SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM, 4TH UPDATE: There’s more good news at the box office for the start of Summer 2013. Domestic grosses for Warner Bros‘ The Great Gatsby (3,035 theaters) just keep going strong. Big online seller Fandango tells me this female-driven film is heading into Mother’s Day and ticket sales show no signs of flagging across the country from city to heartland. Despite audiences giving it a ‘B’ CinemaScore. In addition to moviegoers showing up dressed in 1930s period costumes, exhibitors are reporting some audiences spontaneously bursting into applause when Leonardo first appears on screen. (When’s the last time that happened?) That’s prompted some Hollywood execs to speculate this is the original Titanic crowd. Warner Bros hopes the Baz Luhrmann-directed, DiCaprio starrer ”perfectly counter-programs” all the May action movies. My sources’ latest estimates for the 3D tentpole are $19.4M for Thursday/Friday, and -6% for $18M Saturday. Hollywood is expecting an overperforming $52M first weekend for the romantic drama co-financed by Village Roadshow and based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 classic novel. The #1 film is still Disney/Marvel’s Iron Man 3 (which has the biggest theater count at 4,253) with $19.7M Friday (-72% from last Friday’s huge opening) and a huge $33M Saturday for $75M this weekend. (Last year The Avengers made an incredible $103M in its second weekend…) Before Friday, IM3 grossed $794M — international cume $581.6M and domestic $212.4M. Now the North American cume should be $287.4M through Sunday. Yowza! The only other major newcomer is Lionsgate’s Peeples (2,031 theaters), a ‘Tyler Perry Presents’ comedy not written or directed by him but by Tina Gordon Chism. It received a ‘B-’ CinemaScore and weak grosses even for a tiny budget of $15M: $1.1M Friday and $1.8M Saturday for a $4.2M weekend.
Gatsby‘s success might all seem surprising considering the film’s uneven reviews. Then again these critics — the vast majority white middle-aged men — are complaining about Luhrmann’s supposed “sacrilege” in adding hip-hop to Gatsby which of course is set in the decade dubbed “The Jazz Age”. Way to make themselves look old and out of touch. (Are these the same purists who piled on when Bob Dylan went electric? I found the music a fresh touch.) While Leo’s and Tobey Maguire’s performances are praised, Carey Mulligan’s is not. Then again there were misgivings in the media from the day the extravagant Baz project was first announced – the 4th attempt to film the novel after Warner Baxter starred in 1926, Alan Ladd in 1949, and Robert Redford in 1974. But tracking told a different story: it was strong from the day Lurhmann’s version co-scripted with Craig Pearce came on — especially heavy with females but also registering decently with men. The Great Gatsby kept improving its numbers as the full frills and very effective marketing campaign took hold. Even without P&A, the movie’s cost reportedly ballooned up to $200M. But Warner Bros claims that figure is $160M, which was brought down to $105M because of ”tons of rebates” from Luhrmann’s Australia filming location. That was then split 50-50 between the studio and co-financier Village Roadshow. (Initially the budget was $80M when Sony passed, and then $120M when Warner Bros and Village Roadshow first came aboard.)
Every penny is on the screen with Catherine Martin, Luhrmann’s wife, in charge of costumes and production design. Some still question the need for 3D but not if it allows the filmmakers to pocket those ticket premiums. As the media scrutiny became more intense, Luhrmann weathered heavy rain and fog that caused costly delays during filming in Sydney. A freak on-set accident even sent Luhrmann to the hospital, causing more holdups. That was before the studio pushed his Gatsby‘s release date back half a year from Christmas 2012 to Summer 2013 to finish effects and music and do reshoots. Luhrmann was conspicuously absent from March’s Gatsby-hyping CinemaCon for exhibitors because, as he said in a pre-taped greeting, he was still tweaking the pic weeks before release. Crunched for time, he couldn’t even fly back to Australia to direct the reshoots in person. Instead he Skyped in to direct from NY where he was simultaneously piecing together a re-edit.
Generating buzz internationally for this most American of novels, pic has scored the Cannes opening slot for a glitzy event. Warner Bros opens it wide in 49 territories next weekend, including France, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia and Korea.
Domestically, The Great Gatsby already is a $3.25M record-breaker, doing more Thursday 10 PM/Friday midnight business from approximately 2,000 theaters than three other recent female-driven films – overperforming Sex And The City 2 ($3M), the first Sex And The City ($2.5M), and Oz The Great And Powerful ($2M). Early matinees Friday were very strong with lots of pre-sales, too, as the lush 3D drama expanded into 3,535 locations (including over 3,000 3D locations in the mix) its opening weekend. The studio would have been thrilled with a $35M debut, but rival studios expected at least $45M-$50M. As of 5 PM Thursday, Gatsby comprised 67% of ticket sales despite Iron Man 3‘s continued momentum.
According to a Fandango survey of more than 1,000 Gatsby ticket-buyers, 83% said DiCaprio is the actor they most want to see in the film (8% said Carey Mulligan, 7% Tobey Maguire), 80% have read the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 61% consider themselves fans of director Luhrmann, 58% of those fans had seen Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, and 55% are planning to attend a Gatsby get-together either before or after seeing the movie. As for the film itself, 94% said the grand-scale imagery, costumes and set design inspired them to buy a ticket, and 83% said the film’s eclectic soundtrack with selections from Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Andre 3000 appealed to them.
Related: ‘Avengers’ Cast And Stingy Marvel Ready To Rumble Over Sequel
Related: ‘Iron Man 3′ Theater Stunt Involving Fake Guns Prompts Apology
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
I take it that none of the Twight films are female driven?
Never mind – this is one pretty hackey post for Deadline (didn’t we come here to get *away* from studio handj*bs?).
Author lost me early on with,
“…Pic is already is a record-breaker, doing more Thursday 10 PM / Friday midnight business from approximately 2,000 theaters than three other recent female-driven films.”
Really?
A record breaker?
Because it outdid *three* (wow) other recent films?
What kind of record is that? A 45?
thanks for your 2 cents worth mr. negative
Aw, did you miss not having a documentary on Obama’s colon?
We’re trying to talking about movies, not sure why you are bringing your personal fetishes into it.
Probably more teenage driven.
Teenage girl driven, to be precise.
Everyone’s money is green.
More like women driven ! AND WHY CAN’T WOMEN HAVE OUR OWN MOVIES WITHOUT YOU MEN COMPLAINING ? Back off !
Oh yeah? Well I would like to see one entertainment story not filtered through this idiotic “gender war” filter, either from the thought police on the left or the fascists on the right of that so-called issue. Besides, every time a fanboy movie succeeds, people on this site carp about ” stupid pimple-faced boys.” As an English literature graduate, I’ve read the book and seen two of the movies. This is an American classic, and if any triumph exists here outside the narrow self-regard of studios and their journalistic and web syncophants, it is for that. of course in this day and age when search for the holy grail of ad loot via political bitching + anonymnity add up to ZERO information, it is the fake war on women that is supposedly the story, like the fake war on drugs, fake war on guns, fake war on poverty, and all the other fake wars that exist to impoverish gullible fools, sell “news” ( meaning ad copy) and keep people from having any original thoughts not downloaded into them by sordid thought-control mediocrities.
I think the point is that it’s targeted to women, as opposed to teenage girls. SATC is a better comparison than Twilight or Hunger Games for this demographic. The reason there are so few comparisons is because Hollywood almost so seldom makes movies for this demographic.
You obviously have no idea who many grown ass women were\are into that Twilight crap. Try Googling “Twilight tattoos” and see how many middle-aged woman have tattooed RPatz or other Twilight characters or dialogue on their bodies. It’s downright scary.
-62% is not a terrific hold
Avengers dropped -63% on the second Friday, let see what Saturday numbers are like.
Wow. I go to read a movie review and STILL can’t escape snide remarks about white guys from the media.
Nikki, Hip Hop in a Fitzgerald story is like Cop Rock on the big screen, laughable.
You should be careful who you call “out of touch”.
Oh no! A white guy is feeling sad and marginalized!
It’s going to be a BIG summer! Can’t wait to see how some of these movies do. My prediction for biggest surprise of the summer is LONE RANGER. Based on some footage I saw, the movie looks pretty damn cool. STAR TREK will be very big, and IRON MAN/HANGOVER 3 are obviously going to run for the whole summer.
Lone Ranger will be a gigantic flop (relative to its budget), much like Dark Shadows, and you know it.
Why is that, Ike? Because posters like YOU continue to keep bad-buzz festering before a big release.
God FORBID a western re-make do well in the eyes of some (unless it’s an over-rated revisionist-history revenge movie with racist undertones, of course…)
I myself of GREATLY looking forward to it. A ‘PotC’-in-the-West adventure, if you will…
I have to say, I was pretty cynical about Lone Ranger from the very first photos that were released, but the more trailers and commercials I see, the more I’m getting excited to see the film. It’s gone from very low on my list to being somewhere in my Top 10 of most anticipated. I’m still more excited for Elysium and Star Trek, but Lone Ranger looks pretty fun to me.
I’m looking forward to seeing it too, but it’s possible that that the movie will flop. It cost over $300 million.
I saw Dark Shadows in the theater. It didn’t deserve to do well. There were too many things wrong to go into here. Blaming people for creating ‘bad buzz’ is a cop out. it just wasn’t very good.
As fans Lone Ranger goes, lets hope it’s a better film than Dark Shadows.
Ah. An intelligent comment that can have a positive effect.
Lone Ranger has looked great since the first trailer, I can’t wait!!
It won’t be a smash, but it won’t flop.
It’s World War Z that has flop written all over it. After Earth isn’t looking too hot either.
World War Z should be fine. It may be the biggest surprise of the summer considering that early on the media trashed it without having the facts at their disposal. Paramount is in damage control mode and showing the movie to everybody they think will get the word out that’s it’s actually a pretty damned good movie. Of course it’ll do better internationally than in the US because Pitt’s a huge favorite internationally – especially in movies like this that don’t require viewers to actually use their brains to figure out the plot.
Lone Ranger = Huge!!!!
after seeing a free screening of star trek remake sequel (I was no way going to pay for it) it is as horrible and worse than the remake before it. jj abrahms is a hack and star wars is dead with him involved. Waste of time the movie was, but at least I did not pay for that shit!
Ditto Nathan, Ditto! I absolutely HATE what JJ abrams has done to star trek. Saw both his remakes and hate them both, and now star wars is in trouble with this ugly hack turd directing. I really want George Lucas to come back and direct, because every news bit about star wars has been atrocious news!
jj abrams needs to be stopped. I want star trek back, it has only been these two damn films that jj has done, IT IS NOT STAR TREK AT ALL. Paramount needs to do a REAL Star Trek 11 and 12, and that should be Star Trek – The Next Generation, a fifth film or sixth film, or seventh film or eighth film, or a Deep Space Nine film(s), or a Voyage film(s), or a Enterprise film(s), or a new crew, not remaking it you damn shits! His star wars, WILL NOT BE STAR WARS AT ALL. JJ ABRAMS, GO AWAY YOU DAMN FOOL!
The fanboy extremists are a joke. No one, and I mean no one, is going to pay for TNG or original cast, or DS9, or Voyager films. No one. Zero financing.
If you want ST, this is how it is going to happen.
In what universe is Great Gatsby a female driven film???? The story revolves around Nick Carraway and his fascination with Gatsby. It’s literally called The Great Gatsby for God’s sake.
I saw the film last night at 10PM, mostly high school kids and young adults. A lot of girls dragging their boyfriends because of Leo. This is counter programming for the women who weren’t interested in/had to be dragged to Iron Man 3 by their man.
It’s about an emo rich guy who loves a girl he can’t have. That’s kind of female driven.
In the universe where Leonardo DiCaprio stars and Baz Luhrmann directs.
How is it a female driven film? The only it only has one good female character.
Because it has no explosions, no aliens, no robots and nobody wears tights and a cape.
Because it’s a love story. A STYLISH love story. Simple as that.
I was just at the noon matinee. The audience was the same one that went see to Titanic 8 times. Not the same demographic — the same actual women, who are now 30+ and eager for a more grown-up, complex love story.
What’s brilliant is that Leo again plays a guy who will do ANYTHING for the woman he loves, and is never critical of her even in her worst moments. So there’s the same emotional appeal (larger than life love story/unconditional love) as Titanic. And the recent 3-D rerelease of Titanic probably made a lot of new Leo fans, so Gatsby — quite unintentionally — has some of the same marketplace benefits as a sequel would.
I thought the movie had flaws, but I’ll bet there’s a lot of repeat business.
If GATSBY is indeed a hit, you have just explained why; excellent post, L.
Good comment.
The film is female-driven since it is based on a book and it is pretty well-known men don’t read fiction. Everyone remembers The Great Gatsby from that time they were forced to read it in high school – it has name recognition among people who like to think they are literate.
Saying that men don’t read fiction is like saying that all women love twilight.
The real reason it’s female-driven is because they’re the types who will go to it just to see Leonardo DiCaprio, and its plot is generally more appealing to women. It has nothing to do with the fact women supposedly read more books than men.
Went to two screenings full of women.
TWO!?! R U a masochist or just trying to relive your glory days when you saw STAR TREK:The Movie eleven times(four of them ALONE?)
It’s female driven – young females to be exact. I realized this when I was in a bookstore last weekend and a teen girl came in and asked an employee, “Do you have The Great Gatsby?” What girl has to ask a bookstore if it has The Great Gatsby on hand? A girl who doesn’t read much, that’s who. There’s only one explanation as to why this book is on her radar.
Summer reading list.
Um… Twilight anyone??
i see 50 mill opening coming!!!!
Baz Luhrmann absolutely butchered “Gatsby”. It’ll make money this weekend, but word of mouth will kill it. Baz should stick to what he does best – you know, judging “Dancing with the Stars” and making crap like “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” – and let the professionals handle the serious stuff … because, you know, he really kind-of sucks. (Okay, yes, I know he didn’t do “Priscilla”- the key words are “crap like”- but it’s right up his alley and I’m pretty sure he wishes he did.)
Baz didn’t make Priscilla…that was Stephan Elliot. Thank God.
Baz did not direct Priscilla; it was Stephan Elliott.
Hi I haven’t seen it yet. Will be interested to see if he overdoes it. Gatsby had an inherent mystery about him that elevates this story above mere romance. Told you it would make more money. And Wendy Wasserstein tells me Di Caprio’s performance was like sucking a juicy cherry.
I despair if this bloated, over produced/under developed film adaptation is a big hit. Seems if it’s big, loud, and pretty that’s all the aud’s want?
Agreed. I heard a great literary forensic dissection of the movie versus the book, today, on the BBC and it seems as if the entire storytelling of the movie completely goes against the parable of the book.
It does look like an overblown, bloated mess. Had it been directed, and written, by Michel Hazanavicius I’m sure it would have been a masterpiece.
I’ve read the book about 20 times, and the film is incredibly faithful to it, even down to the faux-Versailles pattern on the upholstery of Myrtle’s apartment.
The one exception/liberty with the text:
In movies, a passive main character/narrator who does nothing but observe is the kiss of death. So Lurhman appropriated some of The Crack Up to create a story for Nick. I personally dislike this choice — I really don’t care much about this character – but see why it was done.
..even down to the scene at the rappers ball. puh-leeze.
Actually, yes. You’re being snarky, but the rappers ball scene is full of characters and incidents from the book.
It’s female driven because Nikki is a female and she likes it.
Bigger than Twilight?
How is this Twilight ? The Twilight movies open to 140 million dollar weekends. Do your research !
Even if we take “female-driven” to mean the audience, it’s false. Twilight, for crying out loud.
If we can split hairs any further I would say The Hunger Games was reletively female driven as was Tim Burton’s Alice.
I think there’s a distinction between films for teenage girls and films for grown women. For males, this difference barely exists.
Perhaps that’s why so many films skew male. Imagine three female audience members — age 11, 18, and 35. There’s no chance they all want to see the same movie. But 3 males those ages? They’re all going to the same action flick.
Wow, that is a completely awesome and not at all sexist statement.
I’m a guy and L is completely right. If you’re honest, Banjoman, you’d admit it.
The key for the weekend is how will audiences react to TGG as a movie on its own merits and not as an adaptation as many critics have? I’ll be eagerly awaiting the Cinemascore grade.
Notice how some of those critics behaved towards TGG like the nerds have with IRON MAN 3 and STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS and how they deviated from supposed canon lore.
Well stated… because the masses don’t give a crap if something strays from source material.
I went this weekend. I’m a guy. It was a fantastic movie.
Unless you have actually read the book and not just the Cliff Notes, I don’t know if you can appreciate the adaptation. The movie is very good in its own merits. And I hate Jay Z. But they did a fantastic job updating the great American novel. I loved it. My wife was one of the people who applauded when DiCaprio turned around for the first time.
When I saw estimates at only $30-$35 million, I was shocked. I predicted a $50 million opening.
“Gatsby” may not top “Iron Man 3″ at the box office, but should earn about $25-$32 million this weekend (May 10th-12th).
Female driven? I was unaware that the Great Gatsby and Leo DiCaprio were woman. Apparently I should see the movie.
Quite amazed that people at this “industry” site don’t realize that “female driven” refers to the audience, not the characters in the film.
Orgies. Booze. Money. And custom tailored shirts! This is a male fantasy come to life in dazzling 3D with a hip hop soundtrack (not exactly female appeal music). ‘Nuf said?
Oh sir, you are so very off base here it’s difficult to know where to begin – not to mention sexist. Hip hop is loved by millions of women worldwide. You bring up the tailored shirts – have you even seen the previews or read the book? The women’s wardrobe is to die for and the jewelry is simply dazzling. And to say that women don’t enjoy sex, alcohol or money is just ignorant. Orgies? Grow up. Furthermore, Leonardo DiCaprio and one of the actors from Warrior? I’m in.
Aren’t you being sexist too by assuming that the wardrobe and jewelry is what matters to women? And some women don’t like DiCaprio (or men in general, for that matter). The whole idea of something being “female driven” is sexist.
Stefan, are you still living in the fantasy that there is no difference between a man and a woman? There ARE movies that appeal almost solely to women (Beaches, for instance). And as a woman, let me tell you that jewelry and clothing matters a lot. Didn’t you ever watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s?
That’s a BIG Thursday night number. Probably has a shot at $50M. Interesting because it felt like there was this negative undercurrent with critics and snarky bloggers wanting to see this fail. Not this time, kids.
If this version of GATSBY does big business, just imagine what Baz is going to do with THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO!
Yeah, it appears 50mil+ for the w/e is in the cards unless word of mouth is poor. I expect a B cinemascore at least, perhaps even an A- with no affects against the weekend. Critics of this kind of feature with that filmmaker based on that source material are usually extra evil due to jealousy and bitterness….so I think these clearly excited audiences who responded to the fantastic marketing will be pleased enough. I do not work at the studio that released this…but do admire the marketing. the trailer and tv commercials were absolutely beautiful and compelling. It will be a record summer with huge weekends from now until the end of the summer. Star Trek will be..what, around the same as Gatsby. It’s curiously tracking lower than I expected but it should jump next week after another weekend of Ironman. Then Fast and Hangover for their big battle. Fast will blow it out of the water even with the extra day included in the total. What tracking isn’t picking up on is the way the Hispanic audience will turn out for Fast. It will make a significant difference with their families in tow verus the R rated Hangover which I hear isn’t good. Just some musings…
I agree. All the critcisms of “style over substance.” As if fans of Baz Luhrman expected anything different. His films are a feast for the senses. Can’t wait to see this and glad it’s doing so well.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this flick turns out to be huge. As an educator, I’ve noticed that high school students are still receptive to Gatsby, while at the same time they’re now rejecting such works as Catcher in the Rye. There’s something timeless about Fitzgerald’s book that people, even the young, relate to.
Having said that, is the movie any good? Hollywood has had a hard time with this novel, after all. Check out the Redford version from the 70s if you don’t believe me.
“while at the same time they’re now rejecting such works as Catcher in the Rye”
Wonder if they are catching on to the fact that “Catcher” was idolized by the “phoniest” generation ever…
Do you know if any of your educator friends assigned this for extra credit? I wonder if that isn’t responsible for all the young people. Well, that and the soundtrack.
Would love to know why you think kids are rejecting “Catcher in the Rye.” It still sells well every year and there’s a hot new doc about Salinger coming out.
Dear Wow,
Oh, those snarky bloggers who wanted a movie with some poetry and most of all mystery, as was in the novel. Just to hear Luhrman lweasel about how jazz was the hip hop of its day and that’s why he used ihop hop as the music. Funny, he used period cars, not Ferarri’s or Lotuses. He knew the mall rats wouldn’t come . Jazz? Pu-lease.
Excellence? Not this time, kid. But who needs it, It’s all about the Benjamins for you. And so you go on beating your meat, a boat with the current.
Im shocked. i thought for sure this was bombing. It looks typical baz corny.
Ugh we arent over our fascination with leo yet? lol and really? high school girls today are into Leo? ’98 maybe, but still? now? Hes insanely overrated to me always has been, always will be. i just dont think hes as good an actor as he, and most, thinks. in the commercials for Gatsby hes doing his typical schtick over compensating by screaming and trying to look like a big tough guy. I laugh every time knowing Joel Edgerton would beat the tar out of him. his ” I’m Gatsby” delivery is even bad.
Good marketing. Tiffany was advertising on E the great Gatsby jewlery collection. The jewels were beautiful. The girl inside me squealed. I felt tempted to see the movie and I am not a fan of Leo. A lot of women are going to fall for it.
After seeing the horrible Ironman 2 I refuse to see Ironman 3.
Well, that’s the thing, YOU are only one person. Millions of people (including Tarantino, Scorsese, Nolan or Spielberg) disagree with you, and find him a terrific actor.
No, she isn’t ONE person, she’s one of millions who think he’s a hack; just like the director of that giant turd of a movie. This version is like a velvet painting of Dog’s playing poker in comparison to Redford’s Gatsby. I’d suggest that you watch the Redford version to see what a real 1920′s party was like, but that would go right over your head. Go watch all the shiny things up on the screen in 3-D to the beat of rap music like all the other sheep, that seems like more your speed.
Your hate for Leo clouds your judgement. He still to this day has a huge fanbase among females, also younger females who didn’t see Titanic in ’97-’98 because they were too young. But they have seen it on DVD/Bluray and at last years successful theatrical re-release.
They loved him enough to watch Django Unchained and Shutter Island just because of him.
Have to agree about Leo, joe. Not the actor I thought he’d mature into. In fact, he still doesn’t seem mature. “Overcompensating” is the right word. I felt that way about his Departed performance where he would repeatedly curl his bottom lip in and overemphasize the F word to try to sound tough. He’s not the Clift/Brando/Dean type I thought he might become.
Still think he was terrific in Catch Me If You Can though. Underrated performance and film.
Whoever that rival exec is that says “Gatsby” making 40+ million this weekend could make it a real horse race with “Iron Man 3″ is nuts man, it’s going to have to make more than that to make it a ‘Real’ horse race with “IM3″. “IM3″ is projected to take in 70+ million this weekend, how does 40+ million from “Gatsby’ make that a horse race, would’nt it have to take in at least 50-60 mil this weekend to truly be considered a horse race.
Loving these number Nikki. Let the good times roll!!!!
Females driven out of their minds that Leo got this instead of Paul Bettany, who would have killed in the role, you mean…. Female-driven in that spoiler alert… Female-driven has broad (!) definition here.
Paul Bettany would’ve been great. Brad Pitt would have been perfect 10 years ago. I would have liked Leo better as Tom.
I said it a year ago and it still holds true. This will bomb. Maybe not John Carter level, but still. Whoever thought this was a good idea should be fired.
what studio executive thought $40 million would make it a horse race with IRON MAN 3? Did he really expect a $135 million dollar drop for it’s second weekend?