A third movie is usually when a franchise either runs out of steam with an audience or when it grows to a point where they are desperate for more. The Bourne Ultimatum is a big example of a franchise which has grown to it’s third movie whereas Rush Hour 3 looks to be running out of steam.
The movie opened with a $50.2 million taking which when you consider inflation is $30 million less than it’s previous film six years ago. Did they wait too long until they did another Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker team-up or is it simply that the movie looked to offer nothing new? It’s been reported that Rush Hour 3 cost $150 million to make, so unless it hits well worldwide, it’s not going to make much of a profit for New Line and I would suggest we’ve seen the last of this series.
The other big new release of the weekend has truly bombed and it’s a firm example that fantasy movies are really beginning to struggle. Stardust which had some marketable big names, failed whereas similar comedy/fantasy movies failed in the 80’s, earning only $9 million in it’s opening weekend for a movie that was made for $70. Massive flop here, and like I said on Friday it’s gotta go down to that awful trailer. How they managed to not get me excited for a Matthew Vaughn directed picture is beyond me.
The Bourne Ultimatum and The Simpsons Movie are still holding over pretty well, especially Bourne which took home $33 million at the weekend. Hairspray surprisingly had a good week and only dropped 33% in figures as it edges closer to a $100 million opening whilst Daddy Day Camp and Lionsgate’s Skinwalkers (that studio continues to flop) failed miserably, the latter opening at 18.
U.S. BOX OFFICE
| 1 | Rush Hour 3 (2007) | $50.2M | $50.2M | |
| 2 | The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) | $33.7M | $132M | |
| 3 | The Simpsons Movie (2007) | $11.1M | $152M | |
| 4 | Stardust (2007) | $9.01M | $9.01M | |
| 5 | Underdog (2007) | $6.46M | $24.7M | |
| 6 | Hairspray (2007) | $6.37M | $92.1M | |
| 7 | I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007) | $5.95M | $104M | |
| 8 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) | $5.39M | $272M | |
| 9 | No Reservations (2007) | $3.93M | $32.1M | |
| 10 | Daddy Day Camp (2007) | $3.55M | $5.04M |
OPENING NEXT WEEK
Superbad, The Invasion, The Last Legion, Death at a Funeral, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (limited)
BRETT RATNER’S OPENING WEEKENDS & EVENTUAL GROSS
| 1 | X-Men 3: The Last Stand (2006) | $102.7 | $234.36M | |
| 2 | Rush Hour 2 (2001) | $67.40M | $226.16M | |
| 3 | Rush Hour 3 (2007) | $50.23M | $50.23M | |
| 4 | Red Dragon (2002) | $36.54M | $93.14M | |
| 5 | Rush Hour (1998) | $33M | $141.18M | |
| 6 | After the Sunset (2004) | $11.10M | $28.33M |
(Please note inflation should be taken account, so Rush Hour’s 1998 opening of $33 million, would be much higher today and would climb up that list).
FANTASY MOVIE OPENING WEEKENDS
| 1 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) | $102.68M | $290.13M | |
| 2 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) | $93.68M | $249.54M | |
| 14 | Dragonheart (1996) |
$15.02M | $51.36M | |
| 15 | Hook (1992) | $13.52M | $119.65M | |
| 16 | Peter Pan (2003) | $11.13M | $48.46M | |
| 17 | Conan the Barbarian (1982) | $9.60M | $39.56M | |
| 18 | Stardust (2007) | $9.01M | $9.01M |
(Please note inflation should be taken account, so Stardust cannot be compared to be as good an opening as Conan, as that movie has 25 years of inflation to consider).
source – box office mojo, imdb
