Can the line-up beat last year's cume afterall? I believe it's possible. Should be at least within $10 million...

Right now, 66.9 Million separates 2007 and 2008. It all depends on Slumdog. The contributions of The Reader and Milk will play a small role.

Monday's numbers and accompanying Oscar tallies


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - $124,313,838 (after 61 days) 3/13 Oscar wins
Slumdog Millionaire -$99,557,539 (after 104 days) 8/10 Oscar wins
Milk - $28,227,269 (after 90 days) 2/8 Oscar wins
The Reader - $23,286,891 (after 76 days) 1/5 Oscar wins
Frost/Nixon - $17,422,781 (after 81 days) 0/5 Oscar wins

congrats on passing 2006!

2003 - 725,953,743 (428,217,281)
2002 - 662,537,970 (364,801,508)
2000 - 637,004,592 (339,268,130)
2001 - 618,732,281 (320,995,819)
2004 - 401,618,339 (103,881,877)
2007 - 357,962,353 (60,225,891)
2008 - 297,736,462
2006 - 296,776,043 (960,419)
2005 - 245,336,279 (52,400,183)

Curious Case's last week on top of the chart. Milk crosses 30 Mill as Reader heads towards it.

Oh and Frost/Nixon and it's 25 Mill budget.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - $125,386,000 (after 66 days)
Slumdog Millionaire -$115,148,000 (after 110 days)
Milk - $30,073,000 (after 96 days)
The Reader - $27,007,000 (after 82 days)
Frost/Nixon - $17,847,000 (after 87 days)

The Reader is actually going to be quite a success afterall...looking at $32-33 million domestically and worldwide it'll be much more successful. It's #1 in Germany this week with quite a strong opening.

Oh and I think we're gonna pass 2007...don't you think, Loyal? I'd say that afterall, it ended up being a rather strong line-up box-office wise (not as much quality-wise, I'm afraid). Milk's run was botched, yes, but for what it is, $35 million ain't that bad and The Reader had a complete turnaround after its Oscar noms. Benjamin Button's $125+ million only look not that good when looking at the budget, but otherwise, it is a very solid gross and it is also a worldwide smash. I think it passed $300 million WW this weekend, the first BP nominee to do so since Return of the King. IN FACT, Benjamin Button will probably end up as the 5th-biggest BP nominee of the decade worldwide, only behind Gladiator and the LOTR flicks. That's a success in my eyes.


Unless, of course, Slumdog Millionaire passes it. It is still going strongly internationally, looking at $150+ million domestically and maybe more than that internationally as it still has to open in Scandinavia, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Japan and some smaller markets.

I definitely consider it a success. Take LOTR out the equation and its run is even more impressive.

Though one has to imagine what the numbers would have looked like with Frost/Nixon and The Reader on the sidelines, since Slumdog and Curious Case are carrying the entire load.

Sure they are. With TDK instead of The Reader we would have had the biggest line-up of the decade... Would have been amazing.


But Benjamin Button and Slumdog are better than nothing. I mean ever since 2003 we haven't had TWO big BP nominees. And this will be the first year since 2002 with two $300+ million WW grossers aong the BP line-up.

I only have Friday numbers for Slumdog and Reader, the others are updated through Thursday

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - $125,661,898 (after 71 days)
Slumdog Millionaire -$120,491,000 (after 115 days)
Milk - $30,528,562 (after 100 days)
The Reader - $28,460,000 (after 87 days)
Frost/Nixon - $18,018,596 (after 91 days)

And now only $34,802,298 stands between this year passing last year.

Hmm, interesting that the biggest success story of them financially (after Slumdog) will actually be The Reader with its chance at $100 million worldwide.

The Weinsteins sold their souls to the devil, I swear...

Ben Button's international performance has really helped the somewhat disappointing legs here in the US, though.

Yeah it did, though somehow Slumdog actually looks to have a chance to reach Benjamin Button's international total if it performs really well in Germany and Japan.

The last gasp by Benji Button. Same goes for Milk. Both will be passed shortly.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - $126,127,000 (after 74 days)
Slumdog Millionaire - $125,441,000 (after 117 days)
Milk - $31,154,000 (after 103 days)
The Reader - $30,021,000 (after 89 days)
Frost/Nixon - $18,246,000 (after 94 days)

How far behind 2007 are we now?

good question

$26,973,353

Slumdog dropped more this week than anyone really expected. Not sure why.

If you look back, usually BP nominees drop more than usual the weekend folowing the BP boost. Happened to NCFOM, happened to Million Dollar Baby. I expected 30%, though...

I still think it has a chance at $150 million, albeit a smaller one now. We should still pass 2007. Thanks to this...and now The Reader!

Slumdog passed Curious Case yesterday. They're now the highest grossing pair of BP nominees since 2003 (ROTK and Seabiscuit).

The year stands at: $332,344,433.
2007: $357,962,353

$25,617,920 to go.

Well, The Reader is still going somewhat strong, looking at another $1+million. Interesting how it'll become the 2nd-biggest non-IMAX film to never have enterted the Top 10 (the other being In the Bedroom). Looks like it'll soon pass Milk and finish with $34-35 million...not bad for a film with a PTA of less than $3,000 in 500 theatres in its fifth week. The Oscar hype helped tons, also overseas where it is performing quite well with a chance at #1 in Germany in its third week.

It's gonna be VERY close between this year and 2007 for the Oscar nominees' gross...blame it on Frost/Nixon bombing horrendously. The Reader as well as Ben Button's and Milk's finishing runs will bring the difference down to $20 million which Slumdog would have to provide on its own. Whatever happens, both years are gonna finish within $5 million of each other.

there's only a difference of 372K between Milk and The Reader.

Right now, it's 22,124,675 between this year and last. Should add another 3.5 Mill for today and tomorrow from Slumdog and Reader.

It'll be close.

The Reader passes Milk!

Slumdog Millionaire - $132,625,000 (after 124 days)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - $126,537,000 (after 81 days)
The Reader - $31,924,000 (after 96 days)
Milk - $31,560,000 (after 110 days)
Frost/Nixon - $18,476,000 (after 101 days)

16,840,353 to go before 2008 passes 2007

WE CAN DO IT!

I can't believe Frost/Nixon bombed so badly. What was the last time a BP nominee was an outright flop? I mean wo Jima at least had the foreign market (made over $40 million in Japan).

Munich?

I don't think so...$130+ million at the worldwide box-office and about 1.7 million sold DVDs in the US. It probably broke even.

Then it's probably The Insider. Which was actually a GREAT movie.

Well, it's done better than Stone's Nixon

13.6 Mill on a 44 Mill budget

But for a BP nominee like Frost/Nixon, its sad.