DarkMode/LightMode
Light Mode

Box Office Analysis, June 1: Fish Rule!

Finding Nemo, Pixar Animation Studios’ little movie about a fish, netted a briny $70.6 million* take at the box office this weekend, posting the best opening ever for an animated film. The feature, distributed by Walt Disney Co., also became Disney and Pixar’s fifth No.1 opening and the biggest opening for any Disney film–live or animated.

Finding Nemo bumped Disney and Pixar’s previous No. 1 opener Monsters, Inc., which opened in November 2001 to the tune of $62.5 million. The studios’ three other collaborations also debuted at the top of the box office, including Toy Story 2, which opened in November 1995 with $57.3 million, followed by A Bug’s Life, which premiered with $33.1 million in November 1998. Toy Story, their first project, opened in November 1995 with $ 29.1 million.

Together, Disney and Pixar’s computer animated films have generated ticket sales totaling more than $1.7 billion worldwide.

- Advertisement -

Driven by Finding Nemo and Bruce Almighty, the top 12 films this weekend grossed $165 million–up more than 41 percent from this time last year.

THE TOP TEN

Buena Vista/Disney and Pixar Animation Studios’ G rated computer-animated feature Finding Nemo debuted at the top of the box office this weekend with an ESTIMATED take of $70.6 million at 3,374 theaters. Its $20,925 per theater average was the highest of any film playing this week.

The animated pic revolves around a clownfish in the Great Barrier Reef who is looking for his son, Nemo.

Directed and co-written by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, it features the voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe and Brad Garrett.

Universal Pictures’ PG-13 Bruce Almighty dropped a notch to No. 2 in its second week with an ESTIMATED $35.6 million (-48%) at 3,492 theaters (+9 theaters; $10,195 per theater average). Its cume is approximately $135.7 million.

- Advertisement -

Directed by Tom Shadyac, it stars Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman.

Paramount Pictures’ PG-13 rated actioner The Italian Job debuted in third place with an ESTIMATED $19.3 million at 2,633 theaters with an impressive $7,330 per theater average.

In the movie, a mastermind thief and his crew pull off what they think is an amazing gold bullion heist–but one of them turns out to be a double-crosser.

Directed by F. Gary Gray, it stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def and Edward Norton.

Warner Bros.’ R rated sci-fi sequel The Matrix Reloaded came in fourth in its third week with an ESTIMATED $15 million (-62%) at 3,453 theaters (-150 theaters; $4,356 per theater). Its cume is approximately $232 million.

Directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, it stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving.

- Advertisement -

Sony Pictures’ PG-rated Daddy Day Care dropped to No. 5 in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $6.8 million (-51%) at 3,128 theaters (-344 theaters; $2,174 per theater). Its cume is approximately $81.9 million and headed for the $100 million mark.

Directed by Steve Carr, it stars Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Steve Zahn, Regina King and Anjelica Huston.

Twentieth Century Fox’s comic book sequel X2: X-Men United moved down two spots to sixth place in its fifth week of release with an ESTIMATED $5 million (-52%) at 2,553 theaters (-534 theaters; $1,984 per theater average). Its cume is approximately $199.2 million.

Directed by Bryan Singer, it stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.

*Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc.

Twentieth Century Fox’s R rated horror thriller Wrong Turn premiered in seventh place with an ESTIMATED $5 million in 1,615 theaters with a decent $3,102 per theater average.

The film revolves around a group that gets stranded on a dirt road deep in the wood of West Virginia and faces a horrific fate at the hands of gruesome mountain men.

Directed by Rob Schmidt, it stars Desmond Harrington, Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Jeremy Sisto.

Warner Bros.’ PG-13 The In-Laws dropped three notches to No. 8 in its second week with an ESTIMATED $3.6 million (-50%) in 2,652 theaters (unchanged; $3,443 per theater average). Its cume is approximately $14.4 million.

Directed by Andrew Fleming, it stars Michael Douglas, Albert Brooks, Candice Bergen, Ryan Reynolds and Lindsay Sloane.

Twentieth Century Fox’s PG-13 romantic comedy Down With Love came in ninth with an ESTIMATED $1.5 million (-61%) in 1,300 theaters (-818 theaters; $1,212 per theater). Its cume is approximately $17.1 million.

Directed by Peyton Reed, it stars Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor and David Hyde Pierce.

Fox Searchlight’s PC-13 rated comedy Bend It Like Beckham made it back to the Top 10 this week with an estimated $1 million (-41%) at 491 theaters (-31 theaters; $2,088 per theater). Its cume is approximately $19.1 million.

Directed by Gurinder Chadha, it stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

OTHER OPENINGS

MGM and United Arists’ PG rated drama Together debuted in limited release to an ESTIMATED $66,000 in six theaters with a $11,000 per theater average.

The film revolves around a 13-year-old music prodigy and his father, a chef who has put all of his hopes on his son’s success. Together they set out for Beijing so the boy can further his studies.

Directed by Chen Kaige, it stars Tang Yun, Liu Peiqui, Chen Hong and Wang Zhiwen.

WEEKEND COMPARISON

The Top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $165.4 million, up 5.7 percent from last week when they totaled $156.9 million.

The Top 12 were up a whopping 41.7 percent from last year when they totaled $116.7 million.

Last year, Paramount’s PG-13 rated Sum of All Fears premiered at the top of the box office with $31.1 million at 3,183 theaters ($9,795 per theater); Fox’s PG rated Star Wars: Episode II–Attack of the Clones came in second in its third week with $21 million at 3,161 theaters ($6,644 per theater); and Sony’s PG-13 rated Spider-Man came in third in its fifth week with $14.3 million at 3,646 theaters ($3,927 per theater).

- Advertisement -