TRANSFORMERS: Teens in peril means Big Box Office |
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Summer of 2007's triumvirate of three-peats (SPIDERMAN 3, SHREK THE THIRD, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END) have opened, writing new pages in the motion picture history books - and setting new box office records.
Even before PIRATES premiered over the extended Memorial Day Weekend, the first two three-peats out of the box office's summer gate, SPIDEY and SHREK had amassed an unprecedented premature summer tally of $912 million worldwide. All that, and the kids are still in school. This looks to be the Mother of all Box office Summers.
By the time that I awakened (5:45 a.m.) on Tuesday, May 29, the reported worldwide gross of summer's three monster three-peats was in excess of one billion dollars. And, yes, the kids were still in school.
I was among the ticket buyers who pushed PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END to a worldwide extended holiday weekend gross of over $401 million. Though many critics dubbed AT WORLD'S END "convoluted and difficult to follow," it was my favorite of the three installments. I especially enjoyed the metaphysical themes interwoven into this PIRATES' tale and, of course, it was great fun watching Keith Richards camping it up as Jack Sparrow's Dad, who carried around Mum's shrunken head as if it were a lucky rabbit foot keychain.
PIRATES' 
Evan and The ALMIGHTY |
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huge 62% drop-off between its first and second weekends made pundits wonder if the picture will have a peg leg to stand on and a screen upon which to be projected by the time July 4 rolls around.
However, the powerful, early one-two-three punch of SPIDEY, SHREK and PIRATES leave scant doubt in anyone's mind that this is a monster summer.
Speaking to Match-Flickers here and there, I hear excitement building for a number of still-to-come summer releases. They include TRANSFORMERS from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg. Enthusiasm abounds for the return of Bruce Willis as John McClane in LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD. And then, GREASE fans are counting the days until they can see John Travolta singing and dancing again – this time as a frumpy housewife and mother – in the motion picture adaptation of the Broadway hit musical, HAIRSPRAY. And who among us isn't curious to see the next HARRY POTTER, this time with 20 minutes of 3D footage in IMAX theatres.
Speaking of HAIRSPRAY, I screened the DVD of the original for my mother recently. She enjoyed the flick enormously, expressing an avid interest in seeing the Travolta Broadway musical version. What makes her interest noteworthy is that Mom hasn't been to a movie theater since MEET THE PARENTS (2000). But the vision 
Latifah and Travolta shake tail feathers in HAIRSPRAY |
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of John Travolta and Queen Latifah singing and dancing motivates her to forsake the DVD player for the box office.
If the war in Iraq hasn't burned you out on senseless death and destruction, then you, like the teen I overheard at the movies, may say that you "can't wait to see" 'Earth caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between two races of robots' in TRANSFORMERS.
Speaking with a young restaurateur recently, I was struck by his excitement for the upcoming LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, and with his enthusiasm for the opportunity to again see Brue Willis in his signature role of John McClane.
And let's face it, the barely legal Daniel Radcliffe's stock with the ladies has soared since he appeared fully, frontally nude on the London stage in EQUUS. He may not be starkers as HARRY POTTER, but, at IMAX theaters, twenty minutes of him will be in 3D.
Regrettably, surprisingly, I haven't heard any real excitement buzzing around either FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER or NANCY DREW.
My box office gut tells me that EVAN ALMIGHTY will be this summer's surprise comedy hit a la THE WEDDING CRASHERS and THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN in bygone summers.
Whether my gut is right or wrong, fasten your seat belts, Match-Flickers, it's going to be a thrill ride July and August at the box office.
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| The Business of Show |
Every other Friday
Does advertising, public taste, or overindulged stars determine a movie's box office fate? Christoper Stone explores what's going on behind the box office.
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| Christopher Stone |
Christopher Stone is the author of the international best seller Re-Creating Your Self. With Mary Sheldon, he co-authored three highly successful hardcover books of guided meditations.
He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West.
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| Contact |
If you have a comment, question, or suggestion, you can send a message to Christopher Stone by clicking here.
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