Updated: Star Trek (2009) vs. The Rest of the Franchise

[CoveTom]

Updated numbers:

RAW NUMBERS:
Star Trek (209,500,000)
The Voyage Home (109,713,132)
First Contact (92,027,888)
The Motion Picture (82,258,456)
The Wrath of Khan (78,737,310)
The Search for Spock (76,389,860)
Generations (75,671,125)
The Undiscovered Country (74,888,996)
Insurrection (70,187,658)
The Final Frontier (52,210,049)
Nemesis (43,126,129)

ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION:
The Motion Picture (239,115,674)
The Voyage Home (212,328,919)
Star Trek (209,500,000)
The Wrath of Khan (192,290,437)
The Search for Spock (163,237,856)
First Contact (149,493,266)
Generations (129,980,545)
The Undiscovered Country (127,720,425)
Insurrection (107,451,468)
The Final Frontier (93,951,918)
Nemesis (53,387,173)

It seems pretty much assured that Star Trek is going to beat The Voyage Home's inflation-adjusted numbers pretty soon. The question is whether or not it will push on enough to beat The Motion Picture. Personally, I kind of hope it doesn't, just because it's nice to have the much-maligned 'way too slow and boring' TMP beating out the current film. But I'll be happy either way.

 

[scottydog]

Thanks for posting this. When the dust settles, it will be interesting to see if Star Trek XI beats TMP when accounting for inflation. Are there any data available that gives the body count, i.e., the number of people who actually sat in the theaters? To me this is a more important number, because unless movie ticket prices exactly match the pace of inflation -- which I doubt -- then we don't know which movie attracted the most customers.

 

[MvRojo]

Thanks for posting this. When the dust settles, it will be interesting to see if Star Trek XI beats TMP when accounting for inflation. Are there any data available that gives the body count, i.e., the number of people who actually sat in the theaters? To me this is a more important number, because unless movie ticket prices exactly match the pace of inflation -- which I doubt -- then we don't know which movie attracted the most customers.

Well, I know BOM uses ticket-price inflation in order to calculate their inflation-adjusted numbers.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/about/adjuster.htm

 

[Peter the Younger]

Thanks for posting this. When the dust settles, it will be interesting to see if Star Trek XI beats TMP when accounting for inflation. Are there any data available that gives the body count, i.e., the number of people who actually sat in the theaters? To me this is a more important number, because unless movie ticket prices exactly match the pace of inflation -- which I doubt -- then we don't know which movie attracted the most customers.

I think others have found numbers for this, but I tend to think it's a little unfair, as TMP was released in the era before VCRs/DVDs/downloads. Back in the day, if you wanted to see a movie at all, you had to get your ass to the theater or hope it showed up (heavily edited) on the Movie of the Week someday.

 

[Jeri]

I don't have warm and fuzzies for TMP. It's the reason millions of casual fans didn't go to the subsequent movies.

This movie is the one I wish we'd gotten instead of TMP.

 

[Ro_Laren]

I am surprised how low First Contact is on that list. For some reason I always thought that it did better than more of those TOS movies (but not all of them).

 

[Similitude]

Well I for one hope ST passes TMP as TMP is one of the worst Trek films, and most certainly does not deserve to be number 1.

 

[Dream]

ST should be able to beat TMP in the end. There aren't any big movies coming out in the next few weeks and the WOM for the movie has been great.

 

[Islander]

I am surprised how low First Contact is on that list. For some reason I always thought that it did better than more of those TOS movies (but not all of them).

No, that just shows how the overall interest to the franchise outside of fandom just kept going pretty much in a strait line down. The same is applicable to any serie, it's not just that sequels mostly sucks, it's a trend.

It don't think its fair to compare TMP and NFT (Not your Father's Trek) purely on adjusted numbers. The realities of life are not the same at all. Movie were the one great entertainment back in the 70's next to music albums. Now we have all sorts of electronic equipment to care for (iPod, cellphones, computers, ...) and PAY for. Our adjusted dollar if far more divided in our entertainment budget so some may choose not to go see it or not to go see it as often as a compromise for something else. Plus we know we'll have it on DVD pretty shortly, also a factor. So from that point of view, the movie has surpass TMP and all other movies a long time ago.

 

[Cyrus]

The top 5 movies in that list were released when there was no Star Trek TV series on the air. I don't think it's a coincidence, it makes the movie more of an event movie.

 

[Mr. B]

Even if XI surpasses TMP, people can take solace in other factors such as ticket prices, more immediate home video and additional revenue streams like pay-per-view.

 

[RAMA]

The top 5 movies in that list were released when there was no Star Trek TV series on the air. I don't think it's a coincidence, it makes the movie more of an event movie.

You hit it on the head. Add to that the high quality video available these days that you can play at home.

 

[Stardate]

CoveTom said: It seems pretty much assured that Star Trek is going to beat The Voyage Home's inflation-adjusted numbers pretty soon. The question is whether or not it will push on enough to beat The Motion Picture. Personally, I kind of hope it doesn't, just because it's nice to have the much-maligned 'way too slow and boring' TMP beating out the current film. But I'll be happy either way./

I looking forward seeing Star Trek beating overrated Voyage Home's inflation-adjusted numbers as well. Star Trek has already taken second spot away from TVH in overseas and worldwide gross longtime ago but its still need couple million to take the second spot domestically.

I also hope Star Trek doesn't beat the Motion Picture record either (for the same reason plus the fact TMP is a better film then Star Trek) But if it does then i can always go back to overseas and worldwide numbers.

overseas(adjusted for inflation)
1. The Motion Picture $164.7 million
2. Star Trek: $101.3 million

worldwide(adjusted for inflation)
1. The Motion Picture: $403.8 million
2. Star Trek: $310,6 million

So from that point of view, the movie has surpass TMP and all other movies a long time ago

No it hasn't and let focus on box office numbers.Especially the adjusted ones

 

[Stardate]

The top 5 movies in that list were released when there was no Star Trek TV series on the air. I don't think it's a coincidence, it makes the movie more of an event movie.

Very good point.

 

[Lumen]

The box office record is kind of an apples-to-oranges comparison for anything before the mid 90s. There was no home entertainment market, films stayed in theatres a lot longer, etc., so more people went to theatres.

 

[Mr Awe]

CoveTom, some of your inflation adjusted numbers are off but you are correct about the general situation and the top 2 movies are correct. For example, for TWOK, you have $192m (inflation adjusted) but it's actually $173m. Generations and FC are $109m and $125m respectively, not the $129m and $149m that you list. It seems like a bunch of your numbers are off by ~$20m too high. Your unadjusted numbers are correct (for domestic box office). But the point stands and you got the big picture correct.

Mr Awe

 

[Cakes488]

Well I for one hope ST passes TMP as TMP is one of the worst Trek films, and most certainly does not deserve to be number 1.

Oh come on now....it's not that bad! Granted it was a recylced story and it would of been much more interesting had I not seen the changeling...but it was decent enough.

 

[Islander]

No it hasn't and let focus on box office numbers.Especially the adjusted ones

It's fine by me if you want to live your life with blinders but my argument is valid and confirmed by Lumen.

 

[Stardate]

No it hasn't and let focus on box office numbers.Especially the adjusted ones

It's fine by me if you want to live your life with blinders but my argument is valid and confirmed by Lumen.

I can find some counter argument f.c. population in US and the world is greater now then in early 1980s so more people. Also TMP widest US released was approx 1000 theaters in 79, TWOK in approx 1600 theaters in 82 and TVH approx 2000 theaters in 86. Star Trek is now shown in almost 4000 theaters. Luman has a point that box office record is kind of an apples-to-oranges but it seems most people fall back on when comparing gross.

 

[Lumen]

The safest comparison seems to be relative performance to other films released in the same year. TMP was 4th in 1982, and Star Trek will either be 4th or 5th this year, so they're going to be about equally successful at the box office. But Star Trek has DVD sales which TMP didn't for quite some time until after its release.