Maybe potential moviegoers were too busy Christmas shopping this weekend to think much about travel, or travel-themed movies. Far fewer than expected booked passage with either of the weekend's wide releases, 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' and 'The Tourist.' 'Narnia' won the box office weekend with an estimated $24.5 million, but given the expectations for 'Dawn Treader,' that's barely treading water.
Not that anyone expected 'Dawn Treader' to do as well as the first two 'Narnia' movies. 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' opened with $65.6 million on this same weekend five years ago, while 'Prince Caspian' debuted with $55 million in 2008. With the apparent downward trend, the nearly three-year wait between sequels, middling reviews and competition for the fantasy/family audience from 'Tangled' and 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I,' 'Dawn Treader' faced stormy seas. Still, the series' fanbase (including Christian viewers who appreciate C.S. Lewis' spiritual allegories) and the 3-D surcharge were expected to boost 'Dawn Treader' to a debut between $38 and $45 million.
That it opened with just over half of its projected sales has to be considered a major disappointment both for the franchise and for Fox, which picked up the 'Narnia' banner after Disney dropped it. 'Wardrobe' worked its magic toward a $291.7 domestic total, while 'Caspian' topped out at $141.6 million. 'Dawn Treader' will have trouble cracking $100 million domestically, which will continue Fox's year-long losing streak; the studio hasn't had a film crack the $100 million mark since 2009's 'Avatar.'
'The Tourist' opened in second place with an estimated $17.0 million. That also has to be considered a disappointment, since the combined star power of Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, as well as the dearth of competition in the adult thriller niche, had led to expectations of an opening around $25 million. Apparently, pretty faces were not enough to overcome weak word-of-mouth. At least Sony should be able to count on better returns overseas, where Depp and Jolie's names should carry greater weight. (Fox, too, can probably count on overseas receipts to rescue 'Dawn Treader.')
'Tangled' maintained a lock on the family audience, coming in third with an estimated $14.6 million, down just 33 percent from last weekend. In three weeks, Disney's Rapunzel cartoon has taken in $115.6 million.
'Harry Potter' is falling faster. It came in fourth with an estimated $8.5 million, about half what it earned last week, when it was overtaken by 'Tangled.' Still, it's earned $257.7 million in four weeks and could cross $300 million by the time it leaves theaters.
In fifth place, 'Unstoppable' is still nearly that, slowing down just 37 percent this weekend. The runaway train thriller grossed an estimated $3.8 million, for a five-week total of $74.3 million.
On the limited-release front, Mark Wahlberg's Oscar hopeful 'The Fighter' opened with a knockout per-screen average of $80,000 on four screens, for an estimated total of $320,000. That's not quite as much as the 2010 record set two weeks ago by the opening of 'The King's Speech' ($88,862 on each of four screens), but it's enough to edge out 'Black Swan,' which opened last week with a per-screen average of $77,459 at 18 venues. (For comparison's sake, 'Dawn Treader' averaged $6,892 per screen, the biggest per-screen figure of any of the current wide-release movies.)
Still, don't cry for 'Black Swan.' Natalie Portman's Academy-Award-seeking ballet thriller added 72 more screens this weekend and vaulted up to No. 6 on the box office chart with an estimated $3.3 million. That's $37,022 per venue; maybe 'Dawn Treader' and 'Tourist' would have grossed six times as much if they'd featured fragile, tightly wound, bisexual ballerinas.
The full top 10:
1. 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,' $24.5 million (3,555 screens), new release
2. 'The Tourist,' $17.0 million (2,756), new release
3. 'Tangled,' $14.6 million (3,565), $115.6 million total
4. 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I,' $8.5 million (3,577), $257.7 million
5. 'Unstoppable,' $3.81 million (2,967), $74.3 million
6. 'Black Swan,' $3.3 million (90), $5.6 million
7. 'Burlesque,' $3.2 million (2,876), $32.6 million
8. 'Love and Other Drugs,' $3.0 million (2,240), $27.6 million
9. 'Due Date,' $2.55 million (1,990), $94.9 million
10. 'Megamind,' $2.51 million (2,425), $140.2 million
•Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.
Comments (178)
It's because everyone is broke. It's 13 days until Christmas!!!
ReplyWe took our children to see Narnia and we all thought it was dreadful. I hope they put this series out to pasture
ReplyFew journeyed back to Narnia over the weekend, and few sparks were set off by the coupling of two hot stars. Between the soft debuts of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Tourist and the uninspiring holdovers, this holiday season's tepidness continued: overall weekend business was off nearly five percent from the same period last year when The Princess and the Frog led.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader docked with an estimated $24.5 million on approximately 6,500 screens at 3,555 locations (3D showings at 1,989 venues accounted for 54 percent of business). It was hoped that a return to December along with marketing that pushed the first movie's lion, witch and Christian angles and the addition of the 3D illusion would rekindle interest, but the third Narnia went south of the fantasy also-ran The Golden Compass, which mustered $25.8 million on the same December weekend in 2007 (or nearly $30 million adjusted for ticket price inflation), let alone the other Narnias.
The problem with actors is the lack of a peer.
Someone needs to tell Johnny that he can't grow a beard.
Shave or just play a succession of weirdos.
And someone needs to tell Angelina that she can't act.
One movie after another of silly sounding accents doesn't hide her lack of talent.
I took my twins to see this movie and LOOOOVVVVEEEEDDD IT! I thought it was the best out of the three! Can't wait for Silver Chair!
I wouldn't pay a dime to see a movie with Angelina Jolie.
She sucks, can't act and looks like a stick. Her only redeeming feature is that she is married to Brad Pitt and that too is waning.
I'm just sayin'...none of us really know what Brad, Angelina, & Jennifer are really like. It's all hype that we get from the media. I'm just sayin'....it doesn't really matter. I'm just sayin'....Because of all that, I still may see this movie :)
I hope they don't do a whole Land Before Time thing with the Narnia Chronicles. Enough is enough sometimes. Try SAVE CREATIVELY. CO M for family fun and free stuff.
Angelina and Johnny just have zero chemistry. Nothing's there. They don't play off of each other well at all. Her English accent is constantly distracting also.
ReplyI'm not surprised.
For the last few years movies that appeal strictly to adults are not doing well at the box office.
The money makers are animated films and those that appeal to teenagers.
Yeah where does that accent come from. I know she's supposed to be 'continental' and all, but still, she was born here I believe.
I fully agree The Tourist was a total flop. Angelina looks anorexic with her clavicle bone sticking out.. Its a pity. One thing for sure - I will not see another movie with her.. The script was pathetic and all the focused on was the way Angelina dressed. Pretty crappy acting ... I give it an F because this movie stunk to high heaven.
Maybe Hollywood will get it in it's skull that most people are tired of having Jolie shoved down their throats. Depp is a mega star. Jolie a mega weirdo. The film would likely be better with any actress BUT Jolie.
It doesn't surprise me that movies aren't doing that great at the box office- With the current economy and resulting downturn in family spending limits, not to mention the time of year, what do they expect? And with the weather that's currently sweeping across the country- I(like probably many others,) would love to go spend a few bucks to see a movie or two, but I'd rather have food & heat in my house instead! But in all honesty, The star power of an actor/actress only lasts for so long, & the way I see it, both Jolie's & Depp's is beginning to fade.... Who agrees?
Oh please; lets be realistic. The movie came in Second on a Pre-Christmas weekend in the US to a "Family" movie about a C-G Lion that is supposed represent the Militant Jesus. Of course Narnia came in second, like other movies came in second to Harry Potter and I'm sure the new Twilight movie will knock ever one out of the box, which proves no one cares about content or talent, just style.
Recently a very good friend of Jennifer Anniston gave her assessment of Jolie. It was scathing. Perhaps the public sees her teaming up with Depp (another heart-throb) has a reminder of what happened to someone else's marriage that seemed OK until a movie was made....people don't forget when circumstances are comparable.
ReplyOh please, Aniston's marriage was on the rocks because Brad wasn't happy with her; it had nothing to do with Angie. It appeared that he wanted kids and she didn't, she wanted to party and shop. They were estranged, both showing up seperately long before Angie entered the picture. Angie just got the blame because Jennifer didn't want to face facts that she was losing Brad all on her own.
I agree, Liam. I think it's HER that kept people away from this movie, not HIM. I wont see anything in it with her. She's a homewrecker and people are tired of her.
We all think we know Aniston, Pitt, Jolie. But over time certain patterns develop. Aparently Aniston can't keep a man for over a week! All the knotheads see is a beautiful woman. In real life it requires more in a relationship. Not to mention her attraction to 'bad' boys, it being known she's more concerned about her figure than a family. I seriously doubt Brad and Angie will last a long time, but let's stop painting Aniston as some poor thing.
I totally agree Liam. I think we have all had enough of Jolie.