ST09 Tidbits: Trek Hits $375M + Star Trek Lessons + more

We are nine weeks in, but there are still Star Trek movie tidbits to round up for you. We have the just in final numbers for Star Trek’s ninth weekend, plus some are already reflecting on what Star Trek has taught us about the year (and the Summer isn’t even over yet). Also we have some new video from the May Hollywood premiere and more. 

Box Office Update: Out of Top 10 – tops $375M worldwide
The final numbers are just in and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen had a rare 2nd Summer weekend win, coming in just ahead of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (which opened last Wednesday). As expected, Star Trek dropped out of the top 10 in its 9th weekend at the domestic box office. With a combination of a big cut in theaters (down 675 to 1,148), and with across the chart low sales on Saturday (people spending July 4th watching fireworks instead of movies), Star Trek had its biggest weekend drop of over 50% to bring in just under $1.8M. Star Trek came up $162K short of the $250M mark domestically (but should pass that point sometime today).

Film Wknd gross Total Wk #
1 Transformers 2 $42,320,877 $293,355,885 2
2 Ice Age 3 $41,690,382 $66,732,868 1
3 Public Enemies $25,271,675 $40,141,080 1
4 The Proposal $12,857,482 $94,335,111 3
5 The Hangover $11,268,413 $205,038,233 5
6 Up $6,521,389 $264,816,694 6
7 My Sister’s Keeper $5,788,327 $26,518,582 2
8 The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 $2,534,228 $58,508,070 4
9 Year One $2,323,843 $38,304,392 3
10 Night at the Museum 2 $2,043,288 $167,706,959 7
11 Star Trek $1,769,967 $249,838,139 9
12 Away We Go $1,096,212 $6,077,303 5

Overseas Star Trek ended the weekend with an international total of $125,190,225. This brings the total global gross to $375,028,364. It appears that Star Trek’s time at the box office is finally winding down, but it will likely top $380M before it finally disappears from theaters.

Reflecting on Star Trek – what have we learned?
As Star Trek slowly steps off the stage of Summer movies, some are already reflecting on the film and what it teaches us relative to the other Summer movies.

In an article titled "5 lessons to have learned from 2009 already", io9 sees one lesson  of how Star Trek-style optimism is back in vogue, noting

Terminator Salvation and Watchmen – two downbeat movies offering popcorn versions of pessimistic views of humanity (“Ultimately, man’s greed and laziness will lead us to become disconnected from our fellow man and controlled by the machines and mechanisms that we created to ease our daily existences – but doesn’t this slow-motion action sequence look hot?”) – both failed to meet expectation at the box office, while Star Trek’s hopeful, colorful version of a future that may be too lens-flarey to be cuddly but is nonetheless positive surpassed expectations.

In an article titled "Despite complexities, summer heroes still find time to save the world", LA Times film critic Betsy Sharkey contrasts Chris Pine’s Kirk with other summer movie heroes, noting:

Pine’s James T. Kirk, on the other hand, has to search for the good inside the bad boy, and he does it brilliantly, without question my favorite hero this summer. In Kirk, Pine embodies the kind of confidence-infused machismo that made Harrison Ford’s Han Solo so appealing in “Star Wars” years ago. Even before Pine’s Kirk beats the Kobayashi Maru test, you know behind those startlingly blue eyes is a strategic brain to be reckoned with, to say nothing of the sexual potency that vibrates around him.

It is always a risk to take on a deeply familiar character, particularly one like Capt. Kirk, whom William Shatner breathed a very specific life into beginning in the ’60s with the TV series. Even John Belushi’s “Saturday Night Live” satire of Kirk couldn’t have been so rich without the Shatner blueprint. Pine has to figure out how to create Kirk anew without alienating the cult of the old and is greatly helped by a fine-tuned script from Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

Finally, in an article titled "Hollywood’s New Math: Who Needs Stars?", Business Week contrasts how ‘star vehicle’ films like Taking of Pelham 123 (w/ Denzel Washington) and Imagine That (w/ Eddie Murphy) have come up short compared to movies with lesser known stars like The Hangover, Star Trek and others. Here is an excerpt:

Big-name actors can still open a movie. But they’re no longer crucial. In bygone years, says Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com, studios would have scrambled to find a big-name star to play Captain James T. Kirk and other crew members for this summer’s Star Trek. Instead, Paramount (VIA) selected a cast of relative nobodies, amped up the special effects, and “made it all about J.J. Abrams,” milking his following from his work co-creating the ABC TV show Lost. Moviegoers, say Dergarabedian, take their cues not from the stars but from the trailers they see on cable TV, the Internet, even their cell phones. “Today it’s the concept of the movie that motivates folks to go the movie theater, not the star who’s in it,” he says.

Star Trek celebrity arrivals
Our friends at ShatnerVision have put out a video showing the celebrity arrivals at the Hollywood Star Trek premiere on April 30th.

More ST09 and Star Trek Bits

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Glad to see Trek finally getting the credit it deserves after all these years. :)

great stuff ! Hopefully they finally officially set a date for a blu-ray release soon !

Wow. Ice Age did pretty good. I forgot that was out. Harry Potter will probably do really well. What else is due out?

Good point about downer movies. Given the state of the union right now, people are looking for a distraction AND FUN at the movies.

I would imagine Harry Potter and Transformers will do well in the end, good points on what the attractice aspects of Star Trek were. Maybe that’s the “magic” element that’s kept Star Trek so successful for so many years.

It’s all been an amazing ride from the original news of a new STAR TREK movie all those years ago in “the Dark Ages after Enterprise and Nemisis. Then the arrival of TrekMovie.com and my daily visits to this site for the last 3 years or so, the “shocking” news that we had to wait another 5 months for the movies release and then the magic day 3 months ago.

I never thought we’d be collectively so happy with the movie that JJ, Roberto and Alex crafted, but here we are are…very happy and talking Oscars, sequels and a positive future.

Good work to all and especially to you Anthony for bringing us all together and helping to make it so!

I really cant wait for the next instalment.

Its like 2 years ago allllll over again!

$380 million is very satisfying. well done all. Good to see Trek back in the big time.

this site/boars has been a joy and i hope it continues now right through til the sequel arrives.

Greg
UK

Whoa Whoa Whoa….hold on, NOT collectively!!

Star Trek wasn’t that great, or good for that matter.

I don’t know who makes the decision to bump a movie out of a slot at the theater but it looks like they made a mistake…whoever it was. Look at the box office per screen numbers over the last couple of weeks at Box Ofiice Mojo. Star Trek did better business than Year One, Night at the Museum and Pelham 1-2-3. Had more theaters kept Star Trek, they’d have more money in the bank. (And I think they get a bigger % of the ticket sales as each week passes.) Bad call pulling it out before it’s time.

Since Star Trek did so well…I wonder if Paramount would be willing to release an extended Director’s Cut version into theaters before it rolls out to video? (Hint, hint!) Hey, why not? WB is doing it for a filmed that pretty much bombed with Watchmen.

A trilogy would be nice, and the 3rd installment at the end should reboot the reboot back to the prime universe,, then everyone’s happy and Marty can finally destroy the De Lorian.

I’m sorry I contributed to Transformers box office. That movie was an example of what’s wrong with movies today. Incoherent plot, juvenile “humor”, but hey I least it had awesome special effects. Jeesh! I wish I could have those 2 and a half hours of my life back.

..and get back to 1985

$380m just beats Batman Begins does it not?

heres to the $1b grossing sequel!

9- So why are you here?

Star Trek LIVES!!

Whenever the economy is in the dumps and prosperity is just a word in the dictionary, people like fun escapism. Who wants gloom and doom; we can read our 401k statements. A movie like Star Trek with good guys and bad guys and lots of warm fuzzies is what people want to see. It was quite the thrill ride and I can’t wait for the sequal: ST something something.

#8

Collectively meaning general consensus, The Last Maquis. You may not like it, but you’d be hard-pressed to argue that the majority agree with you.

14- Ithink you mean 8, not 9.

And as I see it, He’s allowed to be here & he’s entitled to his opinion.

I loved it! I’m sad that I only got to see it 3 times.

”hopeful, colorful version of a future” !!!

BILLIONS OF VULCANS ARE DEAD ! !!!
The Horror !!!!

Transformers has got to be one of the strangest examples of movies today. All the critics panned it, many people say it sucks big time, yet here it is in two weeks making almost 300 million domestically. I don’t get it. I saw it the other day- it was ok if you like all action and no substance. If the movie is so wrong- why is it making so much? I can’t believe it has already passed Star Trek which was a much better film. Goes to show- many people today don’t know a good movie if it smacked them in the face. Or people are desperate for an escape. Maybe a bit of both.

we do hope you are indeed the last, Maquis… but you are certainly the least.

the answer about transformers is simple: it captivates the minds of 8-12 year olds. My kids have seen it 2x this weekend. The wife and I saw start trek three times, but without the kids in tow.

Translation: without kids,Start Trek did well. Transformers, with kids, did substantially better.

In any case, my wallet hurts.

I loved Transformers. One of the best summer movies. Why did you all go see it if it you hated the first? I LOVED the first one. So fun! It isn’t a crime to enjoy Transformers. I wish some movie fans wouldn’t be so snobby about it. I am avoiding Harry Crapper like the plague. I hate that series.

#13. screaming satellite wrote: “$380m just beats Batman Begins does it not?”

It does not. First it hasn’t hit $380 (with any luck it will cross that mark within two weeks). However, adjusted for inflation using Box Office Mojo’s numbers, Batman Begins grossed $417M.

Technically, it does, just passing Batman Begin’s unadjusted $373M.

Here’s how Trek looks with a steady (conservative) 30% decline every week from next week forward:

Week/WW Gross
10) $4.4M
11) $3.0M
12) $2.1M
13) $1.5M
14) $1.0M
15) $0.7M
16) $0.4M
17) $0.3M
18) $0.2M
19) $0.1M

Unfortunately, Trek is dropping faster than 30% at this point, therefore it may take longer to hit $380, and unlikely to top out past around $390.

Ultimately, it does not look as if it will pass TMP’s $398M (per BOM) in the franchise, which is disappointing because it does not appear the debate as to which has actually sold the most tickets will be settled – in the $390 range, there are arguments for both. I still have some lingering hope that ST09 will still pull out $400M through a surge in late international receipts.

Sometimes I wish these sites wouldn’t focus so much on box office. Can’t we talk about the movie?

Today’s time heralds a “new dawn” for emerging actors according to several supporting authors, which signals a great time to be an actor. A sure-fire formula for success seems to be a great story combined with actors who excel in their craft. This formula appears to be the difference between an “Epic” and a “Failure.” Still, visual effects and action seem to have carved a niche that seems to draw the masses into theaters. When we can be dazzled by “spectacle” and a movie allows for “suspension of disbelief,” this formula works even better.

It would be fascinating to look forward twenty or so years to see what taste in movies and audience might have. Or would it be that convergence of cable, film, and television be indistinguishable?

@ #9

Aye, I looked for Star Trek in my local theater about two weeks ago, but it had ran its course and had been replaced. I would have ended up seeing it 2 or maybe 3 more times after the initial buzz which could add up, especially since other movie-goers have mentioned this same fact.

There wasn’t enough time. The movie should have had a 3 or 4 week longer run in smaller markets, especially in IMAX in U.S. states with only ONE IMAX. The IMAX runs were too short in some states with only one or two IMAX theaters. In this situation, it would be beneficial to rotate releases which doubles the run of a popular film and also profits. But, scheduling is short and sweet in the IMAX arena, but they turned out in droves for it (Star Trek.)

It astounds me that Pine pulled off the seemingly impossible- filling Shatner’s shoes. And yes, that IS what he’s done.
It could have truly been a disaster- but it’s been far from it!

26:

Enterprise:

Several of us have been scouring the web looking for current business news related to Trek because we are interested in how the franchise will do relative to its peers. At first, it was just a hope that it would do enough biz to stay alive but it’s become much more.

Some of us have learned lots here about a film’s lifecycle internationally. A poor financial report from a certain country on this site usually results in someone from that country explaining just what went wrong.

Talking about Shatner and Khan ad infinitum is fine, but the business aspect is something I hope Anthony continues to write about because many of us follow it regularly.

Did anyone really expect the new Trek movie to bomb? It has a good cast, story, effects, etc, and it didn’t have the bad stigma from Insurrection, Nemeses, etc. It’s doing well. Better than all the other Trek films.

You bet $380M is very good. TMP world wide inflation gross is $407M. By the way, just watched TMP and TWOK on blu-ray and OMG I was blown
away. Even the menu system imprssed me, I love it. Regarding the new movie even now people I know who don’t like star trek and have not seen the movie are hearing good things about it and are considering seeing it. Two months in theatres and its still resonating which means that more people are going to see the next installment. Alex…Roberto…you have you work cut out, you MUST deliver ( I know you both will.) With JJ and all the talented back, this movie should be twice, three times more impressive.

MR. ORCI, CHECK THIS OUT!!!! Here’s a plot Star Trek writers, after losing 48 ships to a Romulan vessel from the future, the Klingon’s launch an attack against the Romulan Empire which spreads into uncharted parts of the Galaxy. The Romulans, who are getting the sh%t kicked out of them suddenly come across a floating Earth ship, SS Botany Bay. Make a long story short, Khan takes over the Romulan ship, makes a deal to help the Romulan Empire defeat the Klingons, thus destabilizing the balance of power in the galaxy, which causes Star Fleet with information from Spock prime to send in the Enterprise to kill Khan before he becomes even more powerful. Oscar if you would please.

31 Enterprise: Yeah, many people were afraid it would bomb. A friend of mine got a quote from Chris Pine over a year ago where Chris said he didn’t think that playing Kirk would turn into an ongoing role for future projects. He was that worried about the movie’s success! Fortunately, I think Chris has another paycheck or two coming.

Yes Vulcan was destroyed, but in the end our heroes won the day! Not by jumping back in time and making the earlier part of the movie never happen but by kicking the guy’s ass! It’s hopeful, but it also shows us that sometimes bad stuff happens, actions have consequences.I want to see where the next film goes, and clearly from the box office so do an lot of other people, Star Trek Lives!

Trek is only playing in 1 theatre in tacoma wa now-and only once a day at 1220-although it is in a few more theatres in outlying areas about 24 minutes away,so it is playing in a lot fewer theatres here but its not gone yet-i took a friend and her ten year old daughter sunday which was my lucky 7th time and they both loved it!-an employee noticed my trek experience shirt and asked me if i liked it i said yes for the 7th time–he said that movie still has legs and amc is going to keep it for a while longer-we will see-long live trek

Here in Mexico we can’t complain…. it used to be that you had to hunt down the trek movies if you wanted to watch them at the theater… they usually lasted 1 or at most 2 weeks in few theaters (this was before al the megaplexes and such).

Don’t even think about fast food tie-ins or toys at the store!!!

When comic stores started, you could at least get some of the novels and the rare magazine… at most you had to be satisfied with Starlog….

TV ? Only original series… for TNG, DS9 (only part of it), you had to have cable… I personally got a satellite dish to continue watching DS9, then VOY and ENT… I would tape the shows and watch it with some friends, who eventually became the local Star Trek Fan Club… TNG and DS9 eventually were irregularly broadcast on one network here…. at 3 AM!!!

We contacted the local Paramount distributor and helped to promote the last 2-3 pictures… but still it was considered a lost cause in Mexico (“Star Trek is not good business in Mexico”, they said)

2009 : We see billboards with the movie, commercials on TV, toys in the supermarket and tie-ins in Burger King. At last, it is a good time to be a trekkie in Mexico!!!

Transformers opened here on tuesday two weeks ago… That night I went with a friend to see the Star Trek Movie (my 4th time, his first). Even though transformers was on 4 screens and it was its opening night, the Star Trek Theatre was packed. Tuesday night showings (8:40 pm) are usually empty… so I think this was a very good sign!!!

Anyway…. we can bitch, nitpick or praise the movie… but I think it is safe to say that Trek is on a rebound and it great to be riding this wave!!!

My congratulations and thanks to all involved with this web site, and specially to the team behind the new movie (Mr Abrams, Mr Kurtzman, Mr Orci (didn’t know for the longest time you were from Mexico… hope someday we can chat), all the actors and people behind the scenes… you nailed it in regards of what Star Trek needed to live again… as fans we may not be all in 100% agreement, but the box office talks elloquently….

We sometimes forget that after all, this is show “Business”, if theres no business, we get no show…. :-)

OK.. I’ve talked enough…

#33 Eric, you at least deserve a star or more for a plot with out the Enterprise finds the Botany Bay. And it is at least plausible if not doable.

Even Rush Limbaugh back in the spring of 1997 spent a hole hour on the Greatness of Star Trek. He stated that the biggest plus point of Star Trek is that it gives the hope of a better future, unlike the hyping of the then VP Al Bore and his book The Inconvenient Book of Falsehoods.

I personally wrote him many letters expressing the need for a Trek Universe, and I most likely not the only one to do so.

So any guesses on how fast and many STM:TM DVD will sell and how fast, then how much these sales will add to the Gross total. My guess in 2011 as the next movie starts picking up pre-hype steam it will be $412-15 million. My heart almost typed billion, and that would be a nice dream, but that may need the real Starship Enterprise’s arrival. And if that happened our concept of the value of that green paper would vanish.

# 33 – Star Trek already had your idea…. It was called “Nemesis” and it was a miserable failure.

A genetically engineered human takes over the Romulan Empire… Sound familiar?

What a great ride that has been. Notched up 9 viewings myself and must thank everybody concerned for helping me get through a tough time in my life. What better way of escaping the world than hiding away in a dark cinema watching a great film? It worked for me!

I hope in sequel the producer will figure out a way to pump up the box office from foreign country.

Soon, Shatner will have an all-new excuse not to see the movie: ” I really wanted to see it but I couldn’t find a theatre which was showing it”! ; )

hey the star trek premiere in hollywood was in april at the chinese theatre,

Optimism is a big part of Trek, embodied in its bright lights (get non-flare bulbs!) and rich colours. It is also very true that Star Trek has great heroes, human heroes, that can show us what we are capable of. Klingons are a part of us, the Borg are too, and so are the Ferengi. Everything in ST speaks to parts of us that challenge, frighten or excite us. It encourages us to try to understand ourselves better. It gives us guidance along the way. With ST, we don’t have to be afraid because when we learn about ourselves through it, we will always find that humanity will be okay.

In the future, I look forward to Orci, Kurtzman and Lindelof bringing the real world back into Star Trek and letting those great characters and all their insights show us ways we can make our own world better and brighter. Thank you all for keeping Trek alive.

Great to see that Star Trek will survive, as although I have many gripes with the new film I for the most part enjoyed the new Trek movie.

I only hope that the next bunch of movies are not going to be rehashes of classic episodes or I will be a very angry Trek fan.

When is it coming out on video?

#13
Will someone please explain to me the logic behind this all-too-frequently expressed notion that because THE DARK KNIGHT did gangbuster business as a follow-up to BATMAN BEGINS, the TREK sequel will do the same? Just not following where this is coming from.

#8
I’m forced to agree with you Maquis. Finally saw the movie two weeks ago and was vastly disappointed. I thought it extremely overrated. At a lost to explain the reasons behind all the good notices, and why so many chose to ignore the countless glaring weaknesses. All I can come up with is that the movie got judged on a curb–by critics and fans alike. I guess because the film was designed as a roller-coaster ride, like most of these kinds of “fun” films, people can always fall back on the “it’s just an entertainment” excuse, thereby legitimizing the film and and the experience when in fact these kinds of films usually aren’t very good at all.

Did anyone else notice the obvious imitation of Shatner’s Kirk that Pine did in the final scene?? It was great! The quick blurt of “Bones!” The way he sauntered over to the chair. The way he sat in it cross legged. I can’t wait for the next installment.