Twentieth Century Fox’s The Day the Earth Stood Still proves once again that it’s never a good idea to mess with a classic. With most critics calling the Keanu Reeves-starring, Scott Derrickson-directing film a far cry from the original (EW’s Owen Gleiberman gave it a C-), it’s unlikely the movie will become the holiday box office smash the studio was hoping for. However, with audiences hankering for a big, effects-riddled actioner this holiday season, Earth’s opening weekend should still be respectable, if not as earth-shattering as I’m sure the studio had hoped. Here’s my guess to the weekend’s Top Five:
1. The Day the Earth Stood Still — $36 million
Insiders are all over the map predicting the opening for this remake. But with special effects-hungry kids closing in on their holiday vacations, it should do pretty well. Earth won’t match the numbers the opener this weekend last year (the $77 million I Am Legend), but will probably far exceed the $20 million range, too. And with a budget of $80 million, Fox is looking like they’ll have a nice, early Christmas present.
2. Four Christmases — $9 million
Maybe everyone dreads reuniting with their families over the holiday season, and that’s why Four Christmases is making so much money. Regardless, Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn are certainly earning their keep with this one, grossing $73 million in just two weeks of release. After claiming the top spot those past two weeks, the movie will drop to No. 2 this week, but should still perform mightily this frame.
3. Twilight — $7 million
At $141 million and counting, Twilight is a bona fide success. And now, with the drama over the director shift between Twilight and its sequel New Moon, curiosity may just get the best of those holdouts who have not yet ventured into the theaters. It will likely lose another 50 percent off its box office this frame, but with a negative cost of $37 million, who’s counting?
4. Bolt — $5 million
Disney’s latest may play younger than it’s PG-rating suggests, but it’s still a hit with critics and families alike. It’s doubtful that the under-the-radar animated film Delgo — which opens today, virtually buzzless in 1,800 theaters — will impact Bolt’s gross in any way.
5. Nothing Like the Holidays — $4 million
Overture Films is putting out their own Christmas-themed film starring what seems like every working Latino actor in Hollywood: John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodriguez, Luis Guzman, Jay Hernandez, and Alfred Molina. The film takes on the familiar premise of a far-flung family’s week-long return home for the holidays. Think Home for the Holidays, The Family Stone, etc. And they are opening the movie rather wide, in 1,500 theaters. With middling reviews, it will be interesting to see if the movie can do some business — especially with Hispanic audiences — a highly coveted, but hard-to-reach audience, who may be more likely to step into The Day the Earth Stood Still for their weekend entertainment.
All in all, expect the weekend to be down from last year at this time. After all, we’ve got to wait one more week for Will Smith, and there is still shopping to be done.
More box office news:
Four Christmases wins slow weekend
Box Office Preview: Can Twilight hold off Four Christmases and Australia?
Twilight sinks its teeth into a blockbuster debut
Quantum of Solace stirs up a win
Holiday films to receive season’s greetings, beatings
Comments (1-24) of 24 Add your comment
The Day the Earth Stood Still has “big flop” written all over it.
Watch Wanted full movie here!
http://missedashow.com/2008/12/wanted-full-movie-watch-here/
Have you seen a clip of The Day the Earth Stood Still????? Keanu Reeves is like the worst actor on the planet. It’s almost laughable to watch.
As per what seems to be an EW human resources-required statement in each article: “At $141 million and counting, Twilight is a bona fide success.” Really? Is $150ish million for this movie a true success? I thought this was supposed to be the next Harry Potter – no? (That’s what EW’s told me.) I swear this magazine’s spent twice that amount covering Twilight over the past year.
Skip Keanu and watch the original from 1951 if you can find it.
Even though TDTESS looks bad, I still think it will do better than expected.
Day the Earth Stood Still-$42 million
Four Christmases-$10 million
Nothing Like the Holidays-$8 million
Twilight(Almost out of the top five!)-$7 million
Bolt-$6 million
Matt, considering Twilight was made on a 37 million budget and still ranking in money (it hasn’t opened overseas yet), I would consider it a sucess. It made up it’s money and then some.
The day the earth stood still looks BAD! and I mean that in the worst way possible. Why do they ruin great movies by turning them into remakes?
Why does so many people want to call TWLIGHT a flop or a disappointment? This movie is based on a popular novel but it’s not Harry Potter. It was never going to be. If the studio thought it had a Harry Potter it would have raised the budget from the small $37 million. Leave TWLIGHT alone. It’s a hit. People are talking about it. If you don’t like it don’t go see it!
Yes, Matt – Twilight would be considered a success because:
1. The movie’s target audience is a very specific demographic, in this case 90% teenage girls, their moms and other young women like myself (yes-the other 10% is for the guys I did see in the theater that went to see the movie without a female)
2. The budget was $37 million.
I agree it’s over hyped and the quality of the movie was not the greatest and I’m a fan of the books. But it still was a decent movie.
It will make more money domestically than ‘Sex and the City’ or ‘Mamma Mia’ did which both had bigger budgets, big stars and probably a bigger fan base.
The movies/books will never reach the same success as the Harry Potter series or pull in the kinds of crowds that Indiana Jones would in the theater, but it is still a success just the same. Even the soundtrack is selling well.
Haven’t seen Twilight, don’t really care to. But it seems like a big success to me for any movie to make as much over their budget as this one did. I think it was the press who made it out to be the next Potter. But I would imagine the filmmakers didn’t set those kind of expectations.
Well, I think that Holiday movie season of actually good movies starts this weekend. With the Exception of Bolt. Bolt was a very very good and cute movie for anyone. That was the only good one out there so far so I dont know why it hasnt gotten more- but from now on there are alot of big hits coming so the numbers and leaders of the box office will change drastically soon.
Okay please excuse grammer mistakes or sentences that dont make sense. I have been at work forever my head is not completely awake.
Dark knight Full Movie Here!
http://missedashow.com/2008/12/batman-the-dark-knight-full-movie-watch-here/
STFU, DONT Pirate the Dark Knight. Pirate some stupid movie that isnt worth it.
I want to watch The Day the Earth Stood Still! i dont care much about bad reviews. it’s still entertainment for me. Effects plus Keanu Reeves equals holiday entertainment!
Watched it today! good movie. Im pulling for keannu on this one. It’s an entertaining movie! its has its flaws but what movie doesnt?.
The special effects are great and the story is convincing.. i give a 4/5.
Thanks for that info, gino. I can’t wait to watch it, my week’s getting so boring…
Looks like The Day The Earth Stood Still is going to have a decent but below expectations weekend. Usually that signals a quick fade from the top of the box office. One problem for sure is the so-so trailer playing across America. I knew we were going to pass on this one when what looks like the Silver Surfer dude from the awful Fantastic Four sequel appears in the final seconds of the trailer. More importantly, it just appears to be another dark and depressing action flick. Why Hollywood is unloading films like this and Transporter 3 and The Punisher at Christmas time is a mystery to me. People want their spirits uplifted at this time of the year, especially this year. I would put money on Benjamin Button, Bedtime Stories, and potentially Yes Man(although it looks eerily similar to Liar Liar and that could cost it sales)being blockbusters through January. Otherwise, I expect 4Christmases, Bolt, and Madagascar 2 to continue to hold up through Christmas.
I love Twilight!
Oh common people we have different point of views when it comes to almost everything..this movie is awesome for kids, do kids lie? of course not so if you think this movie is not as good as it supposed to be the stop making comments on this movie and find other good movie!you can enjoy this movie without imagining the old one coz the old one sucks..so this is a 21st cent era wherein special effects taking place in every movies..The matrix has been popularize by Keanu how come he sucks on his performance..maybe you people sucks for the rest of your life
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