Finally, a summer movie worthy of “blockbuster” status. Despite worldwide protests and mixed reviews, the suspense thriller The Da Vinci Code debuted this weekend with a masterful $77 million at the North American box office, while grossing $224 million worldwide. It marks the best opener for both director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks.
“Da Vinci opening this big just tells you that people do want to go to the movies, they just need the right movie to go,” Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations told The Associated Press. “You had a built-in audience from the book and the awareness levels were so high from this film. You would have to live under a rock not to know this movie was opening.”
Coming in a strong second was DreamWorks’ CGI comedy Over the Hedge, which grossed $37.2 million. “We thought we could very easily coexist with The Da Vinci Code and I think the numbers bear that out,” Dan Harris, executive vice president at Paramount told AP.
Also opening this weekend was the horror flick See No Evil, starring pro-wrestling star Kane, which came in sixth place with $4.3 million.
The Top 12 pics this week grossed an estimated $153.1 million, up 80.14 percent from last weekend’s total of $85 million but down 2.81 percent from last year’s draw of $157.6 million.
The Top Three films at the box office this time last year were: 20th Cent Fox’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, which debuted at No. 1 with $108.4 million in 3,661 theaters, averaging $29,619 per theater; New Line’s Monster-In-Law, which dropped to second place in its second week with $14.3 million in 3,424 theaters, averaging $4,191 per theaters; and Universal’s Kicking & Screaming, which dropped to third place in its second week with $10.7 million in 3,470 theaters, averaging $3,090 per theaters (Click here to read last year’s box office report).
BOX OFFICE TOP 10, ESTIMATES
(Source: Exhibitor Relations, Inc.)
No. 1: The Da Vinci Code (Sony, PG-13)
• Gross: $77 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 3,735
• Per-theater average: $20,616
No. 2: Over the Hedge (DreamWorks, PG)
• Gross: $37.2 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 4,059
• Per-theater average: $9,172
No. 3: Mission: Impossible III (Paramount, PG-13)
• Gross: $11 million (-56%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 3,450 (-609)
• Per-theater average: $3,193
• Cume to date: $103.2 million
No. 4: Poseidon (Warner Bros., PG-13)
• Gross: $9.2 million (-58%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 3,555 (unchanged)
• Per-theater average: $2,588
• Cume to date: $36.7 million
No. 5: R.V. (Sony Pictures, PG)
• Gross: $5.1 million (-49%)
• Weeks opened: 4
• Theaters: 2,925 (-611)
• Per-theater average: $1,744
• Cume to date: $50.4 million
No. 6: See No Evil (Lions Gate, R)
• Gross: $4.3 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 1,257
• Per-theater average: $3,461
No. 7: Just My Luck (20th Century Fox, PG-13)
• Gross: $3.3 million (-41%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,543
• Per-theater average: $1,327
• Cume to date: $10.4 million
No. 8: An American Haunting (Freestyle Releasing, PG-13)
• Gross: $1.6 million (-53%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 1,265 (-438)
• Per-theater average: $1,315
• Cume to date: $13.6 million
No. 9: United 93 (Universal, R)
• Gross: $1.4 million (-60%)
• Weeks opened: 4
• Theaters: 1,308 (-563)
• Per-theater average: $1,070
• Cume to date: $28.3 million
No. 10: Akeelah and the Bee (Lions Gate, PG)
• Gross: $1 million (-58%)
• Weeks opened: 4
• Theaters: 751 (-425)
• Per-theater average: $1,332
• Cume to date: $15.7 million
OTHER OPENINGS
The King (ThinkFilm, R)
• Gross: $9,100
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 1
• Per-theater average: $9,100
