"Mamma Mia" opens with "stunning" B.O. numbers — Page 2

Okay, this does take the cake for most inane thread and comments as others have noted. So, I'll add to the inanity.

There is no question but that Dark Knight will outgross Mamma Mia, probably world wide. Dark Knight might even be a "better" movie, but that doesn't mean anything. They are separate movies - and need to be judged as successes or failures on their own. But, Mamma Mia only needs to gross about 100M to be come profitable. Dark Knight probably has to hit 200M before it becomes profitable.

Mamma Mia is fun fluff that can be seen and enjoyed again and again. I haven't seen Dark Knight, but I watched Batman Begins only once - and I am a huge Batman fan - I have an original Marshall Rogers pastel/marker poster size picture of Batman from 78 when Rogers was the hot artist on Batman. I'll watch Dark Knight, but probably only once. I'm likely to watch Mamma Mia 3 times in the theatre.

Enjoy both for what they are.

Updated On: 7/15/08 at 12:09 AM

Did I say iconic?

Nope.

That's you putting words into someone else's mouth.

I did say it has more worldwide appeal because ABBA's following in Europe and many other continents makes any following they have in the US look like nothing.

So, yes, I stand by my non-deluded words. Do your research.

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Yes, I did say worldwide. And, while you may be under the impression that action movies do the best overseas...any information I've come across shows otherwise.

However, you may choose to believe what you wish. I will not stoop to a level of name calling to belittle what you think.

I stand by my belief that "Mamma Mia" will do quite well overseas and might even come close or even exceed what "Dark Knight" grosses. Now, I'm talking movie grosses only. Not total grosses. Because "Dark Knight" has far more possibilities for merchandising and other venues.

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Gobstopper, no, FOA is not deluded ! Both Batman and ABBA have huge followings worldwide and comparing their audiences is a big discussion that will never end ! But their followings are completely different !! By your posts, it seems to me that you are completely ignoring WOMEN who account for about 51% of the world population ! You are also ignoring people from 35 and upwards ! Batman's appeal can't be beat on the young male demographic, but I don't personally know ANY woman big into Batman, while I know plenty who love ABBA ! Maybe the TOTAL world number is bigger for Batman, but ABBA is not as lower as you think, ESPECIALLY outside the US ! I dare to say that in Europe, Japan, Australia, ABBA's following IS bigger than Batman's and that, somehow, counter-balances the HUGE appeal Batman has in the US !

Updated On: 7/15/08 at 05:33 AM

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire vs. RENT.

Mamma Mia! and the Dark Knight are two totally different animals...


I don't really understand why this is such a big deal. I don't think anyone is contesting The Dark Knight's success, but as broadway fans can't we hope Mamma Mia! will do well too? (and "well" will be different for each film, no one expects Mamma Mia! to gross more than TDK).

You compare RENT to MAMMA MIA ??????????? RENT ????? I love RENT, but first, it was a sad-themed movie executed BAD and second, in the general population, who, outside of US, has even heard of RENT ???
And there's no VS. !!! The vs. was created by all you DK obsessed ones ! NO MM fan says this is a competition, but you all stubbornly refuse to listen ! DK will be waaaay bigger, WE KNOW THAT ! So what, we should cancel ALL other movies this summer and show ONLY DK everywhere ? Would that make you happy ?Gee, I think that the DK die-hards are like the WICKED ones ! They don't listen to what others are saying, they turn everything to a competition and they repeat over and over the same tired arguments !
I loved MM and I am sure I will love DK ! I know that DK will be a huge smash hit and I HOPE that MM will be a hit, so that MORE movie musicals are produced ! I'm sorry, but what are you guys doing on a Broadway board if you don't wish success for a MUSICAL movie ??? Wouldn't you be happier on the DC Comics board ? This is getting nowhere ...

Updated On: 7/15/08 at 08:44 AM

It doe amaze me that the studios are relesing the 2 films at the same time.

Mamma Mia is doing well everywhere else as the competition for the top spot is not so heavy (with the exception of the brilliant Wall -e)

It's insane to open Mamma Mia against Batman, the hype for Batman means that more than just the regular superhero/action fans will go and see that film.Mamma Mia will suffer

However MM reviews here in the UK are nothing short of Raves

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"Now now now JP2 two can play at that game . . . . "

Aw, but you quoted the ONLY 3 negative reviews for TDK.
(Though I must say, is calling TDK sadistic and grimm really negative? I mean thats like a negative review for Hairspray saying "This film is just too happy! Booo". )

As it stands TDK has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Mamma Mia! keeps getting closer and closer to being considered rotten and is now at a 67% Fresh rating.

this thread and this argument is pointless. Nothing this year will be able to compare to the money that TDK is going to bring in, so I don't why we're trying to convince ourselves otherwise.

what I can guess is this: TDK is going to do huge (duh) in the first two weekends, and then trickle down from there, staying in the top ten for about 5 weeks, maybe six. the reason is becuase the demographic for this movie, boys 16 - late twenties will come out in droves to be the first to see the film. And as happens with action flicks, it will die down. Most action flicks have a significant drop on the second weekend, but due to the huge hype for the film, it won't drop off hugely till the third weekend.

Mamma Mia, on the other hand is shooting for the "Sex and the city Demographic", middle aged women who get together in groups and go see films together, usually NEVER on the first weekend. they take their time and see the film when they want too, usually on the second or third weekend. "SATC" was an exception to this rule, becuase the ladies LOVE Carrie and the girls, and the hype for that movie was huge among them. The "Lifetime" demographic will come, but they will be more evenly spread out across the next month than Batman will.


Summary: TDK will outgross Mia! by far. it will break records for opening weekend takes, but Mamma Mia! will have a much longer shelf life, slowly making money up to that $100 million dollar mark, and then some.

Slow and steady will not win the race, but it will make a respectable finish.

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So, now the name of the game is "cherrypicking"?

That blade cuts both ways. Some critics adore "Mamma Mia"; others loathed it.

"The most fun to be had at the movies this or any other recent summer."

"No, you've not gone to heaven. Don't exaggerate. You've ONLY just seen Mamma Mia!" The sheer zestful force of this movie will blast anyone with an ounce of fun into the aisles for an impromptu bout of Abba karaoke
his huge-heart of a movie will make money, money, money!"


"It’s really a no-brainer. The movie version of the mega-hit stage show is bound to follow its predecessor around the globe and impel audiences to dance in the aisles to the ABBA beat."

"A film that actually earns the exclamation mark that adorns its title, thanks to the exuberance that Streep and her co-stars bring to the job of reviving the rituals of the movie musical... ."


And some loathed it but since we're dragging out the reviews that make our case, here are a few less than ovationary reviews of "The Dark Knight".

"This movie is grim and jammed together. The narrative isn't shaped coherently to bring out contrasts and build toward a satisfying climax."

"The Dark Knight is constant climax; it's always in a frenzy, and it goes on forever."

"This movie is too in love with itself to make you love it."

"The Dark Knight is noisy, jumbled, and sadistic. Even its most wondrous vision—Batman’s plunges from skyscrapers, bat-wings snapping open
as he glides through the night like a human kite—can’t keep the movie airborne. There’s an anvil attached to that cape."

"...where some films can weather extraneous or padded scenes, The Dark Knight has some distracting bloat to it which keeps it out of masterpiece territory."

The critics aren't going to decide how much either of these movies make.
It will be the people all around the world.

If some critics had their way "Lawrence of Arabia" would have never seen the light of day and "Mamma Mia" would have closed at intermission.

You still seem unable to wrap your arms around the fact that ABBA is a trans-cultural phenomenon whose music is still packing theaters thirty years after the Beattles and Presley last had a record on the charts.

This is the critical variable you're leaving out of your equation. As I said, "The Dark Knight" will probably jump out to a quick lead but if you imagine that "Mamma Mia"
will sell than twice the tickets "The Devil Wpre Prada" sold ypu're missing the big picture. That would put "Mamma Mia" close to the $250m mark.

...And TDN is going to do three times that?

That's making sense?

I guess you haven't gotten around to taking the obligatory "Financing and Accounting for the Film Industry" course yet.

A final caveat: Not everything can be counted and everything that is counted doesn't
necessarily count."

I agree with those that feel "Mamma Mia!" will gross well in the long run.

"The Dark Knight" is the most anticipated film of the year and clearly will DOMINATE box offices this weekend. But after this weekend, the two films have very little competition and "Mamma Mia!" will be able to gross steady numbers alongside dreck like the new X-Files and Mummy movies.

It may not be a box office smash as "The Dark Knight" is bound to be, but I'm sure it will match "Hairspray"'s box office success at the very least, and gross over $100,000,000 domestically by the time the movie leaves theatres.