Sunday, October 26, 2008

Pep Rally

High School Musical 3: Senior Year takes the top spot--Was there really ever any doubt? Meanwhile, Saw V is going to help the franchise cross a horror film milestone...

Dade Hayes of Variety:

Disney’s “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” and Lionsgate’s “Saw V” divided and conquered the box office with opening weekends of $42 million and $30.5 million, respectively.

Total B.O. rose about 30% from the year-ago frame, according to studio estimates.

The top two pics entered record territory. “HSM3” is the biggest musical bow ever, while “Saw” franchise is just $2 million shy of eclipsing “Friday the 13th” to become the top-grossing horror series ever.

“High School” also raked in $40 million from 22 overseas markets. Disney said 35% of the world is yet to come.

News was not as rosy for sophomores Fox’s “Max Payne” and Lionsgate’s “W.” “Payne” fell 57% to $7.6 million and “W.” dropped 49% to $5.3. Cume for the George Bush pic is $18.8 million, with a gross in the $25 million range likely after a post-Election Day exit.

Warner Bros.’ “Pride and Glory,” a long-gestating New Line title, debuted at No. 5 with $6.3 million.

Universal got spectacular results from 15 runs of “Changeling” in nine markets. The Clint Eastwood-helmed pic bowed with $502,000, or $33,441 per house.

Logo Features, the pic arm of Viacom’s gay cable channel, also got impressive results from “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” which pulled in $161,302 from just five screens...


Joshua Rich of EW:

Disney's family film scored the No. 1 opening ever for a musical and trumped a bloody good bow by ''Saw V''

I'm sure Disney's already thinking HSM:The College Years...If so..Can they lure Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale to enroll?

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