Box Office Watch: 'Polar' 'challenges' 'Incredibles'

Post by **Luke** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:37 pm

And the clear winner...The Incredibles!

The Polar Express opened yesterday, as the latest computer animated offering at the box office this film. The Incredibles has been playing since last Friday. So what happened on their first day of head-to-head battle at the office?

1 THE INCREDIBLES 3,933 theaters $4,510,094 ($81.9 M to date)
2 THE POLAR EXPRESS 3,650 theaters $2,568,233

Source: Box Office Mojo

Looks like Pixar's film should be staying atop the box office this weekend.

Disneykid · Post by **Disneykid** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 7:06 pm

I have no doubt that The Incredibles will have stronger box office returns than The Polar Express both on a daily/weekly basis and in the long run, but I'm really hoping the latter does well in its own right. WB really should've waited until December or at least Thanksgiving to release Polar Express.

jabroni76 · Post by **jabroni76** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 7:34 pm

I agree with DisneyKid that The Polar Express was realeased too early; however, maybe not. Thinking about it, thanksgiving like a million movies are coming out, along with christmas. SO maybe this was the best time. I personally think it would have done the same being released this week or 2-4 weeks from now. The Incredibles will definately have a big impact on the film, but I personally loved the POLAR EXPRESS as a kid, and will most definately check this film out.

Just Myself · Post by **Just Myself** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 7:51 pm

I'm not surprised that Incredibles held up this weekend. I havn't seen Polar yet, but I planned to do so maybe tomorrow or Saturday; I want to see it even more to see if that assinine NY Times critic was right when she said the sleigh looked like a scrotum.

Anyway, my outcome is this:

1. Incredibles, $50 million
2. Polar Express, $40 million
3. After the Sunset, $15 million

Lucylover1986 · Post by **Lucylover1986** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:41 pm

Here's my prediction:

1. The Incredibles - $45 Million
2. The Polar Express - $35 Million
3. The Grudge - $10 Million
4. After The Sunset - $9 Million
5. Seed Of Chucky - $6 Million

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 10:29 pm

Polar's performance is turning out just as I expected, with a very underwhelming take. Still, it should have a decent weekend, with some good enough legs into the Christmas season. So I think it can top $100, but it won't get much farther than that, if it reaches that number at all.

Great increase for TI on Wednesday! It points to very good hold this weekend, and I think it just may manage Pixar's best second weekend drop yet! Here's hoping for a $50 Million weekend.

In case any didn't notice, my sig now features daily updates on TI's box office take - every time new numbers come in, I update it with the movie's gross thus far.

PixarFan · Post by **PixarFan** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:46 pm

Thursday's results are in, and The Incredibles is still clearly in the lead. Reaching $11,011,689, TI had an increase of 144.2% from Wednesday, and has now made $93,004,485 total, clearing it's 92 million dollar budget. The Polar Express had an increase as well, but only made $4,737,450, and has made $7,305,683 in total. Let's see how the weekend goes...

wizzer · Post by **wizzer** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:38 pm

i plan to go see polar express having already gotten the incredibles out of the way

i'm looking forward to it because the iron giant is one of my favorite movies and i see WB as one of the only othercapable major animation studios. yea i saw shark tale, but barely.

Post by **Luke** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 6:13 pm

My guesses for the weekend:
The Incredibles - $50 million
The Polar Express - $25 million

But I don't know these kind of things.

Artlad · Post by **Artlad** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:31 pm

Well I really really hope the Incredibles continues strongly. I really want it to beat Shrek 2 in Box office receipts.

saving107 · Post by **saving107** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:45 pm

Artlad wrote:Well I really really hope the Incredibles continues strongly. I really want it to beat Shrek 2 in Box office receipts.

i would like to see the same thing.

though Shrek 2 was an entertaning movie, i am very pissed off at the way the Shrek 2 DVD was released, not only does Dreamwork release it the same day as the opening of The Incredibles, it was a 1 disc, no insert, lack of special features etc.....

The Incredibles was 10x more fun than Shrek and even Shrek 2.

i don't know how long Shrek 2 were in theatres, but i had read that world wide it made $400 million, don't know how much 1st Shrek made.
How many of you think The Incredibles can beat this?

Disneykid · Post by **Disneykid** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:14 pm

Personally, as much as I'd like to see The Incredibles beat Shrek 2, that seems unlikely. Shrek 2 made a disgusting $440.8 million domestically, with $108 million in its opening weekend. The Incredibles made $70.4 million its first weekend. Not to mention the fact that Shrek had the benefit of already established characters whereas Incredibles had to sort of work off of scratch (though not completely since Pixar's track record was in their favor). Also, Shrek 2 was in theaters an insane amount of time. I don't think it really died out until late summer (about 3 months). In contrast, I can see Disney pulling out Incredibles sooner just because they'd be content with what it's made and not milk it for all its worth. I really hope I'm wrong, though, especially since a) Pixar has yet to have a #1 movie of the year (Nemo came oh so very close) and b) because I hate the fact that Shrek 2's #1; I was hoping for The Passion or Spider-Man 2 to hold that spot.

saving107 · Post by **saving107** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:17 am

i found this interesting,

this years Top Movies:
Shrek 2: Opening $72.0 - 10 weeks total:$429,441,294
Harry Potter 3: opening $94.5 - 8 weeks total:$241,770,359
Spider-Man 2: opening - $110.5 - 8 weeks total:$365,173,462
The Incredibles: opening $74.0 - 2 weeks so far $118 million
Polar Express: Opening $29.5 million (2 days so far)

Spider-Man 2 and Harry Potter 3 both had established characters and both got great reviews, yet they both don't add up to the same sales figue as Shrek 2.

i just thought it was interesting

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 9:29 am

saving107 wrote:Shrek 2: Opening $72.0 - 10 weeks total:$429,441,294

As Disneykid said, Shrek 2 made about $108 Million in its opening weekend. It made $72 Million in its second weekend. It was so big, TI couldn't even top its second weekend. (I hope you're happy MMP

)

Udvarnoky · Post by **Udvarnoky** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 9:34 am

Considering The Polar Express opened on a Wednesday, I don't think it's fair to compare its gross to a weekend gross at this point .

Post by **Luke** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 9:47 am

Friday numbers are in, via www.Showbizdata.com.

1) THE INCREDIBLES 14.7 (106.4 total)
2) THE POLAR EXPRESS 6.7 (14.0 total)
3) AFTER THE SUNSET 3.6
4) SEED OF CHUCKY 3.1
5) BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON 3.1
6) GRUDGE, THE 2.5 94.7 total)
7) RAY 2.5 (46.6 total)
8) SAW 2.1 (41.5 total)
9) SHALL WE DANCE? 1.2 (46.2 total)
10) ALFIE 1.0 (9.3 total)

By comparison, on their second Fridays,
Finding Nemo 12.3
Monsters, Inc. 11.9 (same November timeframe)

PublicEnemy#1 · Post by **PublicEnemy#1** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 10:12 am

I'm happy with the result.

Incredibles did awesome, Polar Express is a dissapointment (or bomb), and Shark Tale fell from Thursday!

Paka · Post by **Paka** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 10:42 am

Well, we also gotta remember that Shrek 2 opened in the summertime, when kids were out of (or just getting out of) school. More freetime and more audience available to see the film. Not to mention the absolutely ridiculous amount of promotion that DreamWorks pulled out for the film. Bleah... everything about Shrek 2 was obscene. The merchandising, the box office gross... not to mention the movie itself. Money-wise, it's #1 for 2004, but in quality? In humility, even? Nuh-uh.

I'm frankly amazed at The Polar Express' performance so far, though... it's more than what I could have hoped for!

We'll have to wait and see if it bumps up a bit around Thanksgiving or not, but I have a feeling that people will choose to see Incredibles over it even then! w00t!

Post by **Luke** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:02 pm

BoxOfficeMojo's Friday estimates have an extra 0.2 million for The Incredibles, and 0.2 million less for The Polar Express. I think/hope that my prediction for the weekend might not be too far off. This "Spongebob Squarepants" thing is apparently much more popular than I know about, but The Incredibles is doing so well, maybe it could stay on top for a third weekend?

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:17 pm

Luke wrote:This "Spongebob Squarepants" thing is apparently much more popular than I know about, but The Incredibles is doing so well, maybe it could stay on top for a third weekend?

I really doubt it being able to withstand SBSP - the show is very popular with kids, and has quite an older following as well. It should open to at least $30 Million, I think. If TI gets $45-$50 for this weekend, I doubt it'll be able to drop small enough to top the Squary Sponge.

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Box Office Watch: 'Polar' 'challenges' 'Incredibles'

Box Office Watch: 'Polar' 'challenges' 'Incredibles'