One can argue until they're blue in the face on whether or not last weekend was the actual summer movie opening weekend, or whether or not Star Wars really will kick off the summer season. But, with XXX2 and Hitchhiker doing horribly and modestly last weekend, respectively, and Kingdom of Heaven not doing any better this weekend, would ANY movie have done any better? Perhaps something coming out in the coming weeks, or maybe one of the movies released several weeks ago?

Just pretend Kingdom of Heaven was released at a different time. Which movie do you think could have opened big this weekend?

FANTASTIC FOUR!


Why July???

The film could have opened with $50m+ easily.


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Maybe the Ring 2 would of done better if it opened the summer season

Amityville. Should have been pushed back a week or two and kicked off the style over substance summer. Has performed remarkably well considering.

I think it's a given now that Elektra would have opened to around $52 million this weekend, if they would have waited! :grin:

Okay okay, I'm not that dumb. I think "Sin City" would have been a good gamble, but maybe too much of a gamble to open the summer movie season. I guess no more of a gamble than Kingdom of Heaven, eh?

I think they should've tried out Fantastic Four in this slot.

Kingdom of Heaven was never going to be do big business opening the summer.

It should have been Fantastic Four - i dont understand why it didnt take that date.

This is what May should have looked like:

May 6th -
Fantastic Four
Monster in Law

May 13th
Kicking and Screaming
House of Wax


Otherwise - perhaps Amityville would have done $30m or Ring 2 would have made $45m or so.

X, i think a lot of people, after seeing Elektra on DVD, can agree that it certainly isnt as bad as critics called it, and unfairly bombed. Its rare to see so many people say "the critics are wrong" especially on a comic book film; but Elektra was really not a bad movie at all. I found it entertaining and certainly better than half the crap ive seen this year.

Fantastic Four, definitely.

Fox is still trying to figure out what to do with Fantastic Four.

Either Batman Begins or Fantastic Four, or even War of the Worlds. Maybe KoH would have done better in July when people have had their fill of FX and explosions.

I honestly think Sin City would have gotten 45+ on May 6th

Sin City would have made pretty much the same reguardless of the date; its audience would have went to see it on June or September.

Fantastic Four isn't probably completely finished yet.

Madagascar should've opened last weekend

Fantastic Four maybe would do a little better but I predict its going to be the next major bomb this summer

Yeah, Madagascar. That's probably the only film. And it should have opened this weekend.

Sin City should have opened then. It wouldn't have done $50+ million, but it would certainly break at least $35 million, I am pretty sure of that. Seriously, Sin City had the most hype of all movies this year so far. That's pretty sad.

Batman Begins would have been huge.

I don't know anyone who wanted to see Kingdom of Heaven

Madagascar or Fantastic Four should have kicked off the summer season this weekend.

Mad would've grossed $70+ mill
FF - $60+ mill

I'm thinking that it would have been a very smart move to put The Longest Yard in this spot. That way, It would have pulled off a big opening, and avoided the force of Madagascar

Seems audience decided this is not start of their 'summer', think they made their mind that it's Ep3 weekend, so I don't think any movie would fare much better but the obvious big bangers such as BB, WotW, Madagascar. Maybe F4, but that might dissapoint in it's current release date imo.

May 24 weekend was always the launch of the summer, until films like Gladiator opened earlier in May and began to make money. But May 2-4 is the official launch of summer.

Nothing official about it.

Summer starts with big bucks, whenever it happens.

Fantastic Four or Sin City. But, this year summer starts May 19th for sure.