I honestly didn't expect I Am Legend to break any records this weekend, but the movie went out and did just that. It's nothing substantial mind you. Best December opening ever isn't all that impressive. However, the movie it dethroned is one to note: The Return of the King.
The third part in the Lord of the Rings trilogy racked up $72 million on its December opening weekend four years ago. I Am Legend just barely eeked out a victory with $76 million. Technically, if you compare the average ticket price back in 2003 to prices now Legend just misses the mark, but when it comes to winning, real cash is what counts and Legend banked more.
In second place with $45 million was Alvin and the Chipmunks. Say what you want about them critically, they're cute and people like cute. Honestly, I really liked the film and despite being all but disowned in the Cinema Blend forums for my appreciation of the movie, the numbers back me up. With only a $60 million budget it should turn a tidy little profit. My congratulations to the Chipmunk's real manager, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. A word of advice though: don't screw this up with a sequel. One new Chipmunks movie every couple of decades or so is plenty.
Atonement, which was my movie to keep an eye on this weekend, did extremely well in limited release, thanks mainly to its seven Golden Globe nominations. The story about love mangled by the jealousies and misunderstandings of youth is a solid movie, if not a bit sleepy. Audiences turned out to hand in $2.9 million which is excellent for a film only showing on 100+ screens. It expands a little wider next week, but by then the Golden Globe shine will have dulled a little and the movie may very well slip back out of the top ten.
The Golden Compass dropped sharply in its second weekend and couldn't even break $10 million. With only $40 million so far in domestic sales, the picture is bleak for the film and its $180 million budget. An injection of $50 million from foreign openings this week helped out, but Lyra and friends shouldn't be looking for their story to be continued with this kind of turn out.
There were no surprises from holiday film latecomer The Perfect Holiday. Obviously America has come to expect all the real Christmas movies during Thanksgiving, so anything that actually rolls out in December gets lost in the shuffle of more important things like singing Chipmunks and talking Polar Bears. Holiday only banked $2.5 million and is well on its way to being leftovers tossed out with the wrapping paper.
December 14 - 16, 2007
THTRS = Number of Screens
* Denotes new release.
Click on title to read CB Review
| 1. | I Am Legend * | $76,535,000 - Total: $76,535,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 3606 |
| 2. | Alvin and the Chipmunks * | $45,000,000 - Total: $45,000,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 3475 |
| 3. | The Golden Compass | $9,025,000 - Total: $40,968,000 | LW: 1 WR: 2 THTRS: 3528 |
| 4. | Enchanted | $6,004,000 - Total: $92,271,000 | LW: 2 WR: 4 THTRS: 3066 |
| 5. | No Country for Old Men | $3,000,000 - Total: $33,562,000 | LW: 6 WR: 6 THTRS: 1348 |
| 6. | The Perfect Holiday * | $2,552,000 - Total: $3,199,000 | LW: N WR: 1 THTRS: 1307 |
| 7. | Fred Claus | $2,305,000 - Total: $68,965,000 | LW: 4 WR: 6 THTRS: 2750 |
| 8. | This Christmas | $2,300,000 - Total: $46,043,000 | LW: 3 WR: 4 THTRS: 1921 |
| 9. | Atonement | $1,853,000 - Total: $2,964,000 | LW: 15 WR: 2 THTRS: 117 |
| 10. | August Rush | $1,785,000 - Total: $28,065,000 | LW: 7 WR: 4 THTRS: 2007 |
