Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, Dead Man's Chest, shattered the all-time North American weekend opening box office record with a three-day treasure haul of $132 million. The previous record was held by 2002's Spider-Man, which took in $114.8 million in its first weekend. Astonishingly, Dead Man's Chest took in almost three times the $46 million the first film in the series, The Curse of the Black Pearl, captured in its first weekend in 2003.
This should not imply that the new one is a three-times better film, however.
"When people in the industry predicted these high numbers, I thought they were just trying to be mean. So no matter how good we did, if we did $100 million, we'd be failures," Bruckheimer told AP on Sunday. "I didn't think we'd get near these numbers."
For the numerically-obsessed, Chest also busted the opening day record, stashing away $55.5 million Friday to beat the previous single-day record of $50 million, set just last year by Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. The return of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow also generated $44.7 million on Saturday, thereby becoming the first movie to top $100 million in just two days.
By way of comparison, Dead Man's Chest plundered nearly double the total of the rest of the top 12 films combined. The previous weekend's top film, Superman Returns, fell to number two with $21.85 million, down 58 percent from opening weekend.
My family experienced a graphic demonstration of these numbers. Since we — our six- and two-year-olds, my wife and I — love the first Pirates film so, having watched the DVD version well over a dozen times, we figured we would head on out to the nearest drive-in, about a half-hour away, to take in the new film on opening night in the comfort of our mini-van. The four of us have never gone to a film on opening day, nor gone to the drive-in, but it just seemed like the thing to do on a pleasant summer night so we tossed caution to the winds.
Article comments
1 - Eric Berlin
I wonder if drive-ins will make a kind of magical comeback in this new age of on demand content? I certainly have fond memories of going as a kid -- remember seeing the "original" Star Wars that way. Can you imagine a better experience for a seven-year-old?
In any event, it looks as though Entourage got their Aquaman-beats-Spiderman episode in just under the wire!
2 - Eric Olsen
the vehicle you attend in and the adequacy of your preparation makes all the difference! It's also too bad it starts so late this time of year - of course this time of year is the only time to go to the drive-in in NE Ohio
3 - Triniman
When they announced it broke the record on CNN, it was still Sunday afternoon.
What would really be more meaningful would be to see the number of tickets sold. With ticket prices going up every once in a while, the total dollar amount may be slightly misleading.
I wasn't all that into the first film, having found it to be more fun for kids than adults, but I will see this one soon.
4 - Eric Olsen
good point T-man: "Even factoring in higher admission prices since 2002, "Dead Man's Chest" still set a record of just under 20 million tickets sold, about 200,000 more than "Spider-Man."
Re the first one: for me it had an almost magically equal appeal to kids and adults
5 - Eric Berlin
The story is all the more significant as Hollywood is desperate for hits right about now.
6 - Eric Olsen
it changes the whole atmosphere!
7 - Ben Green
11th July, 2006
Stopped on time.
Thanks for the Feedback.
Looking for a Compliments Ticket.
If only Home Pages were this short, you would soon have a Statistic.
And One-Liners like the Above would work.
Ben
8 - Daniel Blackman
I’m so ecstatic to see this movie. It got si nabt bad reviews, but I think Johnny Depp is amazing as Captain Jack Sparrow. I hope I’m not disappointed when I get back from vacation (I ironically happen to be in the Caribbean right now and the tiny theater on the island only has movies that are at least a week old) and see Dead Man’s Chest in all it’s glory for the first time. Johnny Depp has really become somewhat of a star between Pirates and playing Wonka. I hope his success continues. Great review. I always look at the box office gross on Monday to see if my favorites brought in a big haul, and you’ve written the best column I’ve seen in a while.
9 - Eric Olsen
thanks Ben and Daniel!
Ben, you are cryptic.
Daniel, that's hilarious you are on the home turf, so to speak. I'm sure I will appreciate it more in an actual movie theater and/or on DVD. The drive-in was not an ideal setting - at least under the circumstances.
10 - Dawn
We weren't looking for ideal, we were looking for moderately attainable - being able to see the movie in relative peace on opening night together as a family was the goal. We almost met that :)
Awesome read!!!
11 - Eric Olsen
yes, we did achieve that - thanks!
12 - rtparker
johnny depp pulled a fast one here well jack sparrow would woudnt he, not having as much screen time as his co stars, he comes on does his turn goes again leaving orlando , bill nighy etc to work their butts off holding up the narrative, orlando is a lot better than he was in the first one but does he get a mention , not likely as for the end letting keira kiss johnny blew the whole star croossed lovers subplot and turned her in to a hussy if i was will turner id be back like ashot to voddoo woman
13 - katie luke
i really didnt like the ending to this movie very much,i didint think you know who( dont want to be a spoiler!:)) should have died
14 - diana
johnny depp is so great in all of his movies and this was no exception he is so sexy even in a pirate costume, he works well with the other characters and still makes us laugh. the kiss at the end of this movie was so hot!! wish it was me. the bloopers are also hilarious, the captian barbossa ending was a cliffhanger made in heaven(where johnny depp was made too!!)