Summer is gone, leaving only a trail of record box-office receipts in its wake. And while moviegoers spent billions to see the Shreks and Harry Potters on big screens, the lesson for studios was this: Get your money quickly. With competition from new, heavily marketed movies every week, the staying power of a blockbuster is little more than a month.
Data through Sept. 10
Gold box indicates each day the movie was No. 1 in U.S.
IN 1ST WEEK* OF RELEASE 2ND WEEK 3RD 4TH TOTAL IN MILLIONS
(See microfilm for this portion of complete graphic)
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES In millions (weeks start Friday)
NO. 1 MOVIES By release date (with number of screens on opening weekend) GROSS RECEIPTS Total in millions
(# — Indicates ranking of movie for 2007, measured by gross receipts)
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: WEEK OF MAY 4, $232.2
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Spider-Man 3’ (4,252 screens) (#1)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $336.1
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: MAY 11, $137.7
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: MAY 18, $241.8
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Shrek the Third’ (4,122 screens) (#2)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $321.0
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: MAY 25, $296.5
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ (4,362 screens) (#4)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $306.5
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JUNE 1, $191.0
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Knocked Up’ (2,871 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $148.4
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JUNE 8, $194.6
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’ (3,565 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $117.1
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JUNE 15, $212.8
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’ (3,959 screens) GROSS RECEIPTS: $131.7
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JUNE 22, $209.8
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Evan Almighty’ (3,604 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $99.7
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JUNE 29, $344.8
(Opened June 27) NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ (3,408 screens — Wednesday open)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $133.9
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Ratatouille’ (3,940 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $201.4
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JULY 6, $318.4
(Opened July 3) NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Transformers’ (4,011 screens) (#3)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $311.4
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JULY 13, $275.2
(Opened July 11) NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (4,285 screens — Wednesday open)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $288.3
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JULY 20, $240.1
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry’ (3,495 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $117.7
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: JULY 27, $271.4
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘The Simpsons Movie’ (3,922 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $180.3
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: AUG. 3, $270.3
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ (3,660 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $210.7
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: AUG. 10, $225.1
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Rush Hour 3’ (3,778 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $129.0
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: AUG. 17, $195.7
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Superbad’ (2,948 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $103.9
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: AUG. 24, $151.1
WEEKLY GROSS OF ALL MOVIES: AUG. 31, $169.0
NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘Halloween’ (3,472 screens)
GROSS RECEIPTS: $44.4
(Opened Sept. 7) NO. 1 MOVIE: ‘3:10 to Yuma’ (2,652 screens)
Note: Totals not available for this week.
GROSS RECEIPTS: $15.4
BIGGEST SUMMER HITS
[ in millions / summer = the first Fri day in May through Labor Day ]RECENT SUMMER GROSSES
[ in billions ]1. “Shrek 2” (2004) …………………………………. ………………………… $441.2
2. “The Phantom Menace” (1999) ………………………………….. $431.1
3. “Pirates of Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (2006) ….. $423.3
4. “Spider-Man” (2002)……………………………. ………………………. $403.7
5. “Revenge of the Sith” (2005) …………………………………. …… $380.3
BIGGEST OPENING WEEKENDS
[ in millions ]1. “Spider-Man 3” (2007) …………………………………. ……………. $151.1
2. “Pirates of Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (2006) ….. $135.6
3. “Shrek the Third” (2007) …………………………………. ………… $121.6
4. “Spider-Man” (2002)……………………………. ………………………. $114.8
5. “Pirates of Caribbean: A tWorld’s End” (2007) ……… $114.7
SEPT. AUG. JULY JUNE MAY
Source: Box Office Mojo
* Some opening weeks exceed seven days because of early releases.
Chicago Tribune / Max Rust and Steve Layton
