Sunday
Apr152012
Box Office: Hunger Milestones & Reader Questions
Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 2:01PM 
With the box office ever in its favor, The Hunger Games just keeps climbing the all-time charts. With $337 million in the US alone in just four weeks, it will soon outgross last year's biggest hits (Harry Potter 7.2 and Transformers 3). If it can pass Toy Story 3's $415 million it'll be the biggest hit released since (gulp) Avatar stateside.
That fire dress was prophetic. Unfortunately that movie's bonfire heat makes writing about the box office even more boring than it usually is... which is why I always gussy it up with photoshop fun & reader question games.
chart via box office mojo
So herewith...
Eight Questions
- How many times have you seen Hunger Games?
- Did you at any point want someone beside Katniss to win?
- How many times have you seen Titanic in the movie theater (then & now)?
- Have you recently snuck into a movie so you didn't have to pay for a ticket?
- What kind of movies would you fund with $337 million?
- Who are the crazy people who paid for The Three Stooges this weekend? Justify your behavior!
- With Mirror Mirror about to hit $50, has the movie made back its costume budget yet?
- What did you see this weekend?
I'll kick things off by answering in the comments. Tag, you're it.
tagged Hunger Games, Mirror Mirror, Titanic, box office
Hunger Games, Mirror Mirror, Titanic, box office
Reader Comments (36)
1. just once though i considered sneaking in a second time
2. Yes, at two points. (Rue & Peeta)
3. Four (Three then. One now)
4. Yes. Titanic this weekend... James Cameron has plentiful handfuls of my cash already from roughly everything he's ever made.
5. Five Stephen Sondheim source material films.. but only if I had total creative control on directors and casts.... and final cut privileges.
6. There is no justification for such behavior!
7. I believe the dwarf stilts are now paid for. And possibly Armie Hammer's undergarments
8. Cabin in the Woods but I'm not ready to talk about it yet. Monday or Tuesday we shall
1. I've seen Hunger Games once.
2.Yes, Peeta!
3. 6! Five then, once this weekend.
4. Never.
5. I would fund 2 more sequels to Magic Mike (yes, sight unseen) to make it into a trilogy! :)
6. Wow, no idea. Looks soooo bad.
7. Mirror, Mirror for best costume design so far this year!
8. Also saw Cabin in the Woods this weekend and I loved it. Very glad I avoided reviews or trailers! Fun fun movie.
1. Just once, though I wouldn't mind going back. Good fun!
2. Wanted Peeta to win!
3. 3 times then (a first for me back then) and twice now (though the number of times I've seen it at home is endless). I will probably go back one more time before this run ends!
4. Haven't done that in a long time!
5. Would love to see some Indian epics brought to life -- we have very rich source material to draw from, but sadly no one seems up to the task or maybe filmmakers are too scared to alter people's perceptions about these (mostly) religious stories.
6. I still can't believe people went to see that!
7. LOL... yet to see that one!
8. Didn't catch anything in the theatres but watched Sunset Blvd. for the first time! GLORIA SWANSON! My jaw is on the floor. As a double bill, I followed it up with Mulholland Dr. for the gazillionth time... it's inching closer to "My favorite movie" status (current champion: Manhattan)
1. Once
2. Fox Face would have been a nice winner
3. Twice in 1998, once now
4. I pay 18 euros a month to watch every movie I want to in the cinema, so there's no need to sneak in
5. Defenitely an epic version of Michael Chabon's Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. And with the change I'd sponsor just about anything Terry Gilliam wants to make.
6. Just your basic 'insert brain here' moviegoer I guess
7. Not by a mile
8. Since I live in Europe I had the pleasure to watch Battlleship. Sure it is dumb, but it is dumb FUN!
I watched some of my favorite "Persona" parts yesterday
-> reminded myself why that film is one of my favorites ever!
-> was actually surprised by how a 1966 film can stand the test of time so flawlessly
Sid -- interesting choice on #5. It's true that the movies don't have as much diversity of stories as you'd think there'd be with hundreds being made each year all over the world.
Travis -- #5 seconded. although I've already spent so much money on those imaginary musicals that I shall declare Magic Mike #2 to have a costume budget of $00.00 because who wants to see clothes in that movie?
1. Twice! I appreciated it more the second time around since I was too focused the first time around comparing it to the book.
2. In the book, Peeta. In the film, possibly Rue.
3. I've only seen the film twice (once then and once now in 3D) but plenty of times at home.
4. That's how I saw last year's Attack the Block. But I bought the DVD later to assuage my guilt.
5. Maybe I'll try to convince Joss Whedon to do a Serenity sequel or just bring back Firefly on TV.
6. Thankfully I don't know any of those people.
7. Most likely not.
8. Nothing in theaters, but I was tempted to see Cabin in the Woods because of Whedon and the crazy good reviews. Maybe next week. I did re-watch Fellowship of the Rings with some friends though.
1. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I've seen it four times. I'm one of the book's raving fanboys.
2. Officially, no (even if I have an unpleasant and difficult-to-explain fondness for Cato).
3. I've yet to see Titanic since it came out. Its original release though, came right at the perfect time for me, and I ended up seeing it ten (yup, ten) nights in a row, plus four other times besides.
4. Never snuck into a movie, actually.
5. Hmm...I think I'd hire Alfonso Cuaron to make the Star Wars prequels we deserved.
6. The fact that this movie exists (and is somewhat successful) just makes me sad.
7. It's made just enough money to buy a reasonable dress for Julia Roberts and her inevitable GG nomination.
8. Cabin in the Woods. Further proof that Joss Whedon is a demigod. I'll never understand why Wrath of the Titans wasn't just Joss romping around, slaying minotaurs and other assorted Big Bads with one-liners and sarcasm.
1. Once, a friend asked me to go with her for a second time, but I declined. Enjoyed it but not gonna pay for it twice!
2. I guess the only character I ever wanted to win other than Katniss was Rue.
3. I've seen Titanic a total of 1 time(s) in theaters, but my friends want to go see it in 3D before it leaves so maybe it will be 2.
4. It's been ages since I snuck into a movie so I wouldn't have to pay for it. I think it might have been...Sweeney Todd? Way back in '07. That was mainly because I wasn't 17 at the time.
5. 337 million? Hoo boy. That's tough. I guess I would divvy it up between filmmakers that don't work enough and give them extra motivation. Specifically among many others Wong Kar-Wai, Jane Campion, Lynne Ramsay, and Todd Haynes.
6. I don't even have words.
7. Nope, that 50 mil only barely covered the ball scene and Julia's red dress.
8. Saw Cabin in the Woods because I gotta support my Joss. Really had a lot of fun, though I don't think it's AMAZING. A solid B. Went with 2 friends and they thought it was a waste of time, I guess they were expecting scarier and not so deconstructive. It really does deflate in those last 5 minutes though. Trying to avoid spoilers but when a very famous actress made a cameo appearance I was like she had like an identical cameo in a movie last year too.
Also, was I the only one that kept getting constantly reminded of Season 4 and 7 of Buffy?
1. 2!
2. No point really cause I'd read the books before, although no way, Katniss is SUCH a power bitch! I LOVE her!
3. 8 times in 1998, 0 so far in 2012 :(
4. Nah, although I did buy a children's 3D ticket the other day and nobody said anything.
5. 337 $1 million indies like "Weekend" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene".
6. *shrugs*
7. Eiko's work was priceless anyway.
8. My "Trip to the Moon" Blu-ray, "Blithe Spirit" and "30 Rock"
1-Once.
2- Not Really.
3-Twice. Once when I was twelve and last Tuesday with a friend (who never got to see it in theaters).
4-Haven't done that since I was 17.
5-My own, lol.
6-I thought about seeing it but I passed... for now...
7-Probably not.
8-Cabin In The Woods. Thought it was pretty good.
1- Zero
2. I really don't care about "Hunger Game"
3. I saw it once- I'm curious about the 3-D edtion
4. Not yet
5.There are lots of good books that could make better movies than most of the crap that gets made these days.
6. Fans of slapstick comedy- bring back Abott and Costello
7. Does this mean Julia Robert's movie career is over?!
8. "Cabin in the Woods"- which was neither scary or funny just pointless.
1. One time
2. Foxface and Ru played amazing games. They both could have won (one or the other, not together) if Peeta and Katniss just died like good little District 12 tributes.
3. Never
4. Never. I pay for double features
5. A series of slow burn anthology horror series with great character actors in leading roles.
6. Not I, said the fly.
7. Weren't costumes the whole budget?
8. Nothing. I was prepping for a music audition/interview that went well.
The real question—Is it too late for Guy Pearce to be a leading man and successful at the boxoffice? Sure Lockout is garbage but the public seem to line up for this stuff constantly.
1. Once.
2. You a meanie. No.
3. Once in the theater and once on a flight.
4. Never.
5. I would take the money and finance creative people with great track records, focusing on women filmmakers.
6. NOT. ME.
7. Maybe.
8. Believe it or not, I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show. There was a reunion of the 8th Street Playhouse 1980s cast and, being one such crazy person from way back when, I was there.
1. Once
2. No, but that was probably because it would be pointless - we all know that girl's surviving
3. Zero
4. No
5. My husband's :)
6. Would never pay to see that.
7. ....
8. The Cabin in the Woods. Really liked it. :)
1. How many times have you seen Hunger Games?
Zero
2. Did you at any point want someone beside Katniss to win?
.... probably
3. How many times have you seen Titanic in the movie theater (then & now)?
Twice
4. Have you recently snuck into a movie so you didn't have to pay for a ticket?
Nope
5. What kind of movies would you fund with $337 million?
I would fund ten directors to make whatever the hell they wanted.
6. Who are the crazy people who paid for The Three Stooges this weekend? Justify your behavior!
Serously
7. With Mirror Mirror about to hit $50, has the movie made back its costume budget yet?
Heh
8. What did you see this weekend?
The Housemaid (2011) and Breaking Upwards (2009/10)
1. Once, though I'll probably go see it again when it hits the dollar theater.
2. If I hadn't already read the book, I think I'd still root for Katniss.
3. Three times then/Haven't and will never see it in 3D. Too many hours of my life already spent on that one.
4. Never snuck into a movie before...but I make it a point to sneak in my own snacks.
5. Oh man...I'd say give it to a few directors that I love that probably don't get that kind of money to work with...but at the same time I think they work fine without the money. They don't need that kind of money with the way they work...although maybe they would beg to differ, and want the opportunity...so okay half to one of my faves, should they be interested, and the other half to indie filmmakers, with security that the films will make it into mainstream theaters to divert people who actually went to see the Three Stooges.
6. They don't know any better?
7. I don't know much about Mirror Mirror...not interested I guess.
8. Just got back from Cabin in the Woods. Joss makes me so happy! I love smiling through a scary movie.
1. Once
2. No, but there's a character in the second book who I constantly root for.
3. Once then when I was too young to understand "the scene", a dozen of times in between, and then once again in IMAX now. The sound made it so powerful. Too powerful. James Cameron is my favorite filmmaker. I said it.
4. Not recently... A couple of years ago we bought tickets for Prince of Persia but went to see Shrek 4 instead because we couldn't justify giving the Shrek people our money. Not that we could really justify giving Bruckheimer our money either...
5. I would become Jason Reitman's sole film producer.
6. I know none of those idiots.
7. So wait, should I see Mirror Mirror?
8. Titanic IMAX on Friday night and Cabin in the Woods on Saturday night. A good movie going weekend for sure.
Also, funny typo re: Mirror Mirror.
5. The Hunger Games has currently made Lionsgate about $170 million. With money like that, I'd suggest a full three to four adaptation of Gravity's Rainbow. But with all the perverted sex and wildly surreal content in it that's just proof I wouldn't be good as a Hollywood producer.
1. I have seen The Hunger Games once.
2. I didn't really want anyone else besides Katniss to win. The other characters were either too simplistically malicious on one end or too thinly drawn on the other to inspire tangential allegiances.
3. I saw Titanic once in the theaters when it came out initially. I was in the sixth grade. Saw it with my mom and my sister. It was my idea. Mom tried to cover my eyes when Kate Winslet's boobs first appeared. It was weird.
4. The last movie I saw without a ticket purchase was Three Kings but that's only because my friends and I were too young to get in. We bought tickets to The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland and snuck into the former about five minutes in.
5. I'd sit down with Lynne Ramsay and work out a five picture deal (at least five pictures) because girl is too talented and makes films way too rarely. Fact. I wouldn't fund any sequels, or previously filmed adaptations. To parrot Frances McDormand's Oscar speech, I'd make "autonomous casting choices." In short, if I had $337 million, I would bankrupt a studio.
6. Search me.
7. I...I don't like Lily Collins. I can't explain it beyond those bitchy terms, but I'm not really rooting for her to "happen." Am I evil? I don't hate her, but I'm not taken with her in any way. Beige upon beige upon beige.
8. I didn't go to the theater this weekend, but I watched Last Tango in Paris for the first time. Planning on seeing Damsels in Distress sometime this week.
1. Just Once
2. Nope, only Katniss.
3. Once then, once this week. (I was never on the Leo bandwagon, but damn he was beautiful back then.)
4. Not recently, only once. THELMA & LOUISE when I was a teen. Turned out to be my fave movie ever.
5. Fifteen to Seventeen reasonably budgeted, character based films with women in leading roles.
6. Not me.
7. Sorry, they look tacky to me.
8. A couple of docs, BULLY and THE ISLAND PRESIDENT. Saw CABIN a couple of weeks ago, meh.
1. once, though i've revisited bits and pieces from doing theater checks at work.
2. Caesar Flickerman
3. Only twice, both times this release. My mother wouldn't let me see it during its first run b/c of the breasts.
4. I work at a movie theater, so I get four passes a day. No sneaking around for me anymore! Think the last time I did this was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
5. A sweeping biblical epic with real horses, real extras, real sets.
6. Jeff Wells
7. Was the costume budget large? I always imagined Ishioka used limited means to create limitless wonders.
8. Cabin in the Woods. Love it the more I think about it.
1, Once
2. No, the film did a good job of making Katniss somebody you root for above all others. I would've even forgiven her if she killed Peeta to survive.
3. Once in the theater, but who the hell knows how many times on TV. There are two movies I stop to watch anytime they're on: Titanic and Showgirls. I have no idea why, maybe it's because they both have simple concepts that suck me in.
4. I've actually never done that.
5. I'd make sure all my favorite auteurs got to make their passion projects.
I saw The Debt this weekend...my second Jessica Chastain movie outside of The Help (I know I have a lot more to go)...from what I saw, now that I have two vastly different roles to compare, she is definitely the real deal.
Also saw The Descendants...finely crafted, written, and acted...but I can see why it had its detractors...the story really isn't all that mind-alteringingly interesting...I love SID!
1. None
2. Who? Nope, I haven't caught up with the whole Hunger Games thing. i only know it's Jennifer Lawrence looking teenage Lara Croft.
3. None. By now, I've come to terms I'll never watch that movie, and that's fine.
4. No, I'd die if I happened to be caught.
5. Maybe it's too obvious, but good ones.
6. True story: I have no idea who those Stooges are. I only learned about their existence through this movie. I suppose they didn't make it internationally as other comedians of that time? (Laurel & Hardy, the Marx Bros)
7. Hee, just Roberts' by now, they're hoping to recover the one spent on Collins hair (ahem) and makeup.
8. [REC3] Génesis. Love it. There's nothing like a theatre to see a horror movie.
1. Once
2. NO!
3. Sadly zero, as I was like 6 when it came out the first time. I will be going to see it though in its re-release but it's difficult to find showtimes in 2D!
4. Duh.
5. I really have no idea.
6. EXCELLENT question! I didn't even know this was coming out this weekend.
7. Who cares, SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN PLZ
8. The Cabin in the Woods. Would have been Titanic but the only 2D showing was at 10am...hate 3D.
The last time I had a two for one was Source Code plus Your Highness. So glad the first one was good enough to cover my loath for the latter.
I just saw The Raid. So proud as an Indonesian that a film from my home country could make it here and it felt so weird listening to the original dialogue instead of reading the subtitles.
Nathaniel,
Are you going to seek out A Simple Life? It just swept the HK film awards (pic, director, actor, actress, screenplay). And Deanie Yip is truly marvelous here. See it!
1. Just the once-I mean, it was pretty good (Lawrence was the best part), but I just don't get how it has made THIS MUCH money. And the Oscar talk on some parts of the internet-really?
2. Not really-I remembered wanting multiple people to win, but always Katniss amongst them.
3. 4-Three then, once now, and probably one more time before it sets sail again-a record for a movie in theaters for me.
4. Absolute blasphemy-though I proudly hold an AMC Stubs card which got me into a movie when I hit my $10 recently.
5. I'd give a third to Terry Malick, a third to Alfonso Cuaron, and a third to me-I think with that kind of money I'd be able to make a good one. At the very least I'll cast myself opposite of Ryan Gosling in a kissing scene, so money well-spent!
6. Truly devoted Jennifer Hudson fans...and people who thought it was remake of the original series in 3-D?
7. They've probably recovered Julia's portion at this point. Armie Hammer had far too many clothes on, so it's their own darn fault on that one.
8. All About Eve and Children of Men and the first season of The Big C-heaven all.
1. Once. No need to see it a second time.
2. Not really; during the book there might have been a split second when I wanted Peeta or Rue to win, but I was too invested in Katniss to ever fully commit to anyone else.
3. I think I only saw it once back then (might have been twice but I don't think so), and once now.
4. NEVER. Although I did once ask for money back after a particularly horrid film and got it.
5. I'd use it all to restore classic films and re-release them on screens nationwide.
6. Your guess is as good as mine... Sean Hayes fans?
7. lol. Haven't seen it but those costumes do look fantastic. Maybe I should try to sneak in?
8. Saw Titanic 3D this weekend, dragging my man and his mother with me. We had all forgotten just how good it was. And then took my grandmother to see Jersey Boys on Broadway for her birthday, which was surprisingly good.
1. just once, really enjoyed it though!
2. Nope, Katniss looking goooooood.
3. Once, back in the day. Tempted to see it again but 3D for that long may make me go crazy.
4. No. Its way to hard in LA. There are ushers everywhere/
5. Super sexy robot movies.
6. It is a NYtime critics pic....
7. Oh poor mirror.
8. CAbin in the Woods just to not get spoiled. It was good.
1. I've seen "The Hunger Games" twice, although I believe the 2nd viewing wasn't as fun as the first. I love Lawrence in it. Think the best thing about the movie is Tucci.
2. I wanted BOTH her and Peeta to win. Not just Katniss or Peeta only.
3. I've watched "Titanic" a total of 6 times in the theater. Twice in 3D and still love the film. Make me fall in love with Kate & Leo all over again. IN fact these two are still two of my favorite actors today. I'll gladly watch it in 3D the third time if someone is willing to go with me.
4. Nope.
5. A movie that stars Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Steep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad PItt and Tom Cruise in it! Don't care what the movie is about. I'm in!
6. o.O Will never know...
7. Probably not! BUt it's definitely receiving as Oscar Nom for costume though.
8. Battleship! And that movie sucked.
1. 1
2. ***SPOILERS*** Rue would have been an interesting choice, but once I realized Peeta would pair with Katniss again, I knew Rue was a goner. (It still doesn't make sense to me that the assassin took out a little girl rather than their #1 competitor, but whatever.)
3. Only once, actually. I remember loving the last hour. It's not one of my favorites, and I'm still bitter it won over so many great films that year.
4. Oh sure. It usually happens when I have two I want to see, especially when the first one isn't that great.
5. $337 million - Wow. The sad thing is it makes me think sequels, but I really don't like many sequels. Since I don't read as much these days, let's go with favorites from years back: A modern version of The Big Four from Agatha Christie, set up with new names action style and directed by Christopher Nolan (who would make some major changes - or maybe Tarantino?); a TV series based on Clue (the board game - I was a mystery-obsessed kid); and then I would find a way to make a film version of The Brothers Karamazov that is worth seeing (directed by... hmm... well, I've got millions, I'd have time to think that through). Casts: I could be here all day.
6. Not it!
7. Nope, but Julia is still laughing.
8. I went to 21 Jump Street and Cabin in the Woods, both of them awesome. I really liked The Hunger Games too, so this year's doing really well so far. Bring on Magic Mike (and Channing Tatum)!
1) Once. I liked the film, but it wasn't one that i'd re-watch instantly. Maybe in a few months.
2) Nope. Katniss for the win! Book Peeta? maybe. Movie Peeta? not so much (though i have no problem with Josh)
3)Theater? Once. TV and DVD? Countless. I *always* get suckered in to watching the whole movie when its on TV. It always seems to play when i have something to do. The night before a big exam, i wound up watching an entire broadcast instead of studying. That's 3 hours PLUS commercials. don't know how i made it through college.
4) I do this so often. Not lately, but alot. Especially if i have time to kill. I used to schedule movies. I would look to see when my first movie would end and choose a second movie based on what time it started after the end of the first movie.
5) BAZ LUHRMANN'S. But that would come with strings attached such as very strict deadlines and cutting his time between movies in half.
6) I know NO ONE who has seen that movie, so i'm convinced that the studios attached money to each film reel they sent out.
7) Just about. That probably covers Julia Roberts' chunk of the costumes.
8) Nothing, actually. How sad is that? Just been busy, i guess.