Princess And The Frog Doesn’t Croak At Box Office
Written by Wayne Hall on December 14, 2009 – 11:00 am -
Disney’s traditionally animated movie The Princess and the Frog jumped over the competition in theaters last weekend, landing in the top spot by grossing an estimated $25 million, according to Zap2it.com.
While opening in only a handful of markets around the globe, Princess glammed $7 million for a worldwide total of $32 million.
This weekend, younger families turned out for Princess, which was a girl magnet, of course About 64% of the audience was female. Unaccompanied adults made up 20% of the viewers, a strong number that was likely the result of positive reviews, Disney president of domestic distribution Chuck Viane said.
“Ron Clements and John Musker, the directors, and the entire animated team have created a story that leaps off the screen,” Viane said.
Last November, Disney’s Bolt opened to an estimated $26.2 million. Outside the U.S., Princess did 10% better than Bolt. Germany led with $2.8 million, followed by Mexico with $1.5 million.
The question everyone is asking is, “Will this Frog have legs?” If it can draw moviegoers over the upcoming holiday session, it can signal a return to a “once-popular-though-expensive” method of animation. Can it buck the trend of 3D and computer generated cartoons? Time will tell.
The Blind Side and Invictus from Warner Bros. came in second and third, respectively. Blind Side has yet to open outside the United States.
Internationally, Twilight: New Moon continues to rule the world, taking in another estimated $22.3 million from 66 territories for a foreign total of $358.7 million.
New Moon came in No. 4 in the States, declining 48% to an estimated $8 million for a total of $267.4 million and worldwide total of $626.1 million. This sequel has made nearly $100 million more overseas, reflecting the increasing popularity of the franchise in foreign markets.
Sony’s 2012 also remained an international powerhouse, grossing a total of $711.3 million in its global take.
Films that debuted over the weekend are getting ready to draw as much attention as they can for the upcoming holiday weeks, when families, adults and kids alike are looking for someplace to go and something to see. The week between Christmas and New Year’s can generate enormous business for all sorts of fare.
Overall, the box office in the U.S. was up 10 percent over the same time a year ago. The film industry is now less than $400 million away from jumping the $10 billion line in domestic ticket sales in a single year for the first time ever.
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Tags: 2012, Disney, Princess And The Frog, Twilight: New Moon
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