Opening day: Big Friday means 'Inglourious Basterds' could do more than $35 million
"Inglourious Basterds" is off to a strong start, selling a studio-estimated $14.3 million worth of tickets on its opening day in the U.S. and Canada.
If it matches the performance of previous Quentin Tarantino-directed films, or recent male-oriented action movies like "District 9," that means the movie probably will earn $37 million or $38 million for the weekend.
Even if word of mouth is weak and Saturday ticket sales fall off significantly from Friday, it will almost certainly still exceed $30 million.
That's good news for the two beleaguered studios behind the movie, Weinstein Co. and Universal Pictures, signaling that their $70-million investment in production of the World War II action movie is starting off on the right track.
Not too surprisingly, with "Inglourious" likely taking much of the male audience, last weekend's No. 1 movie, "District 9," declined a sizable 61% from its opening Friday to $5.5 million. Though its Saturday and Sunday drops probably won't be as severe, the Sony-distributed science fiction picture probably will gross under $20 million for the weekend, indicating it won't have a "Star Trek"-like run driven by phenomenal buzz.
"The Time Traveler's Wife" declined 57% to $3.3 million. That's a bit more troubling for Warner Bros., because its $39-million romantic drama earned only a so-so $18.6 million on its debut weekend. Many other female-targeted movies, like "Julie & Julia" and "The Proposal," have seen much smaller second weekend drops this summer.
-- Ben Fritz
Photo: Brad Pitt in "Inglourious Basterds." Credit: Francois Duhamel / Weinstein Co.
"Male-oriented?" "Female-targeted?" There's no reason to encourage more gender-stereotyping in the movie industry! "Action-oriented" and "Romantic moviegoers" would have fit in just as well without embedding a sexist spin into your article. As a female who would much rather see "District 9" than some sappy "Proposal" drivel, I think you should choose your words more carefully next time!
Posted by: Lauren | August 22, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Woah looks like someone brought the feminists out of the woodwork? Go watch the movie. The incredibly satisfying ending will but all your hypersensitivity to rest.
Posted by: Spartacus | August 22, 2009 at 03:27 PM
Why would anyone but the mindless lemmings of society see this movie? While history is vastly interesting, Quentin Tarantino's self-indulgent graphic violence fest is boring...and typical (for him)...not a whisper of creativity worthy of note - legal tender or otherwise.
Posted by: tommyflorida | August 23, 2009 at 09:43 AM
Basterds was not a perfect movie, nor Tarantino’s ‘masterpiece’…. But overall it was an immensely enjoyable experience. Great performances, entertaining sequences, and as always a love of cinema comes through. Some scenes need less self-indulgence. Speaking of which, check out my Basterds review with my father, at: www.youtube.com/gabndad
Posted by: Gab and Dad | August 24, 2009 at 09:50 AM