There is something very wrong with the world when Kingdom of Heaven is the weakest #1 film in the last month. It only opened with $20,000,000 while the top movies for the last three weeks (which include The Interpreter, Hitchhikers Guide, and the remake of Amityville Horror) all did at least a little better. Having seen Kingdom of Heaven I can say that, while it's no Gladiator, it's better than a measley $20 million. Where are the Orlando Bloom fans? Where is the faith in Ridley Scott? I'm stunned. I imagine the folks who funded Kingdom of Heaven are too.
The good news is that the Paris Hilton "vehicle" House of Wax made a poor showing as well. Looks like most knew well enough to stay home and watch "The O.C." if they wanted to see a bunch of twenty-somethings running around and overacting. This was just a sad weekend turnout at the movies, something that seems to a be a trend the last couple of months. Movies we're expecting to do well just aren't. Personally, I hope that means more people are going out and spending their entertainment dollars on live theater, but I suspect the real reason is that expensive gas prices and Mother's Day gifts are denting folk's budget a bit. Either way, my expectation for the summer box office smash is beginning to dwindle.
| TOP TEN: May 6 - May 8, 2005 |
| 1. Kingdom of Heaven* - $20,000,000 [CB REVIEW] |
| 2. House of Wax* - $12,205,000 |
| 3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - $9,129,000 ($35,119,000) [CB REVIEW] |
| 4. Crash* - $9,100,000 [CB REVIEW] |
| 5. The Interpreter - $7,500,000 ($54,082,000) [CB REVIEW] |
| 6. XXX: State of the Union - $5,400,000 ($20,782,000) [CB REVIEW] |
| 7. The Amityville Horror - $3,150,000 ($60,111,000) [CB REVIEW] |
| 8. Sahara - $3,100,000 ($61,337,000) [CB REVIEW] |
| 9. A Lot Like Love - $3,036,000 ($18,792,000) [CB REVIEW] |
| 10. Fever Pitch - $2,000,000 ($39,021,000) [CB REVIEW] |
| * Denotes new release. |
