By Ryan Parsons | Image property of 20th Century Fox.
The Simpsons Movie
Fox has got to be feeling pretty good right about now. Taking a chance with a non-CG animated film, Fox's The Simpsons Movie proved its worth in receipts during its opening box office.
Excellent Box Office for The Simpsons Movie
Though lacking in CG, The Simpsons Movie earned $71.8 million domestically to become the third-highest opening weekend ever for an animated film. The only thing that stood in the film's way was the last two Shrek installments. Doh!
Since the last two Shrek installments were sequels, The Simpsons Movie has earned the right to give itself the record of 'highest opening for a nonsequel animated toon'. Specific, I know, but still something worth talking about. Unlike most box office hits this summer, The Simpsons Movie actually received good reviews.
The foreign markets also celebrated the release of The Simpsons Movie, with $96 million from 71 territories; a number that brings the film's worldwide take to a whopping $167.8 million.
Thanks to the film's strong opening, The Simpsons Movie helped this weekend's domestic box office easily surpass the same frame last year by a whopping 52%. The top ten domestic films raked in $165.7 million this year, compared to $108.8 million last.
Fox, which says The Simpsons cost less than $75 million to make, is already being praised by the competition for an aggressive marketing and distribution campaign to translate the long-running animated television series to the bigscreen.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry showed some surprising strength this weekend by retaining the #2 spot. The romantic cooking drama, No Reservations, stepped in to steal the #5 spot from Transformers.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix held strong in its third frame by taking the #3 spot. Warner Bros. expects that people still prefer reading the franchise's final installment rather than see the fifth film.
Add to Heffee!
