Crowds Hear 'Horton' Hauling In $45 Million - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

comedyfreak · 03-16-2008, 04:04 PM

Horton hears a hit. Family audiences boosted 20th Century Fox's animated tale "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" to a $45.1 million debut, the best opening so far this year, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Featuring the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell in an adaptation of the beloved storybook about an elephant defending a microscopic community from destruction, "Horton Hears a Who" is the latest computer-animated film from Blue Sky Studios, the outfit behind the "Ice Age" flicks.

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the Warner Bros. action yarn "10,000 B.C.," slipped to second place with $16.4 million, raising its 10-day total to $61.2 million.

Summit Entertainment's "Never Back Down," about a troubled youth who finds purpose in the sport of mixed martial arts fighting, opened in third place with $8.6 million.

The weekend's other new wide release, Rogue Pictures' horror thriller "Doomsday," premiered at No. 7 with $4.7 million. The movie follows a team of specialists trying to find a cure for a ravaging epidemic that has forced the quarantine of Scotland.

"Horton Hears a Who" topped the $40.1 million opening in January for "Cloverfield," which previously was the year's No. 1 debut.

"It's a 'who-mongous' opening, and it's playing to all Whos two to 92," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Chris Aronson. "If you can't do an ode to Dr. Seuss with an opening like this, come on."

The new movie was the fourth-best opening ever in March. With the two "Ice Age" movies, "Horton" and "Robots," Blue Sky Studios now has four of the top six March debuts of all time.

"They should rename March 'Blue Sky month,'" said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

"Horton" landed in between the debut weekends of two other big-screen Seuss adaptations, 2000's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with $55.1 million and 2003's "The Cat in the Hat" with $38.3 million.

With solid reviews for "Horton," Fox is counting on strong business through Easter next Sunday and beyond, as many students are out of school, Aronson said.

Hollywood's revenues rose for the first time after four straight weekends of declining business. Overall receipts came in at $127 million, up 8.5 percent from the same weekend last year, according to Media By Numbers.

Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.)
This Wk Last Wk Title Dist. Weekend Gross Cumulative
Gross Rlse
Wks # of
Theaters
1 - Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who 20th Century Fox Distribution $45,100,000 $45,100,000 1 3954
2 1 10,000 B.C. Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $16,415,000 $61,219,000 2 3410
3 - Never Back Down Summit Entertainment, LLC $8,610,000 $8,610,000 1 2729
4 2 College Road Trip Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $7,893,000 $24,286,000 2 2706
5 3 Vantage Point Sony Pictures Releasing $5,400,000 $59,200,000 4 2761
6 4 The Bank Job Lionsgate $4,910,000 $13,113,000 2 1613
7 - Doomsday Universal Pictures Distribution $4,743,000 $4,743,000 1 1936
8 5 Semi-Pro New Line Cinema $3,000,000 $29,846,000 3 2270
9 7 The Other Boleyn Girl Sony Pictures Releasing, Focus Features $2,900,000 $19,171,000 3 1212
10 6 The Spiderwick Chronicles Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies $2,390,000 $65,430,000 5 2407
11 8 Jumper 20th Century Fox Distribution $2,135,000 $75,767,000 5 1605
12 11 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Focus Features $1,950,000 $5,309,000 2 539

Dean Winchester · 03-17-2008, 06:44 PM

hopefully the media will stop lamenting over Jim Carrey's "downfall" now. Downfall according to what? The Number 23 flopped, but his serious movies have never been commercially successful outside of Truman Show (Man In The Moon and Eternal Sunshine are now cult hits, but neither were blockbusters), just like Adam Sandler's serious movies have never been as successful as his comedy work. The last comedy Jim made before this was "Fun With Dick And Jane" and that did over 100 million.

comedyfreak · 03-17-2008, 07:11 PM

I haven't seen Horton yet, but I'd like to I seen Never Back Down instead. It was predictable and sort of corny, but the fight scenes were good.

03-16-2008, 04:04 PM	#1
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	Crowds Hear 'Horton' Hauling In $45 Million Horton hears a hit. Family audiences boosted 20th Century Fox's animated tale "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" to a $45.1 million debut, the best opening so far this year, according to studio estimates Sunday. Featuring the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell in an adaptation of the beloved storybook about an elephant defending a microscopic community from destruction, "Horton Hears a Who" is the latest computer-animated film from Blue Sky Studios, the outfit behind the "Ice Age" flicks. The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the Warner Bros. action yarn "10,000 B.C.," slipped to second place with $16.4 million, raising its 10-day total to $61.2 million. Summit Entertainment's "Never Back Down," about a troubled youth who finds purpose in the sport of mixed martial arts fighting, opened in third place with $8.6 million. The weekend's other new wide release, Rogue Pictures' horror thriller "Doomsday," premiered at No. 7 with $4.7 million. The movie follows a team of specialists trying to find a cure for a ravaging epidemic that has forced the quarantine of Scotland. "Horton Hears a Who" topped the $40.1 million opening in January for "Cloverfield," which previously was the year's No. 1 debut. "It's a 'who-mongous' opening, and it's playing to all Whos two to 92," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Chris Aronson. "If you can't do an ode to Dr. Seuss with an opening like this, come on." The new movie was the fourth-best opening ever in March. With the two "Ice Age" movies, "Horton" and "Robots," Blue Sky Studios now has four of the top six March debuts of all time. "They should rename March 'Blue Sky month,'" said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "Horton" landed in between the debut weekends of two other big-screen Seuss adaptations, 2000's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with $55.1 million and 2003's "The Cat in the Hat" with $38.3 million. With solid reviews for "Horton," Fox is counting on strong business through Easter next Sunday and beyond, as many students are out of school, Aronson said. Hollywood's revenues rose for the first time after four straight weekends of declining business. Overall receipts came in at $127 million, up 8.5 percent from the same weekend last year, according to Media By Numbers. Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.) This Wk Last Wk Title Dist. Weekend Gross Cumulative Gross Rlse Wks # of Theaters 1 - Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who 20th Century Fox Distribution $45,100,000 $45,100,000 1 3954 2 1 10,000 B.C. Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $16,415,000 $61,219,000 2 3410 3 - Never Back Down Summit Entertainment, LLC $8,610,000 $8,610,000 1 2729 4 2 College Road Trip Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $7,893,000 $24,286,000 2 2706 5 3 Vantage Point Sony Pictures Releasing $5,400,000 $59,200,000 4 2761 6 4 The Bank Job Lionsgate $4,910,000 $13,113,000 2 1613 7 - Doomsday Universal Pictures Distribution $4,743,000 $4,743,000 1 1936 8 5 Semi-Pro New Line Cinema $3,000,000 $29,846,000 3 2270 9 7 The Other Boleyn Girl Sony Pictures Releasing, Focus Features $2,900,000 $19,171,000 3 1212 10 6 The Spiderwick Chronicles Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies $2,390,000 $65,430,000 5 2407 11 8 Jumper 20th Century Fox Distribution $2,135,000 $75,767,000 5 1605 12 11 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Focus Features $1,950,000 $5,309,000 2 539
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03-17-2008, 06:44 PM	#2
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	hopefully the media will stop lamenting over Jim Carrey's "downfall" now. Downfall according to what? The Number 23 flopped, but his serious movies have never been commercially successful outside of Truman Show (Man In The Moon and Eternal Sunshine are now cult hits, but neither were blockbusters), just like Adam Sandler's serious movies have never been as successful as his comedy work. The last comedy Jim made before this was "Fun With Dick And Jane" and that did over 100 million.

03-17-2008, 07:11 PM	#3
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	I haven't seen Horton yet, but I'd like to I seen Never Back Down instead. It was predictable and sort of corny, but the fight scenes were good.