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, Nov. 23 - Sun, Nov. 25

Wide (1000+)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2$43,641,448-69%4,0700$10,723$227,366,1182Lionsgate / Summit
2Skyfall$35,502,973-14%3,52621$10,069$221,144,1223Sony / Columbia
3Lincoln$25,676,41322%2,018243$12,724$62,840,7963Disney / DreamWorks
4Rise of The Guardians$23,773,465--3,653--$6,508$32,341,0901Paramount / DreamWorks
5Life of Pi$22,451,514--2,927--$7,670$30,573,1011Fox
6Wreck-It Ralph$16,572,669-11%3,259-363$5,085$149,278,6994Disney
7Red Dawn (2012)$14,276,668--2,725--$5,239$21,689,1621FilmDistrict
8Flight$8,451,144-4%2,63826$3,204$74,718,9904Paramount
9Argo$3,865,158-4%1,255-955$3,080$98,062,3097Warner Bros.

Limited (100 — 999)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1Silver Linings Playbook$4,383,669890%367351$11,945$6,209,7672Weinstein Company
2Taken 2$950,043-55%763-1300$1,245$136,477,0038Fox
3The Sessions$724,025-20%515-1$1,406$3,929,9996Fox Searchlight
4Pitch Perfect$715,865-44%492-630$1,455$62,571,9289Universal
5Jab Tak Hai Jaan$536,918-58%1644$3,274$3,047,5392Yash Raj Films
6Here Comes the Boom$507,814-57%490-860$1,036$42,037,2407Sony / Columbia
7Cloud Atlas$422,095-55%258-662$1,636$25,788,8575Warner Bros.
8The Perks of Being A Wallflower$392,766-33%242-269$1,623$16,323,53710Lionsgate / Summit
9Hotel Transylvania$377,389-60%464-784$813$143,500,1309Sony / Columbia
10Looper$320,43855%29379$1,094$65,587,0559Sony / TriStar
11The Man With the Iron Fists$209,115-71%205-705$1,020$15,201,9104Universal
12Brave$187,165-16%190-30$985$236,943,84323Disney
13The Odd Life of Timothy Green$133,816-12%172-37$778$51,489,66315Disney
14Son of Sardaar$115,332-66%1090$1,058$715,4942Eros International
15Frankenweenie$112,788-3%122-55$924$34,238,1278Disney
16Alex Cross$111,912-60%144-391$777$25,404,4036Lionsgate / Summit
17Silent Hill: Revelation 3D$100,828-53%190-266$531$17,376,1015Open Road
18ParaNorman$96,817-17%134-46$723$55,796,57215Focus
19Sinister$91,621-80%127-662$721$47,705,7037Lionsgate / Summit
20Fun Size$83,646-39%144-244$581$9,297,7825Paramount
21Ice Age: Continental Drift$79,010-9%109-23$725$160,818,56420Fox
22House at the End of the Street$78,650-23%138-37$570$31,488,67410Relativity Media
23Trouble with the Curve$73,022-43%140-132$522$35,662,43910Warner Bros.
24The Dark Knight Rises$70,463-24%108-52$652$448,034,36219Warner Bros.
25Paranormal Activity 4$52,915-86%108-742$490$53,676,7116Paramount

Platform (1 — 99)

#TitleweekendLocationsAvg.TotalWks.Dist.
1Anna Karenina (2012)$896,258179%6650$13,580$1,534,8322Focus
2Hitchcock$287,715--17--$16,924$287,7151Fox Searchlight
3A Late Quartet$132,908-16%88-12$1,510$733,8784Entertainment One / RKO
4Finding Nemo 3D$103,785--84--$1,236$40,646,08311Disney
5A Royal Affair$91,27817%4412$2,075$271,1313Magnolia Pictures
6Seven Psychopaths$90,402-43%82-89$1,102$14,631,3237CBS Films
7Chasing Ice$90,26612%177$5,310$220,8113Submarine Deluxe
8The Other Son$79,252-14%35-13$2,264$793,7845Cohen Media Group
9To the Arctic 3D$78,1374%520$1,503$9,957,97132Warner Bros. / IMAX
10The Polar Express (2012 re-issue)$73,514--15--$4,901$107,3331Warner Bros.
11Chasing Mavericks$69,415-61%60-138$1,157$5,771,4535Fox
12Searching For Sugar Man$60,434-12%43-11$1,405$2,766,19418Sony Pictures Classics
13Hubble 3D$55,45416%16-1$3,466$35,233,469141Warner Bros. / IMAX
14Holy Motors$45,953-5%21-2$2,188$268,7536Indomina Releasing
15Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days$39,358-4%59-13$667$48,936,98717Fox
16Arbitrage$33,605-38%48-32$700$7,816,90711Roadside Attractions
17Born to Be Wild 3D$32,430-11%300$1,081$21,375,29586Warner Bros. / IMAX
18End of Watch$32,020-39%34-41$942$39,191,43110Open Road
19The Central Park Five$30,570--3--$10,190$30,5701IFC Films
20The Master$29,675-41%25-27$1,187$15,842,50011Weinstein Company
21The Flat$29,165-18%21-5$1,389$351,1786IFC Films
22Rust and Bone$27,154--2--$13,577$27,1541Sony Pictures Classics
23Samsara$21,562-31%22-9$980$2,488,48914Oscilloscope
24Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel$18,291-13%150$1,219$890,48610IDP/Samuel Goldwyn
25Masquerade (2012)$18,104-15%5-2$3,621$885,64510CJ Entertainment
26Brooklyn Castle$16,004-8%8-1$2,001$162,9066Producers Distribution Agency
27This Must Be the Place$15,336-44%8-7$1,917$116,2504Weinstein Company
28Smashed$13,082-48%30-9$436$325,4017Sony Pictures Classics
29The Intouchables$7,755-42%262$298$13,030,13527Weinstein Company
30The Loneliest Planet$7,6514%70$1,093$106,7235IFC Films
31Under the Sea 3D$6,25821%92$695$32,455,539198Warner Bros. / IMAX
32Detropia$5,872--5--$1,174$356,17212Loki Films
33Lawless$5,5351%11-8$503$37,397,29113Weinstein Company
34The Imposter$4,962--5--$992$892,40920Indomina Releasing
35Atlas Shrugged: Part 2$4,76616%3520$136$3,333,8237Atlas Distribution
36Starlet$4,602-54%6-3$767$43,6463Music Box Films
37Dangerous Liaisons (2012)$4,558-65%4-2$1,140$50,9313Well Go USA
38The Big Picture (2012)$4,454-24%2-3$2,227$134,3337MPI Media
39Chicken With Plums$3,31110%10-1$331$249,19615Sony Pictures Classics
40The Law in These Parts$2,8270%10$2,827$8,7402Cinema Guild
41The Well-Digger's Daughter$2,41883%2-1$1,209$369,81319Kino Lorber
42Robot & Frank$2,233-43%3-3$744$3,298,42815IDP/Samuel Goldwyn
43Kumare$2,205--1--$2,205$125,78023Kino Lorber
44Somewhere Between$2,120-77%2-2$1,060$151,49614Long Shot Factory
45Wuthering Heights (2012)$2,103-54%6-3$351$87,4338Oscilloscope
46Hitler's Children$1,972-33%10$1,972$6,9232Film Movement
47Price Check$1,886-32%21$943$6,2402IFC Films
48Orchestra of Exiles$1,660-39%1-2$1,660$23,6195First Run Features
49Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters$1,584-59%30$528$23,6934Zeitgeist
5028 Hotel Rooms$1,424-54%30$475$13,9433Oscilloscope
51English Vinglish$1,234-77%880$14$1,867,3588Eros International
52Tai Chi Zero$1,090-59%1-2$1,090$212,0946Variance / Well Go USA
53The House I Live In$971-63%1-2$971$166,4398Abramorama
54Grand Illusion: 75th Anniversary Restoration$928-75%10$928$171,13429Rialto Pictures
55The Thieves$871-51%1-1$871$664,8697Well Go USA
56Wake in Fright (2012 re-issue)$859-52%30$286$43,1428Drafthouse Films
57Keep the Lights On$435-44%2-1$218$238,28612Music Box Films
58Gottfried Helnwein and The Dreaming Child$402--1--$402$4021First Run Features
59Radio Unnameable$360--1--$360$19,25510Kino Lorber
60Step Up to the Plate$343--1--$343$40,26711Cinema Guild
61Citadel$157-91%1-3$157$9,4863Cinedigm Entertainment
62Now, Forager$153--1--$153$5,1448Argot Pictures
63Celeste and Jesse Forever$70-90%1-2$70$3,093,40717Sony Pictures Classics
64Breathing$31-56%10$31$4,25813Kino Lorber