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'Captain America' Beats 'Harry Potter' At The Box Office

Posted 7/25/11 11:46 am EST by in Box Office

Chris EvansFROM MTV MOVIES: Captain America has beaten back the Red Skull, HYRDA, Nazis and various nefarious forces before, and now the shield-slinging star-spangled hero has conquered the box office, as well.

"Captain America: The First Avenger" debuted with an estimated $65.8 million over the weekend to become the #1 movie in North America, according to studio estimates. With Chris Evans in the title role and Hugo Weaving as his arch-nemesis, the Red Skull, the Marvel movie was the latest chapter in a series of films that began with "Iron Man" and will lead up to next year's "The Avengers."

Cap's debut bested that of his fellow Avenger "Thor" (which opened with $65.7 million) as well as the debuts of previous 2011 superhero movies "Green Lantern" and "X-Men: First Class." Only 40 percent of the Cap audience chose to see it in 3-D versus the 60 percent who saw "Thor" that way back in May.

Meanwhile the latest "Harry Potter" — which broke several records on its opening weekend — suffered a huge decline during its second weekend of release. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" took in $48 million (for a $274.1 million total), which was a 72 percent second-weekend fall, much steeper than that of "The Dark Knight," "Spider-Man 3" and the third "Pirates of the Caribbean."

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'Harry Potter' Box Office: Looking At The 'Deathly Hallows' Numbers

Posted 7/19/11 10:25 am EST by in Box Office

Harry PotterFROM MTV MOVIES: There was little doubt that when the "Harry Potter" franchise finally came to a close after a decade-long presence at the multiplex, it would do so in epically lucrative fashion. But only when "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" actually began lighting up screens last Thursday at midnight did the true extent of its box-office power become clear: The film raked in a record $43.5 million at those early screenings and ended up shattering the three-day opening record of "The Dark Knight."

"While I assumed it would have the best 'Harry Potter' debut of all time, I wasn't quite sold on the fact that it could eclipse the 'Dark Knight' record, as none of the previous films, although highly successful, have ever approached that staggering number, despite having one of the most rabid fanbases filmdom has ever seen," said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. "This was monumental, as it seems everyone wanted to be a part of the discussion, everyone wanted to say goodbye to dear friends, and everyone wanted to experience the magic on the big screen one more time."

But not everyone wanted that magical experience in 3-D. While "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" benefited from the largest 3-D launch ever, according to Box Office Mojo, a majority of ticket buyers choose 2-D screenings, with just 43 percent of its total gross coming from 3-D screenings ("Transformers: Dark of the Moon," by comparison, earned 60 percent of its opening gross from 3-D showings). So, although "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" opening marks the second-biggest 3-D opening after "Alice in Wonderland," the last "Potter" film wasn't a 3-D must-see — it was a pop-culture must-see.

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'Harry Potter' Shatters Box Office Records

Posted 7/18/11 12:50 pm EST by in Box Office

Harry PotterFROM MTV MOVIES: With the swift decisiveness of a magic wand, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" vanquished several box-office records over the weekend. The final and best-reviewed entry in the Potter franchise now holds the record for biggest first day and biggest opening weekend (both domestically and across the world) and helped push the franchise past the $2 billion mark.

The eighth "Harry Potter" movie took in $92.1 million in North America on Friday and went on to earn a weekend total of $168.5 million, according to studio estimates. The new "Potter" film's box-office gross topped those of previous record holders like "The Dark Knight" and "Spider-Man 3," although it trailed them in attendance. "Deathly Hallows Part 2" ranked sixth overall when it comes to number of tickets sold.

Over 3100 locations offered the film in 3-D (the largest 3-D rollout ever) but only 43 percent of audiences chose to see the film that way, offering another example of moviegoers' 3-D fatigue.

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'Transformers,' 'Horrible Bosses' Rule The Box Office

Posted 7/11/11 10:28 am EST by in Box Office

TransformersFROM MTV MOVIES: "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" fended off competition from both an R-rated comedy and a family-friendly film as the third entry in the giant robot franchise maintained the #1 position at the box office with an estimated $47 million during its second weekend in theaters.

"Transformers" passed "The Hangover II" to become the highest-grossing film of 2011 thus far with its 12-day domestic haul of $261 million and crossed the half-billion dollar mark worldwide.

"Horrible Bosses" wasn't able to dethrone Michael Bay's CGI heavy explosion-fest but it does bear the distinction of being the only film in the top five with mostly favorable reviews from critics. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day star in the black comedy, which opened at #2 with $28.1 million.

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'Transformers': What You Could Buy With 'Dark Of The Moon's Box Office Results

Posted 7/5/11 2:13 pm EST by in Box Office, Humor

TransformersAmidst fireworks, barbeques, and a whole lot of celebrating America, it looks like a heck of a lot of you made it out to your nearest theater this Fourth of July weekend and watched "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." The final weekend box office tally is $97.5 million, not counting its full total since opening last Tuesday. That's a hefty chunk of change, as is the trend with the "Transformers" franchise.

It also got us thinking... what else could your "Transformers"-loving heart buy with that kind of cash? With the help of our highly capable research and analysis department (aka our rusty math skills), we've unearthed a whole bunch of merchandise in disguise that you wouldn't even dream of buying unless you had, say, an extra $97.5 million to blow.

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'Transformers' Shatters Box Office Records

Posted 7/5/11 10:45 am EST by in Box Office

TransformersFROM MTV MOVIES: There's no hiding the success of the "robots in disguise" franchise: "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" enjoyed the highest-grossing Fourth of July film debut ever over the weekend. Summer sequel mania was in full swing over the Independence Day holiday as the latest "Transformers" movie took in an estimated $97.5 million. "Transformers" beat the 2011 opening-weekend record previously set by "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which just crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide.

Director Michael Bay's third installment in the "Transformers" series took in more than $180 million during its six-day opening, which started with Tuesday night previews. While it beat the Independence Day record held by "Spider-Man 2" thanks to inflation and 3-D screenings, it fell short of the superhero sequel in terms of overall attendance and far behind the last "Transformers" opening as well. Only 38 percent of major critics found the film favorable, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

Last weekend's big sequel, "Cars 2," suffered from the largest second-week drop in Pixar's history. The talking-car-centered animated kid flick fell 60 percent to #2 with an estimated $26.2 million, with an 11-day total of $123 million. Cameron Diaz's "Bad Teacher" was #3 on the box-office chart with $14.5 million for an 11-day total of $59.9 million.

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'Super 8' Box Office: The Secrets Behind J.J. Abrams' Latest Success Story

Posted 6/14/11 10:28 am EST by in Box Office

Super 8FROM MTV MOVIES: As well as anyone, J.J. Abrams knew the challenges facing "Super 8" this summer. It's not a sequel or based on an existing property; it doesn't feature any major stars; its central conceit had to remain largely mysterious, and its release date plopped the flick in a crowded field of superheroes, robots and wizards.

"We're a complete anomaly in a summer of huge films," the director told the Los Angeles Times, "and we don't want to be so silent or coy that people don't care or don't hear about it."

As the film's June 10 release date neared, it seemed people might not have heard about "Super 8," nor cared to check it out if they had: Box-office tracking was said to be weak, with a possible opening weekend as low as $25 million. But as reviews continued to be strong, and Paramount staged over 300 Twitter-sponsored screenings at midnight on the Thursday before release, the tide seemed to be turning.

And it did. "Super 8" grossed $37 million domestically. That put the alien-invasion film roughly in line with one alien invasion film based on an original idea and starring lesser-known talent (2009's "District 9") but slightly below another (2008's "Cloverfield"). Yet what separates "Super 8" from these other movies is the talent behind the camera: Abrams in the director's chair and Steven Spielberg taking on a producer role for a film that is an undeniable homage to films like "E.T." With those names leading the charge, expectations were high as soon as the project was announced in May 2010. And now opinions among industry experts seem to be split. Is $37 million for "Super 8" a success or a disappointment — or somewhere in between?

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'Super 8' Is Number One At The Weekend Box Office

Posted 6/13/11 10:43 am EST by in Box Office

Super 8FROM MTV MOVIES: "Super 8" took the #1 spot at the box office over the weekend. The film's $37 million opening isn't on par with recent summer blockbusters, but it did beat studio expectations, according to reports. And "Super 8" bears the distinction of being the only non-sequel in the weekend's top five.

The "Super 8" marketing campaign employed many of the tactics used to promote 2008's "Cloverfield," which was produced by "Super 8" writer/ director J.J. Abrams. The movie stars a cast of relative unknowns and features a plot that was largely kept hidden in the trailers. Abrams devised "Super 8" as something of an homage to the work of Steven Spielberg, who served as producer.

Reviews have been largely positive. "For all its obvious touches of Spielbergia, 'Super 8' feels a whole lot like 'The Iron Giant' meets 'Stand by Me,' " wrote FEARnet's Scott Weinberg.

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'The Hangover Part II' Shatters Records At The Memorial Day Weekend Box Office

Posted 5/31/11 10:31 am EST by in Box Office

The Hangover Part IIFROM MTV MOVIES: Two years ago, "The Hangover" writer/director Todd Phillips told MTV News: "I love 'The Hangover' so much and I think we could crush it with the sequel." In terms of ticket sales, at least, he was right.

"The Hangover Part II" crushed a box-office record over the weekend, grossing $86 million from Friday-to-Sunday, the biggest opening ever for a live-action comedy. Thanks to the Memorial Day holiday and a Thursday debut, the buddy sequel (which swaps Las Vegas for Thailand) has already made $117 million. "The Hangover" opened with $45 million in 2009. "Part II" stands just behind "The Matrix Reloaded" on the list of R-rated openings.

Another sequel, "Kung Fu Panda 2," was the #2 movie at the box office, according to studio estimates. Featuring the voice of Jack Black in the title role, the animated kids' flick debuted with $47.8 million over the four-day weekend. The movie's 3-D screenings accounted for about 45 percent of its business. The film's opening weekend total was less than that of the first film, despite many positive reviews. "The Hangover Part II," by comparison, was a flop with critics.

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'Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Sets International Box Office Ablaze

Posted 5/23/11 12:01 pm EST by in Box Office

Pirates of the CaribbeanFROM MTV MOVIES: Pirate Jack Sparrow's latest box-office booty was something of a mixed bag.

Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," featuring Johnny Depp's return to the unconventional sea captain role that added blockbuster power to his already formidable artistic credibility, broke international box-office records and enjoyed the highest opening of the year in America over the weekend, though it fell short of the franchise's previous two sequels both critically and commercially.

The first "Pirates of the Caribbean" flick, 2003's "The Curse of the Black Pearl," was a hit with critics, but each of its three sequels has been met with increasing disdain. "On Stranger Tides" has hit a franchise low, with just 34 percent of critics approving of the picture, according to movie-review site Rotten Tomatoes.

The new "Pirates" movie's $90.1 million domestic take (which includes an extra boost from higher-priced 3D showings) was much less than the respective $115 million and $135 million openings of the previous sequels, though the film's $256.3 million international bounty overtook that of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which set the previous overseas all-time box-office record in 2009.

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