There was no Saturday miracle for New Line’s Will Ferrell comedy Semi-Pro. The R-rated comedy managed only a 10% bump for an estimated $6.1M. The tepidly-reviewed comedy will finish its opening weekend with a disastrous $15.16M, as New Line goes out with a whimper, not a bang. Semi-Pro is only the 8th-best opening of Ferrell’s career (scroll down to my Friday report for a complete list of the All-Time Top 10 Live Action Will Ferrell Openings).
Vantage Point (Sony) had a very strong Saturday, up 64%, to finish in a virtual dead-heat for the daily crown with a likely $6.09M. The assassination thriller will wrap up the weekend with a very solid $13.58M and a new 10-day cme of $41.5M.
The family fantasy film The Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount) received a massive 125% bounce on its 3rd Saturday with $4.27M. The $100M+ budgeted franchise-starter should finish with a 3-day of just over $9M.
Fox’s Jumper was #4 for the day with $3.63M, but it will likely slip back to 5th place for the weekend with $7.95M. Sony’s The Other Boleyn Girl was up 18% on its 2nd day for a solid $3.33M. The Natalie Portman-Scarlett Johansson “bodice-ripper” should wind up #4 for the 3-day with an $8.25M frame.
In the PTA race, Foreign Language Film Oscar winner The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) is the big winner with nearly $16K per screen for the weekend. The Other Boleyn Girl is #2 with an estimated $7K per location, followed by Israeli Film Academy Best Picture winner The Band’ Visit with an estimated $6,000 at each of its 59 engagements.
EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY SATURDAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW – Semi Pro (New Line) - $6.1M - $1,956 PTA - $11.55M cume
2. Vantage Point (Sony) - $6.09M - $1,934 PTA - $37.8M cume
3. Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount) - $4.27M - $1,170 PTA -$52.5M cume
4. Jumper (Fox) - $3.63M - $1,161 PTA - $65M cume
5. NEW – The Other Boleyn Girl (Sony) - $3.33M - $2,859 PTA - $6.15M cume
6. Step Up 2 the Streets (Disney) - $2.74M - $1,085 PTA - $47.3M cume
7. Fool’s Gold (Warner Bros) - $2,19M - $773 PTA - $57.9M cume
8. No Country For Old Men (Miramax) - $1.98M - $975 PTA - $68.5M
9. NEW – Penelope (Summit) - $1.68M - $1,405 PA - $2.73M cume
10. Juno (Fox Searchlight) - $1.61M - $993 PTA - $134.3M cume
11. Definitely Maybe (Universal) - $1.57M - $721 PTA - $25.8M cume
12. Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (Universal) - $1.38M - $997 PTA - $38.5M cume
13. Be Kind, Rewind (New Line) - $985,000 - $1,216 PTA - $6.6M cume
14. The Bucket List (Warner Bros) - $875,000 - $559 PTA - $87.2M cume
15. There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage) - $735,000 - $589 PTA - $37.1M cume
*In Bruges (Focus) - $338,000 - $1,457 PTA - $3.4M cume
*The Band’s Visit (Sony Classics) - $164,000 - $2,780 PTA - $685,000 cume
*The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) - $129,000 - $7,167 PTA - $334,000
*NEW – Bonneville (Sen Arts/Scranton Lacy Films) - $73,000 - $723 PTA - $126,000 cume
*NEW – City of Men (Miramax) - $56,000 - $747 PTA - $93,000 cume
*NEW – Chicago 10 (Roadside Attractions) - $22,000 - $1,571 PTA - $33,000 cume
*NEW – Romulus, My Father (Magnolia) - $1,106 - $553 PTA - $1,386 cume
*NEW – Contre-enquete (Counter-Survey) - $952- $317 PTA - $2,352 cume
*NEW – The Unforeseen (Cinema Guild) - $891 - $891 PTA - $1,977 cume
*NEW – Vivere (Regent Releasing) - $400 - $400 PTA - $621 cume
*NEW – Beyond Belief (Film Sales Company) - $298 - $298 PTA - $502 cume
*NEW - The Lost (Anchor Bay) - $234 - $234 PTA - $1,403 cume
EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS REVISED 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW – Semi Pro (New Line) - $15.16M - $4,858 PTA - $15.16M cume
2. Vantage Point (Sony) - $13.58M - $4,313 PTA - $41.5M cume
3. Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount) - $9M - $2,485 PTA -$55.4M cume
4. NEW – The Other Boleyn Girl (Sony) - $8.25M - $7,083 PTA - $8.25M cume
5. Jumper (Fox) - $7.95M - $2,542 PTA - $67.1M cume
6. Step Up 2 the Streets (Disney) - $6.07M - $2,404 PTA - $48.9M cume
7. Fool’s Gold (Warner Bros) - $4.88M - $1,718 PTA - $59.2M cume
8. No Country For Old Men (Miramax) - $4.31M - $2,120PTA - $69.8M
9. NEW – Penelope (Summit) - $3.78M - $3,168 PTA - $3.78M cume
10. Juno (Fox Searchlight) - $3.63M- $2,229 PTA - $135.4M cume
11. Definitely Maybe (Universal) - $3.54M - $1,620 PTA - $26.8M cume
12. Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (Universal) - $2.9M - $2,085 PTA - $39.3M cume
13. Be Kind, Rewind (New Line) - $2.24M - $2,772 PTA - $7.2M cume
14. The Bucket List (Warner Bros) - $1.88M - $1,206 PTA - $87.7M cume
15. There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage) - $1.63M - $1,310 PTA - $37.6M cume
*In Bruges (Focus) - $750,000 - $3,233 PTA - $3.6M cume
*The Band’s Visit (Sony Classics) - $354,000 - $6,000 PTA - $808,000 cume
*The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) - $284,000 - $15,778 PTA - $429,000
*NEW – Bonneville (Sen Arts/Scranton Lacy Films) - $178,000 - $1,762 PTA - $178,000 cume
*NEW – City of Men (Miramax) - $131,000 - $1,747 PTA - $131,000 cume
*NEW – Chicago 10 (Roadside Attractions) - $48,000 - $3,429 PTA - $48,000 cume
*NEW – Contre-enquete (Counter-Survey) - $2,971 - $990 PTA - $2,971 cume
*NEW – The Unforeseen (Cinema Guild) - $2,555 - $2,555 PTA - $2,555 cume
*NEW – Romulus, My Father (Magnolia) - $2,083 - $1,041 PTA - $2,083 cume
*NEW - The Lost (Anchor Bay) - $1,555 - $1,555 PTA - $1,555 cume
*NEW – Vivere (Regent Releasing) - $873 - $873 PTA - $873 cume
*NEW - Beyond Belief (Film Sales Company) - $689 - $689 PTA - $689 cume
Read More at Fantasy Moguls.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Surprise surprise…
It probably has something to do with the fact that all his movies are basically the same. Who the hell wants to see Ferrell doing Ferrell again? Not me.
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Frankly, I couldn’t understand that “buzz” over this coming movie on these movie blog sites the past few months. The trailers stunk to me.
I think it’s an issue of being “all that” over anything Will Farrell, regardless of what he does.
Not so unusual with fanboy sites, actually.
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:30 pm
…he said with a particular glee.
backlash is the new black.
March 2nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
BUT IT’S WILL FERRELL PLAYING BASKETBALL!
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I think you need to calm down and note the budget of Semi-Pro and the fact that it is an R rated comedy. It still was the number one movie of the weekend and I think it will end up taking in a decent return for what it is.
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:00 pm
The Will Ferrell backlash is hillarious since two years ago he was untouchable. Now he’s Chevychasing.
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:16 pm
i saw this movie sat. and there was maybe 20 people the movie wasn’t bad at all i thought it was funny the trailers do not do the moive justice it’s will ferrel doing what will ferrel does best and thats him play will ferrel
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:57 am
Rob,
I’m not quite sure I agree with the Will Ferrell backlash. I think the guy’s incredibly talented. I’m just tired of seeing the same movie over and over again
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:26 am
The budget of the movie is irrelevant, it’s the premise that is despicable. “Watch Will Ferrell be Will Ferrell in…. wait for it… BASKETBALL!… AND HE HAS AN AFRO!” I thought Ferrell had taken notice on the trend he was making when he started in ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ to derail the hackiness of which he was becoming.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:48 am
The budget of the movie, as well as the fact that it is an R rated comedy, is absolutely relevant in the context of a conversation about the movie being a financial “flop.”
What you are arguing, ajadoniz, is a completely different matter. Regardless of how much you may have liked it, “Stranger Than Fiction” had a weaker opening than “Semi-Pro.” This post is about the box office returns, not about critical reception.