HOLLYWOOD - One week to go before Harry Potter flies into theaters. One week left for a pair of not-so-scary monsters to frighten their box office rivals into submission.Monsters, Inc. stormed theaters last weekend by taking in $62.5 million, a record opening for an animated film and the sixth-best debut in history. Incredibly, the Disney/Pixar energy-producing allegory beat Toy Story 2's $57.3 million 1999 opening and shredded Shrek's $42.3 million May debut.
Monsters, Inc. continued to make a fortune into the week, earning a total $73.2 million through Wednesday. In contrast, Toy Story 2 generated $80.1 million in its first five days, but had the benefit of opening during the extended Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Shrek had a $56.6 million opening, and like Toy Story 2, took 11 days to make $100 million.
Even if it experiences a 50 percent drop in business, Monsters, Inc. will likely reach $100 million by Sunday, its 10th day in theaters. This will end the box office slump Disney has faced with its recent, albeit traditional, animated adventures The Emperor's New Groove and Atlantis.
Monsters, Inc. will wither with the arrival of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but its ability to make both parent and child laugh heartily should enable it to remain competitive during the busy holiday season. If so, the ongoing warfare between Disney and bitter rival DreamWorks will doubtless escalate.
In 1998, Disney and DreamWorks clashed over their respective animated creepy-crawly yarns. DreamWorks pushed up the release of Antz and enjoyed a $90.7 million hit. Weeks later, Disney/Pixar squashed Antz with A Bug's Life, which went on to make $162 million.
Disney and DreamWorks clashed again this summer, with Shrek scaring up $267.2 million vs. Atlantis' waterlogged $83.8 million. Shrek also remains the year's biggest earner, though it does now face a credible challenge from Monsters, Inc. and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.