Signs - The Next Blockbuster?

Lee Tistaert of LeesMovieInfo.com (an excellent site if you're interested in box office predictions and analysis, by the way) thinks Signs is gonna take in over $60 million this weekend...with an outside shot at $70. I'm thinking of something a bit lower, but no matter how you slice it, the promotion of this film has been outstanding, and should result in some massive numbers.

Here's the official prediction from our own Box Office section:

Whatcha'll think? How much is this puppy gonna take in? Both opening weekend and total domestic gross.

Oh, it's a surefire blockbuster, allright. I'm gonna see it. I say it'll bring in about a chopping $50-60 million. People are going to remember The Sixth Sense.

They might. Or they might remember Unbreakable...which, despite being brilliant, received mixed reviews and let a lot of people down (for the dumbest reasons, sorry to say).

However, the marketing for Signs has been, arguably (barely arguably), the best for any film in years. Furthermore, having just seen it, I think I can safely tell you that word-of-mouth on this flick is gonna be through the flippin' roof.

I predict that Signs will make around 42 mil, just beating out Austin Powers 2's 40 mil. I also predict a huge drop off, and that Austin will earn well over twice as much in total box office. Austin Powers is the big blockbuster here, not Signs.

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Hmmm. A few things on my mind. Please indulge me.

• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me grossed significantly more than $40 million in its debut: just under $55 million, in fact.
  
• We'll have a basic idea of the flick's weekend gross within twenty-four hours.
  
• If you care to wager on Austin Powers DOUBLING its domestic gross (defeating, perhaps...but doubling?), lemme know. If that happens, I just might have to run out, buy a hat, and then eat it.

Anyhoo, we'll know before long. Reviews are strong, however...the buzz on the 'Net is massive, and, in my opinion, one of the best box office analysts around sees it taking in a buttload this weekend. We shall see.

Chris, I was talking about how much I think Goldmember will make this weekend, not its debut. And it grossed 76.6 mil, not under 55.

Well, you referred to it as "Austin Powers 2" -- so naturally I assumed that you were referring to the first sequel...which grossed about $55 million.

Yet another case of a simple typo causing confusion among multiple people. Common 'round here these days.

Typo?? Me?? Never!!

It seems I am the only person this has happened to, but I want to confirm it.

I saw Signs yesterday afternoon with my two daughters and husband. In every scene that had characters talking but not with any close-up shots, we could see the boom microphone hanging down in the shot. And I mean REALLY see it. It hung down about a third of the height of the screen. And it would move to whichever actor was speaking. All told, I'd say that microphone was visible for close to half the movie when you count up all the scenes it was in.

After a few shots of this boom mic, people figured out what it was, and we'd all giggle when it came on screen because it just looked so OBVIOUS hanging there and moving around. I wasn't sure whether to find it funny and unique (an experience to tell about later), or to be ticked that the suspension of disbelief was so much harder. I mean, really, it's kinda tough to be totally scared when Mel Gibson is telling Joaquin Phoenix about something scary about to happen when there's this obvious set microphone bopping back and forth from one guy to the other right over their heads!

I assume this didn't happen to anyone else? Has anyone ever heard of this happening -- and so OBVIOUSLY? Does anyone know how they mass produce copies of movies for theatres? Could it have been cut wrong from the get-go?

My husband seemed to think the projectionist just had the tracking wrong...because the movie usually spreads out past the screen anyway, but I've been to movies where the tracking has been off (Austin Powers last week, for instance), and you can't see any mics. You just see the seam of the film at the wrong spot, and the bottom is cut off and is at the top of the screen instead.

I just can't imagine any film director sending off copies of his film ON PURPOSE with the boom mic hanging down 1/3 of the screen in EVERY OTHER SCENE, hoping that a thousand projectionists in a thousand theatres will track the thing right so you can't see the microphones.

Someone help me out. This was too weird for words....
Or is it just...a sign???

Linda

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Some "whisper numbers" are floating around now...which are basically very, very early Friday estimates. They've got Signs cracking $20 million on Friday, which all but guarantees a $55+ million opening weekend...and that's assuming it drops off over the rest of the weekend...which I doubt will be the case.

$60-65 million (or even $70) is a very real possibility if these earliest of figures are anywhere near correct.

Signs finished with about $60 million. It took in over $40 million in its first two days alone, and looks to take in nearly $40 million in its second weekend. Woohoo!

no it will be done now that XXX, blood work, and spy kids 2 all are coming out, something for every generation.

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omg i really hope when i go to see it i cant see the boom mic coz i imagine that just ruins it. if it is on the actual film i will be incredibally annoyed.

Well, it sucks that you even know about it. I'm glad no one told me...I'd be pissed, because I'd be looking for it. Too bad for you, now. I don't even read threads about movies I haven't seen yet, just a tip.

good tip lol