Early Friday Numbers (The Lorax - 17.5M; Project X - 8.2M)

[Heretic]

Nothing short of incredible for The Lorax. Last year, it probably would've struggled for 40m. This year has been absolutely phenomenal, I really hope it continues. The potential for the Hunger Games at the moment is frankly quite scary if the BO continues this way...exciting times!

[darthdevidem01]

Simply astonishing for The Lorax2012 just keeps rolling!

[ecstasy]

I'm really surprised at that huge number for Lorax. $17.4m is just insane considering how animated films bitterly disappointed last year. With a $60m OW, this will end up with a larger total than Kung Fu Panda 2 and Cars 2.Fantastic.

Ah good to see you back in fold.

[Noctis]

Thanks!

[ecstasy]

How does John carter target all 4 quadrants? I'd say it's an Internet fanboys dream more then anything.

Definitely intended for family audiences. Good looking leads, Romance, Action, adorable side kick.I don't know about little bitty kids with the pg-13 rating but I for sure would say a family audience.

[Biggestgeekever]

A 50% increase would be the most shocking thing of 2012 yet. $26m Saturday? Not happening, IMO. Maybe a 35% increase.

Rango got a 70% increase on this same weekend. The more comparable Horton got a 40% increase, and looking at the increases that Friday, I'd led to believe kids on Spring Break held back that increase. The only hesitation I have with Lorax is because of how big the OD is, but I'd say a 50+% increase is far more likely than not.

[Noctis]

Rango got a 70% increase on this same weekend. The more comparable Horton got a 40% increase, and looking at the increases that Friday, I'd led to believe kids on Spring Break held back that increase. The only hesitation I have with Lorax is because of how big the OD is, but I'd say a 50+% increase is far more likely than not.

Exactly, the much larger than expected opening day is making me believe it won't have a 50% increase. It'll be more comparable to Horton, I think. 35% increase is still a big jump. That would give it a $23m Saturday and on its way to a $58m OW. But if it does hit 50%, $60m is absolutely assured.

[ecstasy]

Nothing short of incredible for The Lorax. Last year, it probably would've struggled for 40m. This year has been absolutely phenomenal, I really hope it continues. The potential for the Hunger Games at the moment is frankly quite scary if the BO continues this way...exciting times!

I predicted 55m for Lorax. Now that seems too low.

[junkshop36]

I'll be seeing The Lorax next weekend so I'll contribute to it, hopefully, excellent second weekend drop.

[ecstasy]

Lorax is probably having a gigantic day today. Can't wait to see thefinal numbers.

[fmpro]

Lorax is probably having a gigantic day today. Can't wait to see thefinal numbers.

Agree.. We could see the best single day of 2012 yet

[fmpro]

Fuck.. I just realised..Lorax's Friday was the biggest day of 2012 so far

[BK007]

I was talking OW, must have missed the part on first blockbuster opening of the year, for 2007 it was 300. Where did you get RtWW and Sucker Punch from?

I am also talking of OW. Regarding the first blockbuster of the year, it was obviously the Lorax. If John Carter was so big, it should've scared the Lorax away, but it didn't. If you don't consider animation as blockbusters, 300 was not at all demographically diversified either. I took Mountain because that was supposed to be Disney's strongest spring performer back in 09, but it failed, this also after March petered out at an incredible rate. With Sucker Punch, sure, it was niche, but it wanted to be a blockbuster and that's where I draw my comparison. John Carter wants to be a blockbuster, it currently isn't and that is of course a major difference. Basically, not everything IS a blockbuster. Disney wants it to be one, but it looks like a trainwreck right now. I'd love to be wrong, but the Lorax opening to 55m+ has nothing to do with John Carter's ability to open to an equivalent amount. It's like saying, if the Blind Side can make 200m+ then Brothers can too.

There's nothing wrong with what Neo said.

JC is the first big budget release of the year which targets all four quadrants. How is this comparable to Sucker Punch-a fanboy movie? The releases this year have targeted 1-2 potential target audiences. JC is supposedly for everybody, kids, male/female, adults who've read the books (there's some). The potential for JC to break out is big.....i mean it was big until they fucked up the marketing. i still hope...

It's the first big budget release, I counter with, so? No one gives two shits if a release is big budgeted. They see a movie if it's appealing. John Carter seems to have alienated sector after sector. It targets it, and tracking seems to say it has failed to interest anyone. But I'm missing, just like you were, my point. If anything, since the Lorax made $60m worth of ticket sales, it should hurt John Carter because a demographic has been satisfied, just like action junkies were with Act of Valor and women were with the Vow. Just because JC targets everyone, has a gigantic budget and wants to be a blockbuster doesn't mean it'll make any cash at all. The logic deficiency here is so wide, let's not cloud our judgment because we want John Carter to do well. In fact, with Lorax taking families, Jump Street taking teenagers and comic audiences, Hunger Games becoming a sort of phenomenon and Wrath stealing older men, WHO exactly is going to see John Carter? JC wants to be Avatar, but it's in March, seems to be overwhelmed by every other release because it's trying to appeal to everyone but succeeding in none, plus it also looks like an Avatar rip-off and then we've had the public see the re-release of Star Wars where that Wooga monster fellow thing fits right in.

In the end, we seem to agree, marketing fucked this movie over, or so it would seem right now, but Neo's logic and reasoning, well no he hasn't reasoned at all, is flawed, and I've said why. This is after all a forum so all opinions should be taken into account and I think lurkers and whoever else should know that that logic makes no sense. We don't want this to be a board of people who have no idea what is decent.

[Robertron]

That is incredible for The Lorax. I, too, am a little confused as to why the weekend figure isnt higher - it's a kids film, shouldn't it increase by at least 40% today?!I wouldn't be surprised if this opens to over $60m now.

[Robertron]

Just checked: Monsters Vs Aliens seems to be about where it'll land, but probably 1-2m higher.It opened to 16.8m, then increased 45% on Saturday - The Lorax seems to appear to even younger kids so I really don't see why it can't pull off an even higher increase.$59.3m is the number to beat, and I think it will.

[kayumanggi]

What is it about John Carter that gets people upset about low predictions. I have never seen this reaction for any other film. What am I missing? People make absurd predictions all the time and then they're clowned when they're wrong. What is it I'm missing?

Maybe people are tired of terrible films making money and good films disappointing.

[ecstasy]

Maybe people are tired of terrible films making money and good films disappointing.

Is that how you feel?

[RichWS]

A 45% Saturday jump and 30% Sunday drop would equal $60.3 million. It's going to be close.

[kayumanggi]

Is that how you feel?

Sometimes.

[Robertron]

A 45% Saturday jump and 30% Sunday drop would equal $60.3 million. It's going to be close.

If that were a club, I'd be in!