'Fahrenheit' has $22m opening weekend; Biggest opening for documentary

[rawstory]

As seen on The Raw Story; http://www.rawstory.com

'Fahrenheit 9/11' tops North American box office

LOS ANGELES, June 27 (Reuters) - Michael Moore's red-hot documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" earned more in its first three days of release across North America than his Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine" did in its entire run, the film's distributors said on Sunday.

"Fahrenheit 9/11," in which Moore takes aim at U.S. President George W. Bush, and the war in Iraq, opened at No. 1 after selling about $21.8 million worth of tickets in the United States and Canada since June 25.

The film opened in two theaters in New York on Wednesday to help build even more media buzz before expanding to a relatively modest 868 theaters two days later. (In contrast, most of the other movies in the top five were playing in more than 2,500 theaters each.)

Including the sales from the head start in New York, the film's total stands at $21.96 million. Moore's previous movie, "Bowling for Columbine," grossed about $21.5 million during its nine-month run, during which it peaked at about 250 theaters, according to Moore.

"This is a testament to Michael Moore. His voice resonates across the country in what I think we can all now fairly describe as America's movie," said Tom Ortenberg, the president of distribution at Lions Gate Films, which backed the movie.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=DZPJR1PJZF02ACRBAEZSFEY?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=5523171

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

1. Yahoo!!! I saw it last night in Boston. Awesome. Will be going back...

This movie requires repeat viewing. Let's keep it pumped-up. Maybe it will open to a wider run if the major theater chains see that they are losing out on box office revenues.

JB

[Journeyman]

2. Wonder how many tickets that equates to? . .

And do they give those numbers, or is the film industry moved only by consideration of moolah?

[MindPilot]

5. about 200,000

Not that I know about, but it is easy enough to divide by 10.

The film industry--like any other--needs to make a profit so it can pay the people.

[AP]

6. Average US ticket price is about 7.50, so it's almost 3 million people.

[Wednesdays]

8. Uh, I figure the audience to be at least 2 million...

22 million dollars divided by $10 per ticket = 2.2 million. And I'd think that most places charge less than 10 bucks per ticket.

[Journeyman]

13. I paid $8 for a matinee in the Los Angeles area. . .

and that was high for matinee prices in this area (usually $6.50 or so). And there were as many matinee showings as there were evening shows. I went to the 1:00 show Friday and was told the 11:30 had sold out. I'm gonna guess the theater was a little better than half full at the show I attended (the capacity is probably close to 2000). I understand the rest of the shows that day were sold out.

[bigluckyfeet]

37. Early Bird Show

I am going to the early birdshow today for $4.

[KAZ]

17. "but it is easy enough to divide by 10". Apparently not. :) n/t

n/t

[TahitiNut]

38. Good co-piloting.

Perhaps a navigation error? :silly:

[Democat]

18. Here is an article that says 3 million people will see it this weekend

HOLLYWOOD (Box Office Mojo) – Around three million people elected Fahrenheit 9/11 to be the No. 1 movie of America.

Fahrenheit is actually the biggest opening ever for a movie playing at less than 1,000 theaters, topping Rocky III's $12.4 million at 939 venues.

Fahrenheit 9/11 will add theaters next weekend and is scheduled to expand again on July 9.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/articles/news/?id=040627bo.htm

[Politicub]

20. Fahrenheit 9/11 will add theaters next weekend and is scheduled to expand

Cool. It's a snowball effect.

:bounce:

[MirrorAshes]

3. "America's movie" I love it!

Congrats to Mike Moore!

[DeepModem Mom]

26. "America's movie": you're right -- that's wonderful!

Thank you, Michael, thank you!!!

[slinkerwink]

4. awesome!!!

[gristy]

7. It is still Sunday, isn't it?

It's still the weekend. :wtf:

[Defecit]

10. Wow

As a movie fan this is really unprecedented that a documentary do something on this scale. It topped all other films which is an accomplishment in and of itself when most films are trying just to recoup the cost. I would desperately like to see this movie get even more coverage and possibly expand into regular cineplexes. Particularly in rural areas like mine.
Gotta hand it to Michael Moore whether you like him or not, he's speaking out in a way that most of us can't. And he's doing it rather loudly with these numbers. Now if only the Democrats themselves would grow some balls and speak out on the issues like Michael is.

[NashVegas]

14. Many of the Sunday Evening Showings Are Already Sold Out

I suspect that's how they can calculate. Numbers will probably be revised anyway, though.

[truthisfreedom]

27. i saw it last night in Minneapolis, and all of the showings were sold out

i barely got a ticket for the 12:28 am showing, and had to be seated half-an-hour before the show to get good seats... at midnight, the theater was already 1/3 full.

[Don_G]

9. $21.9 Million In 868 Theaters Through Last Night

Probably another $10 to $15 Million will be reported by tomorrow afternoon.

I just wish I could be there to see Dimbo get "that" particular bit of news.

[llmart]

12. Remember - he's not interested in seeing it.

He'll be watching "Shrek". That's about his speed anyway, the dumbass.

[burrowowl]

16. Shrek might be too

compassionate for Bu$hie.

[CO Liberal]

22. Shrek is Too Intellectual for Dubya

He'll probably watch a video of the Three Stooges instead, and ask Laura to explain the jokes to him.....

[daleo]

30. He will be busy re-reading "My Pet Goat"

n/t

On edit - He was interrupted last time.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

35. He gave up and bought the "Cliff's Notes" Version

.

[dArKeR]

11. 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Tops North American Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Moore's red-hot documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" earned more in its first three days of release across North America than his Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine" did in its entire run, the film's distributors said on Sunday.

(dArKeRs' comment: This story is being published on Sunday Afternoon. What about late afternoon and evening revenue which hasn't been collected?)

"Fahrenheit 9/11," in which Moore takes aim at President Bush (news - web sites), and the war in Iraq (news - web sites), opened at No. 1 after selling about $21.8 million worth of tickets in the United States and Canada since June 25.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The film opened in two theaters in New York on Wednesday to help build even more media buzz before expanding to a relatively modest 868 theaters two days later. (In contrast, most of the other movies in the top five were playing in more than 2,500 theaters each.)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/weekendboxofficer.html

You haven't seen anything yet! I've been overseas for 3.5 years of the Bush Butcher's Coup of 2000. I've posted it here for 3.5 years. Everyone HATES America under Bush. Something the American GOP Controlled Media Whores only tell you 1% about. And I mean nearly every American, Canandian, Australian, British on down the line to Taiwanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian... (And I didn't just meet backpacker low income people from all these countries. My work allowed me to meet people from all levels. From multimillionaires to backpackers to grandmothers to single hot available girls to stiff neck guys.

Overseas, this movie is going to do 100 times the revenue as the USA. And Moore sold this for $6M (I believe I read). Moore did this because he is really an American Patriot. Scum like Bush, Lott, Gingrich, Hastert, Delay, Frist... are nothing but Disciples of Satan sent to destroy America. I hope everyone of them are tried for Crimes Against Humanity and have to serve their sentences in Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq!

Can you imagine if Moores film could be quickly edited to include Abu Ghraib and these hostage takings and he could compare to Reagan!

(This story doesn't say how much Moore sold the rights for.)

ps. I want to buy a F911 hat but can't find any merchandise offered. Please let me know if you see something!

[peabody71]

15. Biggest opening EVER for less than 1000 theatres!!!

Unbeleivable. Remeber two years ago when DU was our only outlet and this is the only place we could find like minded folks?
We can do anything!

[kungfugrip]

19. Drudge rounded it down to 21...

Math hates freedom too.

[Mari333]

21. People are STARVED for truth. n/t

[Gingergal]

23. Corpus Christi, Texas, had TWO theaters showing it!

I don't think Bowling for Columbine even came here. But Fahrenheit 911 showed at both theaters here. Amazing. But we are in a Democratic county of Nueces so maybe that had something to do with it.
By the way, I thought Michael Moore was TOO KIND to el chimpo and co.

[demgrrrll]

25. We tried to get in Saturday night wound up buying tickets for today's

show at 12pm. There were just a few scattered seats available which is unusual for a 12 Sunday film. Big line for the next showing when I left at 2:00. Lots of clapping and laughing and crying. Great movie. I think this one has legs.

[Democat]

24. Edit - removed

[Jawja]

28. In reporting this

box office success, CBS just called the movie a "satire." :eyes:

What about * sitting clueless in a classroom while America was under attack is SATIRE??


:argh:

[anarchy1999]

31. You've just got to be kidding us? SATIRE?

N/T

[Jawja]

34. I kid you not.

Sunday CBS Evening News with John Roberts. The woman (I didn't catch her name) did the story for CBS and she did indeed describe the film as "more satire than documentary."

Sorry, I don't have link; but I heard it with my own ears.

[TankLV]

44. Showing actual footage of actual events as the actually unfolded

is "satire" when it's about repuke criminality.

Showing diagrams, cartoons, opinions, beliefs is "news" and "fact" when it is repukes doing the lying (bush* SOTU, Powel UN speech, etc.).

Whores.

[Berserker]

33. A local media Whore

in Minneapolis called f911 "Fast and Loose with the Truth" and the local morning faux news Whores had and interview with mark kennedy exclaiming that his answer to MMs question about if any of there kids were fighting in Iraq was cut out. I think they all prey this goes away fast.

[Sticky]

29. I hope it comes out on DVD

before the election. It will make a great gift!

[Don_G]

32. Lionsgate Had It On The Internet Last Night

I think a DUer managed to copy it before the site went down.

[psychopomp]

42. That appears to have been a HAcK

The site was restored in the same day. The video was of poor quality, according to some who had seen it. There is a thread in GD you can refer to.

[cthrumatrix]

36. the movie the media does not want you to see.....!

[GoldenOldie]

40. The Journalist's (media entertainers) heads are exploding

It seems to be non-stop on CNN, FOX, CBS, NBC etc., all the pretty little girls and boys that have been reciting their scripted lines, every so properly are now offended that "Michael Moore is not a journalist," and he is attempting to pass F9/11 as a jounalistic piece of work. How the hell would they know what a "journalist," is, they have never done any piece of work that would come close to what defines a journalist. Their job is to look pretty, and read what has been given them....this includes those at the local TV/radio stations all the way up to Katy Couric, Matt Lauer, Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, Novak (not a pretty face), etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.
Now, they will not only be devoid of any professional journalistic standards, they will be in full attack mode defending their turf and full assault against Michael Moore.

[mac56]

39. Michael Eisner is looking more like an idiot today.

nm

[JPZenger]

41. Not for Kids

I saw F911 yesterday. All the shows were sold out in my area.

The movie includes some scenes of death and injuries that are not suitable for kids.

We are so used to seeing cartoon violence and fake blood and guts movies that it is powerful to actually see the results of real violence. U.S. TV filters out most of those scenes - but they are shown on a daily basis on Arab TV.

[On the Road]

43. Most Important: IT'S NUMBER ONE!

Being number one on the first weekend is a huge boost for the movie. It influences others to see it afterwards, and allows promotion to use the phrase "see the #1 movie in America."