If there were any doubts that "Avatar" would post the biggest total box-office numbers of all time, they were erased this weekend.
With a decline of only 15% in the U.S. and Canada over the Martin Luther King Day weekend, a $54.5-million four-day domestic gross and another $129 million overseas, director James Cameron's 3-D blockbuster is now certain to surpass the marks set by his own "Titanic" 11 years ago.
As of today, "Avatar" has grossed $1.12 billion internationally and $505 million domestically. Within the next week, it will surpass the $1.24 billion that "Titanic" collected overseas. Shortly thereafter, it should pass the 1997-98 film's domestic total of $600.8 million.
Eleven years ago, of course, ticket prices were a lot cheaper -- the most recent estimated average ticket price was $7.46, compared with $4.69 in 1998. And most people are seeing "Avatar" in 3-D, where ticket prices are several dollars higher. The result: Far fewer people have seen "Avatar" than "Titanic" so far. "Avatar" has sold fewer than 70 million tickets in the U.S. and Canada; "Titanic" sold more than 125 million.
Overseas, comparisons are even tougher to make due to changing ticket prices and exchange rates in more than 100 countries.
If Cameron's new picture keeps experiencing minuscule 15% to 20% drops each weekend, as executives at distributor 20th Century Fox predict it will, "Avatar" will not only surpass the monetary records of "Titanic" but also gain significant ground in attendance. Just how far it will go is still impossible to say, but with last night's win for best dramatic picture at the Golden Globes, it's likely that even the most tent-pole-averse moviegoers are becoming interested, while fanboys are still going multiple times.
Although the success of "Avatar" is lining the pockets of Fox and co-financiers Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Film Partners, it is not sucking the rest of the market dry. "The Book of Eli" and "The Lovely Bones" both had healthy debuts in wide release this weekend, collecting $38 million and $20.5 million, respectively, from Friday through Monday. Though the audience for "Eli" tilted toward young men, it was broader than the audience for "Bones," which was predominantly young and female. Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. have reason to be confident that "Eli" will hold up in coming weeks, but Paramount's "Bones" may not generate much interest beyond its core fan base. (For more on the openings of "The Book of Eli" and "The Lovely Bones," along with "The Spy Next Door," see our initial box office post.)
In limited release, the well-reviewed Leo Tolstoy biopic "The Last Station" opened to a solid $98,723 in three theaters from Friday to Monday.
Though there was very little bad news for movie studios this weekend, total grosses were down 13% through Sunday from the same weekend last year, according to Hollywood.com. Big gains at the box office will be difficult in the next several months, as the winter of 2009 was huge.
Here are the top 10 movies at the domestic box office, according to studio estimates and Hollywood.com. Rankings are based on four-day grosses, but percentage declines are on a three-day basis, since last Monday was not a holiday.
1. "Avatar" (Fox/Dune/Ingenious): $54.6 million on its fifth weekend, down just 15% on a three-day basis. $129 million overseas in 112 markets. Domestic total: $505 million. Foreign total: $1.12 billion.
2. "The Book of Eli" (Warner Bros./Alcon): $38-million opening.
3. "The Lovely Bones" (Paramount): $20.5 million in its nationwide debut. Including five previous weeks at three theaters, its domestic total is $21 million.
4. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" (Fox/New Regency): $15 million on its fourth weekend, down 30% on a three-day basis. $14.3 million overseas in 56 markets. Domestic total: $196.1 million. Foreign total: $158.5 million.
5. "The Spy Next Door" (Lionsgate/Relativity): Debuted to $13 million.
6. "Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros./Village Roadshow): $11.7 million on its fourth weekend, down 40% on a three-day basis. $26.3 million overseas in 53 territories. Domestic total: $181.9 million. Foreign total: $168.6 million.
7. "It's Complicated" (Universal/Relativity): $9.6 million on its fourth weekend, down 26% on a three-day basis. $9 million overseas in 24 territories. Domestic total: $90.1 million. Foreign total: $36.4 million.
8. "Leap Year" (Universal/Relativity/Spyglass): $7.1 million on its second weekend, down 35% on a three-day basis. Domestic total: $18.8 million.
9. "Up in the Air" (Paramount/Montecito): $6.7 million on its seventh weekend, down 24% on a three-day basis. Domestic total: $64 million.
10. "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros./Alcon): $6.5 million on its ninth weekend, down 26% on a three-day basis. Domestic total: $227.7 million.
-- Ben Fritz
Top photo: Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in "Avatar." Credit: 20th Century Fox
Bottom photo: Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station." Credit: Stephan Rabold / Sony Pictures Classics
Sweet 'Life Unexpected' may fill that 'Gilmore Girls'/'Everwood' gap
A month ago, I lamented the lack of family dramas on TV. I don't yearn for sappy, "everybody hugs at the end" shows, but the kind of smart, allegedly-for-teens programs that parents and their older kids could enjoy together without feeling condescended to.
"Life Unexpected" (8 p.m. Central Monday, the CW; three stars) does recall the good things about shows like "Gilmore Girls" and "Everwood." Yes, "Life" does feature a fair amount of hugging, and its sheer adorableness threatens to overwhelm the proceedings at times. But this is a show with a sweet, earnest, witty heart, and to not give it a chance would be like kicking a puppy. In the face.
I can offer an ironclad guarantee that no other "Life Unexpected" reviews will mention FX's good new comedy "Archer" and Starz's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," which debuts Jan. 22. But all three shows have one thing in common: Their pilots are not their strongest episodes. That's not surprising; pilots are fussed over by network executives more than new parents fuss over their first baby. And it takes a while for a show's writers and actors to create a world and give nuances to the relationships between the characters.
I can easily see someone watching the first episodes of both "Spartacus" and "Life Unexpected" and then sending me a crabby email about how neither show was that much to write home about. Patience, young Jedi.
I'm in the very lucky position of being able to see, when networks are smart enough to send multiple episodes, how these stories develop, and when it came to both shows, it definitely took some time to get drawn into their very different worlds. (And let me add at this juncture that there are no orgies or gory gladiator battles in "Life Unexpected." In the first three episodes, anyway.)
"Life Unexpected" concerns the life of 15-year old Lux (Britt Robertson), who has spent her life in foster care and must contact her birth parents in order to become fully emancipated from the grindingly indifferent child-care system. Lux is the product of a one-night stand between Nate Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha), a high-school quarterback turned bar owner, and Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby), a straight-A student turned radio deejay.
Needless to say, both are shocked to find Lux in their lives again, and though there's still an attraction between Cate and Nate, Cate finds him irresponsible and slackerish and Nate finds her uptight and controlling. The level-headed Lux finds them both rather self-absorbed, and she's not quite ready to rely on anyone yet, which makes the whole "let's try being a family" idea a prickly proposition.
This entire premise has been CW-fied, which means that Lux isn't the deeply damaged person you might expect her to be after being raised by a series of terrible foster families. She's more sassy and spunky than anything, but Robertson gives her enough spine to make Lux interesting.
A bigger problem might be the fact that Lux is so smart and self-possessed that you're not quite sure whether she needs anyone's help, least of all help from Nate and Cate, who have their own maturity issues. Call it the Ryan Atwood problem, which "The O.C." easily overcame thanks to the many things that show had going for it (in its early seasons, anyway).
Still, this cast is so good, especially Polaha and Appleby, that by the third episode it was surprisingly easy to put aside the lingering questions I had and tolerate the fact that at that stage, some of the supporting characters still came close to being caricatures. The third episode, however, is the one that hooked me and made me think that this might be a "Life" worth following.
"Life Unexpected's" promotional team is clearly reveling in the "Gilmore Girls" references that critics are making, and it's not an unfounded comparison. But for me, the high-water mark in the '90s/Aughts family-drama realm will always be "Everwood." It wasn't perfect, but it was occasionally amazing, and that exceptionally well-acted show usually examined family dynamics without relying on melodrama, sap or soapy shenanigans.
"Life Unexpected" may one day rise to "Everwood's" level, or it may just be a pretty good show that fills a gaping need in the TV schedule for a family drama with heart and intelligence (and it's certainly filling a gap at the CW, which hasn't launched an smart show in some time).
There's a lot to like in this sweet, promising drama. Let's hope that the ratings are good so that the CW doesn't begin urging creator Liz Tigelaar to turn Nate, Cate and Lux into a family of vampires.
If you have a Facebook account, you can watch the first 10 minutes of the "Life Unexpected" pilot here. There's one brief clip from the show below.
Celeb Pix: At the Globes after parties -- hugs and mugs
Robert Downey Jr. and wife, Susan, hug. The "Glee" cast poses for the cameras. James Cameron, Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldana celebrate "Avatar's" win.
Can Collectors Have Their Art And Lend It, Too?
American museums owe the vast majority of their collections to gifts from private donors — but getting people to part with their treasures is no small feat. Some collectors want to retain ownership over their art even while exhibiting it in major museums.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar