THE NUMBERS: Projected Weekend Numbers and Vampire Success

Here is this weeks projected box office numbers by boxofficereport.com. They are projecting 64 million for Twilight, which is a solid opening, but by no means ground breaking. Check out the numbers….

1. Twilight — $64.0 m, $64.0 m, (NEW)
2. Bolt — $40.0 m, $40.0 m, (NEW)
3. Quantum of Solace — $30.0 m, $112.5 m, (-56%)
4. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa — $16.0 m, $137.5 m, (-54%)
5. Role Models — $6.8 m, $47.8 m, (-39%)
6. Changeling — $3.0 m, $32.0 m, (-30%)
7. High School Musical 3 — $2.2 m, $87.0 m, (-61%)
8. Zack and Miri — $1.8 m, $29.5 m, (-43%)
9. The Secret Life of Bees — $1.6 m, $36.0 m, (-32%)
10. Soul Men — $1.2 m, $11.2 m, (-50%)

As predicted Twilight is in the number one spot for this weekend. But it’s not the projected top grossing vampire flick. Check out these numbers from /Film:

1. I Am Legend — $77.2 million opening, $256.3 million cume
2. Twilight — $64.3 million (Projected)
3. Van Helsing — $51.7 million cume, $120.1 million opening
4. Interview with the Vampire — $36.3 million opening, $105.2 million cume
5. Blade II — $32.5M opening, $82.3 million cume
6. Bram Stoker’s Dracula — $30.5 million opening, $82.5 million cume
7. Underworld: Evolution — $26.8 million opening, $62.3 million cume
8. Underworld — $21.7 million opening, $51.9 million cume
9. Blade — $17 million opening, $70 million cume
10. Blade: Trinity — $16 million opening, $52.4 million cume

Personally, I don’t think the real vampire movies start until #4 on their list. I Am Legend is more zombie/disease oriented even though they do only come out at night. Twilight is more of every young girls crush than a vampire movie. It can only be a real vampire flick if it’s rated R. Because what do vampires do other than have sex, drink blood, and murder people? None of those things can be done properly without an R-rating.

1. I Am Legened – PG-13
2. Twilight – PG- 13
3. Van Helsing -PG – 13
4. Interview with the Vampire- R
5. Blade II – R
6. Bram Stoker’s Dracula – R
7. Underworld: Evolution – R
8. Underworld – R
9. Blade – R
10. Blade: Trinity – R

I guess this proves that it’s the underage-teens, not the critics, or ME who decides the winner at the box office. I guess teenage vampire romance will always win out over a good ol’ fashioned sexy blood bath.