kyoukan wrote: How can both movies have almost the same number of screens and a difference of nearly 40 million dollars, or 20 percent?
I think it all comes down to the 3D screenings. The tickets cost a good deal more, so I believe that is the bump. There are more 3D theaters now than when Harry Potter 7 Pt 2 came out. Without Harry Potter having as many 3D sales, especially when addressing the overseas market at the time, it loses out. It's the same reason that no matter how well The Dark Knight Rises does, it will not beat Avengers because DKR is not in 3D. In order for any movie to have a shot at The Avengers opening numbers it to have 3D and be mass appeal. That's what took Avatar over Titanic in the end. So this year I think that leaves Spiderman and Hobbit as the only real contenders (and the Spiderman reception has been spotty). So, the perfect storm for beating Avengers will be a 3D movie with mass appeal and a much shorter run time than the 2:40 of Avengers. If the movie was 1:45 you could get in even more screenings, but all of those screenings would also have to sell out. Ugh, to think an executive somewhere would base a movie around this theory is disgusting...
The more interesting statistic for me is overall attendance. Simply put:
What movie was the most seen in theaters? The money is too easily manipulated plus you have things like inflation and the 3D tax to fudge things up even more.
As I was following Avengers records this weekend, I found it funny that it beat every single expectation every day of the week. The people who do this for a living failed 4 days in a row, low balling their estimates to the tune of millions every single day. And yes, studio back and forth is always funny to read. It's weird seeing critics keep bringing up DC and Justice League too. The funniest thing to me is that IMAX has a sweetheart deal with WB to show Dark Shadows on it's IMAX screens. That means IMAX will have to pull Avengers and likely will lose millions to the lesser selling Dark Shadows.
I'll also say right now that I do not believe that DKR will do as well as the previous batman. TDK had Heath Ledger's death, a goddamn brilliant and pre hyped performance, the Joker (batman's biggest and most well known villain), and the dark and angst filled world may be running it's course. DKR may well be a better
film than Avengers, but I don't see it being nearly as fun. I think the fun part is the reason Avengers will get repeat business and have some legs. I fully intend on seeing Batman in the theater this year, but I can wait past opening weekend.