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a.s.
Valinor
Dec 17 2007, 12:01pm
Post #1 of 18
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"Legend" opening beats "ROTK"
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Not sure if this goes in Main, OT, or Movie, (admins feel free to move if necessary) but:
Legend in record US chart debut Sci-fi thriller I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, has scored a record opening at the North American box office chart. The film, which sees Smith as the last man on Earth, brought in $76.5m (£37.9m) in its first three days. It is the best December opening of all time, beating the $72.6m (£36m) start for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in 2003.
anyone seen it yet? a.s.
"an seileachan"
Forgiveness means giving up all hope of a better past.
~~~Landrum Bolling
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deej
Tol Eressea
Dec 17 2007, 12:56pm
Post #2 of 18
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'Legend' might beat 'RotK' money-wise
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...but in 50 years I think we all know which film people will still be watching. 
Sincerely, deej - The Artist Formerly Known as djdeathskiss
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priell3
Lorien
Dec 17 2007, 1:15pm
Post #3 of 18
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...have ticket prices risen since ROTK was released?
Did more people pay to see Legend or did they just pay MORE to see Legend?
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fmaximus
Rivendell
Dec 17 2007, 1:33pm
Post #4 of 18
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Definately surprise movie of the year.
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Both Legend and Alvin and the Chipmunks are doing very well opening weekend. Legend may have beat ROTK opening record, but when it's said and done, I somehow doubt it will make the 1 billion world wide mark that ROTK took in.
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GaladrielTX
Tol Eressea
Dec 17 2007, 1:36pm
Post #5 of 18
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Oh, great. And I know some of the people responsible.
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My company doesn't do Christmas parties. Instead, my department and my sister department opted to have a nice restaurant lunch followed by a movie this past Friday afternoon. The majority of my coworkers voted to see I Am Legend so we all had to go. (In a similar vein - har, har - last year they voted for Apocalypto. Nothing says "the holidays" like blood squirting rhythmically from some guy's head.)
Well, I did my part. I voted for The Golden Compass. Instead, there I was, watching zombies. *sigh*
~~~~~~~~
Formerly known as GaladrielTX
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fmaximus
Rivendell
Dec 17 2007, 1:41pm
Post #6 of 18
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will surely fall when the Hobbit comes into theaters in a couple of years.
That's assuming they release it in December with PJ on board.
(This post was edited by fmaximus on Dec 17 2007, 1:43pm)
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deej
Tol Eressea
Dec 17 2007, 3:14pm
Post #7 of 18
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It's not the best movie i've seen this year, but it was a good 'popcorn' movie and had some very creepy moments.
That doesn't mean I will be joining any 'I am Legend' fansites in the near future. 
Sincerely, deej - The Artist Formerly Known as djdeathskiss
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Patty
Immortal
Dec 17 2007, 5:10pm
Post #8 of 18
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what will it's final B.O. take be? I doubt seriously it will top RotK in final worldwide B.O, Does Will Smith have as big a following on the worldwide stage? Much as I like him, I doubt that is case.
For Gondor!
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Patty
Immortal
Dec 17 2007, 5:13pm
Post #10 of 18
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I also doubt it will have the repeat business...
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but I hope it does well. I like Will Smith a lot.
For Gondor!
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BuckyUnderbelly
Lorien
Dec 17 2007, 10:09pm
Post #11 of 18
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The thing about box office records (even the ones we've held so near and dear here at TORn) is that they're all built on something of a lie. Studios have fought tooth and nail for many years to prevent the industry from using a more fair comparison of a movie's popularity ... namely ... the total number of tickets sold. Not the total amount of money generated. We're talking the actual number of people who went to see the movie.
Why have they fought so hard against that? Well, because studios love to be able to crow in their ads that their movie has just broken this record or that record. It makes them seem more impressive.
But if such comparisons were based solely on a movie's actual popularity ... i.e. number of physical butts in seats ... then nobody would ever be able to break any records. Because there's just no way any modern film is ever going to top Gone With The Wind ... a film that pulled in nearly $200,000,000 ... in 1939! (And you can double that when you include international business.)
Sure, Titanic gets all the praise for being the all-time box office champ, but even that monster can't touch Gone With The Wind in terms of number of tickets sold.
Box Office Mojo allows you to rank movies by adjusted dollars (for inflation) and GWTW easily bests second place Star Wars. (http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm) But that chart doesn't tell the whole story either. It just compares the grosses dollar for dollar. It doesn't take into account the fact that movie ticket prices changed radically over time.
Back in 1939, movie tickets sold for about the same as a pack of gum. And gum was pretty cheap back then! We're talking pennies per ticket. So the math becomes truly staggering!
"In Hollywood the screenplay is a fire hydrant. And there's a line of dogs around the block." -- Frank Miller
(This post was edited by BuckyUnderbelly on Dec 17 2007, 10:11pm)
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BuckyUnderbelly
Lorien
Dec 17 2007, 10:16pm
Post #12 of 18
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... We should always keep in mind that just because a movie is popular ... that doesn't necessarily mean it's good. Sometimes those two things cross paths, but not always. (Heck, Independence Day hauled in a supertanker full of cash and that movie is ... well ... more than a little stinky!)
So even in the unlikely event that I Am Legend breaks all of LOTR's records ... so what? We all know which movie is better.
Great point, deej ... which movie will people still be watching 50 years from now? I think we all know the answer to that!
"In Hollywood the screenplay is a fire hydrant. And there's a line of dogs around the block." -- Frank Miller
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Patty
Immortal
Dec 18 2007, 4:20am
Post #13 of 18
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Another big point that doesn't often get made is...
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that since the advent of DVD, many people don't go back to see a movie over and over in the theater, cause they know they've only to wait 3 or 4 months at most and they can OWN it. That's what makes ROTK's and later Pirates' boxoffice so impressive. The other movies made those amounts while staying in theaters for many more months, playing to people for whom the theater was the last chance to see the movie until it finally came to TV. RoTK's boxoffice, therefore, is an indicator of LOVE.
For Gondor!
(This post was edited by Patty on Dec 18 2007, 4:21am)
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tiamy
Rivendell
Dec 18 2007, 4:57am
Post #14 of 18
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LOVE is the reason why I watch it several times in theaters 4 years ago. I grabbed the opportunity while it's still there on the big screen even though I'm short of money to spend. I'm afraid it will take so many years for me to see it again on the big screen.
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BuckyUnderbelly
Lorien
Dec 18 2007, 5:07am
Post #15 of 18
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You're so right about that, Patty! While I love all my DVDs ... I surely miss having the opportunity to watch these films on the big screen! They way they deserve to be seen!
I SO wish a theater in my area (NJ/NYC) would host an EE trilogy screening!
"In Hollywood the screenplay is a fire hydrant. And there's a line of dogs around the block." -- Frank Miller
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Sunflower
Valinor
Dec 18 2007, 8:58am
Post #16 of 18
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All I can think of, Galadriel, is the "red hot chili peppers" scene in the beginning of the film. In the village, I mean. You know what I'm talking about? Mel Gibson's DVD commentary track over this was priceless. Esp b/c I didn't, um, completely get the full joke at first....:)
Thanks for giving that inflation dollars link Bucky. I was going to suggest that.
Also keep in mind that if today's films were kept in theaters for something longer than 4-6 weeks (AHEM) they'd make more money. All the Star Wars films were in theaters for a year in their maiden runs. Titanic made $500 million in its first 3 months and then after March Paramount/Warner's did something unheard of: they kept the film in theaters until the summer of '98. That's where the last record-setting $100 million came from.
(This post was edited by Sunflower on Dec 18 2007, 9:02am)
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Patty
Immortal
Dec 18 2007, 10:25pm
Post #17 of 18
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Yes, but I believe DVD has put a stop to that...
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I think that even if GWTW were released today it would be on DVD in no time, and wouldn't be nearly the b.o. success it was in theaters. DVD is a true force, I tell ya.
For Gondor!
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Dec 18 2007, 11:19pm
Post #18 of 18
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On the other hand, movies today open much wider...
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than was the case back when. Gone With the Wind wasn't playing on thousands of screens at once. Even Star Wars and E.T. played on far fewer screens than the LotR films.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
We're discussing The Lord of the Rings in the Reading Room, Oct. 15, 2007 - Mar. 22, 2009!
Join us Dec. 17-23 for "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony".
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