STID "tracking" for $85-90 million opening [U.S. box office]

[I am not Spock]

It seems that no matter how much you retool it, no matter how much you reinvent it, you'll have a hard time convincing the masses that 'this Star Trek is for YOU'.

Which is a shame, as this is exactly what they were trying to do with the new Abrams movies. I'll reserve judgement for now, and hope that people just didn't realise it was on, on Thursday night.

 

[Jax]

Deadline

A good start.

The studio is still predicting a 3-day weekend domestic estimate of $80M and 4-day estimate of $100M

Star Trek Into Darkness is running around 80% of Fandango’s ticket sales today while 75% of yesterday’s sales on MovieTickets.com came from STID. Star Trek Into Darkness is expected to easily beat the director’s first installment in North America and do much better overseas

I think $450 million is the likely target based off the start.

 

[Chrono85]

Abrams Trek is increasing in popularity (as the box office numbers are showing). Maybe by the next movie, it will finally have real mainstream success comparable to a Marvel movie .

 

[Jax]

Maybe by the next movie, it will finally have real mainstream success comparable to a Marvel movie .

Never going to happen, Trek has stigma that will always hang around in some form and is less accessible than Marvel movies IMO.

 

[Phily B]

True and it took those movies how long to take off? Batman Begins grossed less than Trek 2009 for example. I wonder how Trek would fare if Star Wars was at its height and movies like Prometheus had done a bit better? Sci-fi movies like this doesn't seem to be doing particularly well compared to the superhero juggernauts.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Trek films have often succeeded in appealing to the masses, at least in the domestic market. The first four films ranked #5 in 1979, #6 in 1982, #9 in 1984, and #5 in 1986 in the year-end domestic box office charts, while Star Trek ranked #7 in 2009 (the intervening films, made while there was an ever-increasing amount of new Trek available on television, ranked outside the Top 10 of their respective years). You don't achieve a Top 10 box office ranking for the year without significant mass appeal, even if it's not up there with the uber-successful franchises that score truly astonishing grosses.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Superhero stuff is just much more accessible. I wish it weren't so, but it is.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Trek films have often succeeded in appealing to the masses, at least in the domestic market. The first four films ranked #5 in 1979, #6 in 1982, #9 in 1984, and #5 in 1986 in the year-end domestic box office charts, while Star Trek ranked #7 in 2009 (the intervening films, made while there was an ever-increasing amount of new Trek available on television, ranked outside the Top 10 of their respective years). You don't achieve a Top 10 box office ranking for the year without significant mass appeal, even if its not up there with the uber-successful franchises that score truly astonishing grosses.

That said, this is indeed true!

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

There are conflicting reports now. Box Office Guru said this via Twitter:

Sources tell me #StarTrek on course to reach $21-23M FRI. That may put WED-SUN opening in $80-90M range.Expected more.

And Nikki Finke posted this:

FRIDAY 6:30 PM, 4TH UPDATE: No significant changes in numbers yet.

Hopefully the latter is correct!

 

[Phily B]

Very very disappointing if true, a lot of predictions seemed to put it at 100m-110m now we're hoping it just beats 09.

 

[I am not Spock]

Quite disappointing I was hoping for a sequel. I won't give up just yet, but why so low? I think they may have just waited too long. The momentum from 09 may have worn off, among the non Trekkies.

 

[I am not Spock]

Superheroes seem to be all the rage. Sci fi has not been huge, as of late. Prometheus did OK, but not amazingly, at only 400 mil worldwide. (As compared to the billions that blockbusters make nowadays) I was hoping that STID and SW Episode VII would kick start a new golden age for sci fi.

 

[Phily B]

Quite disappointing I was hoping for a sequel. I won't give up just yet, but why so low? I think they may have just waited too long. The momentum from 09 may have worn off, among the non Trekkies.

Might've been a mistake with the John Harrison stuff instead of just saying he is Khan? 4 year wait?

And Star Trek might've hit the ceiling, it's not a market for sci-fi adventures atm. Oblivion, John Carter, Prometheus all flopped or came under expectations. I mean outside of Star Trek 09, how many sci-fi movies in space have done that well?

 

[Jax]

Quite disappointing I was hoping for a sequel. I won't give up just yet, but why so low? I think they may have just waited too long. The momentum from 09 may have worn off, among the non Trekkies.

09 did well because of WOM so we'll have to wait though 2009 Box office seems less busy than 13's IMO? Iron Man 3 is a killer when last time 09 had Wolverine Origins.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

More from Box Office Guru on twitter:

If #IntoDarkness stays on current course, 1st 4days will be even w/ last Trek's. Shocking given 3D & aud love for last pic.

 

[Amaris]

In the U.S., things are just starting. I won't even pay attention until Monday, when we'll know the weekend totals here in the states. That will give a better indicator of how things will move forward. My hope is that STiD breaks another high sales Trek record.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Well, maybe you're right, J. Allen, but these are fairly reputable sources keen on up-to-the-hour ticket sales information on the most important day for the movie we're quoting here.

 

[I am not Spock]

They should have played up the Khan angle in the marketing. Why create this John Harrison alias? Isn't Khan going to get bums in seats? Why have him, if you're not going to market it?

 

[Amaris]

Well, maybe you're right, J. Allen, but these are fairly reputable sources keen on up-to-the-hour ticket sales information on the most important day for the movie we're quoting here.

I'm always right as long as no one asks any follow-ups whatsoever at any time.

To be fair, I think there might be some confusion for folks. Before I saw the movie on the 16th, I had to ask around to make sure that was the correct date, because some people in the U.S. saw it on the 15th, some on the 16th, but the release date on all of the U.S. posters is the 17th.

That's why I'm not too concerned, and am interested in Monday's numbers, which will give us a nice view of how the weekend went.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Indeed, indeed. Hoping for the best, but hell, even if domestic numbers mirror the last flick's, stronger international sales are something to be happy with.