DARK KNIGHT already beats out MAMMA MIA...

[Weez]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:55pm

If they're meant for two different audiences, why am I seeing both?

I swear, the only movies I see anymore are musicals or comic book adaptations. Next up; 'Watchmen' and 'Nine'!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:51pm

Well there's no possible way that any movie will beat out The Dark Knight. It's an incredible movie, but I think a lot of people - like me - will be seeing two movies this weekend.

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:47pm

The midnight screenings alone brought in an estimated $18.5 million dollars. That is a lot for one screening in many theaters.

I hope that Mamma Mia still does well. AND please, do not harp on me by saying these movies are for TWO DIFFERENT AUDIENCES...I agree they are, but I am comparing simply based on MOVIE to MOVIE competition.


http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b147111_dark_knights_record_midnight_madness.html?sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:33pm

I think Mamma Mia will do okay, but nothing is going to get close to the Dark Knight. Not only was the last Batman movie successful, it also has the late Heath Ledger, which I'm sure everyone knows.

yeah..

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:58pm

Yup. I'm seeing both films this weekend (yes, MAMMA MIA! for the 3rd time), so I guess I missed the memo regarding THE DARK KNIGHT vs. MAMMA MIA!.

Sorry.

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 5:58pm

I said that about "two different audiences" because people have been harping so much how they are, and I was only protecting myself so i wont get yelled at. But I know I will and, to be honest, I am seeing both as well.

[eden fan]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:47pm

I already saw Mamma Mia. I got bored after the first half hour. No I did not see the Broadway show but most people seeing this also didn't see the Broadway show.

I'm seeing The Dark Knight on Wednesday in IMAX in Manhattan and I cannot wait!!

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:51pm

and rightfully so.


have you seen Mamma Mia? it's atrocious.

Streep. SIgfeid and the score is the saving grace of this really horrible film adaptation of a fun campy stage show.
Pierce Brosnan needs to never open his mouth again. ANd some of the film shots are horrendous, blurry and incoherent. out of sync.
The editing and the photography of the film killed it for me.

There is no way anything will come close to the Dark Knight.

I also believe Mamma Mia will come in at #3 or #4 at best. if that.

i saw both.

Dark Knight at 11am (packed house)

Mamma Mia at 3:30pm (1/2 full) with old old old ladies..and a few husbands dreading that they were there.

If you want to see High School Musical meets Sex and The City in Greece,...go see Mamma Mia.

If you want to see a carefully scripted epic film with an amazing well acted cast, with enough drama, action, adventure and plenty of potential oscar contentions....go see The Dark Knight.

[sally1112]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 6:58pm

"If you want to see High School Musical meets Sex and The City in Greece"

Boy do I! That would be the best movie ever!

[Weez]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:00pm

I want to see Dominic Cooper's sixpack and maybe hear some ABBA tunes being sung by ladies and butchered by men. Where do I sign?

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:01pm

it's exactly that....but without the humor, tact or nerve.

[Eagleman]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:21pm

The Dark Knight did $18m on 4300 screens. The magnitude of release is
unprecedented.

Mamma Mia!" grossed $24 million on only 1,368 screens in the U.K. alone. In the U.S.
"Mamma Mia" will open on about 3,000 screens.

Given the disparate number of venues (4,300/3,000) you're still probably looking at "Mamma Mia" exceeding $30m in the U.S. this weekend.

As I suggested, I expected "The Dark Knight" to open with a vengeance if only because it would be released on 4,300 screens.

TDK also has a major edge in "fanboys" who would think nothing of camping out on sidewalks for 4 hours with their iPods at midnight last night while the "Mamma Mia!" crowd would be asleep at 1:00 a.m., closing the office on Friday afternoon, and watching soccer and little league games for the better part of the weekend.

Let's see what happens worldwide over the long haul.

[Jon]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:33pm

Most of the theatres showing Dark Knight in the Chicago area are reporting all shows SOLD OUT through Sunday.

The IMAX theatre is sold out through Tuesday - with eight shows a day. Yes, even the 3 AM and 6 AM shows are sold out.

[Eagleman]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:44pm

"even the 3 AM and 6 AM shows are sold out."

Exactly.

Who is going to be there at 3:00 a.m. in the morning? Think about the demographic. Is it going to be people younger than 16 or older than 25--the former group who no responsible parent would allow up or out that late and the latter group who will be deep in REM sleep, three or four hours away from the alarm going off?

More than likely it will be the same crowd who brought umbrellas to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" every Friday night for four years.

It's not the ultimate demographic to go by,

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:44pm

"Streep. SIgfeid and the score is the saving grace of this really horrible film adaptation of a fun campy stage show"

are you kidding???? yes to Meryl but sigfeid is bland, cute as a button but bland

This film is saved by Streep, Baranski but most of all Julie Walters

[Jon]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:48pm

Based onthe evening news, there's a lot of guys in Joker make-up, Two-Face make-up, and other costumes.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 7:50pm

I don't understand why this is a surprise or even a discussion. I did show up for Mamma Mia (don't know why), and I will not see Dark Knight. However, I know plenty people that probably will see both.

The question is who really cares? Not me.

I'm amazed at the reaction for a Batman movie, but whatever. To each his own. If people have seen my posts about my favorite things I'm sure people are amazed at my comments.

[Copeman63]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 8:46pm

Wow! I just read that the Super Bowl beat out the Season Premiere of Desperate Housewives! Holy crap! That must mean that the Super Bowl is better...

Hmm, turns out Hairspray, Rent, Dreamgirls, Chicago, Phantom and even Moulin Rogue didn't open at number 1. I will see The Dark Knight, but I'm willing to bet that a good chunk of the hype is because of Mr. Ledger's passing.

Three things are a sure bet this weekend:
-The Dark Knight will be #1.
-Heath Ledger aint Jack Nicholson.
-Christine is gonna steal the show.

[Eagleman]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:09pm

There is no doubt that The Dark Knight is going to come roaring out of the gate but
it has some built in liabilities.

First, unlike the record-holding "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel, this is NOT a family-friendly movie.

Second, "Mamma Mia"'s numbers opening night in the U.K. were otherworldly: $13million on only 425 screens!

That's about 10% of the screens TDN opened at. Now, that may be some statistical aberration but it is almost incomprehensible.

The people who will see this movie are NOT the kind who will buy tickets more than a few hours in advance, nor are they the type that will squat on sidewalks at 3:00 a.m. in the morning. They are by and large saddled with work and family obligations
that will permit them to take the family out at night or during the weekend if other
activities don't preclude that.

That's what makes the U.K. numbers so impressive. While many people have been
waiting to see "Mamma Mia" they will not fit their schedule around it, nor are they in any hurry to see it

"The Dark Knight" clearly has built into its promotional strategy a sense of urgency
knowing the audience the movie will appeal to are the same who will wait in line
for eight hours for the new ipod.

There is something called "the longtail". A large number of people will buy the new ipod the first week but many, many more will be bought after the initial spasm of buying has run its course.

The audience "Mamma Mia" will draw will be largely one that is used to waiting weeks or months for theater tickets and will see the movie after more pressing matters arexdisposed of.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:14pm

I'm sure there will be MANY who are seeing The Dark Night several times.

And while Pirates of the Carribean wasn't a violent movie, I certainly don't think that was a family-friendly movie.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:45pm

I'm really sorry guys but I think this is one of the most POINTLESS threads to ever appear on this board !!! I mean, even the title is stupid !
WHO IN THE UNIVERSE THOUGHT OTHERWISE ?????
The DK will be the biggest hit of the year ! Of course it will trump MAMMA MIA's BO on the first, second and maybe third weekend ! SO WHAT ????? MM will be a very succesful film too FOR ITS KIND !
I'm even more surprised by people who respond to this thread saying that DK is doing great business here and there... Who would have thought ???
I mean, really, DrTheatre, don't you have ANYTHING else to discuss besides that movie ??? I AM SICK OF READING ABOUT THE DARK NIGHT ON A BROADWAY MAIN BOARD !!!
Rant over !

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 9:45pm

BOTH films are going to do extremely well, both this weekend and in the coming weeks.

I think it's pretty obvious that The Dark Knight is going to not only take the opening weekend, but break all kinds of records as well.

Mamma Mia! will do pretty well, though, this weekend with an alternate crowd and also with the folks that want to catch both(like myself!) as others have pointed out.

[JP2]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 10:32pm

"If they're meant for two different audiences, why am I seeing both?

I swear, the only movies I see anymore are musicals or comic book adaptations. Next up; 'Watchmen' and 'Nine'! "

Hahah, too true. They are literally my 2 favorite genre of films. People think I'm nuts when they look at my DVD/Bluray collection and see X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman, Hairspray, Chicago, Little Shop Of Horrors, Hellboy, Dreamgirls...

LOL.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 10:41pm

Apparently, very early estimates are that TDK earned roughly $60 million dollars today which means it will open to somewhere around $150 million after the weekend is over (should be interesting to see if it beats SPIDERMAN 3...it'll be a close race). And no one ever suspected that MAMMA MIA! would beat out TDK in terms of box office receipts. As long as the sky is blue and the grass is green, THE DARK KNIGHT will be the clear champion of this weekend's box office.

But expect MAMMA MIA! to open to roughly $26 million which isn't half bad at all.

[Eagleman]

Posted: 7/18/08 at 11:44pm

The studio execs are projecting $90m for The Dark Knight" this weekend. Apparently
they are either trying to dampen giddy expectations or have information at their disposal which would suggest otherwise.