"I'm an assassin, was the best they'd ever seen. I'd steal your heart before you ever heard a thing. I'm an assassin and I had a job to do, but little did I know that girl was an assassin too...." (for Libs)

Alright, so this week I thought we would do something a little different since Transformers opens next Tuesday and sellouts will be ramping up over this weekend, I thought we could just extend this through the week next week.

So post you Cars, Bad Teacher and yes, Transformers sellouts here....

I find it incredibly interesting that the 9pm Tuesday shows for Transformers are only 3D and Imax showings. None of the 2D start until midnight (at least at this point... that could change)

My local theatre here in Ottawa, Canada has already sold 11 tickets for the 9pm 3D.
This is extremely good in comparison to other films I've tracked here in the past, but also given that 3 other theatres in the area are playing 9pm showings.

Great article about how Paramount is handling the #D release for Transformers....

I'm posting it here, because if they succeed in pulling off a 75%+ 3D ratio for this film, it will have a significant effect on opening weekend grosses.....

Just how pushy is Paramount with theater owners on Transformers 3? Well, The New York Times has this interesting detail today: that Michael Bay last week called the chief executives of major theater chains to implore them to show Transformers: Dark Of The Moon in a way that burns out projector bulbs more quickly but makes 3D look brighter and sharper. That's because there's been a continuing problem that "the darkness of 3D is starting to impact movie satisfaction," media analyst Rich Greenfield tells me. "This was a key problem with Pirates 3D, with both Green Lantern and Harry Potter starting off with darker imagery and then layering on 3D glasses that darken the images further."

Last week was also when Paramount told theaters they have to play the pic in 3D next Tuesday night for the early screenings to spread buzz or they can't play the film at all. I hear the company line has been “Michael Bay is insisting on the Digital presentation”. Or is this really all about numbers and Paramount's screwing Disney and Warner Bros on their 3D dates? Case in point. Paramount won’t even accept the 35mm Technicolor 3D release prints if theaters have the Digital in house. And the studio is telling theaters it's a four-week minimum in their Digital theater. This strategy succeeds in keeping Pixar's Cars 2 out of some digital runs, which will cut back the grosses while forcing Warner Bros' Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows Part 2 out of 3D dates as well.

"And watch, miraculously on July 22nd, Paramount will open those screens up to get Captain America opened on as many 3D screens as they can," a source tells me. "Instead of working together on the 3D situation where the public is seemingly growing apathetic, Paramount takes the 'every man for himself' attitude. Real smart. That’s why exhibitors are going to take every opportunity to dump all over them when they can. Watch what happens in November. In a four-week span you have seven films from different studios all jockeying for 3D. Paramount’s line will be 'Katzenberg [Puss N Boots] & Scorsese [Hugo Cabret] are insisting on Digital theaters' and the other five will be beating their brains out to get whatever dates they can. Should be fun to watch."

Asked for comment, Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore would say only this about his studio's 3D strategy: "The best thing for 3D was Avatar giving people a spectacular 3D experience. The goodwill towards 3D lasted just over a year. Transformers 3 can give 3D the shot in the arm. That's what would be great for 3D and the industry." However, Greenfield points out that, despite Warner Bros marketing muscle, 2D ticket sales have been outpacing 3D ticket sales for the upcoming Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 based on the live “top sellers” data on the Pulse section of Fandango’s iPad app. Tickets went on sale recently and its 2D tickets are in the top 5, but not its 3D tickets.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/06/paramount-making-too-many-3d-demands/


Also, my local theatre has increase to 28 3D tickets sold for the Tue 9pm showing, from 11 tickets sold yesterday. AS the weekend approaches and people see it advertised in the theatre, I see no reason that it's not selling out it's showing...

1. Cars 2 - Fandango User Rating: 'Go'; 46% of Fandango Sale
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - Fandango User Rating: 'Must Go'; 16% of Fandango Sale
3. Mr. Poppers Penguins - Fandango User Rating: 'Go'; 8% of Fandango Sale
4. Super 8 - Fandango User Rating: 'Go'; 4% of Fandango Sale
5. Bad Teacher - Fandango User Rating: 'Go'; 3% of Fandango

Transformers is not in this list, haha. That's not particularly good news for it, though it's a massive grain of salt until the day before.

That Bad Teacher number isn't encouraging.

You were around when TF2 opened and I remember all of you guys thinking TF2 would not come anywhere near TDK opening day or midnights.

I sort of believed so as well but as we know TF fanbase appears to just walk about to theaters and watch the film.

That seems incredibly good for cars imo.

I posted this in bom. this is doing much worse than TF2.

The Sky is Falling.... The Sky is Falling..

Transformers will be fine. I do wonder if parading the new girl in front of everyone in TV spots might put some people off, though, since Shia is doing the same "hold her tenderly by the sides of her face" thing he did with Fox in the first two.

Did we not learn from this BS 2 years ago. Everybody know TF3 will have huge walks ups just like the last two films. This is not twilight and potter were fans rush online to get tickets. Its fucking Transformers. As for this week. Don't Care about Cars but really looking forward to BT

Here's the Screen Reports Thread for the opening weekend on TF2. Yes, I dug it up...

As you can see, it wasn't doing gangbusters until the day or so prior, and even still many of the midnight shows had walk up business from that day... There is NOTHING to be worried about....

http://www.worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=51816

Here's the predictions thread, with people worried that the buzz was way too low...

http://www.worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=51750

Transformers 3 will do fine,

do not panic !!!

If people here didn't panic and be negative about the box office, the forum would cease to exist.

Can someone point me to a website or forum with info on the exact breakdown between 2D sales and 3D sales for all releases?

Do the studios release this information?

no doubt about that

any midnight numbers?

Shush, Douglas.

Variety guy: "Cars 2" already has seen a great $8.4 million start so far on Friday, putting it on track to collect around $60 million

Variety guy: Tracking for "Bad Teacher" popped today in line for a stellar high-$20 million to low-$30 million opening.

And the RS/MTC rule hits agian. Maybe the reviews did hurt cars.

DHD's first update.

Nikki continues to get more and more specific. The first Transformers update will probably read "Baybots make some amount of money today."

Saw Cars (2D) at 11:30 am
Downtown Disney
261 seats.
60% full.

This one will not go on top of my list in terms of Pixar movies, but it was a very fun ride. The Pixar faithful clapped at the end (this is the theater where the Pixar faithful go to see the latest). Peeked in the 3D version, and the first show did only 50 people.

Second update from Nikki: Cars 2 - $65m, Bad Teachers - $30m

http://www.deadline.com/2011/06/first-b ... ng-friday/

I think this summer will be remembered for the success of R-rated comedies and then the lack of success among 3D films.

Xiayun agree. The key R rated comedies are well spaced apart and all looks appealing. Where as audiences are abandoning 3D in droves.

Great for both openers. They should combine to at least match the top 2 last year. 3D animated films are just not a big deal as they used to be. That said Cars will still be the biggest since TS3. Never expected KFP2 and Cars2 to thrash the previous entries anyway.

Those would be some great results for both openers and the success of BT will only mean good things for the other high concept R rated comedies like Horrible Bossess and The Change-Up. I expect big things for those two and also some solid returns for Friends With Benefits and 30 Minutes Or Less since both of those look equally appealing aswell.