Grosses

'Star Trek Into Darkness' Leads Weekend, But Opens Below PredecessorMay 19, 2013 08:51 AM

by Daniel Garris

Paramount's Star Trek Into Darkness opened in first place this weekend with an estimated $70.56 million. However, the second installment of the re-launched sci-fi series opened significantly below wide-spread expectations, including those of the studio. Star Trek Into Darkness also failed to match the $75.20 million opening weekend take of 2009's Star Trek (which bumps up to $79.20 million when including the $4 million that film earned from late night Thursday screenings). While a sequel opening slightly below its predecessor isn't the end of the world, it is especially underwhelming in this case given that Star Trek Into Darkness had the added advantage of higher priced 3D admissions this time around and was following in the footsteps of a very well received previous film.

After grossing an additional $13.54 million on Thursday (which included $2 million from Wednesday night IMAX showings), Star Trek Into Darkness has grossed $84.09 million through four days of release. The last minute release date change clearly hurt the film's Thursday performance, which made the film's weekend performance even that more important. Through four days of release, Star Trek Into Darkness is running 3 percent behind the $86.71 million take of Star Trek, 33 percent behind the $125.18 million four-day start of 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and 50 percent stronger than the $55.93 million four-day take of 2009's Terminator Salvation.

Within the softer than expected start, there were some promising signs for Star Trek Into Darkness this weekend. On the heels of Friday's $22.06 million performance, the film did increase a healthy 25 percent on Saturday to gross $27.5 million and is estimated to have an opening weekend to Friday ratio of 3.20 to 1. The film's A rating on CinemaScore was also an encouraging early sign. With that said, holding up well going forward will be no easy task for the film given the upcoming competition it will soon be facing from Universal's Fast & Furious 6, Warner's The Hangover Part III and to a lesser extent Sony's After Earth. The upcoming competition from Fast & Furious 6 and The Hangover Part III likely had an effect on Star Trek Into Darkness already this weekend, as moviegoers anticipating either or both of those films may have simply decided to pass on Star Trek Into Darkness. The continued strength of Disney's Iron Man 3 certainly isn't helping matters for Star Trek Into Darkness either.

It should be noted that Star Trek Into Darkness is performing stronger than its predecessor overseas. After grossing $40 million this weekend, Star Trek Into Darkness has grossed $80.5 million to date overseas. That places the early global total for Star Trek Into Darkness at $164.6 million.

Iron Man 3 fell 51 percent to place in second this weekend with an estimated $35.18 million. Given the new competition Iron Man 3 faced from Star Trek Into Darkness, this weekend's hold was quite respectable. It could also be a sign of the blockbuster superhero sequel being able to display solid holding power going forward, even in the face of increased competition. In comparison, 2010's Iron Man 2 fell 49 percent in its third weekend to gross $26.36 million, while last year's Marvel's The Avengers fell 46 percent to take in $55.64 million. Iron Man 3 has grossed a terrific $337.07 million through 17 days of release. That places the film 34 percent ahead of the $251.03 million 17-day take of Iron Man 3 and 26 percent behind the $457.67 million 17-day gross of The Avengers.

Iron Man 3 added $40.2 million to its overseas haul this weekend. That brings the film's overseas total to $736.2 million and current global haul to a mighty $1.073 billion.

Warner's The Great Gatsby displayed respectable holding power as well this weekend. The Baz Luhrmann directed film starring Leonardo DiCaprio fell 53 percent to place in third with an estimated $23.42 million. The Great Gatsby continues to exceed expectations with a ten-day start of $90.16 million. That places The Great Gatsby 19 percent ahead of the $75.54 million ten-day take of 2010's Shutter Island (which fell 45 percent in its second weekend to gross $22.67 million). Going forward, The Great Gatsby will hope to continue to serve as an alternative to the early summer's various action fare.

The Great Gatsby launched overseas this weekend; grossing $42.1 million from 49 foreign territories. That places the film's current global haul at $132.3 million.

Weekend Actuals (Domestic) Fri, Jul. 16 - Sun, Jul. 18

Wide (1000+)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1Inception$62,785,337--3,792--$16,557$62,785,3371Warner Bros.
2Despicable Me$32,803,660-42%3,50125$9,370$118,434,5552Universal
3The Sorcerer's Apprentice$17,619,622--3,504--$5,028$24,708,0591Disney
4The Twilight Saga: Eclipse$13,420,480-58%4,001-467$3,354$264,791,8973Summit
5Toy Story 3$11,998,276-43%3,177-576$3,777$362,965,3785Disney
6Grown Ups$9,911,016-37%3,074-389$3,224$129,165,3574Sony / Columbia
7The Last Airbender$7,755,153-53%2,805-398$2,765$115,138,6073Paramount
8Predators$7,016,502-72%2,6690$2,629$40,300,5432Fox
9Knight and Day$3,608,021-53%1,925-703$1,874$69,117,4004Fox
10The Karate Kid (2010)$2,288,707-57%1,532-926$1,494$169,290,6756Sony / Columbia

Limited (100 — 999)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1Cyrus$1,093,313-15%446246$2,451$5,084,1865Fox Searchlight
2The Girl Who Played With Fire$679,533-25%13931$4,889$2,018,2912Music Box
3Iron Man 2$561,74043%36229$1,552$310,018,59011Paramount
4The A-Team$461,023-74%428-808$1,077$75,207,2066Fox
5I Am Love$415,112-17%14029$2,965$2,662,0515Magnolia
6Winter's Bone$347,380-24%12115$2,871$3,064,0526Roadside Attractions
7Standing Ovation$343,125--625--$549$343,1251Rocky Mountain
8Shrek Forever After$280,374-44%240-221$1,168$234,393,5839Paramount / DreamWorks
9Marmaduke$273,980-23%274-109$1,000$32,090,4057Fox
10Letters to Juliet$240,193-29%27231$883$52,129,85810Summit
11How to Train Your Dragon$237,392-25%228-26$1,041$217,387,99717Paramount / DreamWorks
12Solitary Man$181,861-57%146-26$1,246$3,850,7969Anchor Bay
13Get Him to the Greek$174,015-76%287-155$606$60,009,7707Universal
14Robin Hood$174,015-40%226-74$770$104,839,03010Universal
15Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work$170,670-33%112-3$1,524$2,305,9076IFC
16Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time$139,396-60%141-134$989$89,317,8528Disney
17Date Night$133,391-29%166-39$804$98,258,66415Fox
18Killers$120,635-55%166-103$727$46,090,7807Lionsgate
19Splice$65,749-50%117-87$562$16,920,1927Warner Bros

Platform (1 — 99)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1The Kids Are All Right$1,064,359116%3831$28,009$1,813,8662Focus
2Hubble 3D$284,26111%530$5,363$10,855,30818Warner Bros. / IMAX
3Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky$113,507-2%558$2,064$942,9636Sony Pictures Classics
4Sex and the City 2$100,469-52%97-59$1,036$94,936,6568Warner Bros. / New Line
5Restrepo$96,5113%316$3,113$412,7464National Geographic
6Jonah Hex$92,983130%46-19$2,021$10,192,0145Warner Bros.
7Grease Sing-a-Long$87,83645%219$4,183$225,7632Paramount
8The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)$84,294-44%70-21$1,204$9,512,44218Music Box
9The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)$79,827-39%81-29$986$6,023,87714Sony Pictures Classics
10Under the Sea 3D$72,92029%130$5,609$22,969,60675Warner Bros. / IMAX
11Please Give$50,642-60%64-36$791$3,800,86312Sony Pictures Classics
12Exit Through the Gift Shop$38,367-17%254$1,535$2,958,98214Producers Distribution Agency
13City Island$36,730-56%49-16$750$6,573,59218Anchor Bay
14Wild Grass (Les Herbes Folles)$35,440-13%236$1,541$230,4894Sony Pictures Classics
15Clash of the Titans (2010)$34,992-58%67-63$522$163,192,11416Warner Bros.
16Micmacs$34,849-38%505$697$1,013,6858Sony Classics
17I Hate Luv Storys$32,463-74%35-44$928$826,5613UTV
18Just Wright$30,414-43%56-24$543$21,476,68610Fox Searchlight
19Ondine$17,708-48%25-7$708$457,15520Magnolia
20Winnebago Man$17,7068%53$3,541$39,9512Kino International
21Mother and Child$17,106-56%27-17$634$1,036,65611Sony Pictures Classics
22South of the Border$15,749-33%70$2,250$138,9924Cinema Libre
23Avatar$15,615-58%4-5$3,904$749,701,42031Fox
24Kisses$15,485--2--$7,743$15,4851Oscilloscope
25Diary of a Wimpy Kid$15,059-53%28-23$538$63,916,63218Fox
26The Back-up Plan$12,288-66%25-36$492$37,481,24213CBS Films
27Harry Brown$12,214-57%24-9$509$1,783,70212Samuel Goldwyn
28The Killer Inside Me$11,894-14%9-5$1,322$168,2045IFC Films
29God of Vampires$8,960-33%80$1,120$46,6253Nocturnal Features
30Valhalla Rising$7,905--1--$7,905$7,9051IFC
31To the Sea$7,668--1--$7,668$9,6401Film Movement
32Breathless (2010 re-issue)$7,192-64%3-1$2,397$213,8848Rialto
33Stonewall Uprising$7,092-50%6-4$1,182$100,6985First Run Features
34Let It Rain$6,785--2--$3,393$79,7735IFC
35Metropolis (1927) (2010 re-issue)$6,463-26%3-1$2,154$301,17211Kino International
36Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead$5,508--3--$1,836$45,6317Indican Pictures
37Love Ranch$5,378-70%7-1$768$124,2223E1 Entertainment
38[REC] 2$4,815-41%72$688$16,8612Magnolia
39Agora$4,48414%10$4,484$219,6798Newmarket
40Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno$3,981--1--$3,981$3,9811Flicker Alley
41The City of Your Final Destination$3,162-63%6-4$527$463,80214Screen Media Films
42Everyone Else$3,093450%21$1,547$78,61957Cinema Guild
43Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto)$2,875-75%3-6$958$617,62118Zeitgeist
44Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure$2,734-6%30$911$23,252,663146National Geographic
45Udaan$2,715--2--$1,358$2,7151UTV Communications
46The Square$2,695-13%4-1$674$404,89815Apparition
47Holy Rollers$2,686-57%3-2$895$299,78425First Independent Pictures
48La Mission$2,617-88%3-22$872$1,048,03115Screen Media
49Dogtooth (Kynodontas)$2,528-57%1-1$2,528$36,1014Kino International
50Princess Kaiulani$2,492-55%3-3$831$855,35510Roadside Attractions
51Around a Small Mountain$2,280-57%21$1,140$11,4982Cinema Guild
52Mademoiselle Chambon$2,274-56%2-2$1,137$184,4898Lorber
53The Secret of Kells$2,185-33%6-4$364$686,46020GKIDS
54Best Worst Movie$2,118-68%10$2,118$77,58513Area23a
55The Little Traitor$1,963-14%10$1,963$369,04532Westchester Films
56Sweetgrass$1,823181%1-1$1,823$199,85043Cinema Guild
57Cropsey$1,233-62%41$308$35,4567Cinema Purgatorio
58U2 3D$1,056--1--$1,056$10,336,350130National Geographic
59Le combat dans l'ile (2009 re-issue)$981--1--$981$47,46258The Film Desk
60The Nature of Existence$972-55%2-1$486$17,1765Walking Shadows
61The Living Wake$930--1--$930$12,05510Mangusta Productions
62Small Change (2009 re-issue)$664--1--$664$30,27634The Film Desk
638: The Mormon Proposition$632--1--$632$99,8515Red Flag Releasing
64Great Directors$533-78%20$267$12,5093Paladin
65OSS 117: Lost in Rio$486-62%20$243$87,06866Music Box
66John Rabe$481-85%1-2$481$52,4149Strand
67Videocracy$478--1--$478$23,02723Lorber Films
68A Town Called Panic$4296%10$429$165,34931Zeitgeist Films
69Behind the Burly Q$362-69%1-1$362$18,65913First Run Features
70Spring Fever$223--1--$223$1,8477Strand