You know, normally when I sit down to discuss the weekend's box office returns with you, I try to come up with some angle, story, or take on the figures that you won't find anywhere else. For the most part, that won't be the case today, because everyone who keeps even half an eye on these figures is talking about 300 and its extraordinary returns this weekend.
Just to get the boring old numbers out of the way, 300 opened with $70 million dollars this weekend from 3100 theatres for a $22k per screen average.
Additionally, of course, a major new director has announced himself, and graphic novelist Frank Miller (on whose book the film is based) will now be giving Spiderman a run for his money as the hottest cinematic comic book property in the world.
Just to put 300's numbers in perspective, it set a record for the biggest March opening in history (beating out the family-friendly kid pic Ice Age: The Meltdown by about $2 million). It is the third highest opening for an R-rated pic in history (behind only The Matrix Reloaded and The Passion of the Christ), and generated more revenue on its 62 IMAX screens than any movie in history.
Now certainly, that's a story all by itself. But what will be more interesting to me is the fallout from this. Budgeted at just $65 million, the profit margins on the film are sure to generate a slew of CGI-heavy sword-and-sandal pics the way Gladiator did, even though they almost certainly won't reach 300-type numbers (piggy-backing on someone else's success rarely pays off, as the moviegasm faithful well know).
But more importantly, director Zach Snyder has suddenly leapt into the category of A-list directors, and I'm fairly certain that's a good thing. He was basically an unknown before being handed the daunting task of remaking Romero's Dawn of the Dead a few years ago, and damn if he didn't rise to the challenge. He and equally talented screenwriter James Gunn (check out his under appreciated directorial debut Slither for a gory, fun time) chose to toss Romero's sledgehammer satire of consumerism out the window, and instead made a giddy, violent roller coaster ride with a style and exuberance all its own. I saw it in the theatres twice in one weekend, and new instantly that Snyder had a profound sense of what appeals to audiences about the 'zombie apocalypse' genre. And, of course, it was very profitable.
Still, sophomore efforts frequently fail to live up to the promise of directorial debuts. And a film based on a Frank Miller graphic novel, CGI'd up the way Robert Rodriguez's Sin City was but without that film's amazing cast or neo-noir feel seemed like a long shot. Apparently, it paid off handsomely. Warner Bros. should be commended for their marketing campaign; they cut a great trailer, a series of well-designed posters, and overcame the challenge of convincing audiences to turn out for a movie with basically no stars. Personally, I'm hoping this propels not just Snyder and Miller, but also Dominic West of HBO's The Wire to some better work. And we'll have to see what Snyder does with his new found artistic freedom (after this, he can basically do whatever he wants, which is not always a food thing; just ask M. Night Shyamalan), and what work of Miller's is optioned, especially after Sin City 2 comes out. The artistic fallout from financial success like this is always fascinating to watch.
The artistic fallout from Wild Hogs continued success, however, will not be very interesting. Even against 300's success, Hogs managed to hold up very well, falling just 29% to $28 million, maintaining an impressive $8.5k average and bringing its total to $77.4 million. A quick note to John, Martin, and Tim: you've been given a second chance with this movie's success. Don't screw it up.
Bridge to Terabithia finally fulfilled my prediction of overtaking Ghost Rider, slipping 22% to $6.8 million and raising its total to $67 million. I continue to hear nothing but good things about this movie. Not so for Rider, though, which was down 41% to $6.7 million and a $104 million total. I'd say it's on the bubble for sequel potential (overseas box office stands at $61 million), and the greenlight will probably hinder on Nicholas Cage's interest in doing another one. Maybe he's tired of the critical drumming he's taking for GR, but it's equally possible he thinks they can get it right with a second picture. Here's hoping, but don't hold your breath.