*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.
The overwhelming demand to see an eclectic array of celebrities fall in love with as little character development as possible has led to “Valentine’s Day” both winning the weekend and posting the biggest President’s Day debut of all time, narrowly eclipsing “Ghost Rider.” $52.4 million is the gross, which should balloon to around $60 million including tomorrow, and you have your first $100 million earner of 2010 on the way. The timing couldn’t have worked out better, with Warner Bros. estimating today’s gross to be bigger than Friday or Saturday.
It was a fierce battle for second place between “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” and “The Wolfman.” The former took the edge with $31.1 million, while the hairier option earned $30.6 million. That’s a win for Chris Columbus, who was in desperate need of one after “I Love You Beth Cooper” and “Rent,” and the fantasy flick should have enough juice to flirt with the $100 million barrier.
“The Wolfman,” however, will likely have to settle for around $75 million and some solid overseas grosses. For a project as troubled as this was, Universal can’t complain. Believe it or not, that will make it the third biggest film Del Toro has ever been a part of after “Traffic” and “Sin City.”
“Avatar” dropped 4% to $22 million and now has $660 million in the bank and nine straight weeks of $20 million+ finishes. Again, only “Titanic” and “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” had bigger ninth weekends and Cameron’s film continues to keep itself in only the most elite company. For simplicity’s sake, I will now refer to “Avatar”’s grosses in the billions. So, can big James get to $0.8 billion domestic?
“Dear John” took a bigger hit than expected from the direct competition and fell 50% to $15.3 million. That still pushes it past $50 million in 10 days, but it suddenly doesn’t look quite as impressive as it did this time last week. “From Paris With Love” held more respectably with a 39% dip to $5 million, although that film is already a lost cause.
I didn’t see anything this week as nothing came close to looking exciting. 2010 is looking like a big disappointment since by this time last year I had already seen five films and three of them would end up on my top 20 of the year. Luckily, I’ve got South by Southwest to look forward to in four weeks and I counted at least 15 films I needed to see there.
What did you guys check out? Here are the weekend’s top domestic grossers, courtesy of Exhibitor Relations:
Comments
22 responses to “SUNDAY CENTS: Love glory”
Surprise !! “Valentine’s Day” was awful. Not even laughably bad, just horrendous. Anne Hathaway was the highlight. She outshined the rest of the big name cast ( not even Julia Roberts could touch her). The only truly charming & credible couple were Topher Grace & Ms. Hathaway. Their physical & comedic chemistry helped reduce some of the flaws of this film. Hopefully, because of the box office success of this film, top Hollywood producers would be motivated to find wonderful prestige projects for those two.
I’m rooting for Topher Grace because he showed so much promise in “Traffic” and “In Good Company”.
SP, I was thinking the same thing. Though he has one of the smaller roles, he really showed his chops in Traffic.
Dear John had a big demographic loss of course. I will not see Valentine’s Day. I won’t suffer through it and Del Toro was never a bankable star. He’s too good an actor simply. But isn’t this again proof of the trend that big stars don’t guarantee big box office anymore?
Also, anyone care to bet Valentine’s Day’s second weekend drop will be around 70-75%?
Jonathan- I don’t think so. As you said, Del Toro was never a big star. And big stars is exactly the reason why Valentine’s Day made as much as it did.
I am holding out hope for some goodness in Shutter Island, but 2010 has been pretty lackluster thus far. For shame, because I thought a combination of the Wolfman and Che would be good.
The Wolfman was the worst viewing experience I’ve had, outside of The Lovely Bones, within the last year. Watchmen and Men Who Stare at Goats give it a run for its money.
Hopefully Shutter Island will make a respectable impact.
I need to teach movie goers about choosing non-garbage films to watch in theaters. The reviews for Valentine’s Day were disappointing to the point of my deciding not to watch it. I hope it drops big time next weekend.
4-Glance again at the money Valentine’s Day made and say that last statement in your first paragraph w/a straight face.
I’m proud to announce I once again contributed to Avatar’s earnings this week. I enjoyed it just as much (if in a little different way) on a second screening, as I did the first time around.
If you don’t count the 2009 holdovers, this year really is starting out way too slow. Last year by this time we had already gotten to see Coraline, and nothing really looks that promising outside of Shutter Island in the near future. Come on 2010, pick up the pace!
“Believe it or not, that will make it the third biggest film Del Toro has ever been a part of after “Traffic” and “Sin City.””
What about Big Top Pee Wee and License to Kill?
“Believe it or not, that will make it the third biggest film Del Toro has ever been a part of after “Traffic” and “Sin City.””
What about “Big Top Pee Wee” and “License to Kill”?
Hardly Del Toro star vehicles but point taken. I worded the sentence poorly.
The only film I’ve seen this year is A Single Man(something that should’ve been out earlier).
I was looking forward to Shutter Island, but some asshole on Hollywood Elsewhere blew the ending.
Could there by a more calculating studio move than releasing a generic romantic comedy titled “Valentine’s Day” on Valentine’s Day weekend?
Valentine’s Day isn’t great, but it’s hardly shitty. There are real moments of brilliance, and there are face-palm moments of complete ineptitude, but as a whole it isn’t bad. And there are more good performances (Julia Roberts, Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway) than poor ones (TAYLOR SWIFT HAS THE DEADEST EYES I’VE SEEN).
No matter how bad the Wolfman is…and it’s really bad…it’ll always be better than Valentine’s Day (which, sorry to say Walter, is pure shite), and I’ll just take some manner of solace in that…as I had to see both this weekend with some hope for poor Larry Talbot.
Walter, I’d like to know what moments in “Valentine’s Day” you thought were brilliant. It was such a vapid, torturous experience I couldn’t imagine what scenes you are referring to.
It was basically a bunch of celebrities acting stupidly for two hours. It confuses embarrasment for humor and the result is just uncomfortable.
I’m with s.p., Kyle, and Chase K. here. I can’t imagine a worse film releasing in 2010 than “Valentine’s Day,” and it’s only February. Chase, you were SPOT. ON. with this statement: “It was such a vapid, torturous experience I couldn’t imagine what scenes you are referring to.” SPOT ON MY FRIEND.
Seriously. It was painful. One of the VERY few films I have given an F.
Well, obviously SPOILERS AHEAD, but…
-I liked the scene where Hector Elizondo learns of Shirley MacLaine’s affair. I thought that scene was believably acted, and his reaction was heartbreaking.
-The dialogue between Topher Grace and the waiter was hilarious. “I was just joking.” “I understand that, sir. I’ll come back when you’re serious.” I’d watch it again just for that moment.
-Maybe I’m just a sappy kind of guy, but when George Lopez tells Ashton Kutcher that he found true love by marrying his best friend…I smiled. I did. It was a touching moment, and one I find to be often true.
-Julia Roberts and Bradley Cooper had great chemistry – not the romantic kind, obviously, but they played off each other nicely. Her non-verbal reactions were great, especially that mostly silent last scene when she comes home to the “man” in her life.
-The scene with the little boy and the girl in his class at the end was believable. True, the kid seemed to become worse and worse as the movie progressed, but the moment itself rang true. Such an innocent age.
Maybe brilliant was not the right word, but I certainly enjoyed myself. Again, there were lots of moments that were ridiculously stupid, mostly due to lines that just beat small moments over the head. And Eric Dane is awful. But my girlfriend and I liked it, and everyone else in the theater seemed to like it, too. I wouldn’t buy it, but I would watch it if it came on TV.
Chad, Valentine’s Day could’ve had a cast of complete unknowns and people would’ve still come. And this is also star overkill. My point is that none of them seperately could make big bucks. The fact they’d need about 20 of them says it all doesn’t it?
Name one ensemble film with a cast of complete unknowns that ever made the top 10 at the box office.