'WALL-E' box-office

[ALIASd]

'WALL-E' earns $23.2 million on opening Friday

'Wanted' takes in $19 million

By Gregg Kilday
The Hollywood Reporter
June 28, 2008, 02:21 PM ET

Moviegoers gave a big, warm hug to Disney/Pixar's "WALL-E" on its opening day Friday. But even as the G-rated animated movie topped the day's boxoffice returns, Universal's R-rated "Wanted" gave it a run for its money, as the action pic roared out of the gate with a powerful second-place showing.

Setting up shop in 3,992 theaters, "WALL-E," a futuristic tale of robot-love that had critics across the country swooning, took in an estimated $23.2 million for the day. That puts it on track for an opening weekend gross that¹s sure to be in the high $60-million range.

And with enough kiddies storming the matinees and critic-driven adults taking in the evening screenings, there's even the possibility that "WALL-E," directed by Andrew Stanton, could challenge the all-time best Pixar openers, "The Incredibles" ($70.4 million) and "Finding Nemo" ($70.2 million).

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...599cb22492b2eb

[ALIASd]

'Wall-E,' 'Wanted' wow box office

Revenues for the year top 2007 levels



By Pamela McClintock
Variety
June 29, 2008

Pixar and Disney’s endearing toon “Wall-E” and Universal's Angelina Jolie actioner “Wanted” both did socko business at the weekend box office as overall B.O. revenues for the year ran ahead of 2007 levels for the first time in months.

“Wall-E” easily won the weekend in grossing an estimated $62.5 million from 3,992 runs. The R-rated “Wanted” rocketed past expectations in grossing an estimated $51.1 million from 3,175. Each made the record books.

“Wall-E” nabbed the third best opening for a Pixar film after “The Incredibles” ($70.5 million) and “Finding Nemo” ($70.2 million). It is the second best June opening of all time after “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” ($94.7 million).

At $23.1 million, “Wall-E” scored the biggest opening-day gross of all nine Pixar films, reflecting the fact that kids are finally out of school.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=13&cs=1

[ALIASd]

Pixar's 'Wall-E' robot rolls into first place
Disney / Pixar

1. "WALL-E," $62.5 million.
The cosmic love story brings in $62.5 million at the box office as the studio scores
its ninth consecutive commercial and critical hit. 'Wanted' is No. 2

By Richard Verrier
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 30, 2008

"Wall-E," the trash collecting robot abandoned by humans, found plenty of company over the weekend.

The animated movie produced by Walt Disney Co.'s Pixar studio was the No. 1 movie with $62.5 million in ticket sales, the third-best opening for a Pixar film and the biggest ever June premiere for a Disney film.

The G-rated movie, which was produced for an estimated $180 million, is the ninth consecutive commercial and critical hit for Pixar Animation Studios, creator of "Cars," the "Toy Story" films and "The Incredibles," the 2004 movie that had the biggest opening of all Pixar entries with $70.5 million.

All nine have bested the competition in their opening weekends.

"Wall-E" and 11 other top-grossing movies brought in $179.2 million in ticket sales over the weekend, up 22% from the same time last year, according to box-office tracker Media by Numbers, underscoring Hollywood's resilience even as the economy sputters and gas prices soar.

The premiere for "Wall-E" also gives a welcome boost to Disney, which acquired Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion and has been struggling this year at the box office compared with its peers, in part because of the lackluster showing for "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian."

The movie hasn't matched the huge success of the 2005 release "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

"It was a sensational weekend," said Chuck Viane, Disney's distribution president. "This will help put us back in the box-office race."

The latest Disney-Pixar installment is a love story about how a walking trash compactor left behind when humans flee the over-polluted planet falls for another robot named Eve.

The computer-animated film directed by Andrew Stanton faced some potential hurdles, including the fact that the robots barely speak. But the movie benefited from strong reviews and had broad appeal with children and adults, Viane said.

"Wall-E himself is such a lovely character," Viane said of the love-struck robot.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...,1246465.story

[sediment]

Waiting for the inevitable, "...but it's not what Wall Street expected, so, it's a failure" story from someone somewhere. Not that I'm actually reading that anymore.

[pineapplewhipaddict]

I'm so happy that it's doing well! Keep it up, WALL-E!

[Coast21]

WOOT! Go Wall-e! Let's see how you do this weekend

[Craigroy8287]

Great Job Wall-E. Every showing at the theater by my house was sold out on Friday night.

[Retrocool]

Originally Posted by sediment

Waiting for the inevitable, "...but it's not what Wall Street expected, so, it's a failure" story from someone somewhere. Not that I'm actually reading that anymore.

So, it's a financial failure because it didn't earn $300 million over the weekend, eh?

[Twist_of_Fate]

Sediment is right. Someone somewhere will write something like that. Probably in the coming weeks when its appeal is finally eclipsed by a big hitter. Heck, it'll very possibly happen THIS weekend.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by Retrocool

So, it's a financial failure because it didn't earn $300 million over the weekend, eh?

"Well. It's a critical success. But Wall Street didn't think so. Which is far more important than making great movies. If you're a shareholder, that is...."
And on and on. Latest tale is that Speed Racer's merchandise was coveted more by vendors than Wall-E's merchandise, so it's a failure. Because in order to keep pressing the myth that Disney should not have bought Pixar (at that too-high price), one must remind everyone of every supposed failure.

[Retrocool]

Originally Posted by sediment

"Well. It's a critical success. But Wall Street didn't think so. Which is far more important than making great movies. If you're a shareholder, that is...."
And on and on. Latest tale is that Speed Racer's merchandise was coveted more by vendors than Wall-E's merchandise, so it's a failure. Because in order to keep pressing the myth that Disney should not have bought Pixar (at that too-high price), one must remind everyone of every supposed failure.

Given the state of the economy, Wall Street can kiss my tuchus.

[cellarhound]

Originally Posted by sediment

"Well. It's a critical success. But Wall Street didn't think so. Which is far more important than making great movies. If you're a shareholder, that is...."
And on and on. Latest tale is that Speed Racer's merchandise was coveted more by vendors than Wall-E's merchandise, so it's a failure. Because in order to keep pressing the myth that Disney should not have bought Pixar (at that too-high price), one must remind everyone of every supposed failure.

Sediment, actually I think I have read some of those stories recently...

And I am more concerned that Prince Caspian did worse than expected... If WALL-E does too, it would be enough to trigger an already jittery stock market that is staring at the price of Oil and wondering how they can take that Disney Vacation now...

Disney is pretty deep and fundamentally conservative fiscal company that could take a punch or two and still pull a profit...

I just think that moving away from producing films was Iger's mistake... Particularly in this market... I think the Box Office is a little surprised by the numbers they are pulling in...

[cellarhound]

Originally Posted by Retrocool

Given the state of the economy, Wall Street can kiss my tuchus.

Trust me, if it would help them out of this globalization mess they made; they probably would...

I just find it interesting that all these capitalists who though they could save the world by investing outside America because of cheap labor - and they get $140+ barrels of oil in the out come... And still Democrasy has not spread because of it... Rather the world becomes more authoritarian in order to solve the problems - and so by creating more...

Welcome to the return of history... What you are seeing is a world wide trade war....

[MickeyMousePal]

Let see if Wall-E can handle Hancock....

[Twist_of_Fate]

Originally Posted by MickeyMousePal

Let see if Wall-E can handle Hancock....

I don't think it will. In the case that it does, I am pretty sure it will fall the following week. If not then, then The Dark Knight WILL take it out of the top.