What could beat Spidey?

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Posted by Matt Holmes. Last modified on May 28th, 2007 at 03:52pm

So for those keeping count, now that three of the six biggest summer blockbusters of the year have been released, here is the updated top 5 highest grossing opening weekends of all time…

1. Spider-Man 3 - $151.1 million

2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - $135.6 million

3. Shrek the Third - $121.6 million

4. Spider-Man - $114.8 million

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End - $112.5 million

Is their any movie either being made or talked about that could possibly beat that huge opening from Spider-Man 3?

Looking at those coming out this year, the only possible contenders would be Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Live Free or Die Hard, The Simpsons and Transformers. However, I’ve said all along the Transformers won’t have a chance not just because Michael Bay is directing (although that is part of it) but because it has that big disadvantage of not being a sequel…. Potter sure has a chance though, especially with the last book in the series coming out around the same time.

Die Hard I would have to say no with that shitty trailer but to be fair the subject matter was never going to get the kids in for such a huge opening to beat Spider-Man. If The Simpsons was released three to four years ago you have to believe it would have had an absolutely fantastic chance, but alas it’s not as popular as it once was and the trailers have done little to impress so far.

Looking ahead to next year…

The Dark Knight is going to be huge, no question about it. The success of Batman Begins has totally banished the memory of Batman & Robin which no doubt kept many casual movie-goers away, and that thing has been selling like hotcakes on DVD. Not to mention…. THE JOKER will be in the trailer.

The uber popular Indiana Jones series returning with Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg helming again sure has a chance. That movie now has the second-generation fans much like Die Hard has but this can go for the current kid market, where Die Hard can’t.

And then of course there’s next year’s Harry Potter and that series just keeps growing and growing.

Is there anything that could knock Spider-Man 3 off it’s perch that you could think of that’s not mentioned here? If Halo, The Hobbit or a new Star Wars movie ever gets made do they have a chance? How about James Cameron’s first movie since Titanic with the futuristic Avatar?

Or what about a total fantasy flick like Batman vs. Superman or an Avengers movie with Iron Man and Spider-Man or something?

There’s no doubt something will beat it someday, but just exactly which movie is interesting to think about, though it will probably end up being Spider-Man 4!

Categories: Movie News, Spider-Man-4, The Dark Knight (July 08)

6 Comments »

I’m a lifelong Transformers fan. But I never thought I’d say I HOPE Transformers crashes and burns. What Bay has done has made me hate him, and I acutally liked him (just a little) before now.

A few box-office predictions:
I predict Transformers, if it does well opening weekend, will get 60 mil and have a 150-230 million dollar run worldwide. But enthusiasm for it is low. The enormous “buzz” Bay & Co were hoping for just hasn’t materialized. The problem isn’t that it’s not a sequel, it’s that the guys making it are screwing it up. I think people are finally realizing this too. So the numbers could be as low as 30 mil opening, 120mil by the end of it’s worldwide run. Personally I hope it flops BIG TIME.

Die Hard will do respectable numbers, considering it’s been 12 years since the last one. But I think we can all tell it won’t be anywhere near a blockbuster and this will be the VERY last outing for McClane. And while my personal enthusiasm for DH4 is high it’s clear even to me that nobody else’s is. Alas, the thrill is gone. 40mil opening, 150 worldwide. Though I fear it will be lower.

I haven’t followed the Harry Potter series, the books or the movies, but if past performance is any indication it’ll get a boost from the debut of the final HP novel. So 80 mil opening 250 mil worldwide.

I like how you’re looking ahead to next year. But it says a lot about the current state of movies that the summer hasn’t even started yet, most of this summer’s “blockbusters” have yet to be released and already we’ve written them off and are looking ahead to next summer. You realize that’s nearly a YEAR away. Hollywood better not let the “record-breaking” numbers of Spidey, Shrek and Pirates fool them. They’re tap-dancing on thin ice.

Comment by JaySmack | May 28, 2007

Regarding Halo, has there been any news recently on if it is actually going to be made? I think they have missed the oppertunity as a couple of years ago it would of been huge but I can’t see that happening.

To be honest I can’t see any film beating Spiderman for quite a while, I don’t think The Dark Knight will do it mainly because it isn’t as mainstream as Spiderman is, although it will actually be a much better film.

Comment by Sean H | May 29, 2007

I think it is possible The Dark Knight could do it but it just needs that one killer trailer and the hint of the Joker and you never never know. Batman Begins has proven to be a solid hit for them and a lot of people who didn’t go to the cinema to see that will return for it’s sequel.

The last I heard on Halo was that Peter Jackson was hoping that Halo 3 would spark a big new interest in the project when it comes out later this year and it might begin production again. He has said he won’t do the film without Neil Blompkamp helming, which may indicate that his decision to point a rookie as the director may have in some way been the catalyst for the problems they had with losing thier studio backing.

Stay tuned on our movie watch section, we will be adding a Halo page in the next couple of days. I agree with you though, that movie should have been out 2005, though the series could get hot again if when the new game comes out.

Comment by Matt Holmes | May 29, 2007

Avatar will be huge. It will break the current opening day, weekend and week records and it will mimic the staying power of Titanic. Mark my words, Avatar will be a sensation unlike anything before it; because there HASN’T been anything like it before. Sure there will be an animated 3D movie out in 2009 as well - big deal, it is animated. I am tired of all the cartoons coming out. Enough already. What I want is a true humanistic adventure in digital 3D. Avatar is it and it will knock your socks off.

I have more about Avatar in my blog: http://marketsaw.blogspot.com

Comment by Jim Dorey | May 29, 2007

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