posted 05-25-2004 07:01 AM                    

Looks like you are wrong again KD. Anymore "disappointments" you wish to estimate on?

Here is the story

quote:

---

'Shrek 2' Lands Far, Far Ahead of Summer Pack
by Brandon Gray
May 24, 2004



HOLLYWOOD (Box Office Mojo) – A fractured fairy tale broke records as it mended a heretofore soft summer.

The widest release ever yielded the biggest single day gross ever, the highest bow ever for an animated movie (topping Finding Nemo's $70.3 million), the second best weekend ever (behind only Spider-Man's $114.8 million) and the first uber-opening of the summer.

The $70 million Shrek 2 raked in a whopping $108.0 million over the weekend at 4,163 theaters, bringing its five-day haul to $129.0 million since debuting Wednesday -- the third biggest 5-day bow ever. It beat DreamWorks' $104.3 million estimate by $3.7 million, thanks to a stronger than expected Sunday.

"This was well beyond any expectations," DreamWorks head of distribution Jim Tharp told Box Office Mojo, though he added that public awareness of the picture was already up 92% four weeks prior to the release. "Opening on a Wednesday, word-of-mouth was that this was not a cheater, and a great follow-up to first movie," he noted.

DreamWorks' exit polling indicated that 60% of moviegoers were families -- the first Shrek, like most animated movies, was 80% family out-of-the-gate and then fell to 60% in later weeks -- suggesting a broadening of the audience since the original. Among families, 60% were mothers and 40% were dads, while 55% were girls and 45% were boys. Among non-families, it was a 50/50 split between males and females and those over and under the age of 25. Moviegoers loved the picture overall as 81% rated it "excellent" and 11% "very good." Over 70% said they would see the movie again.

Breaking the weekend down, Shrek 2 devoured $28.3 million on Friday. It then jumped 58% on Saturday to an astonishing $44.8 million, topping Spider-Man's $43.6 million Saturday as the largest single day gross of all time. In other words, its Saturday alone topped the first Shrek's entire $42.3 million opening weekend. On Sunday morning, DreamWorks projected Shrek 2 to fall 31% to $31.1 million on Sunday, but that turned out to be conservative as it ended up easing just 22% to $34.9 million -- more in line with the first Shrek and Finding Nemo which fell 24% and 21% respectively for their Sunday drops.

Prior to the weekend, Shrek 2 was already a record-breaker when DreamWorks announced it broke the 4,000-theater milestone with its 4,163 count, topping Spider-Man's 3,876 fourth weekend count as the widest release ever. Shrek 2 was simply following in the footsteps of its predecessor, which reached a then record 3,715 in its fourth weekend. To put its theater count into further perspective, according to the National Organization of Theaters Owners, there are 5,659 indoor theaters in the country (and 35,139 screens). DreamWorks will not disclose how many screens the movie is playing on.

"It's a well known movie and we needed to get out in from of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Tharp explained the bold release pattern.

Shrek 2 is now well-positioned to become the #1 movie of the summer, just as its predecessor reigned over summer 2001 with its $267.7 million haul. For the past five years straight, the title-holder was spawned in May -- The Phantom Menace in 1999, Mission Impossible 2 in 2000, Shrek in 2001, Spider-Man in 2002 and Finding Nemo last year. Going into the season, common wisdom had Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Spider-Man 2 as the movies to beat for the crown, but 'Shrek 2' is on a $330 million plus trajectory – the rosy end of Harry and Spidey prognostications.

When Shrek 2 garnered $11.8 million on Wednesday, DreamWorks was heralding the dubious milestone of "biggest mid-week opening for an animated movie," topping Pokemon: The First Movie's $10.1 million. Turns out, only two days later, they would find such groping for records would be unnecessary.

Though Shrek 2 was huge on Wednesday and Thursday, grossing $20.9

---

posted 05-26-2004 06:07 AM                    

quote: Kamakshipalya Dhananjay

---

Shrek 2 could neither be wholesome nor is there any dignity in it. It may earn money like it has but it definitely wont earn any reputation for its studio.

---

I thought that was what this thread was about, how much money a movie was going to make. Not whether or not the movie is wholesome or has dignity, or if it will earn a reputation for the studio.

Edit: I realized I said that I wasnt going to argue/discuss movie grosses with you anymore, but you just cant seem to totally admit to being wrong. You say that you are wrong, but then you say the movie will still drop in business. Of course it will. Unless the population somehow doubles or triples in the next week, then obviously sales will drop. Everyone has already seen it.

posted 05-27-2004 02:26 PM                       

quote: Kamakshipalya Dhananjay

---

Dreamworks is nowhere close to Disney and it has a very long way to go before people come to expect what they do for Disney's fare - wholesome entertainment, dignity of characters and above all, fewer cheap thrills and gimmicks and importantly, an eye away from your wallet.

---