No matter what you were looking for there was something new to capture your attention in theaters this weekend, a fact evidenced by the amount of money deposited on this, the last weekend of 2008. According to records at Box Office Mojo, this weekend's top twelve movies made more cash than any other December weekend in history. Unfortunately that wasn't good enough news for the film industry as it, like everyone else, faced financial drop offs this year.
While most years movie theaters increase their ticket prices thereby increasing the amount of money rolling in, this year the revenues didn't jump. Over the last two years sales have risen 4% - 5%, but this year's grand total is going to come in at almost the exact amount as 2007. What does that mean for movies in the coming years? Probably nothing, at least as far as you or I are concerned. Expect ticket prices to keep inching upward and studios to keep churning out way too many movies. The people making movies will see the biggest crunch as studios continue to tighten budgets on all but the biggest cash cows (i.e. don't be shocked to see a $275 million budget for Batman 3.
As the year wraps up the last number one movie of 2008 is Marley and Me. The not-so-feel-good dog flick took in $37 million to easily top number two contender Bedtime Stories. The latest...er...first family movie from Adam Sandler banked $27 million.
A close third was the much Academy-Award-buzzed Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Women wanting to see Brad Pitt look 21 again and men wanting to console themselves with what Pitt will look like when he's 60 were enough to get the film $27 million, a far cry from the $150 million budget the effects-heavy drama has to earn back. Too bad you can't pay the bills with Oscar gold.
Despite being the best reviewed movie out this weekend, Tom Cruise's Valkyrie struggled to find the fourth place stop with only $21 million. With any luck it will hold solid into the new year and draw the kinds of attention, and cash, it deserves.
Granddaddy loser of the new releases was Frank Miller's The Spirit. Despite Scarlett Johansson's luscious mug and Miller's overrated name plastered all over marketing materials, the movie only pulled in $6 million on the weekend for a very weak ninth place. The man may know how to pen a graphic novel, but direct a movie? Not so much.
