Wanted's $51 Million Opening Sets New Records!

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Wanted's $51 Million Opening Sets New Records!

Source:Box Office Mojo, Edward Douglas

June 29, 2008

This was a great weekend at the movies with the amount of business in theaters making it one of the Top 10 biggest weekends in box office history. A good portion of that business can be attributed to Universal Studios' surprise hit Wanted, based on Mark Millar & J.G. Jones' graphic novel, which opened with an estimated $51 million despite going into the weekend as an underdog against Disney/Pixar Animation's new movie WALL•E.

This was the first weekend ever where two new movies opened with over $50 million, but Wanted also had the biggest opening for an R-rated movie in June, as well as being the 6th or 7th highest R-rated opening ever. Wanted averaged an impressive $16,000 per-theater, and it's significant for being Angelina Jolie's biggest opening ever, surpassing her 2005 summer hit Mr. and Mrs. Smith and her breakout action movie Tomb Raider. That said, it was only Atonement star James McAvoy's second biggest opening movie after Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005. The well-reviewed action movie is also quite an achievement for Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, whose two previous Russian movies grossed just $2 million between them when released in the United States, despite being record-breaking hits in Russia.

Internationally, Wanted topped the box office with $33 million from 1,922 theaters in 22 markets bringing its worldwide total to an impressive $84 million after three days.

You can read our full box office report here and see the full box office estimates of the top 12 films here.

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Posted by: jono on June 29, 2008 at 14:27:01

great news movies rock

Posted by: The Dark Knight on June 29, 2008 at 14:28:17

The Dark Knight is going to rule all!!!!1

Posted by: Action Jackson on June 29, 2008 at 14:28:21

Awesome, I was the movie before I read the GN. As an adaptation is was pretty bad...But as a stand alone movie I feel it was pretty cool. I mean who wouldn't want to learn how to curve a bullet...lol

p.s. I'm not gonna say it either...lol

Posted by: Bman on June 29, 2008 at 14:37:12

"What the **ck have you done lately?" Classic line. Mr Gibson IS the man.

Posted by: kevlar on June 29, 2008 at 14:52:11

at first i didnt know if i would see wanted, but it has stirred up such good buzz that now i have to go see it, it looks very entertaining

Posted by: Bman on June 29, 2008 at 14:57:13

"Shoot this Mother**cker!" I cracked up at that, not used to hearing Morgan Freeman get so "street."

Posted by: jake on June 29, 2008 at 15:03:01

wow, my prediction was about 30 million for wanted. and it surprisingly is holding it's own against wall-e. just about eleven million behind. it is shocking to see such a hard core r rated flick hold its own against a pixar film. i guess this means sequel. on a side note. we need hulk's numbers to rise dammit!

Posted by: My Dragonballs Just Retreated into my Dragon Body on June 29, 2008 at 15:09:00

I did enjoy the film. It was the first in my Wanted/WALL-e double feature. I liked it, it held my attention, I think they wisely steered clear of the Comic Book weirdness, but some of it wasn't exactly gelling. The ending was obvious. But, who the hell cares. When rats start exploding, you know you're in for something different. Great job. And no one is talking about how cheaply they shot this movie!

They used a bunch of RED cameras, which are about 20000 dollars, shot digital. That freed them up so much. Hollywood take notice, the future of action is smaller budget with more heart and creativity.

That is all.

Posted by: gotmine on June 29, 2008 at 15:30:57

TDK IS GOING TO RULLE ALL ::agreeing with the dark knight::

Posted by: freebird6591 on June 29, 2008 at 15:44:38

its true, the dark knight will give men everywhere wet dreams for a week.

or possibly psychotic breakdowns resulting in a mass murder-suicide due to heath ledger focking up our heads with the joker

'very poor choice of words'

Posted by: freebird6591 on June 29, 2008 at 15:46:37

would me saying "17th" be a little too far?

Posted by: Arbies commercials suck on June 29, 2008 at 15:53:17

I know TDK will be amazing but when every movie gets a number one spot some idiot aleays says TDK will rule all. Its getting really annoying. Everytime I read that I throw up a little.

Posted by: Adam West on June 29, 2008 at 16:01:54

Dark Knight will rule all.

Posted by: shatmaster on June 29, 2008 at 16:18:41

it's nice to see all these hollywood stars make millons while everyone else struggles on. don't watch movies or buy them on dvd rent them.

Posted by: Necomortis on June 29, 2008 at 16:21:05

I thought Wanted was great, despite Jolie. She isn't always the reason people see action movies. Some reviewers out there have been touting this movies success as though shes the only factor.

Posted by: MarvelZombie88 on June 29, 2008 at 16:22:09

Congrats on using the words:

"Angelina Jolie's biggest opening ever"

I could've have said it better myself...lmao

Posted by: djvogner on June 29, 2008 at 16:24:00

no really.....The Dark Knight really will rule all. lol.

Posted by: MarvelZombie88 on June 29, 2008 at 16:26:54

For all you youngsters out there in my previous comment I was refering to Angelina Jolie's ******...aww man now I'm hungry...i'm gonna get myself a ***** burger...

Posted by: The wolf is a ****ing ***get cause he eats cock al on June 29, 2008 at 16:28:36

Who the hell says that the Dark Knight is going to suck...

I hope your mother gets cancer for that comment...

Posted by: MarvelZombie88 on June 29, 2008 at 16:30:22

The Wolf is a dumb ****...The Dark Knight is going to blow your fudging socks off...

I plan on seeing it at least twice a day for the first week it's out...

Posted by: MATT on June 29, 2008 at 16:38:34

Only losers who wack off to Sears bra models would watch Wanted.

Posted by: Sidepocket on June 29, 2008 at 16:51:22

This movie pisses me off.

Just proves that people will accept sub-standard material. -,-

Posted by: The Dark Knight on June 29, 2008 at 16:57:58

hey "Arbies commercials suck".. you probably also take a drink of beer and throw up alittle in your mouth

Posted by: Drew on June 29, 2008 at 17:04:50

When will you all excited Wanted (film) fans realize that this movie sux compared to the book. The repetitive, over the top, senseless action was horrible not to mention the performances from the actors and actresses were poor at best. As Ive heard from one fellow opinionator, "Well have to wait 20years for the movie business to do this film justice". Here's me crossing my fingers. Please dont waste your money, wait for The Dark Knight, its more promising. Thats just my opinion.

Posted by: Dutch on June 29, 2008 at 17:32:24

Ha! Ha! Ha! In your face comic lovers!

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