurses at an old folks home. And then he has to take his pills, wait thirty minutes, then escape.

t:

 

[GL's Light]

Zodiac is a dark character piece with a long running time, so it's not surprising to see it pull in pretty low box office numbers. They were crazy to spend so much money on it.

Daredevil dropped 38.53% in its third weekend, bringing in $ 11.1 million, so this will be the first weekend that Ghost Rider falls behind Daredevil by comparison.

Edit: Just seen SBD's Saturday estimates. GR had a very nice Saturday increase (up to $ 5.4 million), so it should eclipse Daredevil's $ 11.1 million third weekend after all.

 

[Kasady]

I just lost respect for you as a human based on your opinion of the Game. :heart:

Ditto to you for loving it. But to be fare to David Fincher
there's little he could do directing it if I hate the plot. I'll blame it mostly on the writting team of John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris the geniuses that brought us Catwoman.

 

[Carp Man]

Weekend estimates are in. Updates below. $ 11.5 million. Right where most thought it would be. Down 42.7 % from last weekend.

 

[Carp Man]

Stalone is a good actor/writer. A lot of people b&m'd about Rocky Balboa before it came out as well. Then it hit and BOOM, probably the best Rocky since the first.

I can't wait for John Rambo.

When a film cost $ 24 million to make, it is real hard to lose money. It was a cheep payday for Sly. He can't act to save his life. Anything over a sentence he has trouble.

 

[RED_Rider]

94, I hope the film reaches 150 but now it seems really unlikely.

 

[Carp Man]

94, I hope the film reaches 150 but now it seems really unlikely.

This film was never going to make 150 domestic. Was never intended to. If this film made 150, Fox execs. would be dancing in the streets. 110 to 120 domestic, that's it. Gets another 100 from overseas, 210 to 220 WW. Fox will be happy.

 

[InVictus]

Fox?

 

[Advanced Dark]

Ghost Rider #1 International for 3rd week in a row!

'Ghost' lurks atop int'l b.o.

By Frank Segers

March 5, 2007
Sony Picture Releasing International's "Ghost Rider" maintained its No. 1 spot internationally for the third consecutive weekend, grossing an estimated $16.3 million from about 4,000 screens in 56 territories and hiking its overseas boxoffice total $60.7 million.

The Marvel Comics-based action-fantasy starring Nicolas Cage played at an additional 1,000 screens, easily dominating an otherwise predictable post-Oscars, pre-summer-blitz session and blazing past the combined boxoffice tally of the No. 2 and No. 3 titles for the weekend.

Worldwide, "Ghost" has grossed $155.5 million in three weekends of release.

Debuts in the U.K. (an estimated $3.5 million from 350 screens, good for a $10,000-per-screen average and a No. 2 ranking), Brazil (a No. 1 ranking with $1.8 million at 278 spots) and Japan (finishing No. 3 with $1.2 million from 263 situations) provided nearly half of the weekend's gross. The next big market opening for "Ghost" is Italy on March 16.

Finishing second on the weekend is 20th Century Fox International's "Night at the Museum," which garnered an estimated $7 million from 3,400 screens in 29 markets, lifting its international total to $280.1 million. The biggest market was France, where the Ben Stiller comedy snared an estimated $2.3 million in its fourth weekend at 626 sites, raising its market total to $15.1 million.

Taking the No. 3 spot is Warner Bros. International's "Music and Lyrics," starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. The romantic comedy yielded an estimated $6.7 million from 1,655 locales in 18 markets, raising its international total to $32.2 million.

The biggest of the new markets was Korea, where "Lyrics" grossed an estimated $2.1 million from 140 sites, enough to finish No. 1 in the market, according to WBI.

No. 4 for the weekend is Sony's "The Pursuit of Happyness," which actually climbed 7% from the previous weekend on the strength of strong bows in Asian markets. Its weekend estimate is $6.6 million from 2,700 screens in 52 territories, raising the international total to $124.5 million.

The Will Smith drama bowed at No. 2 in Korea (an estimated $1.8 million from 140 sites for a solid $12,857 per-screen average) and No. 1 in Taiwan ($410,000 from 18 screens, or $22,777 per screen) and in Singapore ($230,000 from 26 spots, or $8,846 per screen).

Thanks to openings in 10 markets, including a strong bow in France, DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures International's "Dreamgirls" finished at No. 5, logging its best weekend yet internationally. Its estimated gross is $5.8 million from 1,791 screens in 52 territories, lifting the musical's international total to $37.3 million. In France, "Dreamgirls" placed second in the market with an estimated $1.6 million from 350 spots.

The U.K., the largest overseas market for Hollywood studio films, continued to be the focus of single-market runs.

Universal International's "Hot Fuzz," a cop-thriller spoof co-produced by Britain's Working Title Films, remains No. 1 in the market for the third consecutive weekend, grossing an estimated $4.3 million from 428 screens. Its 17-day U.K. total is $30.6 million.

New Line's "The Number 23," starring Jim Carrey (which placed fifth domestically for the weekend), finished in the No. 3 spot in its second weekend in the U.K. with an estimated $1.5 million from 324 screens.

U.K. distributor Momentum Pictures opened "The Illusionist," starring Edward Norton, at 274 screens for an estimated $1.4 million, enough to place No. 4 in the market. Paramount/MTV Films/PPI bowed "Freedom Writers," a drama starring Hilary Swank as an inspirational high school teacher, at 228 screens for an estimated $450,000 (results from Mexico, where the film also bowed, were not available at press time).

In Mexico, another key market, Fox bowed "Pathfinder," an action adventure about a Viking boy battling a Native American tribe, at 200 screens for an estimated $411,000, enough to rank No. 5 in the market. In the Philippines, Buena Vista International opened "Primeval," a horror thriller, for an estimated $150,000 from 25 screens.

Among the Oscar-connected titles was WBI's "Blood Diamond," with Leonardo DiCaprio, which yielded an estimated $4.3 million during the weekend from 2,460 screens in 57 markets, hiking its international total to $94.8 million. Thanks to a No. 1 bow in Italy (an estimated $3.1 million from 419 locations), Fox's "Borat" raised its international total to $125.6 million.

Fox's "Notes on a Scandal" yielded an estimated $2.5 million from 1,000 screens in 33 markets for an overseas cume of $17.5 million. WBI's "Letters From Iwo Jima" raised its international total to $50.5 million thanks to an estimated $1.9 million weekend from 938 screens in 49 markets.

Fox's "The Last King of Scotland" drew an estimated $1 million from 690 locations in 41 markets for an overseas cume of $17.9 million. Universal's "The Good Shepherd" gathered an estimated $1.9 million from 770 screens in seven markets for an international total of $8.3 million. Summit Entertainment/PPI-Vantage's "Babel" came up with an estimated $715,000 from 532 spots in 15 territories, good for a cume of $38 million in PPI territories.

PPI's "Charlotte's Web" pulled an estimate of $2.5 million from 1,841 screens in 47 markets for an overseas cume of $55.6 million. Fox's "Rocky Balboa" fought its way to an estimated $2.3 million from 1,800 spots in 10 markets for an overseas cume (excluding Scandinavia) of $71.1 million. PPI's "Norbit," with Eddie Murphy, laughed all the way to an estimated $2.2 million from 641 locations in seven territories for an overseas total of $9.2 million.

PPI's "Barnyard" and Universal's "Smokin' Aces" registered estimates of $1.5 million each, with the former playing 654 screens in 41 territories while "Aces" played 500 dates in 23 markets. Overall overseas cumes: $40 million for "Barnyard" and $14.3 million for "Aces."

Other overseas cume updates: Universal's "The Holiday," $127.6 million; BVI's "Deja Vu," $105.7 million; Lionsgate's "Saw III," $76.3 million; and BVI's "Die Wilden Kerle 4" (Wild Bunch 4), $15.7 million.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i1ead3425d18d5de502c76aad4343b4c1

We got at least another 25-30 million domestic and probably another 40-50+ million international when all's said an done.

 

[InVictus]

And it still has to open in Italy! Yeah!!!
er...Damn!!!

 

[NDX]

And it still has to open in Italy! Yeah!!!
er...Damn!!!

The wait must be brutal.

 

[AssMan]

Ghost Riders time as #1 in the Box Office is over. Wild Hogs is #1 this week & 300 next week & with these out Ghost Rider will be pretty much forgotten until the DVD release.

 

[Advanced Dark]

^ What's your point? It's still #1 for the 3rd week in a row international and it pretty much tied with Zodiak in it's 3rd week of release domestic. LOL Ghost Rider's doing fine. Everyone on the board has known since Friday it's not #1 domestic.

 

[Advanced Dark]

FINAL 3-DAY ESTIMATES: 'Hogs' w/$38.8 mil; Biggest Opening Ever for Allen and Travolta; 'Zodiac' Disappoints w/$12.8 mil; Vantage 'Moans' w/$4 milby Steve Mason

March 4, 2007

Buena Vista has marketed Wild Hogs as the new City Slickers, and it has succeeded as the film scored an opening weekend way above industry expectations. With $38.8 million over the 3-day, the teaming of Travolta, Allen, Lawrence and Macy has survived an onslaught of horrible reviews – only 15% Fresh at RottenTomatoes – to generate, in a single weekend, almost a third of the $124 million cume that City Slickers delivered back in 1991.

For the 4 stars of Hogs, the movie is a high water mark. This is the 2nd best opening in Martin Lawrence’s career, trailing only Bad Boys II ($46.5 million). It’s also the 2nd best opening weekend ever for William H. Macy, exceeded only by Jurassoc Park III’s $50.7 million. If you don’t include his cameo in Austin Powers in Goldmember, this is the best opening 3-day in John Travolta’s career, and it’s the #1 opening on Tim Allen’s resume.

Travolta and Lawrence are both on hot box office streak with Wild Hogs marking their 3rd consecutive $20 million plus opening weekends. For Travolta, Hogs follows 2004’s Ladder 49 ($22 million) and Be Cool ($23.4 million) in 2005. Meanwhile, Lawrence is coming off of last year’s Open Season ($23.6 million) and Big Momma’s House 2 ($27.7 million). Tim Allen was more in need of a hit. After the mildly disappointing The Shaggy Dog ($16.3 million opening weekend - $61.1 million cume) and the disastrous Zoom ($11.9 million cume), Allen has now scored 2 hits in a row following November’s The Santa Clause 3 ($19.5 million opening weekend - $84.5 million cume). The fourth member of the Harley-riding quartet, William H. Macy, is a different sort of actor. Box office hits are few and far between for the Oscar nominee, but this may open the door to more commercial projects.

As expected, David Fincher’s Zodiac (Paramount) will finish 2nd for the weekend with an estimated 3-day of $12.8 million, which is a disappointment. If you’ve read the review I posted earlier this week, you know I love the film, but it is clearly being hurt by its 160 minute running time. Zodiac is at 2,362 locations compared to 3,287 for Wild Hogs, but Paramount is tried to make up for the difference with multiple prints at over 700 locations. The serial killer flick is Fincher’s 2nd weakest opening ahead of only Fight Club, but Paramount is hoping for good word-of-mouth and steady business in coming weeks.

Panic Room - $30 million opening weekend - $96.3 million cume
Alien 3 - $19.4 million opening weekend - $55.4 million cume
The Game - $14.3 million opening weekend - $48.3 million cume
Se7en - $13.9 million opening weekend - $100.1 million cume
Fight Club - $11 million opening weekend - $37 million cume

Ghost Rider (Sony) has ridden to a stronger-than-expected $11.9 million in its 3rd week, Johnny Blaze has a 17-day take of $95.1 million so it’s on its way to making back its $110 million budget. With foreign revenue (it’s done $40 million overseas so far), Ghost Rider may have a shot at breaking even or even making a few bucks. Bridge To Terabithia (Buena Vista) delivered an estimated $2 million Friday, and got a nice kiddie bounce on Saturday and Sunday. The fantasy film, based on the Newbery Medal-winning children’s novel, added $8.7 million for the weekend. Meanwhile, The Number 23 (New Line) had a disastrous second weekend with only $6.6 million.

The other new wide release Black Snake Moan (Paramount Vantage) will not be breaking any box office records. At 1,252 locations, the new film from Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer managed only $4 million for an 8th place finish.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASYMOGULS.COM EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. Wild Hogs (Buena Vista) - $38.8 million [$38.8 million cume]
2. Zodiac (Paramount) - $12.8 million [$12.8 million cume]
3. Ghost Rider (Sony) - $11.9 million [$95.1 million cume]
4. Bridge To Terabithia - $8.7 million [$60 million cume]
5. The Number 23 (New Line) - $6.6 million [$24.1 million cume]
6. Norbit (Paramount) - $6.5 million [$83 million cume]
7. Music & Lyrics (Warner Bros) - $5 million [$38.8 million cume]
8. Black Snake Moan (Paramount Vantage) - $4 million [$4 million cume]
9. Reno 911!: Miami (Fox) - $3.8 million [$16.4 million cume]
10. Breach (Universal) - $3.5 million [$25.5 million cume]

In the weekend PTA race, Wild Hogs rode to an easy victory with an estimated $11,804 per location. Sony Classics smartly rolled out German film The Lives of Others after its Best Foreign Language Film win at Sunday’s Oscars, and it will score an estimated PTA of $6,680 for the 3-day. French film Avenue Montaigne (Thinkfilm) successfully expanded to 15 locations with $6,074 for 3rd, followed by African drama Bamako (New Yorker) and Zodiac.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASYMOGULS.COM EARLY 3-DAY PTA ESTIMATES
1. Wild Hogs (Buena Vista) – 3,287 locations - $11,804 PTA
2. The Lives of Others (Sony Classics) – 91 locations - $6,680 PTA
3. Avenue Montaigne (Thinkfilm) – 15 locations - $6,074 PTA
4. Bamako (New Yorker) – 1 location - $5,708 PTA
5. Zodiac (Paramount) – 2,362 locations - $5,419 PTA
6. Into Great Silence (Zeitgeist) – 2 locations - $5,249 PTA
7. Ghost Rider (Sony) – 3,608 locations - $5,038 PTA
8. Wild Tigers I Have Known (IFC Films) – 1 location - $4,121 PTA
9. Amazing Grace (IDP Films) – 791 locations - $3,495 PTA
10. Black Snake Moan (Paramount Vantage) – 1,215 locations - $3,292 PTA

All box office estimates upped including 11.9 for Ghost Rider. I figured 11-13 so right in the middle. Wow! Actuals could still be higher but look at Wild Hogs blowing away early estimates by 6 million.

http://news.fantasymoguls.com/originalcontent/2007/03/final_3day_esti.html

 

[Mr. Socko]

The Rider is finally off the #1 spot after a nice long run up there.

 

[Hiruu]

The movie is doing quite well, and while it's probably not going to break any records for total B.O., it will perform well enough for Sony to greenlight a sequel, if Nic Cage is up for it. The sequel will be more focused and polished, and the villians will most likely be better than this film. A slightly bigger budget, but given that the work already done on this film, it will probably go a ways into cutting the cost for the next one..even if only from a process perspective. Perhaps they can shoot overseas to reduce cost as well...as I'm not sure if this film was stateside or overseas. Based on the solid numbers week-over-week, and the very solid International returns (Star power of Nic Cage there, and the international might match domestic...don't sleep on the returns thus far.), Sony will feel very comfortable in churning this out to a trilogy. Nic Cage will be up for it...it will extend his Blockbuster career for another 3-5 years. Overall...I put the next film's budget at $130-$150 million, and a Summer '09 launch date, or a Fall Holiday '07 (pushing it!)