Box-Office Round Up: 8.03.08

Here’s this weekend’s box-office estimates!

1. The Dark Knight $43.8 mil
2. The Mummy III $42.5 mil
3. Step Brothers $16.3 mil
4. Mamma Mia! $13.1 mil
5. Journey/Center/Earth $6.9 mil
6. Swing Vote $6.3 mil

I have to admit, that I am not surprised that The Dark Knight won the weekend (again!), but I am surprised at how small a margin it was. I guess I have to give it up to The Mummy, I’ve always underestimated the financial possibilities of that franchise.

Anyway. Everything else seems to have lined up pretty much as expected. Swing Vote, the movie that brings Kevin Costner back to a starring role only got $6.3, but given the budget, it will make all it’s money back in it’s domestic theatrical release! I am a little proud of Kevin for putting his own money up on a picture he believes in and assuming all the risk when no studio would. (Generally, we are advised not to put our own money into pictures to spread around the risk) It’s not going to do gangbusters, but he will reap most of the profits after the costs of prints and advertising. Profits! That’s what makes a movie financially successful. And heck, I’ll even see it. Well… I’ll see it at home.

The X-Files fell 65% from last week, which is not so fun for Fox, but it will make it’s money back, even though it seemed to come out of nowhere. Oh, Fox... What the hell is going on?

The only other entry I think is important to mention is Miramax’s Brideshead Revisited, starring Matthew Goode. They are going for a platform release, starting with a couple of cities, and moving on from there. Today, Brideshead is playing on 189 screens and made $1.3 mil, which is up a whopping 248% since last week! This is a classic Miramax movie, a period piece set in rural England, and they are displaying their knowledge of what they do best with small movies. Make a good movie, choose a good weekend, start small and use word of mouth as part of your marketing model. Expect to keep hearing good things about this movie for the weeks to come.

And that’s the weekend!




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