Grosses

'Star Trek Into Darkness' Takes First, But Opens Below PredecessorMay 20, 2013 11:48 AM

by Daniel Garris

Paramount's Star Trek Into Darkness opened in first place this weekend with $70.17 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.

With an additional $13.54 million on Thursday (which included $2 million from Wednesday night IMAX showings), Star Trek Into Darkness has grossed $83.70 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 3.5 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 $21.62 million performance, the film did increase a healthy 25 percent on Saturday to gross $26.95 million and generated an opening weekend to Friday ratio of 3.24 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 $164.2 million.

Iron Man 3 fell 51 percent to place in second this weekend with $35.77 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 $337.66 million through 17 days of release. That places the film 34.5 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 $1.074 billion.

Warner's The Great Gatsby displayed respectable holding power as well this weekend. The Baz Luhrmann directed film starring Leonardo DiCaprio fell 52 percent to place in third with $23.94 million. The Great Gatsby continues to exceed expectations with a ten-day start of $90.68 million. That places The Great Gatsby 20 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 action fare.

The Great Gatsby launched overseas this weekend; grossing $43.0 million from 49 foreign territories. That places the film's current global haul at $133.7 million.

Weekend Actuals (Domestic) Fri, Aug. 6 - Sun, Aug. 8

Wide (1000+)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1The Other Guys$35,543,162--3,651--$9,735$35,543,1621Sony / Columbia
2Inception$18,505,470-33%3,418-127$5,414$227,637,5694Warner Bros.
3Step Up 3D$15,812,311--2,435--$6,494$15,812,3111Disney
4Salt$10,908,204-44%3,317-295$3,289$91,788,3453Sony / Columbia
5Dinner for Schmucks$10,375,397-56%3,00493$3,454$46,620,9492Paramount / DreamWorks
6Despicable Me$9,283,360-40%3,413-189$2,720$209,287,3455Universal
7Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore$6,902,116-44%3,7050$1,863$26,428,2662Warner Bros.
8Charlie St. Cloud$4,700,490-62%2,7257$1,725$23,496,6202Universal
9Toy Story 3$3,119,088-39%1,714-391$1,820$396,387,3428Disney
10Grown Ups$2,407,379-47%1,769-500$1,361$155,670,6037Sony / Columbia
11The Sorcerer's Apprentice$2,361,228-47%1,766-758$1,337$57,062,8454Disney
12The Twilight Saga: Eclipse$2,290,262-43%1,704-630$1,344$293,101,8706Summit
13Ramona and Beezus$1,617,123-56%1,478-1241$1,094$21,068,7833Fox

Limited (100 — 999)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1The Kids Are All Right$2,597,177-26%994147$2,613$14,040,1825Focus
2The Last Airbender$704,653-61%639-599$1,103$128,971,0206Paramount
3The Karate Kid (2010)$612,6923%442-19$1,386$173,883,7029Sony / Columbia
4The Girl Who Played With Fire$471,459-13%1784$2,649$4,562,8225Music Box
5Predators$443,645-59%454-419$977$50,497,6435Fox
6Shrek Forever After$434,225-24%308-22$1,410$236,554,02512Paramount / DreamWorks
7Middle Men$325,641--252--$1,292$325,6411Paramount
8Knight and Day$310,745-56%336-495$925$74,855,0467Fox
9Winter's Bone$296,753-4%1412$2,105$4,479,0039Roadside Attractions
10I Am Love$198,874-4%113-12$1,760$3,935,0158Magnolia
11Iron Man 2$193,515-36%224-62$864$311,806,18114Paramount
12The A-Team$190,099-28%241-41$789$76,524,1689Fox
13Twelve$110,238--231--$477$110,2381Hannover House
14Killers$110,164-28%172-47$640$46,859,80310Lionsgate
15Marmaduke$108,398-32%170-60$638$33,153,65210Fox
16Cyrus$100,172-55%132-84$759$7,138,8978Fox Searchlight
17Sex and the City 2$78,013177%200158$390$95,239,39711Warner Bros. / New Line
18Get Him to the Greek$71,515-48%110-45$650$60,923,32510Universal
19Letters to Juliet$60,959-47%103-70$592$52,897,30313Summit

Platform (1 — 99)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1Hubble 3D$285,437-2%530$5,386$12,802,28521Warner Bros. / IMAX
2Flipped$224,233--45--$4,983$224,2331Warner Bros.
3Get Low$219,124148%2622$8,428$350,3362Sony Pictures Classics
4Restrepo$108,87845%4913$2,222$811,7067National Geographic
5Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky$71,520-24%9-65$7,947$1,374,8699Sony Pictures Classics
6The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest$67,848--12--$5,654$67,8481National Geographic
7Cairo Time$66,245--5--$13,249$66,2451IFC
8The Concert$66,177204%1917$3,483$102,4933Weinstein Company
9Under the Sea 3D$63,851-17%130$4,912$23,487,05878Warner Bros. / IMAX
10Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work$52,296-32%73-10$716$2,770,3309IFC
11Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time$49,680-41%68-22$731$89,836,59411Disney
12Solitary Man$47,201-17%45-18$1,049$4,211,85612Anchor Bay
13The Extra Man$46,285145%108$4,629$77,4412Magnolia
14Agora$44,035-29%13-4$3,387$432,67911Newmarket
15The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)$43,106-24%43-14$1,002$9,812,29121Music Box
1671: Into the Fire$40,640-47%14-6$2,903$156,9882JS Media
17The Disappearance of Alice Creed$40,258--10--$4,026$40,2581Anchor Bay
18Life During Wartime$36,89420%1812$2,050$129,4213IFC
19The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)$31,316-22%28-13$1,118$6,261,68117Sony Pictures Classics
20Date Night$29,879-50%46-30$650$98,608,43018Fox
21Countdown to Zero$26,078-77%281$931$221,7813Magnolia
22Please Give$21,845-4%30-5$728$3,923,51915Sony Pictures Classics
23Exit Through the Gift Shop$20,8646%12-2$1,739$3,114,88417Producers Distribution Agency
24Micmacs$20,69811%312$668$1,126,82711Sony Classics
25Lebanon$17,145--2--$8,573$17,14543Sony Pictures Classics
26Jonah Hex$16,074-56%25-58$643$10,539,4148Warner Bros.
27Wild Grass (Les Herbes Folles)$13,8546%8-6$1,732$312,5507Sony Pictures Classics
28Winnebago Man$13,38120%101$1,338$90,5475Kino International
29Diary of a Wimpy Kid$13,065266%4032$327$63,980,77921Fox
30Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child$12,557-27%32$4,186$89,7053Arthouse Films
31Kisses$11,16735%113$1,015$62,9714Oscilloscope
32Avatar$10,511-19%1-1$10,511$749,766,13934Fox
33Mademoiselle Chambon$10,153-49%71$1,450$261,68911Lorber
34Grease Sing-a-Long$8,630-77%21-12$411$305,2605Paramount
35The Killer Inside Me$7,849-9%111$714$207,4878IFC Films
36Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto)$7,474218%53$1,495$640,65021Zeitgeist
37Harry Brown$7,260--10--$726$1,818,68115Samuel Goldwyn
38Metropolis (1927) (2010 re-issue)$6,992460%54$1,398$319,72914Kino International
39Ondine$6,884-8%12-1$574$508,61123Magnolia
40The Sicilian Girl$5,922--1--$5,922$9,0541Music Box
41Khatta Meetha$5,423-94%830$65$541,9043Eros
42Mother and Child$5,4015%8-2$675$1,078,15514Sony Pictures Classics
43Orlando (2010 re-issue)$5,059-32%2-1$2,530$38,3723Sony Pictures Classics
44Let It Rain$5,02319%60$837$106,0938IFC
45City Island$4,965-32%7-8$709$6,655,82921Anchor Bay
46Patrik, Age 1.5$4,724--2--$2,362$4,7241Here Films
47The Cremaster Cycle (2010 re-issue)$4,633127%21$2,317$94,94018International Film Circuit
48The Nature of Existence$4,250-2%31$1,417$34,0278Walking Shadows
49Enemies of the People$3,43551%21$1,718$7,7942International Film Circuit
50Stonewall Uprising$3,23193%31$1,077$114,8568First Run Features
51The City of Your Final Destination$3,132-60%4-9$783$488,93517Screen Media Films
52Spring Fever$2,689--2--$1,345$4,69410Strand
53Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure$2,575-14%30$858$23,272,754149National Geographic
54Lbs.$2,565--1--$2,565$29,86620Truly Indie
55Brotherhood (2009)$2,431--1--$2,431$2,4311Olive Films
56To the Sea$2,399-50%31$800$27,7634Film Movement
57Kings of the Evening$1,976-26%1-2$1,976$96,06826Indican Pictures
58[REC] 2$1,922-34%2-3$961$27,0245Magnolia
59U2 3D$1,879-47%1-1$1,879$10,353,690133National Geographic
60Spoken Word$1,853-57%1-3$1,853$10,4603Variance
61Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead$1,302-55%1-1$1,302$64,78210Indican Pictures
62Cropsey$1,261--3--$420$42,39310Cinema Purgatorio
63The Oxford Murders$1,191--1--$1,191$1,1911Magnolia
64Princess Kaiulani$1,18882%1-1$1,188$861,54713Roadside Attractions
65Here and There (Tamo i Ovde)$1,019--2--$510$24,46013Cinema Purgatorio
66Ajami$1,018--1--$1,018$616,99247Kino International
67La Mission$624-80%2-4$312$1,062,94118Screen Media
68Behind the Burly Q$507--1--$507$20,10816First Run Features