Box Office Update 3/2-3/4: Wild Hogs Goes Hog Wild

From a flaming biker to four middle-aged bikers. After Ghost Rider topped the box office race for a couple of weeks, bikers of another sort made a dash for the top slot. The four bikers on the verge of a mid-life crisis took over the theaters and the top spot. Wild Hogs took the top spot by a huge margin. The pairing of Travolta, Allen, Lawrence, and Macy prove to be an unlikely team that successfully brought out a wide cross-section of the public. I can speak to anecdotal evidence that they successfully that it was drawing from all age groups, and many of them mentioned not going to movies that often.

Wild Hogs struck a chord and took off, beating all expectations on its way to a near $40 million take. It handily blew the doors off everyone else on the list. Its first victim is also a newcomer to the list, Zodiac. The two and a half hour plus runtime did it no favors, as it reached $13 million for number two. The movie is a wonderfully detailed account of the Zodiac murders in the 1960's and 70's. I have to recommend that you check it out, and don't be put off by it's length, it will keep you engrossed as the team flies by.

There was one other new release to hit the charts this week, Black Snake Moan. This is an audacious look into the lives of a couple of fractured people, told in a manner evoking memories of 70's exploitation, with a touch of humor, skillfully sidestepping pretentious over-seriousness. Or something like that. It is a wonderful movie that is not as it seems at first. It took in just over $4 million in its debut frame, and will most likely not have the strongest legs, althought it does deserve them.

Of the returning films, it was pretty much split between those that did decently and those that did, well, not so decently. At the top end of things was Norbit, with a drop of just under 35% (although it deserves much more), while at the south end is Reno 911!: Miami, dropping north of 60%, that one is fading quick.

Three films dropped from the list this week: Amazing Grace (11), Daddy's Little Girls (12), and The Astronaut Farmer (13).

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	N	Wild Hogs	$39,699,023	$39,699,023	1
2	N	Zodiac	$13,395,610	$13,395,610	1
3	1	Ghost Rider	$11,553,469	$94,810,845	3
4	3	Bridge to Terabithia	$8,904,512	$58,207,144	3
5	2	The Number 23	$6,486,304	$24,119,947	2
6	5	Norbit	$6,398,696	$82,905,396	4
7	6	Music and Lyrics	$4,888,337	$38,673,388	3
8	N	Black Snake Moan	$4,143,199	$4,143,199	1
9	4	Reno 911!: Miami	$3,942,926	$16,605,822	2
10	7	Breach	$3,617,670	$25,556,015	3

Box Office Predictions Recap

I started off so well, even if those two places were relatively easy to pick. I would have thought that Jim Carrey would have had a little stronger hold higher up, rather I underestimated the flaming skull. I am glad to see Terabithia holding on as it is, it is a good film. Then there is The Astronaut Farmer which has to be seen as a disappointment.
Anyway, here is how I picked the field:

Actual	Prediction	Title	Wknd Gross	Prediction
1	1	Wild Hogs	$39,699,023	$26 million
2	2	Zodiac	$13,395,610	$17 million
5	3	The Number 23	$6,486,304	$12 million
4	4	Bridge to Terabithia	$8,904,512	$9 million
3	5	Ghost Rider	$11,553,469	$8 million
9	6	Reno 911!: Miami	$3,942,926	$6 million
6	7	Norbit	$6,398,696	$5.5 million
7	8	Music and Lyrics	$4,888,337	$4 million
10	9	Breach	$3,617,670	$3.5 million
13	10	The Astronaut Farmer	$2,212,155	$2 million