Hollywood – In the treasure hunt for Hollywood records, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” made off with a few bragging rights.
But it can’t claim the industry’s benchmark record – biggest opening weekend in the United States and Canada – set earlier this month By “Spider-Man 3.” The Walt Disney Co. film logged a weekend box-office gross of $112.5 million domestically – $126.5 million if Thursday night “previews” are counted – according to results released Sunday by box-office tracker Media by Numbers.
That puts it well behind Spidey’s three-day record of $151 million.
Nonetheless, “Pirates” should easily break the industry’s holiday weekend box-office record of $122.9 million set last Memorial Day by “X-Men 3: The Last Stand” and, according to Disney, should make for the largest global opening ever. More complete holiday box-office totals are scheduled to be released today.
Hollywood slices and dices box-office records to secure bragging rights. But extensive previews and differences in the way films open overseas can make comparisons difficult.
Although opening on more than 11,000 domestic screens in a record 4,362 theaters, the nearly three-hour length of “Pirates” limited the number of showings.
Mark Zoradi, president of Disney’s motion picture marketing and distribution, noted that “Pirates” had stiff competition, with “Shrek the Third” and “Spider-Man 3” still playing in theaters.
“We’re not looking back at all, and couldn’t be happier,” he said.
Critics also weren’t kind to the film, although reviews typically have a limited effect at the box office on summer action blockbusters.
“This is the kind of movie where reviews don’t mean as much,” Zoradi said. “Audiences voted with their ticket purchases.” Media by Numbers President Paul Dergarabedian said that having extensive previews – “Pirates” set a record with grosses of $14 million Thursday night – meant Disney wasn’t necessarily aiming to set a new three-day mark.
“The notion that it was out to beat ‘Spider-Man 3’ was misguided,” he said. “When you put the film out for the fans on a Thursday, you’re not chasing a record.” Disney said “Pirates,” starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, was on track to gross $205.5 million in foreign markets through today. The studio predicted the film would pass the $381.7 million global opening of “Spider-Man 3.” Zoradi said the film has yet to open in China, India and Lebanon.
“Shrek the Third,” a DreamWorks Animation film distributed by Paramount Pictures, finished second in the three-day period at $51 million. Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man 3” was next, grossing $13.7 million.
Media by Numbers put “Shrek the Third’s” cumulative domestic gross at $215.7 million, and “Spider-Man 3’s” at $303.3 million.
