Box Office - $10 Million Friday for 'The Hangover'

We told you on Thursday that The Hangover would likely repeat as the top movie in the country. It had made $70 million in its first week, but seemed to be the only movie with a lot of heat at the moment, including the new releases. And it appears that the repeat is a sure thing. According to new estimates released by Box Office Mojo, the year's best comedy is charging ahead of the competition with $10.4 million on Friday night. That gives The Hangover $82 million so far, with $100 million a possibility by the end of the weekend. Warner Bros. probably didn't even count on the movie making more than that in its entire run, and now the $30 million movie will outgross the studio's Terminator Salvation in less than two full weeks. It's now time to start talking historically about The Hangover, because its production is just that good. By the end of next weekend, we should be nearing $140 million. A week after that, probably around $165 million. If it can get past $180 million, which seems possible, then The Hangover would be one of the top ten highest-grossing R-rated films ever. It would need to make $217 million to break into the top five, but that almost certainly won't happen. The Taking of Pelham 123 isn't performing badly even though it should wind up in third place. Its $8.6 million yesterday is perfectly fine, acceptable, but there's little doubt that at least some of its potential audience is watching The Hangover. The Denzel-Travolta collaboration won't make it to $30 million and might have been a better fit in October or November, where Washington and director Tony Scott have done plenty of damage in the past. The money keeps pouring into Pixar's coffers, too, with Up within striking distance of The Hangover for the weekend crown. Before the end of the month, Up should be the year's top animated film and possibly the top movie overall. That is, at least until Transformers and Harry Potter do the voodoo that they do so well. Eddie Murphy's Imagine That continues a summer trend of major box office disappointments, joining Terminator and Land of the Lost. Murphy somehow pocketed $40 million from last summer's flop, Meet Dave, and Imagine That will do even worse: $1.8 million on Friday, and maybe a $6 million opening weekend. Star Trek will pass $230 million this weekend, making it the highest-earning film since The Dark Knight, and still performing well enough to keep our $257 million prediction alive.

Comments

[KXB]

S40 MIL for Meet Dave? That was money well wasted...