DreamWorks' SHREK 2 and Fox's THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW made quite a one-two punch over the Memorial Day box office period ended May 31, 2004, propelling the best four-day take in the history of the biz. DreamWorks' SHREK 2 grabbed $95.5M (the best second-week tally ever) and a staggering $260.3M to date. The 3D-animated sequel posted the best Memorial holiday box office ever in a record 4,223 theaters, and is on track to surpass SHREK's $268M later this week.
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (with vfx by Digital Domain, Hydraulx, ILM, The Orphanage, Custom Film Effects, among others) bowed with the best second place showing ever with $85.8M (plus another $85M in 110 territories overseas for the widest day-and-date debut).
Warner Bros.' TROY (with vfx from Cinesite (Europe), Framestore CFC and The Moving Picture Co.) came in third with $15.3 and nearly $110M so far. Buena Vista's romantic comedy RAISING HELEN debuted in fourth with $14.2M. MGM's SOUL PLANE debuted at number five with $7M. Universal's VAN HELSING (with vfx by ILM) dropped to sixth place with $6.7M and a cume of $110.7M. Paramount's MEAN GIRLS mustered $6.4M in the seventh slot, which is good enough for a total of $73.7M. Fox's MAN ON FIRE secured number eight with $2.8M and $73.2M Sony/Revolution's 13 GOING ON 30 dipped to number nine with $1.45M and $54.5M. And IDP's SUPER SIZE ME held the 10th spot with $1.4M and $4.9M. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
