The year’s one genuine mega-hit, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, finally ceded the number one position at the box office this week. And that’s the correct way to put it. Nobody took the box office title away from Pirates, but rather the latter surrendered the crown due to old age.
The ‘winner’ was Michael Mann’s Miami Vice update, which took in a comparatively paltry $25 million. Given that box office totals now generally fall by half or more from the first weekend to the second (and that the studio will only receive a percentage of that $25 million to start with), it will take a very strong foreign take to justify the films $135 million budget.
Pirates fell to second after three weeks in first (the most this year), collecting a still sizable $20.5 million, for a current domestic total around $360 million. It is now Disney’s highest grossing movie ever, which considering they spent $450 million to film the second and upcoming third films back to back, must be causing some sighs of relief at the House of Mouse. Pirates is now the 11th highest domestic grosser ever, and seems certain to sail past the current number ten, The Passion of the Christ, which topped out around $370 million. By the end of thing, Pirates is likely to grab over $400 million of box office swag.
Teen comedy John Tucker Must Die came in third, with $14 million. Monster House fell to fourth, gobbling up another $11 million for a $43 million total so far. Meanwhile, the premiering The Ant Bully was more anthill than mountain, drawing a puny $8 million in its first frame. Moreover, cartoon movies continue to flood the market, with Barnyard joining Monster House and Ant Bully in theaters next weekend.
Things look bad this summer for Warner’s. Poseidon is perhaps the summer’s biggest flop, Superman Returns failed to soar to expected box office heights (falling out of the top ten this week with a $185 million total so far, and hence being dramatically trounced by Pirates), while Ant Bully and Lady in the Water die on the vine. The latter saw it’s feeble first weekend box office decline by a woeful 61%, garnering a highly lame $31 million total after two weeks. In comparison, The Village had drawn $86 million by the same point in time, and Signs nearly $120 million.
Further humiliating filmmaker Shyamalan is the fact that his movie is unlikely to end up drawing the $50 million already brought in by the awful looking Little Man. Meanwhile, the surprise hit The Devil Wears Prada is losing steam, but after having cracked the $100 million mark. Finally, Clerks II drew another $4 million, for a near $19 million total. However, with a production budget of $5 million, the film’s already in the black.
