Image Credit: Francois Duhamel
On a scale of 10, Super 8 pretty much scored an eight by collecting $12.2 million on Friday, according to early estimates. (It also grossed $1 million on Thursday from Twitter-publicized screenings at 324 theaters.) The sci-fi adventure, directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, was never expected to leave the train station with huge numbers, with industry insiders predicting a $30 million opening. But Super 8 is now on track for a debut of about $34 million. The PG-13 movie will likely fall a bit short of the opening gross of the 2008 Abrams-produced monster flick Cloverfield, which gobbled up $40.1 million its first weekend. But for a $50 million film starring a mostly no-name cast, this is still a solid start.
The big question remains how Super 8 will hold up in the weeks to come. Cloverfield, which similarly featured a creature that the advertising campaign chose to keep secret, dropped 68 percent its second weekend. Will the well-reviewed Super 8 follow suit once its mysteries have been revealed? Worth noting is the fact that, according to Paramount, 71 percent of the film’s audience was at least 25 years old. That may suggest that older moviegoers are in sync with the movie’s Spielbergian nostalgia — the story’s set in a small Ohio town during 1979 and follows a group of filmmaking kids — while younger moviegoers are taking a wait-and-see approach.
In second place, X-Men: First Class fell a somewhat alarming 65 percent for $7.6 million. The mutant action film is on pace for a $25 million weekend, which would give it a two-week total of about $99 million. By comparison, the prior four X-Men movies had accumulated an average of $138 million by their second weekends. The Hangover Part II dropped 46 percent for $5.7 million, while Kung Fu Panda 2 slipped only 28 percent for $4.6 million. In fifth, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides plundered $3.1 million. Both Pirates and Hangover Part II crossed the $200 million mark on Friday.
The week’s other new release, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, debuted in seventh place with $2.2 million on Friday. The PG-rated children’s film, which is based on a popular book series but received unflattering reviews, will finish the weekend with about $6 million. And Woody Allen’s comedy Midnight in Paris, which expanded nationwide to 944 theaters, grossed $1.6 million on Friday. Check back here on Sunday for the complete box office report.
1. Super 8 — $12.2 mil
2. X-Men: First Class — $7.6 mil
3. The Hangover Part II — $5.7 mil
4. Kung Fu Panda 2 — $4.6 mil
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides — $3.1 mil
Box office preview: Super 8 will win, but by how much?
Yeah, sorry to say but I think people are just tired of the X-Men.
America loves good movies.
wasnt EW predicting a $40mil debut for this?! EW sure has bias. just like its bias for Beyonsh*t who can’t seem to do no wrong in EW’s glazed eyes!! boooo!!!
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Doesn’t it almost cost as much to make these movies as they earn?
America loves well made movies with an intellectual story.
Definitely eliminates Super 8 then. . .
America does not love crap.
Is that your catchaphrase??????!!!
WTF is a “catchaphrase?”
America has great taste in movies.
America sure knows how to choose great movies.
America can definitely distinguish a bad movie from a good one, and this weekend they proved it.
America, once again, is the leader in quality movies.
America pays good money to see admirable movies.
America loves to watch sterling films.
And I am retarded.
Well, it was no Fast Five, but it’s a decent enough movie. If only Vin Diesel had been in it, they could have doubled their weekend take. Studios need to learn that America will come in droves to quality films like Fast Five, and if a movie has Vin Diesel’s buttocks in it, that’s just gravy.
It’s too bad too because X-Men: First Class is the best X-Men movie in the franchise.
Thats so sad if true. The movie was mediocre.
I think the 3rd one turned people off. Hopefully, they’ll give this one a shot. It’s the best of them all!!! So good!
That really blows that “X-Men First Class” is underperforming. It’s not as big as “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which was over 80%, but it’s disappointing.
I meant the drop was not as big as “Wolverine.”
It really is a shame. But I hope FOX goes ahead with a sequel because First Class was truly the best X-Men movie. I hope all the cast comes back with the same director.
Agreed. It’s my favorite “X-Men” movie yet (even more so than “X2″), so I would be disappointed if this somehow killed the franchise.
X-Men first class is an awesome film. I hate when people/articles/whoever, deem a film which has made nearly 100 million in two weeks a “failure” because it didn’t make more. Spin is just so stupid.
So agree, I just posted my hate with this article spinning that XMen is a failure. Here’s the facts again:
Xmen dropped 64.5% to be exact from last Friday, by comparison, Thor dropped 64% the next Friday, Hangover 69%, Pirates 68%. The estimate drop for XMen First Class this weekend is 55%, not bad at all. Stop compairing First Stand to the totals of its predecessors, because its given, they had a good start, they had a big opening. We are talking about legs now. The Last Stand dropped 67% the second week, Wolverine 69%. While the better films from the series, Part 2 dropped 53%, part 1 dropped 57%; therefore First Class with a drop of 55%, is in par with these two; and its good news. IT HAS LEGS.
It may have legs ,but it also have scurvy
^^^ hey smart one. Your legs have nothing to do with scurvy, that disease mostly affects your mouth- You know sailors and pirates were notorious for scurvy; also lack of Vitamin C. Until the sailors brought limes on board, being the only fruit that didn’t spoil. Then the sailors became known as ” Limeys”
IT HAS LEGS: Midget legs, that is. Watch it grow smaller be the week.
The problem with movies like X-Men First Class, Super 8 and Kung Fu Panda 2 is that they’re actually good movies.
If they were lazy and terrible, like Hangover 2 or On Stranger Tides, they would have made fortunes.
Amen brother!
You said Kung Fu Panda is a good movie. Your opinion doesn’t matter.
Ahh I really hoped Xmen would have strong legs. I admit I was wrong:(
I’m seeing Super 8 tonight! Although $12 million on an opening day is pretty solid, it’s such a shame that terrible sequels such as The Hangover 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean 4 make triple this on their opening day. I feel bad for people that wasted money on those two movies. Then again, a lot of moviegoers don’t like to use their brains when watching a movie, which is why they pay to see these lackluster films. Why else do you think movies with sparkling vampires or Adam Sandler acting like a child make millions of dollars? I’m happy to say that I’ve spent my money on two hilarious comedies, which were Bridesmaids and Midnight in Paris. X-Men: First Class wasn’t bad either. It was definately one of the better prequels out there. I’m glad that POTC4 and The Hangover 2 are sinking like rocks. I remember after the first Hangover came out, people were buzzing about it for several weeks. In the case of it’s sequel, it seems like it left everyone’s radar after its first weekend, and it deserved to. Hopefully, people have finally realized how stupid that movie was. Take this into consideration: I’m a 20-year-old male who decided to see Midnight in Paris rather than The Hangover 2. What does that tell you?
The Hangover 2 is sinking like rocks? Thats because its been out for almost a month. All movies eventually trend downards. Hangover 2 made over $200 million. People have the right to spend their money however they choose. Snob
It has only been out for two weeks, and people were still talking about the original at that point in its release. The sequel was front-loaded while the first one had legs. Domestically, the sequel clearly won’t make as much as the first one, which I’m happy about. So hopefully, there won’t be a third; but unfortunately, I think there will be. I guess people don’t care for quality in their films anymore when they line up to see the exact same movie they saw two years ago. How sad.
Don’t call him a snob! It’s not his fault most people are smarter than you.
Yay! I’m a guy who always goes for quality! This makes me superior to everyone else in the moviegoing public! Yay! Goodness, enough already.
Super 8 is a fantastic movie it deserves to be no.1 so as Kung fu Panda 2,Pirates 4 & X men. I loved these three movies
I hope X-Men gets a sequel, it deserves one
I can’t help but wish we had gotten Star Trek 2 instead of Super 8. I’m not saying Super 8 is bad but I just don’t have any interest in seeing it
Nina… you do know that Star Trek 2 is coming, right?
Nina… you only want to see sequels?
Nina… you are an idiot.
Nina is exactly what is wrong with today’s moviegoer.
Yes. I enjoy watching sequels to great movies. If that makes me an idiot then I don’t care. Also, are you sure it is coming? It doesn’t seem to be coming any time soon with rumors of it’s release date being pushed back.
Super 8 showed the potential of 1) good story telling and 2) special effects. Not a movie for airheads and whammabammers.
Just because it has those two elements does not mean it will appeal to the general audience nor does it guarantee that one will still find a movie enjoyable.
I think this box-office writer is so anti Xmen. Xmen dropped 64.5% to be exact from last Friday, by comparison, Thor dropped 64% the next Friday, Hangver 69%, Pirates 68%. The estimate drop for XMen this weekend is 55%, not bad at all. Stop compairing First Stand to the totals of its predecessors, because its given, they had a good start, they had a big opening. We are talking about legs now. The Last Stand dropped 67% the second week, Wolverine 69%. While the better films from the series, Part 2 dropped 53%, part 1 dropped 57%; therefore they are in par with these two; and its good news. IT HAS LEGS.
I think its “legs” will be cut out from under it next weekend when “Green Lantern” opens.
i thought x-men was really good.
I loved Super 8
It was a late period Steven Spielberg movie basically just directed by J.J. Abrams. The first half is extraordinary with a lot of promise. The second half is a let-down when it slips into a muddled concoction of Close Encounters / E.T. and the remake of War of The Worlds. I was a little disappointed, but I’m glad I saw it.
“The Tree of Life” is the true movie of the summer. Absolutely phenomenal filmmaking.
Just wish they would release it somewhere for more people to enjoy it. . .