Exceeding even the initial record-breaking estimate by $3M, Disneys PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MANS CHEST (with cutting edge vfx by ILM) broke out with an astounding $135.6M over the three-day weekend ended July 9, 2006. This swats SPIDER-MANs $114.8M. Other records smashed include best single and opening day ($55.8M), beating REVENGE OF THE SITHs $50M, and fastest to $100M (two days flat).
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. SUPERMAN RETURNS settled for second place with $21.8M. The two-week cume for Bryan Singers Man of Steel is $141.6M, with stunning vfx from Sony Pictures Imageworks, Rhythm & Hues, Framestore CFC, Rising Sun Pictures, The Orphanage, Frantic Films, among others. Following in third was Foxs THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, which fashioned $15M for a two-week cume of $63.1M. Fourth place went to Sony/Revolutions CLICK (with vfx from Sony Pictures Imageworks), which clicked off $11.9M for a three-week cume of $105.8M. Disney/Pixars CARS slipped to the fifth position with $10.7M and a cume of $205.9M. Paramounts NACHO LIBRE claimed the sixth spot with $3.3M and a total of $73.8M. Seventh place belonged to Warner Bros. THE LAKE HOUSE, which brought home $2.8M for a cume of $45.6M. Finishing eighth with $2.5M and $57.4M was Universals THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, bolstered by vfx from Hammerhead, Rhythm & Hues, CIS Hollywood, CafeFX, Pacific Title, Illusion Arts, Industrial Light & Magic, Perpetual Motion Picture, Digital Backlot and Hatch FX. The ninth place finisher was WAIST DEEP from Rogue Pictures with $1.9M and $19.2M. Universals THE BREAK-UP came in 10th with $1.6M and $114.2M. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
