The Force Awakens Early Star Wars 7 Box Office Prediction Thread - Part 2

[DarthSkywalker]

Funny thing is I didn't notice anything like this at all with Jurassic World. That was kind of a hint that whatever numbers it did weren't touching on full capacity and now TFA has proven that.

Yeah, we have never seen anything like this.

 

[InCali]

Jurassic World's box office surprised me, particularly that opening weekend.

I expected this to set records but I didn't think I would actually notice it at the theater.

I saw JW at the TCL Chinese IMAX theater on a Friday morning (maybe 10:30 or so) and was pretty surprised by how full it was. It wasn't sold out, but usually I can easily get a good seat. I was able to do that with JW, but maybe just a little closer than normal.

With TFA, it was a COMPLETELY different ballgame. All of the 8am-10pm shows were basically sold out over a month in advance for the entire opening weekend. I ended up with a 5:15am ticket and soon after I got it, all the good seats were taken for the 2am and 5:15am shows. I'd say that the Saturday 5:15am show I attended was 75-80% full. The entire middle section was full although there were some aisle seats in the two rows straddling the middle section. It was nuts.

 

[OtherwiseKnownAs]

Any estimates for Wednesday?

 

[Iceman]

Any estimates for Wednesday?

$27.2m-28m from rth on boxoffice.com.

 

[Iceman]

I get the concept of adaptation, but I like to judge a film as a film. The Shining is an awful adaptation, but it is a great film.

Important distinction that I've had to make many times too. For eg even on an important historical story that irresponsibly gets all the facts wrong - that can be an unforgivable crime, but not one that can stop it from being a great film if the filmmakers make it so.

 

[STARMAN]

This was one of the few times I bought tickets in advance. There were no parking spaces. People parked next to nearby restaurants and banks and walked to the theater. I never saw that during an actual weekday.

When I went into the lobby it was crowded in a way I hadn't seen before. They did not have enough people at the ticket counter to keep up. As I walked I could hear people moaning as the manager announced the next two Star Wars showings had sold out.

 

[SomeOldGuy]

Funny thing is I didn't notice anything like this at all with Jurassic World. That was kind of a hint that whatever numbers it did weren't touching on full capacity and now TFA has proven that.

I don't think I've ever seen as diverse a crowd as I saw last Sunday. I was there with my wife and teenage daughter. To our left was a family with two or three young kids. To our right were two couples I'd estimate in their mid-50s, no kids. It was like that throughout the theater. Everyone is going to this thing.

 

[STARMAN]

You're right. There are people of all ages. You have those who grew up with the movies and their children too.

 

[Erzengel]

So it's fairly obvious that TFA is going to be the domestic champ maybe as early as by the end of this weekend.

But there is a chance that WW this could be 3 Billion. JW did 1.5 foreign and Avatar did 2.0. TFA right now looks like 900 million domestic is definitely doable becauseit's just been doing so much that even conservative numbers are falling short.

 

[Iceman]

This was one of the few times I bought tickets in advance. There were no parking spaces. People parked next to nearby restaurants and banks and walked to the theater. I never saw that during an actual weekday.

When I went into the lobby it was crowded in a way I hadn't seen before. They did not have enough people at the ticket counter to keep up. As I walked I could hear people moaning as the manager announced the next two Star Wars showings had sold out.

This is crazy for a weekday after the first week.

I don't think I've ever seen as diverse a crowd as I saw last Sunday. I was there with my wife and teenage daughter. To our left was a family with two or three young kids. To our right were two couples I'd estimate in their mid-50s, no kids. It was like that throughout the theater. Everyone is going to this thing.

This is what Titanic had going for it too.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Important distinction that I've had to make many times too. For eg even on an important historical story that irresponsibly gets all the facts wrong - that can be an unforgivable crime, but not one that can stop it from being a great film if the filmmakers make it so.

That is very different imo. If you are going to claim something historically accurate, it better be.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Important distinction that I've had to make many times too. For eg even on an important historical story that irresponsibly gets all the facts wrong - that can be an unforgivable crime, but not one that can stop it from being a great film if the filmmakers make it so.

Plenty of examples like that, such as Gladiator and Braveheart.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Plenty of examples like that, such as Gladiator and Braveheart.

I really like Gladiator, but Braveheart is ridiculous. But in terms of historical films, I am thinking about more recent events. Like covering MLK, the American Revolution, Howard Hughes, etc.

 

[Erzengel]

This is what Titanic had going for it too.

Titanic tapped into a different demographic that exceeded nerds and that's teen girls.

There were so many girls I knew, as well as celebrity teens and reading through trades that girls were seeing these movies 7-10 times.

A 3 hour movie.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Titanic tapped into a different demographic that exceeded nerds and that's teen girls.

There were so many girls I knew, as well as celebrity teens and reading through trades that girls were seeing these movies 7-10 times.

A 3 hour movie.

 

[Erzengel]

I could just watch her talk for hours.

 

[Iceman]

That is very different imo. If you are going to claim something historically accurate, it better be.

But given that something has committed the crime of being historically inaccurate with important info you can then go on to make a Uwe Boll level film or an Empire Strikes Back level film. Doesn't forgive the crime of being inaccurate but that is a separate issue to whether the piece of entertainment produced is entertaining.

Plenty of examples like that, such as Gladiator and Braveheart.

Ha, I was thinking exactly of Braveheart when I wrote it.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

But given that something has committed the crime of being historically inaccurate with important info you can then go on to make a Uwe Boll level film or an Empire Strikes Back level film. Doesn't forgive the crime of being inaccurate but that is a separate issue to whether the piece of entertainment produced is entertaining.

Bum fights can be entertaining. Doesn't suddenly make them good. I can think of a dozen bad ideas right now to use as a example.

 

[Iceman]

Titanic tapped into a different demographic that exceeded nerds and that's teen girls.

There were so many girls I knew, as well as celebrity teens and reading through trades that girls were seeing these movies 7-10 times.

A 3 hour movie.

That was very true too in this case. I think Leo appearing in Romeo and Juliet just before Titanic made this even worse!

It also tapped into the older 50/60 + contingent who almost never go to the cinema and I think this drip feed of guys who would have taken ages to get around to seeing it helped support it months after release.

 

[Iceman]

Bum fights can be entertaining. Doesn't suddenly make them good. I can think of a dozen bad ideas right now to use as a example.

What are bum fights? Sorry

 

[Erzengel]

And it's a virtual stunning movie. And maybe I'm over thinking this movie, but I don't care what experiences you had with anyone over the span of 3 days. If you live a long full life with a husband, kids, grandkids and possibly great grandkids, you're not obsessing over a guy that you met over 70 years ago.

Give me sentient robots from outer space.

Give me next stage in human evolution with mutants and superheros.

Give me an energy field that binds the universe together.

Give me a man who creates an armored battle suit.

But try and sell me a 3 day love story that a woman keeps with her until the end of her life? That I find unbelievable.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

What are bum fights? Sorry

Actual fights involving the homeless recorded and put on the internet. A pathetic American pass time.

 

[Iceman]

And it's a virtual stunning movie. And maybe I'm over thinking this movie, but I don't care what experiences you had with anyone over the span of 3 days. If you live a long full life with a husband, kids, grandkids and possibly great grandkids, you're not obsessing over a guy that you met over 70 years ago.

Give me sentient robots from outer space.

Give me next stage in human evolution with mutants and superheros.

Give me an energy field that binds the universe together.

Give me a man who creates an armored battle suit.

But try and sell me a 3 day love story that a woman keeps with her until the end of her life? That I find unbelievable.

If I was her husband or one of her kids I wouldn't be too impressed with this story.

 

[Iceman]

Actual fights involving the homeless recorded and put on the internet. A pathetic American pass time.

Oh.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

If I was her husband or one of her kids I wouldn't be too impressed with this story.

Her fiance at the time wasn't impressed either.