I think even M$B would have been better off released on DVD right after it won. Even though it earned over 35m from that point on, the studio always gets a low percentage at that point in the run. So, you must have earned them about 11m extra. However, with DVD they need only about 15m in extra sales to match that. I think that would have been quite easy given the hype, and far more people looking to view it.

This is an example of a film that did better after winning BP, yet I think it easily would have been more profitable with a DVD release at that point.

The claim that it would do as well on March 7th or May 7th is based on people being rational in their DVD buying habits. I'm sure most people here are, but I've seen how customers shop; they are not rational. Buzz among many other things makes a big difference. The March 7th day is brilliant.

I don't buy it (that they will end up releasing it then). They will delay. DP07 might be right and they won't lose much (or anything) if they release it then, but they just won't. I don't think so. An April release sounds much more likely.

I think late May/early June would be the norm.

Well, even if it does come out on March 7th, what's the studio gonna do with all the prints in theaters? I'd imagine that Brokeback would be at it's maximum theater # around Oscar time. Hmmm, this could be the first time a movie's in the Top 10 at the BO and on the sales and rental charts

Focus did the same type of thing with Lost in Translation, its DVD came out Feb. 3, 2004 and the following weekend it was #15 in theaters. I just don't see how it's a good idea though.

That had been out for over four months, which is ther standard time to release a DVD. The only movies that are EVER released three months after their theatrical release are bombs (From Justin to Kelly, Surviving Christmas) and Frontloaded movies (Serinity). By then, BBM will have been in wide release for less then two months. They'll probably let the film enjoy the post-oscar boost that lasts for 2-3 weeks before dipping off, and release it in late-April/Early-May.

Well I guess it shows that a movie can still squeeze some extra cashout of theatres while simultaniously being out on DVD.

4-day weekend actual:

13 13 Brokeback Mountain Focus $4,847,443 +153.8% 269 +52 $18,020 $15,102,697

fantastic, it capped an 18 000 avg. I'm thinking with the expansion next week it should be able to gross around 4 million for the three days.. pretty fantastic if you ask me!

BROKEBACK IN 'AMAZING' FOURTH WEEK

In limited release, Brokeback Mountain remained the champ as it took in $4.8 million over the four days in just 269 theaters, averaging $17,702 per screen. (Daily Variety observed that the figure was up an "amazing" 61 percent from the previous week, although it added only 52 theaters)


source;
http://www.showbizdata.com/contacts/picknews.cfm/40348/<I>BROKEBACK</I>_IN_'AMAZING'_FOURTH_WEEK_


Early numbers and early awards buzz establish the picture's staying power, industry insiders say.

Brokeback earned a leading seven Golden Globe nominations.

"It delivered very strong growth in what is truly a highly unforgiving, competitive, cruel market at this Christmas period," said Jack Foley, president of theatrical distribution for Focus Features

http://www.ndtv.com/ent/newstory.asp?se ... ce&id=4241

hehe, I had to share this...

It's the official "brokeback" Oscar...

Still the biggest story from a cultural perspective once again was "Brokeback Mountain." At 269 screens over the New Year's weekend -- its fourth week in release -- it averaged $18,020 per screen and let its total gross climb to $15.1 million. While adding only a modest 52 screens, its weekend gross jumped to $4.85 million from $2.95 million during the four-day Christmas take. And it played well in a mix of theaters - urban art-houses, upscale multiplexes, suburban theaters - and population centers.

The fears of it being limited by perceptions that it's a "gay-cowboy" movie just are not materializing. Instead it's being welcomed by audiences - especially educated Boomers - as something far broader. Director Ang Lee seems to have turned it from an Annie Proulx short story into something more like a Larry McMurty novel. (McMurty co-wrote "Brokeback's" screenplay.) It could become the true sequel to "Last Picture Show."

"It's a human drama about families, about husbands and wives, about lovers," said Jack Foley, distribution head for Focus Features. "People come out of it and say it's more than what they thought it would be and that others have to see it. They say it's like a novel."

Oddly enough, "Brokeback" had slowed down over the four-day Christmas weekend, despite adding 148 screens. Through Christmas Day, it had shown a 23.8% decline in its three-day weekend gross from the previous weekend. But on Dec. 26, it exploded -- taking in $1.39 million versus $699,000 on Christmas Day -- and it hasn't looked back. It did well in such new markets as Columbus, Nashville, San Antonio and Las Vegas.

Foley said the initial Christmas-weekend slowdown was due to the core audience of adults having holiday family obligations. "They're not kids going to see 'King Kong,'" he said.

As of now, Focus' marketing plan is unfolding like a chapter from Richard Florida's book "The Rise of the Creative Class", which holds that all cities have a growing, open-minded population interested in the arts and desirous of cultural opportunities. "Brokeback" has become one of those opportunities, Foley said.

The film gets a huge new test this weekend, when it expands to almost 500 North American screens and adds as many as 70 new markets. Those include smaller and/or conservative locales such as El Paso, Toledo, Colorado Springs, Cincinnati and Savannah.


source: http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/iw/2006 ... 03700.html

nominated by the Producers Guild for best picture...

SAG nominations are tomorrow and might be another boost for the film if it gets nominated in many categories...

Back from November




I deserve a cookie.

I don't think the expansion to 500 theatres is a good idea for this weekend.

They should have maybe gone up to 350 or so. They need to give it time to build. They are speeding things too much and setting themselves up for disappointing returns.

They should have it closer to 600 the weekend after the Globes. By the looks of it, it will reach that that theatre count 2 weeks before that.

Well, if it does indeed play in up to 500 theatres I can see it making around 5.2-5.5 million, which would be around a 45-50% increase from the last 3 day weekend.

I also want to note that on Tuesday... Brokeback Mountain brought in more in 269 theatres than Munich did playing in 532 theatres!

It is expanding to 484 theatres, to be exact.

Thanks!

Then, I'm predicting around 4.8-5.1 million weekend

That's impossible. That'd mean an increase of 33-42% over the last 3-day weekend (which was boosted by New Year).

I predict $4 million, but it might get lower.

* Throws a Cookie at Killuminati *

That was actually a really good call.

Read his location. No surprise, he's good at predicting this movie!

So Batman knew?

I wish he was that clever in his movies...

It's not impossible because the holiday actually hurt the film. It made 3.7 million over the 3-day, but that is witha weak Saturday...

Friday : 1.3 million
Saturday : 0.9 (-27%)
Sunday: 1.4 million

If it was a normal Saturday, it would have incresed to about 1.6-1.7 million, since it's an adult film which typically do best on Saturdays. That, sombined with the fact it will expand to 484 theatres, and increase of 215 theatres, almost doubling it's theatres count! Therefore, I can't see how it would be impossible to predict something around 5 million, infact it is probable that it will gross that much...

also, I am not sure if people realise this, but the Globes are on Monday, January 16th, just 10 days away... so the expansion isn't all thsat quick... they want those theatres by the time the globes are announced.....

Brokeback got several SAG nominations on Thursday, to go with it's Producers Guild of America and Writers Guild of America nominations yesterday.... These are seen as key indicators to the Oscars, because many of the members of these guilds are also Acadamy voters...

SAG nominations;

Best Esemble (equivelevnt to Best Picture)
Best Actor : Ledger
Best Supporting Actor : Jake Gyllenhaal (so happy about this!)
Best Supporting Actress : Michelle Williams

Things are looking very good for the Oscar noms...

And finishing up it's sweep at the 4 guilds, Ang Lee got a best director nomination from the Director's guild of America.... this should solidify it as the Oscar frontrunner...

Except Friday and Sunday were stronger then normal. Drops are not better then usual for the coming weekend. This past weekend did not have deflated totals, it simply had the grosses on different days then usual.