The problem with Superman is that it appeals to a very specific segment of movie viewers, those who enjoy comic book style action and those who are long time fans. Pirates of the Caribbean attracts just about everyone; you have action and adventure for the adrenaline junkies, a great story for fans of a great story, the Disney touch for the kids, and of course the sexy existences of Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley for the adults. Much like the first installment in this franchise, the span of the audience will be very wide and the loyalty of the audience will be unmatched.
And that led me to being confident in making a prediction for this week’s box office results. I see the difference in the two releases and I can see where Dead Man’s Chest should put out whatever fire Superman has left. This may also be due to the fact that we all found Superman to be one of those movies that most people will only see once, which doesn’t mean it is bad. As you can read in my review from last week, it was not a poor movie, just not a film that is addictively entertaining. Pirates of the Caribbean, however, has both a stronger starting point and a more addictive mix of comedy and action. As you can read in my review from this morning, it is one movie that you absolutely must see in theaters in order to enjoy properly. I think that will lead it to not only silence Superman’s thunder, but to become the biggest movie of the summer.
So now, after that long and drawn out explanation here is my prediction for this weekend’s Box Office Results:
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($110 million)
- Superman Returns ($22 million)
- A Scanner Darkly ($18 million)
- The Devil Wears Prada ($17 million)
- Cars ($14 million)
Click below to check out my reviews of both films:
Article comments
1 - Shamirico
If memory serves, A Scanner Darkly is getting small play this weekend. I doubt it has enough screens this weekend to even crack the Top 10.
2 - Neil Miller
Alright, you got me...
This is why I don't make predictions.
3 - T.
I think you are way off about SUperman underperforming due to appealing to a specific audience. Spider-Man appeals to that very same action comic audience and kicked butt. The problem is not that Superman appeals to the action comic fans, it's that it DISAPPOINTS action fans in general. They market it as a chick flick and I hear Superman never throws a single punch in a 2 and 1/2 hour movie!! That's insane, an action movie without action? All he does is catch a plane and lift an island?