'Incredibles' ices 'Polar' at box office

[Computer Magic]

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- In the battle of computer-animated cartoons, "The Incredibles" held onto the top slot at the weekend box office in North America, while the costly Tom Hanks holiday movie "The Polar Express" pulled in at a distant No. 2, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.

"The Incredibles," revolving around a family of superheroes, sold about $51 million worth of tickets in the three days beginning Friday, said a spokesman for Walt Disney Co., which released the Pixar Animation Studios Inc. production.

Its 10-day total soared to $144.1 million, which is how much Pixar's previous effort, "Finding Nemo," made at the same time in its release cycle last summer. That film ended up with $340 million. Disney distribution president Chuck Viane was confident the new film would reach that level, helped by a paucity of family movies in theaters.

"The Polar Express," which reportedly cost $270 million to make and market, opened with a modest $23.5 million for the weekend, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said. Since its release on Wednesday, it has earned $30.8 million

 

[Shaman]

And in two weeks...Incredibles has made nearly the same amount Sharktale has already made in I think seven weeks...which means that Pixar's competition needs a little more work...

 

[Computer Magic]

And in two weeks...Incredibles has made nearly the same amount Sharktale has already made in I think seven weeks...which means that Pixar's competition needs a little more work...

I'm interested in seeing how Incredibles stacks up against Shrek 2 in dollars.

Shrek 2 took in $440 million. Now, the sequel is also cashing in on the DVD.The DVD first three days of release, it sold a record 11 million DVDs.

Incredibles has a way to go to earn as much as Shrek 2.

 

[wdwmaniac]

It's no Sherk 2 but it's still doing good. Should round out at in the 300's. Lets hope National Treasure can turn out a nice profit to and end this year on a good note for Disney's Studios.

 

[Shaman]

I'm interested in seeing how Incredibles stacks up against Shrek 2 in dollars.

Shrek 2 took in $440 million. Now, the sequel is also cashing in on the DVD.The DVD first three days of release, it sold a record 11 million DVDs.

Incredibles has a way to go to earn as much as Shrek 2.

I doubt it will reach Shrek 2 numbers...but its kinda unfair to judge Incredibles against Shrek 2, afterall S2 was a sequel to the very successful S1...nevertheless it should be interesting to see if it tops S2 numbers...

 

[ClemsonTigger]

You can market all you want, but I can't see the Polar Express story being full enough to hold the audience. The other problem is release date...beginning of November is a bit early to have interest in a Christmas movie. I'm sure it will hang around on a couple of screens and have more interest after Thanksgiving.

Another thing...maybe it's just me, but even when I read the story to my children growing up...I thought parts of Polar Express were a bit creepy. The opening and closing were nice enough, but the whole North Pole thing looked too much like some cult or a gulag in communist Russia. :lookaroun

 

[NemoRocks78]

Shark Tale has been out since October 1st and has made $157.3 million since then....
The Incredibles has been out since November 5th and has made $144 million since then....

Looks like it should finish with a higher box office than Nemo's. I'm interested to see how it fairs overseas....

 

[disneymoc]

Is it just me or does the Polar Express's animation seem lackluster compared to the Incredibles?

 

[Computer Magic]

Is it just me or does the Polar Express's animation seem lackluster compared to the Incredibles?

agreed. But I read that Polar broke the IMAX record for ticket sales.

 

[boywonder]

I liked both films. The Polar Express was like a christmas card in every frame while The Incredibles was just plain fun.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I saw "The Incredibles" over the weekend (it was... sorry.... INCREDIBLE), but have no real desire to see "Polar Express". It just doesn't captivate me.

Having seen "Shark Tale"... it stunk, big time. I'm surprised it's made as much money as it has. It just backs up the fact - a good story makes or breaks a movie (are you listening, Disney Execs??? It's NOT because it's CG, or 3-D!!!)