THURSDAY AM: Sony is saying that Pineapple Express opened to as much as $12.1 million on Wednesday so the Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen collaboration is as profitable as ever! (As are stoner comedies...) This was the biggest Wednesday opening ever in August, beating The Princess Diaries opening of $8.5m on August 11, 2004. "No one saw this coming. It's truly exciting and unexpected," a Sony exec tells me. " 'R' comedies are the ticket in the marketplace right now. Audiences want to laugh and they want the edgy material." Warner Bros' The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 debuted at $5.7M. That studio's blockbuster holdover The Dark Knight made $5.1M. What a weekend this will be...
Will Stoner Comedy Beat 'Dark Knight'?
UPDATE: Sources tell me that early North American box office numbers for Wednesday reveal that Sony's Pineapple Express stoner comedy from Seth Rogen/Judd Apatow made $10M and Warner Bros' The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 $5.5M on their opening day. The studio's other offering The Dark Night earned $5M. The big debut of Pineapple Express made for one of the best August opening grosses. Meanwhile, the pothead fanboys are all thrashing around the controversy over the Shark/Kitten T-Shirt worn by James Franco's character throughout the film. (Remember the ensuing popularity of the Richard Pryor T-shirt worn by Jonah Hill in Superbad?) Guys with too much time on their hands.
How very convenient isn’t?
DK2 with Joker/Heath pulling in audiences and now the studio creates a buzz for moviegoers to watch the film cause of the T-shirt.
I read the logo creator (copyright), some surfer dude won’t be asking for cash but tickets to the movie with popcorn. Seriously is this the new America? Where’s the multi-million lawsuits?
Something gotta give. A pact with the devil perhaps?
Comment by Armand — August 7, 2008 @ 4:25 am
The shark is carrying the kitten to safety. The kitten isn’t dead.
Comment by Saul Silver — August 7, 2008 @ 6:24 am
When will the Judd Apatow brand of “comedy” finally end? I felt like we were finally moving in the right direction by getting rid of Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, etc. (and I sincerely hope Tropic Thunder tanks) and now we’re having Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Jonah Hill inflicted on us again and again. I really don’t think there has ever been a group of actors who have become so successful with such marginal talent and zero charisma or physical appeal.
Comment by @--->---- — August 7, 2008 @ 6:25 am
This weekend is going to be a bit strange. Traditionally attendance declines during the Olympic Games. So the numbers this weekend might be disappointing. Pineapple Express will attract an evening crowd while Sisterhood will attract an all-ages matinee crowd. The 3-day weekend numbers might be pretty close for all three movies, TDK, Pineapple and Sisterhood. It depends who stays home to watch the Olympics and who goes out to the movie theaters.
Comment by Dan Zee — August 7, 2008 @ 9:07 am
Are you f%$cking kidding?! Judd Apatow is probably the most relevant voice in comedy today!! What’re you 90 yrs old?! I’m sure there are some charlie chaplin movies on cable you can watch! And by the way NO CHANCE of Tropic Thunder tanking, it’s THE funniest film of the last 3 years.
Comment by trey — August 7, 2008 @ 10:28 am
Saul,
The guy who designed the shirt said the cat was dead.
This is one instance where you can’t SAVE THE CAT.
BTW, to @—>—- —
What or who do you think is funny then if not all the ones you listed.
Bob Hope maybe?
Miss those Road movies do ya?
Comment by reelbusy — August 7, 2008 @ 10:45 am
Hey “@—>—-”
Just curious — you seem to have a very strong negative opinion about those actors.
Who have you seen out there that you would rather see headlining comedy movies? Surely there must be someone on TV or in supporting parts in movies who you have seen that is more deserving than them.
So who?
Comment by Brody Hecklering — August 7, 2008 @ 10:47 am
Ditto to what “@—>—-” said above
Comment by DITTO DITTO — August 7, 2008 @ 10:55 am
It’ll be sad when Seth Rogen gets too expensive to keep starring with the troupe of actors that got him where he is today.
Comment by 40yearoldstitzer — August 7, 2008 @ 11:05 am
Long live, Judd Apatow, the man responsible for resurecting the truly-funny Hollywood R-rated comedy. I can’t wait for ‘Trophic Thunder’, which looks like its going to be a laugh-riot. Will Ferrell is a very talented comedian and I hope his reign continues. As for Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Jason Segel–these guys are re-defining the role of the comedy actor in sincerely hilarious movies like ‘Knocked Up’, ‘Superbad’ and ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ We will be righteously seeing more from these guys.
Comment by Horror-101 — August 7, 2008 @ 11:20 am
Hey @—->—-
Whats your problem with Apatow Comedies and your anger and hatred? Does someone tie you to a chair and force you to watch them against your will? Last I checked - going to a movie was up to a viewer. There seems to be a big audience for all of these movies so there seems to be a large demographic who sees the talent and appeal to these actors and creators. Plus - last I checked movies that bring in this kind of money is good for the industry as a whole. You might want to check where this anger comes from? It seems a bit odd.
Comment by Joe Dobbins — August 7, 2008 @ 11:27 am
If Will Smith is Mr. 4th of July, then Judd Apatow is Mr. August. The 40 Year Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Superbad, and now Pineapple Express. And a question for Prince: who exactly do you think is funny then?
Comment by Sandy — August 7, 2008 @ 11:46 am
The real question is who is going to win the action comedy battle between Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder, coming out next week.
Comment by Derek — August 7, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
If you think Express is gonna be a hit, check out a little known indie stoner comedy called SMOKERS…
Comment by James Jills — August 7, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
i love pot!
Comment by denver — August 7, 2008 @ 2:33 pm
The biggest Wednesday opening ever in August? We are now officially keeping track of too many box office records.
Comment by Mojo — August 7, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
Looks like Judd Apatow’s agent(s) got online today to rather transparently post comments and protect the cash cow and drum up box office for Tropic Thunder.
The lameness and aggressiveness of the ad hominem attacks against an honest expression of opinion don’t serve Apatow well.
Defensive, much?
Comment by We ditto also — August 7, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
Yikes, looks like there might really be a comedy mafia.
We don’t care for Apatow movies either. They are horribly sexist and we wouldn’t support them even if we liked them.
Comment by Moviegoers — August 7, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
MY best guess would be that PINEAPPLE EXPRESS will top out at about 80 mil at the U.S BOX-OFFICE. I think TROPIC THUNDER will have a bigger mass appeal and be the big movie for AUGUST! Judd Apatow to me is becoming the David E. Kelly of the movie business as he’s jugling way to much at the same time!
Comment by entertainmenttodayandbeyond — August 7, 2008 @ 4:28 pm
It’s ok, to not like the brand of humor, people have their own taste, same was said of eddie murphy (80’s eddie) movies, something about mary, blazing saddles,and a whole ton of other comedies. To just dismiss them as
a group of actors who have become successful with marginal talent and zero charisma or physical appeal…
makes you look like the the old guy telling the kids to turn down that “rock and roll” music… Out..of…touch!
Comment by trey — August 7, 2008 @ 5:11 pm
Apatow’s movies are not my cup of tea (they do tend to be pretty sexist), but I love seeing R rated comedies do well. I would love to see Apatow do an R rated comedy with a female lead. Cast Kristen Bell as the protagonist and let Rogen and Segal play smaller supporting roles. That I would line up to see.
Comment by TLA — August 7, 2008 @ 5:56 pm
apatow films are terrible, not funny, ugly actors who aren’t funny, can’t sit through one even when free on cable
Comment by ticket buyers with taste — August 7, 2008 @ 9:04 pm
Both Pineapple and Tropic look funny, but I feel that people are wrong in assuming that they are both going to make a killing at the Box Office. When I saw the Tropic Thunder trailer with an audience, it didn’t get the reaction I expected it to get. People were silent.
Comment by B- — August 8, 2008 @ 6:39 am
Not for me. When we saw the Tropic Thunder trailer at the movies, everyone was silent until Robert Downey Jr. as the Black guy came on with Ben Stiller. Everyone was laughing the whole trailer.
Comment by Kofi — August 8, 2008 @ 10:13 am
You must have been at a Tropic Thunder trailer screening that offended the audience. I’ve seen Dark Knight 3 times, Hancock, Ironman, and other 2008 blockbusters this year and the sold out crowds were laughing hard at it, especially Robert Downey Jr.
Downey is a star and he’ll outdraw Pineapple Express any day of the week. Everything he touches, from now on, will immediately net you $100 million and the sky would be the limit after that.
Comment by Rob Features — August 8, 2008 @ 11:16 am
Fuck all you people hating on Apatow!
Comment by Ethan — August 8, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
who is the black guy from pineapple express? what else is he in?
Comment by Anonymous — August 10, 2008 @ 10:26 am