*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.
I haven’t heard a single person say “Alice in Wonderland” is anything but awful yet here we stand at its third weekend atop the box office. The film added another $34.5 million to its staggering tally of $265.8 million and I don’t really know what to say about that. In 17 days it has already matched the totals of films like “Star Trek,” “Gladiator” and “Pearl Harbor.” Something is bringing people to this product in ridiculous numbers and barring a better explanation, Hollywood is assuming that it’s the 3D so get ready to see “Little Fockers” and “True Grit” in an extra dimension this Christmas. Hell, get ready to see Burger King commercials in 3D soon enough.
Second place goes to “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” which exceeded expectations with $21.8 million. I attribute this to the robust star power of Zachary Gordon and his monumentally popular voice work in “Santa Buddies.” Fox’s marketing managed to make the PG-rated flick look appealing to teenagers and some young adults without alienating kids and parents like “Drillbit Taylor” did so kudos to them.
“The Bounty Hunter” is a surprising third place finisher with $21.0 million. Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler are the epitome of modern movie stars where they have a number of big films under their belt and solid name recognition but can’t open just any old movie to big numbers. Luckily, their pairing here and Sony’s marketing muscle earned them just enough to stay on the B-list. Your move “Killers.”
The final new wide release, “Repo Men,” totally failed to make a mark, earning just $6.2 million. That was still enough to take fourth place but it will be a swift, painful exit from the top ten for Jude Law and quite frankly, any film with this as an official publicity still deserves no better.
Universal gets more bad news with the 58% drop for “Green Zone.” $6.0 million in week number two means that Greengrass’s war thriller will fail to even hit $35 million domestically. Even with the Iraq War as backdrop, it should’ve been able to top “United 93” and its $36.6 million and Matt Damon now has headlined three ambitious duds in a row. “Our Family Wedding” and “Remember Me” both also lost more than half of their audience, while “She’s Out of My League” held up more respectably with a 38% slide.
I had predicted that the expanding “The Ghost Writer” or the moderately wide debut of “The Runaways” might crack the top ten but neither turned out to be the case. Polanski’s thriller earned $2.1 million from 819 screens and is running out of steam as it opens outside of the metropolitan areas, while Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning playing dress-up in rock ‘n’ roll clothes earned a tepid $803,000 from 244 screens. It’s an unfortunate setback for Apparition, who looked to be finding their feet with “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” and “The Young Victoria” both crossing the $10 million mark.
Much more impressive was the $453,000 that “Hubble 3D” garnered on 39 screens and the $120,400 on three screens earned by “Greenberg.” That gives Noah Baumbach’s film the second best per theater average of 2010 behind “The Ghost Writer” and who knows how much bigger it would have been if Ben Stiller’s angst had been visible in three dimensions?
This week, aside from all the films I saw at South by Southwest, I returned to the multiplex to check out “The Runaways.” As a fan of both lead actresses and some of the music video work of director Floria Sigismondi, it was disappointing to discover that the film is a complete waste of time. Completely disposable in every way and not even fun in the meantime. Pity. What did you guys see?
Here are the weekend’s top domestic grossers, courtesy of Exhibitor Relations:
Comments
43 responses to “SUNDAY CENTS: Dear ‘Diary,’ Why wasn’t I in 3D?”
I didn’t think Alice was awful. It might not be especially good, but it’s not as bad as Pearl Harbor which also made giant buckets of cash. I have no explanation for its success though, beyond Depp + familiar source material + family audience appeal.
Christ on a bike, that’s a grim list.
I will be seeing “The Bounty Hunter” next week sometime. I make no apologies for this.
That new chart is painful on the eyes, Hartigan.
Alice in Wonderland was pure Burton film.. It was not awful.. Johnny Depp played the role of Mad Hatter with justice, and Helena Bonham-Carter was hilarious! Colleen Atwood’s costumes were the best thing about the film as well as Danny Elfman’s big musical score.. Not to mention the Art Direction by the art director of Avatar.. I prefer it than Avatar.. Really..
Guy, never blame studios for making films like “The Bounty Hunter”. You give them reasons :p
I dont think Damon has had 3 duds. No one in their right mind thought that the Informant was going to make a lot of money. Invictus wasnt really his movie and has grossed over 120million WW, which is pretty damn good. Green Zone is the only one that can actually be called a flop.
I quite enjoyed ‘Alice’, Chad. Saw it twice with 2 groups of people. Everyone liked it. And my friend Michele thought it was Burton’s best.
Chad, what “Repo Men” publicity still were you referring to?
Anyone seen “Greenberg?” I’ve heard some good things, and I like Noah Baumbach.
I have honestly not met one person who hated Alice… Most of the people either loved it or just enjoyed it and a few ppl thought it was bad cause it wasn’t faithful to the book… It also has over 50% on RT… May just be the slight Disney bias that I’ve noticed on this site
Whoops, forgot to add that photo link for Repo Men. It’s there now.
chad, the link doesn’t work; it’s to the exclusive site imdbpro.com
Alice was OK. I hated CATCF but this was watchable and even touching at times (thanks to Wasikowska`s sweetness).
So Runaways is another non-Twi movie with Twi actors that bit the dust. Twitards obviously don`t care for anything that isn`t Edward and more Edward but big question mark is whether non-Twis are avoiding anything to do with Twi actors like a plague? Even movies that get decent reviews? Backlash, anyone?
“I haven’t heard a single person say “Alice in Wonderland” is anything but awful …”
Um, so I guess you didn’t read any reviews of ALICE, because it is currently 64% positive at Movie Review Intelligence.
Also, I say ALICE isn’t awful. So, there, now you’ve “heard” that it isn’t awful.
I say Alice is awful. I actually wanted to walk out after that cringeworthy Mad Hatter dance.
Mind you, I haven’t walked out of a film since “Gothika”.
Surprising thread….I also haven’t heard a single person say they liked Alice. The most positive thing I’ve heard is a “meh” or two. I can’t believe there are so many people willing to defend what is basically a lazy, impersonal kids flick.
Damn that imdbpro. Rest assured, it’s a dumb still and I promise to never reference restricted material again.
And to answer some other notes, I don’t count internet chatter as being told. Nobody I actually know has said Alice in Wonderland is anything but awful. Obviously, there are people who exist that think otherwise or it wouldn’t be making a billion dollars.
I don’t think Alice was awful (I’d go with decent, as would most of the people I know personally who’ve seen it), and I also don’t think it was the 3D so much as the a) famous source material, b) well-liked star, and c) well-known director. Not to mention that the whole thing reads like a Hot Topic ad (I mean seriously, if they don’t already, they’re going to be selling those fingerless gloves Alice wore).
With or without 3D, Alice in Wonderland was always going to be making money; just look at that famous title! It’s just making more money than it would have because people see the 3D option and are like “hmm… it’s only a little bit more; might as well!” as opposed to the thought that people see movies FOR the 3D. I’d have happily seen Alice in 2D but the theater I went to only offered 3D. I consciously chose to see Avatar in 3D, but that’s because, well, it was sold as a 3D-must-see.
Well, the way I’ve put my feelings on Alice are more like “It was okay. Pretty to look at. Big Hot Topic ad. But it’s Burton, so no shocks to me.”
when is 2010 going to start to have some good movies? it has been off to a really slow start if you don’t count films that got a wide release this year that were already released limited last year. It is starting to get frustrating.
Michael, funny, for me, I’ve really loved Shutter Island, Ghost Writer, Alice in Wonderland, & A Prophet (came out here in Feb.).
For me, 4 good movies by late March is insanely good.
@Guy: I know you love Jennifer Aniston, but please don’t punish yourself like that.
Speaking English: In case you’re interested, I reviewed Greenberg last month:
http://incontention.com/?p=22631
Adam: If it helps, I won’t be paying for it!
@ JJ
I agree with you about Shutter Island and Ghost Writer definitely but not so much about Alice in Wonderland (to each their own of course) I still haven’t seen A Prophet b/c it hasn’t come out near me yet but I still equate that in my own mind as a 2009 film just b/c it got all of its acclaim last year (and nominated in the foreign film category for last year) even though it didn’t technically get a domestic release until this year. I am looking forward to it though.
I just wish the really good movies were spaced out more evenly throughout the year instead of just the last 3 months of the year (not including all the festivals). This year hasn’t really hit the ground running yet for me and I am kinda disappointed. Oh well, we still have over 9 months so I can’t get caught up in it too soon.
I completely agree. I feel like Feb and March have gotten a lot better in the past few years. Summer is always Summer blockbusters with the occassional ‘good’ film spinkled in. And then the last 3-4 months have the prestige films. I agree that they should me more spread out. 1 or 2 in January, a great 1 or 2 in April, etc..
I have to defend the Alice-haters here:
It WAS awful. fact.
I’ve talked to many people about it, almost everybody thought it was awful, with the exception of a huge Tim Burton fan who thought it was fantastic.
But that doesn’t count.
Alice in Wonderland was an AWFUL movie. Thank you, incontention guys, for mentioning this.
Good night.
As a major, major, major, major Tim Burton fan, I feel totally comfortable saying that Alice In Wonderland….
SUCKED ASS.
Kudos to Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska for saving it from being UTTERLY unwatchable. Also, the art direction was pretty good.
But it has to be one of the most pointless, plotless, mindless family movies I’ve ever seen.
“Alice in Wonderland” was rather disappointing, but in a totally expected way for me. Having already gone through the motions with “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, I was ready to watch Tim Burton and Johnny Depp murder yet another childhood favourite. Thankfully I don’t love Lewis Carroll nearly as much as Roald Dahl, so the pleasant surprises – Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen, the absolutely fantastic costuming – were far more enjoyable when they came.
I actually quite enjoyed Alice in Wonderland. I guess I just didn’t go in with any preconceptions of how it was going to turn out. I just had a lot of fun at the movies watching it.
“But it has to be one of the most pointless, plotless, mindless family movies I’ve ever seen.”
…that’s the point of Alice in Wonderland, to be pointless and plotless don’t you know anything about literature?
“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass” may be exercises in absurdism, but they are neither pointless nor plotless.
there are some films that work in 3D and others should definitly not be made in 3d
Oh for heaven’s sakes – the chesire cat in Alice is WONDERFUL – Depp’s line reading of “You’re either always too big or too small” is swoon-worthy – the head rolling all the way down the winding staircase is a real hoot! – the hare repeatedly throwing the tea cup in our faces is LOL – Bonham-Carter is a delight – the costumes are gorgeous – the visuals (especially in the initial garden in wonderland) are scrumptious – there’s always something to look at or listen to or wonder about – I mean, it’s got it’s faults but for really colorful magic and mayhem, it’s a delight. Your average film goer can’t see the film and not come away astonished and amused by at least something. Unfortunately that’s a lot more than most movies promise nowadays. I mean, really, we’ve just seen AVATAR become the biggest revenue maker in history and people are wondering how WONDERLAND can be so successful? It’s all smoke and mirrors and, at least in the case of Wonderland, humor too!
Chad,
Let me be one of the first people then to tell you Alice isn’t awful. I liked it a lot. Everyone I know who saw it loves it (and we’re talking about 20+ people) so maybe you need new friends?
Indeed, I traded in all my friends who didn’t like “Alice in Wonderland.” I still hate the movie, but at least I’m alone now.
Ah Guy, that’s so sad. Does that mean since I liked Alice we can now be friends (so long as I’m noble and forgiving and not hold the fact that you didn’t like it against you?)
I agree with everything billybil said. I mean, I feel like a loser for really liking Alice. I loved the characters, I loved the visuals, costumes, music, light surrealism, etc.. Wasn’t wild about portions of the story, nor did I think the special effects were ‘that’ great. But 115 or so critics gave it positive on RT. And I know nearly 10 people who really liked it, too. I just don’t understand the “awful” thing. Awful as in everything? Awful as in – as a whole? I know what awful is, and Alice wasn’t it. Was it up to Burton masterpiece status? Well, no. But not awful.
For leverage, I thought Alice was much better than Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Much.
Dear Diary,
Is it remotely possible for Chad not to be completely condescending and intolerable in his posts? My magic 8-Ball says no.
When all films that debut in the top 10 value story and expression above commercialism and formula, I’ll have nothing to be condescending about.
I must say I was excited about Alice in Wonderland when I saw the trailers (I love spectacle, I’m cheap that way) but the movie was completely preposterous. I’ve seen Burton’s fare and expected some kind of absurd material and it was facetious in Charlie and the Chocolate factory but here it was simply ridiculous.
I was wondering, jesus christ what was Tim Burton thinking. Me and my friends were laughing throughout the movie and in a bad way, it was so utterly juvenile, I wonder what is the audience for this movie. And to prove the point that only children can’t drive box office to such huge numbers, there was not a single child in my theater. When the lights went up, we all were looking at each other in an embarrassed sort of way at what we had just seen.
Oh but Danny Elfman’s score was glorious. I would be cheering him on to get some attention later in the year.
The Bounty Hunter was crap. I saw it in an earlier screening. I can’t believe some of you are such shameless fanistons and spreading her unfounded popularity due to her manipulations.
She is not like her image and it is demented what she managed to do with gossip and spin against true movie stars who are genuinely likable.
Epitome of movie stars…that is true but not in a good way. I am so happy it did not debut at #1, for both personal and artistic reasons.
It was already disgusting enough to see He’s Not that Into You, The Breakup, and etc be box office hits. For heaven’s sake, her appeal is completely manufactured and her persona is artificial. I can’t believe sheep bought into all of that garbage so deeply to be so blindly loyal. Even her fans are tired of wasting their dollars and time on her films. Your viewpoint on her is a delusion that is based on lies and misperceptions. As a movie fan, I could tolerate it if she was a great actress with great potential but she doesn’t have it.
Personal feelings aside, she is also a lousy actress and has continued to make one mediocre film after another. Quit plugging her B-grade vehicles because you love her phony image so much and because the media paints her as so wonderful when she isn’t. I thought you guys were cinemaphiles, show some cinematic integrity. Don’t promote drivel like The Bounty Hunter. Alice in Wonderland was no masterpiece but it was better than the new weekend releases which is why it continued its streak.
Alice in Wonderland was not that bad, I don’t have time to write a review. It wasn’t horrible enough for you guys to stage a bandwagon against it. My friends who saw Diary of Wimpy kid because they loved the books said it was awful and was devoid of anything that made the series so entertaining. Repo Men really tanked
and my friends who saw it, said they thought the critics were too harsh.
As for the current new releases, watch The Runaways. This might seem like a leap now, but Dakota Fanning might get nominated for awards.
I also loved the edgy original score, it would be awesome if that was nominated.
Overrated Depp’s movie’s usually turn out to be blockbusters. I can’t believe there will be a Pirates 4. He is a sell-out who also thrives on an image and persona. Unlike Aniston, he has talent and charisma. He doesn’t engage in underhanded tactics. This will be a big year for blockbusters. Wonderland will probably get nominations for Visual Effects, Costume Design, Makeup, Art Direction, and maybe Original Score, Song.
The Runaways was a standard bio-pic but I still think it has enough pros for it that it is worth watching. Mia W, might get a nomination for The Evening Sun, she is a promising new talent.
The Evening Sun has not had its theatrical release yet and Hal Holbrook also gives a fine performance.