Although I was surprised to see Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over take the top spot in its opening weekend, I was more surprised by it pulling in over 33 million in the process. In 2001 the original Spy Kids opened to the tune of 26.5 million (but had long legs) and the following year the sequel opened to a significantly less 16.7 million. One would expect the third film to open somewhere between the first two, factoring in this summer's inflated openings and shortened life-spans, but the truth is I hadn't accounted for how few kiddie films there have been since Finding Nemo. Even so, no matter how you look at it, Spy Kids 3-D crossing the 30-million mark is impressive.

Even more impressive is how well Pirates of the Caribbean continues to hold up, once again maintaining the second spot with a solid 23.1 million. At 176 million already, this film is well on its way to breaking 200 million, largely thanks to positive word-of-mouth. Bad Boys II is dropping fast but still came in third with about 22 million, just edging out Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.

The weekend's other new wide release, Seabiscuit, came in fifth; and although normally this would be seen as a huge disappointment, it was also the fifth film to cross the 20 million dollar hurdle (a box office record) with 20.8 million. For the type of film it is, this is a pretty decent start in my eyes, assuming it holds up well in the coming weeks. Seabiscuit could leave theaters with over 100 million when all is said and done, or it could disappear quickly and end up with around 60 million. I suspect the former is more likely than the latter, especially considering it's the only real "adult" movie out there at the moment.

Posted August 01, 2003 | link