A heroic effort
Moviegoers latched onto one of the oldest of old school stories told in a very of-the-moment fashion as the motion-capture epic Beowulf cut down the competition this weekend to the tune of $27.5 million. The overall box-office picture was not as rosy, as the week’s top 12 movies grossed 29 percent less than the same weekend last year.
The up side
Is Beowulf’s success a sign that audiences crave more 3D movie? More than 40 percent of its total revenue came from the 20 percent of the theaters showing it using the RealD technology. Because theaters can charge slightly higher prices for tickets to 3D movies and because they tend to play longer than their 2D counterparts, don’t be surprised if some smart producers out there make an effort to feed that demand.
Bomb Squad
No real new inductees to the Squad this week, though Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium teetered on the brink. It pulled in just $9.6 million in more than 3,000 theaters — not a total to really get anyone excited, but one that probably won’t get anyone fired either. The Squad also has its eye on Love in the Time of Cholera, which earned just $1.9 million in 852 theaters.
Swami Sez
You win some, you lose some.
Prediction: Beowulf slays the competition to the tune of $32 million.
Result: There was slaying alright, but not quite as much pillaging as expected.
Prediction: Mr. Magorium earns enough to grab the No.2 spot with $16 million.
Result: A pretty lame finish at No. 5
New and improved
Last weekend, a film with a unique concept topped the charts, and this week brings another such film, Enchanted. The Disney film’s trick is that it begins as an animated movie before morphing into live-action. So will audiences be up for a second round of movie wizardry?
Prediction: Enchanted wins the extended holiday weekend, pulling in $45 million in five days.
Whither ‘Beowulf’?
So with Enchanted at No. 1, will Beowulf be able to cling to at least the No. 2 spot, or will one of the other new releases reach up to unseat the hero further?
Prediction: Beowulf survives a strong surge from The Mist to earn another $26 million during the extended weekend.
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