TPM falling further and further behind Titanic ...

[Atreyu]

... just looked at the info from the SwFans.Net website - TPM is now approx. $120 million behind what Titanic in the same amount of time (US gross that is - not international). It's steadily falling ...

[Kyp Durron]

I never really cared much about a movie's box office intake until Episode 1 came out. It made me realize how truly awesome Titanic's run was. We can all make our excuses, from a timed release, to advertisement, to no competition, and what not, but it takes a true fan to admit that TPM just didn't have enough steam to match with the big boat. I think a better goal right now is to keep all 6 SW films in the top 10...although I do think that EP3 will be the one to finally sink that ship.

[Atreyu]

Yep - but ESB is now No. 10 isn't it? Which means if either Episode 2 or 3 (or even both) make it into the Top 10 then ESB will be out, unless it gets re-released.

[Comrade Smoke]

I say odds were strongly against TPM, still are. But Im not going to start a lecture, too tired. I still wouldn't be so certain that coming Episodes will be able to gross that high. Let's say that for some reason beyond my imagination considerable part of people didn't really "loved" TPM. It's their problem, of course But without well-planned advertisement campaign Epidode II as well as III might have quite low success compared to other SW movies. There is of course possibility that new SW films breaks records again and gross much more higher than TPM. I really don't know what will happen...

[Darth23]

TPM is NOT falling behind!!!!!!!!!! Titanic is standing still. Every dollar TPM makes brings it 1 dollar closer to Titanic's total. Of course it's not going to CATCH it, but that's a different issue. I believe we've known it won't hit anywhere NEAR 600 mil for several months now. Personally the 30k days and the theater count of under 400 kind of gave it away for me. ;^)

[Atreyu]

I didn't mean it like that Darth - I meant it in comparison to how much Titanic had made in the same amount of time. Obviously Titanic isn't going anywhere at the moment.

[Darth23]

Oh, sorry. Ok, let me try again. <blink><font color=red><h2UH!</h2></font></blink> (was that better?) ;^)

[Atreyu]

Ummm, well I guess.

[Comrade Smoke]

"Titanic is standing still. Every dollar TPM makes brings it 1 dollar closer to Titanic's total." That's best thing I've heard in a while. So it's not falling at all! It's catching it!!! Not that it would actually "get it" at this run(or you never know. But with time and fans...with time and fans.

[JoseAEA]

Although it is 5 years off, but I heard that Lucasfilm is expected to see Episode 3 make $500million.

[JonathanLB]

Where did you read that? Anyway, about the comment "it takes a true fan to admit blah blah blah," etc. That really isn't true, there are clean objective reasons why TPM wasn't able to pass Titanic, and they should be looked at, not ignored. As a SW fan you should want to have legitimate proof that TPM really was at a disadvantage against Titanic. It isn't for reasons of popularity or quality that one movie made more, it is mainly because of the competition, the media backlash, and anticipation that hurt the movie. I don't necessarily think that TPM would have beaten Titanic, but it very well may have. Here is a Variety article pertaining to the period of Titanic's release. Actually, this is a small part of a larger article ----------------------------------------------- Weak product Just as importantly, AMC blames the film product, which “aside from ‘Titanic’ has been weak and attendance per screen will likely be lower than last year,” Lehman Bros. analyst Alison Sachs said in a report this week. The attendance loss is severe at AMC’s older theaters, which are competing with AMC’s new megaplexes and those of competing exhibs. AMC’s VP of finance, Craig Ramsey, confirmed one analyst’s estimate that the “bottom third” of AMC’s circuit, or about 700-800 screens, suffered a 26% drop in attendance in the quarter, while the newer megaplexes had flat attendance on last year. AMC’s senior VP for national film settlements, Doug Stone, confirmed film product didn’t perform as well as last year’s March quarter for AMC. “I don’t think anybody is real upset about the numbers, but they’re probably not as good as people wanted them to be, given the magnitude of the grosses on ‘Titanic,’” Stone said. ----------------------------------------------- The competition against Titanic was so weak, it really had the best opportunies to prosper in a fading marketplace. The Phantom Menace, on the other hand, was swamped with competition. Within Titanic's first 14 weeks, only 1 movie made over $20 million in a single weekend besides Titanic, and that was James Bond 18 (TND). Within TPM's first 14 weeks, there were some 15+ movies above $20 million in a weekend, and even AP2 which had 2 weekends over that. Then there was the fact that AP2 made over $50, Big Daddy over $40, and a few others over $30. This doesn't even compare with the competition Titanic had, which was so weak as to be laughable.

[Kyp Durron]

I agree...you're right about Titanic having no competition whatsoever. I have argued the same things before. I guess what I'm thinking is, how about at the end of this mega-blockbuster summer, where there were very little competition out there? I'm just irked that Titanic was out for about 8 months, and in its 4-5 month time after release was still making millions every weekend, while TPM after 4-5 months was barely making 1 million. I mean, believe me, I'm no Titanic fan, but I must say that it made an impressive run. Of course, that's not taking away from TPM's even more impressive run against all odds. I just wish it lasted longer.

[JonathanLB]

It's ok. The Sixth Sense is good evidence of what can happen with little competition. Every week you think it might drop out of the top 10 because of the new releases, but it doesn't. The reason is, the other movies keep falling so fast that SS can stand above them. The same thing happened with TPM, BUT (big but), the other movies opened way bigger and there were more of them. If a movie opens at $14 million, and SS made $3 million, that's a small difference compared to if, say, a movie opens against TPM and makes $40 million, and TPM makes $4 million.... Then, we got lots of movies opening all the time. It makes you wonder if maybe it would have been better (box office wise) to release TPM July 4th weekend, thus avoiding AP2, Tarzan, and Big Daddy (at least their opening weekends). Then, still the main part of the run would be during the summer while kids are out of school, but it would also have still been around into fall, and then it would have been pulled much later because fall movies would never have been able to push TPM so far down... I don't know, I think LFL and Fox did the right thing by opening it in May, but it just makes you think, that's all...

[yoda900]

I think the reaon that Titanic made so much after 4-5 months was the following reasons: 1. I swear they were advertising it and talking about it in the media during its entire run, thus people keep seeing it all the time as if it should be seen 2. February-March, it got all kinds of nominations and winning all kinds of awards, thus keeping the public even more interested. 3. (the real kicker): winning best picuture and capturing 10 other awards in the big one. Now we are into April-May, where people want to go see the movie of the year. 4. No compeition until May pretty much. AS for TPM. 1. Sure there was the toys, the movie tie-ins etc.. but how many commercials did anyone see advertising it? I saw no commercial of any kind. 2. Everyone tried bashing this movie in the media after hyping it up so much (a bunch of dolts they are) 3.The competition it had was kind of like the schedules the Big 10 conference football teams have this year. All the teams except for 1 or 2 are super excellent, but they still must play each other. Whereas Titanic was like one of those 12-0 teams that is a super team , but the rest of thier opponents are weak. 4. The number of movies that kept coming out kept on reducing the number of screens more rapidly than should have, despite TPM still beating movies. 5. I think if TPM had been number 1 vs . the opening of AP, it woud have easily been #1 6,7 weeks in a row, thus getting ots of attention, thus keeping it number one. That is what also happened with titanic. My guess is if thier roles were reversed , that is Titanic playing during this summer opening in May, and TPM opening last year on Xmas Titanic- $189M TPM - $720M

[Kyp Durron]

Yes, points well seen. I too believe that if Titanic came out during summer, it wouldn't have had the same success as it did...probably not even half the success. Also, I think that the successes of the movies following TPM's release were due to TPM itself. It made people go into the movie-going mode. That's why it's the biggest grossing movie summer ever.

[Comrade Smoke]

I've received much critics that Titanic and TPM's runs should not be compared. Or that Titanic was simply much better movie bla bla... Well it isn't really so. If we think all the odds that TPM was fighting against. It has been VERY succesfull. USA #3, Worldwide #3 and probably going to end up as #2 in worldwide. Just recently jumped back to TOP 20 in USA. It's quite phenomenal that it always seems to "strike back", never giving up. Well my 10th time is coming. Doesn't impress "SW veterans" who has seen 30+ times but for me it's quite much since it's well beyond my last record(2). But it's good that some fans point out the simple facts that were behind Titanics success.

[JonathanLB]

Never worry about people that have seen the movie more than you, and don't let them tell you it isn't impressive. 10 times seeing a Star Wars movie shows the signs of a true, very dedicated fan. That is you. So don't let people downplay seeing the movie that many times, that's a lot of times still. If every SW fan had your level of dedication the movie would have made more, I guarantee it. I saw it 34 times, but not everyone has that much time, and not everyone has the money either, and frankly not everyone wants to see it that many times! But I really enjoyed getting the chance to see it so many times, and I don't scoff at people who've seen it 5 or 6 times, that's really good. Now, when people say they've seen it 2 or 3 times, that doesn't impress me. I don't really care how many times they've seen it, but I just know that for me, that would be far too little...10 is awesome though. Next.. "4. The number of movies that kept coming out kept on reducing the number of screens more rapidly than should have, despite TPM still beating movies." Bingo. This one really hurt us, bad. Austin Powers 2 didn't hurt whatsoever, HOWEVER, it was Austin Powers 2 that started the whole thing. There was just movie after movie being released, and the smaller theaters with 6 screens had to push TPM off too early. Only the bigger multiplexes like 12 or 16 screens kept it through August. That's too bad, because it had the potential to make another $45 million if it wouldn't have been pulled from so many screens so rapidly. That's ok though, we'll get our re-release, and there is no reason anyone should feel like "oh it's a re-release though, it doesn't count." Look, it's money. It is money TPM has made, therefore of course it counts. Also, I bet you if they re-release TPM in December it will not officially be marked as a re-release. The problem here is, you cannot count something as a re-release unless ALL THEATERS across the United States are not playing the movie. So long as 50-100 theaters are playing it in December (which is likely), it will not go down as a re-release. Take the example of Return of the Jedi and Jurassic Park. In december, did you know, both of those movies made over $10 million, and that was after they had been released in May!!! Why did they make that much, you say? Was it because they still were on tons of screens? No. It was because prints were given back to the exhibs for one final big deal, and they took in a load of extra cash. At least, that is what I understand from HAL. For the record, of course, neither ROTJ or JP were actually "re-released," so if TPM made another $30 million and beat ANH, it would be official that it passed ANH in a single release, I believe.... Unless they are doing it differently now.

[Atreyu]

I've only seen TPM 3 times. I was going to see it a 4th, but the theatre in my town closed it earlier than expected, so that was that.

[Comrade Smoke]

Thought Im not living in USA. Im really waiting for re-release just to see does TPM have enough of...whatever to beat ANH. Yes ANH is SW movie too, but I would like to see TPM taking #2 place in USA as it seems that it will take #2 place in worldwide and that's VERY GOOD. I mean #2 place! It's great run and becoming re-releases will eventually get TPM over Titanic, in USA, world-wide is a whole another case. I would say that 6 times is kind of enough. I think this is one of those rare movies that are getting better every time, it happened to me. So if you see it only 1 time. I don't think you are justified to judge it too seriously. You need more times to just get the idea. Because of this "rollercoaster effect", mesa thinks. First time doesn't give very much, not at least to me, but I was almost crying in drama scenes after 5 viewings. I can't remember really ever getting so emotional in movie, actually I never drop a tear, until now. Well perhaps in original trilogy.

[jjwr]

I've seen it three times, and for me that was enough. No offense to those who have seen it 30+ times, but I think thats ridiculous, I could think of much better things to do with $250 or so dollars than to line the pockets of a billionaire. That and I do'nt want to get bored with TPM, I'll watch it a lot once its out on video, theres not doubt about that, but I'm not going to watch it every week, or every day, I'll just get bored with it that way, in 15 years when I watch TPM again I still want it to feel fun, but if I've seen it 200 times, then thats just not gonna happen. As far as box office totals go, Titanic was a phenomonon, it was a combo of a good movie, good timing, and a intangible that sent it to such heights. TPM was a blockbuster, flat out, there was no phenomonon(sp?) there, it was flat out summer blockbuster that everyone wanted to see, and like summer blockbuster's it faded, no big deal, everyone who wanted to had the chance to see it, it was a great movie, so who cares if it makes as much as Titanic.