One thing that really worries me about 2005 is despite those great BIG movies which we are all anticipating, the lineup is quite thin.....it's lacking depth like 2004......

About CGI dominating 2005, i've got a feeling there might be some form of backlash......and with so many animated flicks out there, competition will be quite fierce and many of them will be overshadowed by more established players such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Batman....etc.....at least that's what i'm hoping anyway...

WOTW is shaky at best and i wouldn't be too surprised if it was delayed.....though Spielberg as read in so many articles tend to finish his pics quite quickly.....so who knows what happens.......but one things for sure, it will not face Fantastic Four......one of them has to move, they would be crazy not to......

Regarding supposed bad legs for Shrek 2 in U.K., Arch and Box, you two must be smoking crack.

Take out the previews, the total is 89-10 = $79 mil. for the total gross and 19.3 mil for the opening weekend. Shrek 2 had a multiplier over 4 even taking out the previews and a huge opening. This movie made $60 mil. after the first weekend that only fifteen movies have made in their entire run in UK. Get a grip on reality guys.

No Spidey until 2007

I think Fantastic Four should open the season first weekend of May. It's the only way it will have a decent opening. The film is doomed to failure; terrible casting choices and too many films that appeal to the same audience. I like Jessica Alba, but she is not Sue Storm.

Hitchhiker just got the openinhg slot. I honestly, don't know what to think of May 2005. It looks like a repeat of 2004 almost: A big 'sequel', an animated CGI, an epic starring Oralndo Bloom.


I know what you mean with there being no depth to the 2005 line-up. We've had 3 $370m+ films this year, and 4 over a 1year period starting Dec. 2003. I just don't see that happening next year.

For one, 2005 will start without a LOTR film anchoring it. Unless two $190m films come out of Dec. 2004 that can give Jan/Feb a boost, I dont see 2005 holding its own.

Then we have Feb/March/April. At least smaller 3-5 hits are needed to make up for The Passion. And Mean Girls was pretty successful too...

May 2005, SW3 I hope will add $350m, but matching Shrek 2's $441m is just so...difficult. And how much could Kingdom of Heaven pull in without Brad Pitt and Bana? If Alexander and Arhutr are any indication, it'll be a sub-$100m film...


June could give the year some kind of boost, but again, June 2004 started with Harry and ended with Spidey, and I see now July or August film matching SM2's $373m.

The only good month I can see is December 2005.

But hey, maybe there's another Passion waiting around the corner

But that's not what we are on about here......and i think Box will agree with me.....

We are talking about its gross in relation to the other Biggies around.....and the major Pixar movies who have had great legs.....

It's quite easy to grasp that Shrek 2's gross is insane and that any movie would die to have 1/2 of its gross......

However, Shrek 2 did self destruct towards the end with some big drops above 50%........and regular 40% drops scattered here and there.......normal animated pics in Uk do not drop that harshly, at least not in the first half of there run.

I'm certain there will be some big surprises next year. Maybe not as big as TPoTC, but certainly something big.

Ya, it had steeper drops from a bigger opening. Other animated films have held off much better in subsequent weekends. The first few weekends are especially important. Compare:

Wknd 1 Shrek 2 - Monsters Inc. Finding Nemo
Wknd 2 Shrek 2 -56.00% Monsters Inc. -37.64% Finding Nemo -19.09%
Wknd 3 Shrek 2 -52.00% Monsters Inc. -26.56% Finding Nemo -33.69%
Wknd 4 Shrek 2 -41.00% Monsters Inc. Finding Nemo -12.63%
Wknd 5 Shrek 2 -52.00% Monsters Inc. -36.24% Finding Nemo -51.73%
Wknd 6 Shrek 2 -36.00% Monsters Inc. -54.79% Finding Nemo -27.05%
Wknd 7 Shrek 2 -21.00% Monsters Inc. -28.80% Finding Nemo -32.08%
Wknd 8 Shrek 2 -27.00% Monsters Inc. -37.93% Finding Nemo -38.64%
Wknd 9 Shrek 2 -23.00% Monsters Inc. -3.00% Finding Nemo -61.73%
Wknd 10 Shrek 2 -71.00% Monsters Inc. -61.00% Finding Nemo -39.50%
Wknd 11 Shrek 2 -14.00% Monsters Inc. -45.00% Finding Nemo -62.00%
Wknd 12 Shrek 2 -24.00% Monsters Inc. -4.00% Finding Nemo -46.40%
Wknd 13 Shrek 2 -14.00% Monsters Inc. Finding Nemo +27.61%

Those are some steep drops. It had better legs domestically it looks like.

Ya, its first 3 weekends were brutal. In fact, even though it was millions and millions ahead of Nemo 1st weekend, Nemo ended up having bigger weekends after wknd 3:

Shrek 2 / Finding Nemo

$29,591,472 / $12,285,354
$12,933,493 / $9,939,819
$6,260,813 / $6,590,946
$3,756,249 / $5,758,654
$1,794,868 / $2,779,871
$1,163,274 / $2,027,869
$922,923 / $1,377,287
$676,728 / $845,170


So yes, it's legs were not as good as for other CGIs.

The first week drop is really 33% w/o previews.

I wonder if Fantastic Four might go the way of The Hulk....it does have some life in it though and could have better legs....Jessia Alba does lot hot in that costume,

The best date for it would be early May as you said and kick Hitchhiker to another date.....Van Helsing didn't do that badly with the slot and it could benefit from no competition......the good thing is that it is on schedule......and has more options compared to War of the Worlds.....

Kingdom Heaven might struggle to find traction in May, and after the string of dissapointments.....we have overdosed on epics.......this should be delayed. The only thing promosing about this is that it has Ridley Scott.....but that being said, Alexander did have Oliver stone and look what happened.... :?

Sin City will be the one to look out for in early 2005, it might not set the Box-Office on fire but has the makings of a good performing cult classic....Kill Bill Volume 1 anyone? :wink:

But there will be no Passion of the Christ.......instead, look for BOMBs like Miss Congeniality (i totally didn't even know this was coming until the teaser came out.....scary stuff), Son of the Mask.....etc

May is solid......Star Wars alone will take care of business......there will be no repeat of 2002 here....

This will be Star Wars year for sure.......i hope it creams Madagascar....

Haha, remember we had a Baby Genius sequel, so anything can get one.


Did you see that 10min+ trailer/feature for Sin City? STUNNING! And not only that, they got it exactly like it is in the comic (which I highly recommend, btw). It's amazing how accurate it is, just

One of my most anticipated films of next year for sure.

Epic 'Alexander' conquers key territories

By DON GROVES
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111791 ... =1278&cs=1

"Alexander" may be fighting a losing battle for box-office glory in the U.S. but Oliver StoneOliver Stone's epic was more victorious as it began its offshore crusade last weekend.
Auds overseas enjoy large-scale films depicting historical struggles as the results for "Troy," "King Arthur" and "The Last Samurai""The Last Samurai" all proved -- and the early indications for "Alexander" are similarly positive.

The Colin FarrellColin Farrell/Angelina JolieAngelina Jolie starrer raked in $7.4 million from 848 screens in 10 markets. It commanded the top spots in key markets led by Russia's estimated $3.7 million on 345 screens, Taiwan's $1.1 million on 190, Thailand's $476,000 on 110, Sweden's $474,000 on 61 and Denmark's $420,000 on 48.

Given the pic's extended running time and mature ratings classifications, and spirited competition such as "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" in Russia, Denmark and Sweden, the per-screen averages were fairly impressive.

The Macedonian conqueror was the No. 1 foreign release in Turkey, behind local "Star Wars" spoof "G.O.R.A.," snaring roughly $580,000 on 64. It was tops in Malaysia, Finland and Croatia but well beaten by fellow frosh "National Treasure" in the Philippines.

Still 'Incredible'

The frame's victor overseas by a sizable margin, "The Incredibles," racked up $44.3 million on 4,362 screens in 22 territories, propelling cume to $59.1 million.

The Disney/Pixar pic bowed at No. 1 in 12 markets, setting toontoon highs in Italy and Greece, although checking in below "Finding Nemo""Finding Nemo" in France and Belgium and trailing "Shrek 2" in the U.K., Spain and Israel.

Superheroes drummed up $18.1 million on 491 in the U.K., including sneaks (a BVI record, toppling "Monsters, Inc.""Monsters, Inc."); $9.2 million in France; $5.6 million in Spain (also a BVI high); $5.4 million in Italy; $1.3 million in Belgium and $362,000 in Greece. Its bows in Holland ($849,000), Israel ($353,000) and Hungary ($203,000) were also impressive.

I did, it was actually posted a while ago.........and from the first few shots, you know almost immediately that this will not appeal to everyone but will have a loyal cult audience......

Another one to look for is The Ring 2, very promising that one.....

Since we are on the subject of Sin City, I might as well give my opinion. The trailer was interesting, intreguing perhaps. I'll probably end up seeing it, but I doubt it will have wide-spread appeal.