Production cost estimates including distribution had been quote at around 200M. It's difficult to get real figures out of Hollywood studios but if you are one of the stockholders you'd sure get more accurate figures. That's usually on an annual report so all the figures in Variety or Billboard are estimates based on what reporters can glean out of production executives.
From today's Variety:
TOP STORY
Potter's pot o' gold
'Prisoner' bow becomes Blighty's biggest
By Don Groves
The Hogwarts kids are back -- and the young wizards are weaving their usual magic.
In its world preem, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" conjured up £5.03 million ($9.2 million) from 535 locations in the U.K. on Monday, which was a national holiday.
That's the market's biggest opening day and its biggest single day, 16% ahead of prior champ "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," which pulled in $8 million on 524 sites on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002.
Warner estimated the pic's Tuesday gross at $6.4 million, which would be the territory's 5th highest day in history.
Ecstatic Warner execs see that as a terrific omen as they prepare to launch the pic in 47 markets this weekend and the next, on 10,000 prints.
"We have huge expectations," said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, prexy of international theatrical distribution.
She declined to reveal her targets, but the studio will be hoping the third Hogwarts ! saga starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint will have enough momentum to j+oin its predecessors in the rarefied atmosphere of $600 million-plus internationally.
The first, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," grossed $656 million abroad, and "Chamber of Secrets" minted $615 million.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" has been slapped with higher age classifications than previous installments in Germany, where it merits an age 12 rating instead of 6. Pic also received a new age 9 tag in Holland, which also was 6.
Warner execs aren't concerned as they think the pic's darker tone will enhance its appeal to older auds.
The studio is estimated to have shelled out close to $80 million on the overseas P&A campaign for "Chamber of Secrets." International marketing prexy Sue Kroll wouldn't confirm numbers but acknowledged the distrib is spending a "comparable amount" on "Azkaban."
She said more TV spots this time are targeting adults and teens, and an adult-skewing! trailer has been playing with "Troy" and "Van Helsing."
Warners is mounting a bigger outdoor campaign, reflecting the summer launch as opposed to the last two films' winter dates.
Director Alfonso Cuaron, the producers and key cast attended the London preem Sunday, and Cuaron was on hand for the Rome launch Monday.
He's traveling to promote the pic in his native Mexico. Later this month there will be a junket in Japan, where the film debuts June 26.
Among the other markets where the fantasy isn't going out day-and-date are Oz (June 10), Spain (June 18) and South Korea (July 16).
Warners is awaiting a release date in China, where several Hollywood films have been bumped due to a seven-week blackout on imported product which starts June 19 (Daily Variety May 20).
Some U.S. execs believe Beijing imposed that no-go area due to the American mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners, while others believe it's in retaliation to recent remarks by U.S. officials concerning Taiwan.
The studio is hoping for an August slot, presumably after th! e bows of "Spider-Man 2" (Aug. 5) and "Shrek 2" (Aug. 12).
At this point of discussion I want to point out one thing:
I think it's shocking and a big shame that the passion of the christ made it into the alltime blockbuster list at the beginning of this thread.
A movie that was made by a wicked sect-freak which was released at a point where the relegions of the world are already at war with each other just because some more wicked and brainless sect-freaks of the muslim and christian world don't have anything better to do with their fucked-up life shouldn't get that much attention at all.
IMO everyone out there who made this piece of theatrical sh** occur on that list should feel deep shame for his action of watching this movie just because some dumbnutted news-announcer who earns his money by blazing some stupid hype made him do so.
There is a discussion of Mel's "Passion" in this section as well as in Religion and Politics (!).
Although you'll find many on this forum who agree that the movie is glossy looking mediocrity, I think you're ranting a bit too much. As far as box office worldwide, the film has really only been seen by about 15% of Christians (taking into account average ticket price, non-Christians and those who saw the film more than once -- gluttons for punishment IMO).
One can soon buy the DVD, cook up a bloody rare steak and view it in the privacy of their own home. Slurp. Drool.
Otherwise, welcome of A2K and the Film Forum, thehamster.
Yeah I agree with you. My posting was a little exaggerated in passion of myself.
As a little addition I would like to point out that I don't feel offended by the content of the movie (sure it's a stupid and boring piece of nonsense - as far as my friends told me..but hey there's plenty of that out there).
The thing that really makes me uncomfortable with this movie is the fact that it shows events that historically may have or may have not (most likely is that they have not) happened like that. And there are enough sick people out there who don't get the fact straight that this movie is based on a book that is a propagandistic fairy-tale itself.
There is a link within the thread on "Passion" to two historians and archaeologists who debunk the false depictions in the movie.
Ultimately, we have to be content in our own serenity and not be bothered too much by what people believe because we are powerless to change it.
I am suspicious of the timing even though Gibson has stated some negative things about Bush, for instance. There is an air of proselytizing in the film even if he didn't consciously intend it. The inaccuracies can be debated but there has been no debate trying to endorse the falsehoods in the movie other than falling back on "it's only a movie." The refuge of a scoundrel isn't just in patriotism, it's also in obfucation.
No I'm not talking about Christians being dumb because they believe in what they believe. I mean that's none of my business and honestly I don't really care about a person's faith - as long as every person does the same and keeps away from for example violence against others due to different belief.
What I'm talking about is that it's a very dangerous thing to deliver that kind of visualization of belief of millions of persons around the globe. I mean especially in times like these where most youngsters simply believe what the media tells them as long as they get it in spoon-feeded in brightly colorful and horribly hyped chunks.
Well sure it's just a movie and it didn't turn out to be of any matter at all, but still IMO it's a dangerous thing to play with masses of peoples' mind and belief.
Passion plays were virtually done away with by the Catholic church and Emmerich pushed into their historic background because historically they did promote violence against Jews. Emmerich who Mel based much of his movie on was virulently anti-Semitic.
Erm..what Emmerich-movie are you talkin about there?
I'm sorry, she's been brought up so many times in the writings about this film. She's an 18th Century Nun:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05406b.htm
Oh hehe you were talking about that Emmeric in the past tense...my bad
Well looks interesting to me, beacuse I didn't know Mel based much of his movie on that person.
I guess I gotta read through some of your posts in the other threads to catch up on this story.
Here's one posted by a hit-and-run member (got their tit caught in a wringer):
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22235
And yet another -- it's like spamming in order to counter the negative response to the film:
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19673
(They post a few times, can't take the heat in the kitchen and dissapear).
Okay, -- guys and gals. Will Harry squash the weekend record of "Shrek II?"
from CNN Money:
Potter to cast a more powerful spell?
Third movie based on J.K. Rowling's books is expected to open with a bang at the weekend box office.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - All aboard for the train to Hogwarts. Hollywood has cleared the tracks of major film debuts Friday to make way for the latest "Harry Potter" film and put it on an express route to a No. 1 finish at box offices.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the third film in the hugely successful series based on British author J.K. Rowling's children's books, hits U.S. theaters on Friday and most countries this weekend, after opening in Britain and France on Monday, marking a major global effort for Warner Bros., the studio unit of Time Warner Inc.
It follows two straight weeks of box office records for animated "Shrek 2" and disaster flick "The Day After Tomorrow," but film industry experts expect little fatigue from movie fans as this new "Potter" has received solid reviews.
BALANCE OF ARTICLE
I just read that the kids who play Harry, Hermione, and Ron are already in (pre?) production for the next film. I'd like them to stay as long as possible. I don't want to see other actors in their roles.
I'm pretty sure the producers of those movies are most likely to not take other actors on board for following movies - it's like that thing that says "never change a running system".
As for me I must say that I gave up watching those movies after my girlfriend had me watch the first one...those were some horribly long hours I can tell you.
The box office for the week is revealing:
WEEK BOX OFFICE FINAL
May 28 - Jun 3, 2004
Title (Distributor) Reported Weekly
Box Office Engagements
This Week Cumulative
1. Shrek 2 (DREAMWORK) $111,856,132 4,223 $276,591,486
2. The Day After Tomorrow (FOX) $100,609,179 3,425 $100,609,179
3. Troy (WB) $18,663,840 3,411 $113,312,607
4. Raising Helen (BV) $17,514,374 2,717 $17,514,374
5. Soul Plane (MGM/UA) $8,231,069 1,566 $8,231,069
6. Van Helsing (UNIV) $8,182,960 2,891 $112,161,295
7. Mean Girls (PAR) $7,953,425 2,618 $75,230,318
8. Man on Fire (FOX) $3,447,465 1,430 $74,329,556
9. Super Size Me (IDP) $1,832,817 197 $5,365,761
10. 13 Going On 30 (SONY) $1,792,299 1,164 $54,901,444
Can "Shrek II" put "The Passion of the Christ" into second place this year? That would be an ogre beating Jesus.
"Harry Potter" doesn't break any records but rules the weekend box office as expected. "Shrek" is well on its way to become one of the alltime box office hits and the biggest box office of the year. "The Day After Tomorrow" still hangs in there at almost 30M (final figures on Tuesday).
From Variety:
TOP STORY
'Potter' casts box office spell
If $187 mil estimate holds up, weekend will be best ever
By Gabriel Snyder
Setting a franchise best, Warner Bros.'"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" conjured up a $92.6 million opening at 3,855 theaters.
With strong showings by both "Shrek 2" and "The Day After Tomorrow," box office remained red-hot, with Nielsen EDI estimating an $187 million total. If that figure holds up after final weekend figures are released on Monday, it would mark the best 3-day weekend ever.
The previous "Potters," both bowing in November, opened at $90.3 million and $88.4 million. The third "Potter," which had a lengthy runtime of 2 hours and 22 minutes, is now the second best three-day opener of all time, trailing just "Spider-Man's" $114 million. Warners distrib prexy Dan Fellman said that while "Potter" played well in all quadrants, pic particularly improved over the last two wizard movies with teens. "We picked up strength in the 12-17 year old group, which had been good but not great for ! the previous film," he said.
"Potter's" teen appeal reflects both the durability of the franchise and its ability to hold onto the first wave of young fans "Potter" won with the first book in 1998 and the first film in 2001.
"These fans have grown older as the actors have, " Fellman said. "They've created a bond."
Helmed by Alfonso Cuaron, the latest "Potter" has been widely cited the darkest in tone and most mature pic in the series.
Despite the entry of "Potter" into the market, DreamWorks' "Shrek" held up especially well, raking in $37 million from 4,131 locations, a 49% drop over last weekend. That's a good hold considering that last weekend was a long weekend, inflating Sunday grosses, and that "Shrek" and "Potter" shared the same core family audience.
"Shrek's" cume now stands at a monstrous $313.6 million. It took the pic just 18 days of release to cross the $300 million, beating "Spider-Man," which reached that threshold in 22 days, and far outpacing last ! year's blockbuster toon"Finding Nemo," which needed 51 days to reach t hat mark.
Twentieth Century Fox's "Day After Tomorrow," declining on an arc more in line for a post-holiday weekend, dipped 59% to $28.2 million with the pic playing 3,444 locations. After setting the record last weekend as the biggest grosser at the No. 2 position, in its second week "Day" claimed the record for the best showing at No. 3.
The best 3-day weekend currently on record is the Dec. 26-28 frame last year, when box offices took in $186 million. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" led that holiday weekend with $50.6 million, and the market was boosted by four pics opening wide, including "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Cold Mountain."
