Moviegoers Flock to "Noah" while Schwarzenegger Bombs This Weekend - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 03-30-2014, 08:47 PM

Weekend Report: Moviegoers Climb Aboard Noah’s Ark
by Ray Subers
March 30, 2014

Paramount's prayers were answered this weekend, as Darren Anonofsky's controversial Biblical epic Noah opened in first place with a mighty $44 million.

Meanwhile, Sabotage's debut was the worst for star Arnold Schwarzenegger in nearly three decades.

Noah's $44 million debut ranks fourth so far this year behind 300: Rise of An Empire ($45 million). It's a significant improvement over star Russell Crowe's Robin Hood — in fact, it's the highest debut ever for Crowe in leading role.

Noah has also already earned more than director Aronofsky's first four movies combined.

Months ago, word began circulating that Noah deviated significantly from the Old Testament story upon which it's based. This raised the question of whether or not Christian audiences would show up to see a "Hollywood" version of one of the most well-known stories ever.

One doesn't have to be a regular churchgoer to be aware of and have some interest in the story of Noah, though, and the action and disaster elements of the movie also helped broaden its appeal. The controversy probably didn't hurt, either: controversy creates conversation, which in turn raises awareness.

Noah's audience was split evenly between men and women, and skewed older (74 percent above 25 years of age). IMAX accounted for $6.2 million (14 percent), which suggests that moviegoers were interested in seeing this epic tale on the biggest screen possible.

Noah received a "C" CinemaScore, which is probably a result of Paramount keeping the stranger fantasy elements out of the marketing campaign. This doesn't necessarily mean the movie is going to fall off quickly: The Wolf of Wall Street is a recent example of a controversial movie that bombed with CinemaScore but held well.

At this point, it's safe to say that Noah will earn at least $110 million total.

In its second weekend, Divergent fell 52 percent to $26.5 million. In comparison, The Hunger Games dropped 62 percent at the same point.

The young-adult adaptation has now grossed over $95 million.

Muppets Most Wanted eased 33 percent to $11.4 million. That's actually a better second weekend than 2011's The Muppets ($11.1 million), which opened quite a bit higher.

So far, Muppets Most Wanted has stolen away with $33.2 million.

DreamWorks Animation's Mr. Peabody & Sherman dipped 20 percent to $9.5 million.

To date, it has earned $94.9 million, and will pass $100 million next weekend.

Faith-based movie God's Not Dead added 398 theaters and held even with an estimated $9.1 million.

Through 10 days, the surprise hit has earned $22 million.

Expanding nationwide to 977 theaters, The Grand Budapest Hotel grossed $8.8 million. That's the highest weekend ever for director Wes Anderson, beating the nationwide expansion of The Royal Tenenbaums ($8.5 million).

Budapest has already taken in $24.4 million, and will be adding more locations next weekend.

In seventh place, Sabotage tanked with $5.3 million. That's lower than last year's The Last Stand ($6.3 million) — in fact, it's the worst debut for an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie since Red Sonja in 1985.

Add in last October's Escape Plan ($9.9 million, with help from Sylvester Stallone) and Schwarzenegger's return to leading man status has been embarrassing to say the least.

At this point, it's pretty clear that moviegoers don't want to see "The Governator" in action movie mode anymore.

Playing at 664 locations, Cesar Chavez opened to $3 million this weekend. While that's a fine number, it does seem like this movie should have done a bit better: Chavez is a major figure in the Hispanic community, who make up 32 percent of frequent moviegoers in the U.S.

The movie could receive a boost on Monday (Cesar Chavez Day), though it's still going to be a modest earner.

In its nationwide expansion, comedy Bad Words earned a weak $2.6 million.

Moviegoers just don't seem interested in Jason Bateman's directorial debut, which will have a tough time reaching $10 million total.

At seven locations, The Raid 2 scored $177,000 this weekend. That translates to a solid $25,286 per-theater average.

The Indonesian action sequel will expand nationwide over the next two or three weeks.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3808&p=.htm

March 28-30, 2014 Weekend Studio Estimates:

1. Noah $44,000,000
2. Divergent $26,500,000 / $95,260,000
3. Muppets Most Wanted $11,373,000 / $33,210,000
4. Mr. Peabody & Sherman $9,500,000 / $94,909,000
5. God's Not Dead $9,075,000 / $22,028,000
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel $8,825,000 / $24,457,000
7. Sabotage $5,330,000
8. Need for Speed $4,335,000 / $37,753,000
9. 300: Rise of An Empire $4,300,000 / $101,145,000
10. Non-Stop $4,087,000 / $85,167,000

isiahthomas · 03-31-2014, 01:15 PM

Who cares that Sabotage and The Last Stand didn't make a lot of money. That doesn't mean that the movies suck. Those are good movies. I could care less if action movies don't make a lot of money anymore. I will continue to support Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham's movies because action movies are my favorite. I saw Sabotage yesterday and i liked it even though there wasn't a lot of action. The ending was a surprise.

MrCleveland · 03-31-2014, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isiahthomas

Who cares that Sabotage and The Last Stand didn't make a lot of money. That doesn't mean that the movies suck. Those are good movies. I could care less if action movies don't make a lot of money anymore. I will continue to support Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham's movies because action movies are my favorite. I saw Sabotage yesterday and i liked it even though there wasn't a lot of action. The ending was a surprise.

Truthfully...

...some of the best films ever were actually flops in the movie theaters!

"Citizen Kane", "It's a Wonderful Life", and "Wizard of OZ" just to name a few didn't do well until after they were out of theaters!

Vahan · 03-31-2014, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrCleveland

Truthfully...

...some of the best films ever were actually flops in the movie theaters!

"Citizen Kane", "It's a Wonderful Life", and "Wizard of OZ" just to name a few didn't do well until after they were out of theaters!

And don't forget Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which even changed studios from Paramount Pictures to Warner Bros. Pictures.

irehtman · 03-31-2014, 05:43 PM

What if Mel Gibson and Jean Claude Van Damme end up in a future movie as a team or not?

Torgo · 03-31-2014, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrCleveland

Truthfully...

...some of the best films ever were actually flops in the movie theaters!

"Citizen Kane", "It's a Wonderful Life", and "Wizard of OZ" just to name a few didn't do well until after they were out of theaters!

Good point, A Christmas Story also didn't do well in the theaters.

MacLeaper · 04-01-2014, 05:45 PM

Yeah- and don't forget "Ishtar" and "Howard the Duck".

MacLeaper · 04-01-2014, 05:47 PM

I'm glad "Noah" and "God's Not Dead" are both doing well. I just hope that people watching "Noah" will compare the movie to what The Bible actually says in Genesis 6-9, because the movie is vastly different from The Bible's account in some fundamental areas.
However, if it gets people interested in The Bible and in reading it for themselves and learning more about God, I'm definitely all for that.

03-30-2014, 08:47 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,127	Moviegoers Flock to "Noah" while Schwarzenegger Bombs This Weekend *Weekend Report: Moviegoers Climb Aboard Noah’s* Ark** by Ray Subers March 30, 2014 Paramount's prayers were answered this weekend, as Darren Anonofsky's controversial Biblical epic Noah opened in first place with a mighty $44 million. Meanwhile, Sabotage's debut was the worst for star Arnold Schwarzenegger in nearly three decades. Noah's $44 million debut ranks fourth so far this year behind 300: Rise of An Empire ($45 million). It's a significant improvement over star Russell Crowe's Robin Hood — in fact, it's the highest debut ever for Crowe in leading role. Noah has also already earned more than director Aronofsky's first four movies combined. Months ago, word began circulating that Noah deviated significantly from the Old Testament story upon which it's based. This raised the question of whether or not Christian audiences would show up to see a "Hollywood" version of one of the most well-known stories ever. One doesn't have to be a regular churchgoer to be aware of and have some interest in the story of Noah, though, and the action and disaster elements of the movie also helped broaden its appeal. The controversy probably didn't hurt, either: controversy creates conversation, which in turn raises awareness. Noah's audience was split evenly between men and women, and skewed older (74 percent above 25 years of age). IMAX accounted for $6.2 million (14 percent), which suggests that moviegoers were interested in seeing this epic tale on the biggest screen possible. Noah received a "C" CinemaScore, which is probably a result of Paramount keeping the stranger fantasy elements out of the marketing campaign. This doesn't necessarily mean the movie is going to fall off quickly: The Wolf of Wall Street is a recent example of a controversial movie that bombed with CinemaScore but held well. At this point, it's safe to say that Noah will earn at least $110 million total. In its second weekend, Divergent fell 52 percent to $26.5 million. In comparison, The Hunger Games dropped 62 percent at the same point. The young-adult adaptation has now grossed over $95 million. Muppets Most Wanted eased 33 percent to $11.4 million. That's actually a better second weekend than 2011's The Muppets ($11.1 million), which opened quite a bit higher. So far, Muppets Most Wanted has stolen away with $33.2 million. DreamWorks Animation's Mr. Peabody & Sherman dipped 20 percent to $9.5 million. To date, it has earned $94.9 million, and will pass $100 million next weekend. Faith-based movie God's Not Dead added 398 theaters and held even with an estimated $9.1 million. Through 10 days, the surprise hit has earned $22 million. Expanding nationwide to 977 theaters, The Grand Budapest Hotel grossed $8.8 million. That's the highest weekend ever for director Wes Anderson, beating the nationwide expansion of The Royal Tenenbaums ($8.5 million). Budapest has already taken in $24.4 million, and will be adding more locations next weekend. In seventh place, Sabotage tanked with $5.3 million. That's lower than last year's The Last Stand ($6.3 million) — in fact, it's the worst debut for an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie since Red Sonja in 1985. Add in last October's Escape Plan ($9.9 million, with help from Sylvester Stallone) and Schwarzenegger's return to leading man status has been embarrassing to say the least. At this point, it's pretty clear that moviegoers don't want to see "The Governator" in action movie mode anymore. Playing at 664 locations, Cesar Chavez opened to $3 million this weekend. While that's a fine number, it does seem like this movie should have done a bit better: Chavez is a major figure in the Hispanic community, who make up 32 percent of frequent moviegoers in the U.S. The movie could receive a boost on Monday (Cesar Chavez Day), though it's still going to be a modest earner. In its nationwide expansion, comedy Bad Words earned a weak $2.6 million. Moviegoers just don't seem interested in Jason Bateman's directorial debut, which will have a tough time reaching $10 million total. At seven locations, The Raid 2 scored $177,000 this weekend. That translates to a solid $25,286 per-theater average. The Indonesian action sequel will expand nationwide over the next two or three weeks. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3808&p=.htm March 28-30, 2014 Weekend Studio Estimates: 1. Noah $44,000,000 2. Divergent $26,500,000 / $95,260,000 3. Muppets Most Wanted $11,373,000 / $33,210,000 4. Mr. Peabody & Sherman $9,500,000 / $94,909,000 5. God's Not Dead $9,075,000 / $22,028,000 6. The Grand Budapest Hotel $8,825,000 / $24,457,000 7. Sabotage $5,330,000 8. Need for Speed $4,335,000 / $37,753,000 9. 300: Rise of An Empire $4,300,000 / $101,145,000 10. Non-Stop $4,087,000 / $85,167,000

04-01-2014, 05:45 PM	#7
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,359	Yeah- and don't forget "Ishtar" and "Howard the Duck".
	__________________ "Oh boy!" - Dr. Sam Beckett "You can do anything you wanna do if you put your mind to it." - MacGyver "Have mercy!" - Uncle Jesse "Ha, I kill me!" - ALF "I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No man comes to The Father but by Me."- Jesus Christ (John 14:6)

03-31-2014, 01:15 PM	#2
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	Who cares that Sabotage and The Last Stand didn't make a lot of money. That doesn't mean that the movies suck. Those are good movies. I could care less if action movies don't make a lot of money anymore. I will continue to support Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham's movies because action movies are my favorite. I saw Sabotage yesterday and i liked it even though there wasn't a lot of action. The ending was a surprise.

03-31-2014, 05:43 PM	#5
irehtman Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 15, 2013 Location: Montgomery County, Maryland Posts: 4,826	What if Mel Gibson and Jean Claude Van Damme end up in a future movie as a team or not?

04-01-2014, 05:47 PM	#8
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,359	I'm glad "Noah" and "God's Not Dead" are both doing well. I just hope that people watching "Noah" will compare the movie to what The Bible actually says in Genesis 6-9, because the movie is vastly different from The Bible's account in some fundamental areas. However, if it gets people interested in The Bible and in reading it for themselves and learning more about God, I'm definitely all for that.