Dawn Treader Will Be a Marathon
Deadline Hollywood has posted Friday box office estimates at $9m and extrapolated that out to an opening weekend estimate of $28m for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. By comparison, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe made $65m on opening weekend and Prince Caspian made $55m. It’s obvious that these are very early numbers and things can still turn around. We’re only half-way through the weekend! But if this trend holds, it won’t be a good sign for the Narnia franchise.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is showing on 3,555 screens and made roughly half of Friday’s cum for Prince Caspian ($19m).
It’s important to remember, though, that films opening in December generally don’t have huge opening weekends (LWW was an exception) and that the real value to the December opening is that the box office gets the benefit of the entire month. There isn’t much competition in the box office for family films this Christmas (only Tron) so it’s expected to do well every week through Christmas. In fact, Fox has just announced today that Gulliver’s Travels has been moved to Christmas Day which leaves December 22-23 open for Dawn Treader.
It’s important that the faith and family community gets out to support these films in a big way. If you haven’t seen Dawn Treader yet this weekend, please see it! As Douglas Gresham says, “take your friends and take your enemies.”
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at Box Office Mojo
GUUUULLLLPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I'm starting to regret not being able to see it this week, here's hoping next week will be better!
I saw VDT last night at the last showing of the night (I was very busy yesterday) and there were 2 other groups of people. I don't know if it was because of the time or what, but I did see a bunch of friends there that had seen it earlier in the day. Also, on my ticket, the theater number was 7-maybe it's a sign from Aslan. š
I took one hundred college English students to a special 9:00 AM showing on Friday. They loved it!
(formally Narnia Freak)Me too! I REALLY want to see SC and LB!! They just HAVE to do them!
Well, I want it to succeed!
OK people! NONE of the Narnia movies were a wreck! THEY ARE AWESOME!
Ooo, not good. I was hoping to get to go this weekend, but it ends up we're going next Friday. Hopefully the numbers will pick up! I really want them to continue making the rest of the Chronicles.
I had my friends save seats because I was running late… walked in and thought I was at the wrong showing. I'd say less than ten were in the audience.
very true š
and to follow Enya's advise: 'don't say, adios say, adios goodbye' š And that is all to say: 'let's hope!' š Aslan is on our side! š I'm cheerfully optimistic. Less than 20 min. for me! š
Lets also remember that holidays are a very busy time for many people, and there are two other big movies opening, Harry Potter which opened a few weeks ago and Tron is opening soon. Not to mention other heavy hitters like Red and Unstoppable which I'm sure will draw crowds as well. I won't get to see it until next weekend because I'm playing an orchestra concert on Sun. and we have dress rehearsal today. Still, the last movie that was supposed to hit hard that won't up getting numbers this bad at Christmas was Star Trek Nemesis and we all know what happened to the franchise after that…
My showing here in Toronto had a little over 20 people (and one guy laughing too much WITH the movie). I thought it was surprisingly decent, though one could tell the budget took a beating as the effects were quite shoddy. Overall, it was passable with a couple of 'magical' moments (Lucy in the life of Susan and returning to Earth through the painting). But the dialogue was the worst. And it felt choppy and awkward at times.
My guess is that, after the Prince Caspian fiasco, no one is very excited about another Narnia movie – least of all the hard-core Narnia fans. However, I am a hard-core Narnia fan and I thought the movie was pretty good – definitely much better than Prince Caspian. We just need to get the word out! I really want a Silver Chair movie now, if only so we can see more of Will Poulter as Eustace. Other movies have gone on to do well after a bad opening weekend, right?
Let's not lose faith people. I saw it in 3D one week after it came out (it opened Dec 2 here in Asia) and the theatre was about 90% full. I'm going to see it again next week, in 2D this time.
My theater (town of about 30-40,000 pop.) had one screen showing at the midnight opening, and my friend and I were two of about 15 people… It was very saddening after having gone to an 8-screens showing of Harry Potter's midnight opening a few weeks ago. But I'm going again this weekend, and I hope I can drag a family member or three along with me (maybe if I pay for them, though I'm the only unemployed one right now…).
I wasn't super impressed (having read the books since childhood, and writing my M.A. project paper on Lewis), but re-watching PC recently reminded me that a second viewing is better for enjoying the movie adaptation for itself. And I dearly want at least one more Narnia movie, even if these reports are kind of dismal. š
I don't blame it for doing so poorly, after the disappointment of PC, and the decline in popularity of the Narnia franchise, it's almost what I expected. My eyes have been opened recently how many people either don't care for, or don't understand Narnia. And these are all people who more than likely never read the books, or at least they read LWW. It seems to me that it would seem better had they only made LWW and not made any sequels.
I just feel like we're in a time where Narnia just isn't popular now and won't be well received, even if the movies were pure and faithful adaptions. People like "dark, realistic" or "epic" movies, like LOTR or Harry Potter. And Hollywood is trying to accommodate for that. In the end, it becomes off putting for most people. It's sad, but that's Hollywood, and that's where we are right now in our culture.
Goodbye Narnia š
Courage, dear one.
Aw… =( come on, VDT! I spent $50 or MORE last night to take my family to see it in 3D. I loved it, too. And our theater was surprisingly full for a late showing…
Just got home from the theater…..final verdict? It was good! Not fantastic, but really good! I enjoyed it. There were things here or there that I was a bit disappointed in, but the good out-weighed the bad. I think it got the message across in my eyes. It wasn't the book, but it was an adaptation. I was really please. Will as Eustace was fantastic though! Both human and dragon form! There were a few spots where the visual effects could have been better. But that seems the case for the previous two films too. I just feel advertising could have been a LOT better. But we shall see the results on Monday. Either way, I like it a lot. I will see it again.
I went to the midnight showing and it was about 3/4ths full. This morning I went again and it was only about 50%.
There were a lot of people at the theater though after I left. Hopfully they were going to see the next showing! š
Yes there were other movies that had a bad start but a great finish.
Have faith! I went to the movie without high hopes, and I think the movie was wonderful. It's different from the books.. But the essence is there! I've seen all the stuff I wanted to see, and the last scene was beautiful. I have faith in another narnia movie š
I disagree, Noogah. A movie adaptation of a book MUST be like (on almost all points) the book or it shouldn't be based on the book at all. For this VTD they should have just written where they put "based on the book by C.S. Lewis"–"this movie stole SOME stories and elements from the book by C.S. Lewis." Why make a movie based on a book unless it is LIKE the book in almost every way? A few years ago I read LOTR for the first time, then watched the movies a little later. Now, I often get parts from the movie and parts from the book confused, because they did such a good job making the it actually LORD OF THE RINGS. You can read the book or the movie, either one, and still be in Middle Earth, know the characters, as well as the story.
A movie adaptation based on a book IS the book represented before us, not in mere imagination, like a reading a book comes to life, but actually alive, with phyical people and places that should represent the book as much as humanly possible.
What State are you in? I've got a theory that maybe it might do better in Bible belt States, though I could be wrong about that.
Saw it already. Loved it. One of my favorites ever. If this HUGE snowstorm doesn't stop us I will take 20-30 from church tomorrow to see it.
Then I'll see it a third time in 3D!
I have a great idea! If everyone on NarniaWeb.com posted on Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else is out there that they saw and LOVED the movie, A LOT of people will get to know about it. I don't have Facebook, but I'm trying for the word of mouth idea. I also want to go see it for my birthday that's coming up, with my whole family and ALL my friends.
no snowstorm where I am, yet besides the group I was in (a group of 6), there were only 2 people in the theater at the midnight premiere. :/ looks like my dream of seeing HHB become a movie will stay just that…
I don't like HP at all. I can't stand it. Besides it's all super duper scary, waaay too scary for kids. VDT, on the other hand, is cheerier, but it's not tame by any means.
Hey, if you think people like darker movies, tell 'em about Dark Island. I'm going to tell a friend of mine who likes really scary things about the Sea Serpent, and if that doesn't convince her, I'll just have to beg her on my knees to go see it. Heh, heh, okay, maybe not that last part.
ONE HUNDRED?! Wow, you are really doing your part!
There wern't that many people were I saw it opening night, I know another theater some other friends went to was full. My family and I were going to go see it again today but we are completly snowed in and it will be snowing for a few more days. Weather has a major part in how many people are going. It is snowing hard all over MN.
That exchange almost made me cry. š
You're absolutely right, Noogah. I'm maybe not a life-long Narnia fan, but I couldn't love it more even if I was. I thought the movie was AWESOME. Also, a movie exactly like any book would be a tad boring. It would also be bad for one or the other because the movie would either take the book's place or never have a place of its own.
Glad to know there's another Narnia fan in Idaho. That's where I live and most people I've talked to never read or saw it or didn't like it. I LOVE VDT though.
Right. I'm going to see it at least one more time in theatres.
If HHB doesn't end up being made into a movie I may just have to become a filmmaker and make my own version that's way better than anything the world of commercialism can conjure up!
I'm also from Idaho; Nampa actually. The movie was wonderful, but no one was there. There we less than 20 people in the theater. All my friends who saw it hated it. I read the books between 10 and 20 times each. I loved this film. My other Narnia friends hated that additions to the story.
Wow, a lot more Narnia fans lived in Minnesota than I thought. š
Don't wallow in your grief, Narnia is not dead. You all need to motivate yourselves and get out there with as many peeps as possible. It will do well in the long run. Here in the UK, the room was full with people and they loved it.
The White Witch must be at it again!!! It has been bad over here as well with the snow, and freezing rain. I saw it last night with my parents though, and it was good. Snow, and the economic situation, which of course is political (as should be expected), are hindering sales in a major way. Some of my friends who really want to see it can't, because they have no money, and are barely making their bills. Heck, some of them have to borrow money to stay afloat. And I think that the economy is not only affecting the Narnia franchise, it's also affecting the sales for other movies as well. The movie has received some pretty good reviews even from critics whom you would expect may not like it. Yet, we should get out there and support this film as much as possible.
Oh and Prince Caspian is showing on TV for first time in the next 2 wks here. Will definately motivate people. I loved Prince Caspian better then LWW. Controversial I know!
There once was a movie with a December opening weekend of $28 million and went on to gross $600 million, becoming the second highest grossing movie in history: Titanic!
I know a lot of people are being discouraged about the movie from reading all the negative comments about it on these posts, so I just wanted to post my positive review of it. You can see the whole thing at
http://www. narniaweb.com/reviews/?id=45 or at
http://www. narniafans.com/vdt_reviews/review.php?id=12
(get rid of the spaces when you copy and paste it into the address bar)
I loved the movie!!! I walked into the theater at midnight a bit pessimistically, but I'm glad to say that I was quite pleasantly surprised! For the first 15ish minutes, I could barely even comprehend that I was FINALLY watching the movie, because I was so excited. It really has been a long journey, more than two years of wait. However, it was definitely worth it. Here's my review; note, there are some minor spoilers. I'll go over pretty much the whole plot of the movie.
I liked how they set up the beginning, showing Edmund's hunger for power, Lucy's jealousy, and the clear snobbishness of Eustace. The painting swallowing the kids up was spectacular, and the score really enhanced the scene!
The battle at the Lone Islands was a fun little skirmish, and Eustace was hilarious there. [SPOILER] "Oh God, I hope that wasn't the British Consul!"
The green smoke…well, being a book fan, I wasn't too happy about it. But I completely understand why they added it, and I thought that it was done well. Except it was occasionally overdone (SPOILER: it would appear every time someone was being tempted, as if you couldn't already tell they were being tempted). But I ended up actually liking it near the end (gasp).
The magicianās island was funny, and I just canāt get over the Dufflepuds. They were hilarious! "Yeah. Yeah. ā¦ Yeah." The set (the garden and the Magician's house) was great too. I really liked Lucy's face just before she went into the Magician's house; that was some pretty good acting! Coriakin's lines were a bit unoriginal, but he still got his point across. Oh, and Google Maps has nothing on Narnia Navigator!
Goldwater/Dragon Island was fantastic as well, and dragon Eustace was spectacular! Definitely the best CGI dragon Iāve ever seen (Smaug is the only dragon who could even think of potentially beating him). [SPOILER] Edmund and Caspian's little quarrel was a little odd, particularly Ed's sudden love of the gold, but I liked how well their serious duel contrasted with their fun duel from the beginning of the movie.
Ramandu's Island was pretty beautiful. Tavros the minotaur had me laughing my head off when he kept trying to eat the food from the table, haha. Liliandil descending as a blue ball of light was so beautiful! Caspian's line to Liliandil just before they left ("Will I ever see you again?") was a little odd, considering they'd known each other for all of two minutes…but it was still sweet. =D
I loved Caspian's speech to the crew as they sailed into Dark Island. (SPOILER: Reepicheep's encouragement to Eustace was also quite inspiring) The battle with the Sea Serpent had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was absolutely epic. Even the Kracken from "Clash of the Titans" would have been scared of THIS sea serpent. Be aware, little children might get really scared (haha, for that matter, so was I…) at this part.
I had been a little worried about Eustaceās un-dragoning before I walked into the movie, but I loved the way they did it! Obviously, they couldnāt do it exactly how it was in the book while keeping it PG (a lion ripping the skin off a boy!), but the way they did it was great, and the cinematography was awesome. You could tell that it hurt, and that Eustace didnāt EARN it or anything. I won't say anything more about it; you have to see it for yourself.
The endingā¦oh what can I say about it? I loved it! It was really emotional; I see why Her Majesty the Queen of England cried. Lucyās hug with Reepicheep, him going to Aslanās Country, Aslanās "But there I have another name" lineā¦it was all fantastic. And the CGI for the tidal wave was spectacular as well.
I thought the character development was well done throughout the whole film. It was quite obvious what each character's fears or jealousies were, and how they addressed and resolved them was great! (SPOILER: The bit about Caspian's father was a little random, but it worked) Will Poulter as Eustace was brilliant; that's great news, since he needs to be awesome for The Silver Chair and The Last Battle! It was fun watching his character grow. Oh, and I loved Drinian! He was so cool and set back. Overall, Reepicheep and Eustace were the best characters (I loved their interactions with each other!).
This movie had a different feel from the other two, but overall, I think I liked this one the best! I watched it in 3D, and I liked how they used the 3D. It didnāt have much stuff popping out at you, but thatās (in my opinion) a good thing. I like 3D better as just an addition of depth to the movie than a distraction (like it is in some other movies). Iām definitely going to watch it at least a few more times in theaters.
Overall, I highly recommend the movie; I think it was my favorite of all three movies. It was a little slow in the beginning, but it really picked up pace around the Magicianās Island, and from there on it flowed well. The visuals (sets and CGI) were stunning, particularly the dragon and the Sea Serpent. The movie was also quite emotionally satisfying. My final rating: Iāll give it a 4.8/5. =D FNAFA! (For Narnia and For Aslan!)
I think Fox will stick with this franchise and the Silver Chair will be made, I have no doubt about this. But lets look at the statistics: Harry Potter makes $125 million in its opening weekend and Voyage of the Dawn Treader makes $28 million.
I went and saw it and there were like 15 people.
28m is just people's estimates. it could be 35m or 40m you just can't tell how many people will go until after the #s will come out.
Eric, have you even seen the movie? The movie added and changed things, but it definitely did not change C.S. Lewis' meanings behind it. If anything it magnified them.
statistics potter has always done better than narnia.
Wooh Idahoans! I'm in Meridian. The showing I went to was at noon, and it was pretty bare too. I liked the film. I think it could have been better with more of a budget, but it was good considering the amount they had to spend. I feel like it still captured the essence of the book. That is what I really wanted. I love the Chronicles and really want to see them continued on film.
Not to damper even more….but I just found this on MSNBC as a headline in Entertainment. But like I have said, it's early, you never know what may happen.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40550886/ns/today-entertainment/
Potter has done better than Narnia, because it has been hyped long before the first book even came out. Nobody heard of it, but it kept being talked about. It's success was mapped, and appealed through the power of suggestion (the way the Beatles was first marketed), and so, when people read the books, and ended up liking them, and then became movies, they liked them since. Narnia has a different upbringing. Narnia was introduced mainly to baby boomer children, and its influence stuck with them. Today, it's influence with younger people comes from the movies. There was no pre-destined hype to "raise" the franchise.
Adding to that, Harry Potter has a lot of entertainment value, with no real moral value, and Narnia has more moral value than entertainment value. Yet I think people want to "dazzled" more than they want to "think" about anything that might be of value in their lives.
There was barely anyone in the theatre I went to for the midnight showing. It made me quite sad š I do hope it does better than this!!!!!
It will be interesting to see what the final figures are, but I think Harry Potter has taken all the money away from Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the bad weather ofcourse is playing a huge role as well.
What I don't get is the shoddy marketing campaign by Fox. Fox always make their movies short, which is why it felt rushed and reviewers were left confused. And the poster at the top of this page! Terrible! Why does Lucy look like she's been on the botox, so airbrushed? The only serviceble poster Fox came out with was released about a week before the release. Its only good because Aslan looks original. Marketing matters, and they didn't put the money in.
That was MSNBC's review again not their call to decide if the next one will be made or not that's up to fox/WM.
That review is annoying
"In brief reminders of better days, Tilda Swinton materializes out of thin air a couple of times to whisper enticements to Edmund"
Really.
Wow, that really isn't that bad for it only being out a day or two. But yes, the weekend is still young and things could turn around. You have to think of prices at different theatres. Me and my boyfriend are seeing it tomorrow so there is add of money to the box office! If the math works out correctly and every Friday earned $9 million in a month, that's like, around $36-40 million? Ha then add another month it would be about $72 million? Ugh I hate math. Either way, in time without a doubt it will get very close or even a little over the amount Prince Caspian made. THEN, you have to think of sales once it comes on DVD and Blu Ray, which would look AMAZING.
Went to Saturday 1:20 matinee.
Maybe 40-50 people tops….very uncrowded….sad,thought it was just an early movie but now reading sadder reports all over. This movie may have legs like LWW did though
Liked the movie. Was so eager for this one as VDT was my favorite of the series.
More stuff I liked than I did not. The texture of the movie was beautiful. Eustace was just okay, not overly thrilled with him personally. Reepicheep was much improved! The lily seas was exactly as I imagined it – wonderful.
I was hoping for the undragoning scene to be more like the book and I was waiting for Aslan to turn in to a Lamb – my favorite most touching scene in the book. But alas it was swept in the PC movement (and that is not Price Caspian).
Loved the lost souls concept – I think more people are aware of book to movie adaptations and are more willing to accept it.
But I would see it again and recommend it.
I think that they will probably make SC and that will be it for the Narnia stories.
I saw the movie and I didn't think it was really that bad.
There were short scenes in which the script and acting wasn't that great, but hopefully they'll realize that those kind of things can be avoided in the next movie.
Interesting didn't realize it was that low for Titanic.