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Dissapointments almost all around (Deadline Friday night estimates):

1. Kick-Ass $7.5/$19
2. Death at a Funeral $6/$17.5
3. Date Night $5.7/$17.5
4. How to Train Your Dragon $4.2/$15.5
5. Clash of the Titans $4.4/$14.5

Everything else under $6 M.

Lionsgate, this is what happens when you wait to release a movie until after every other country has released it (most countries got it on April 2nd). People get pissed off and simple watch the bootleg on the Internet.

No wonder why everyone is trying to buy the company. Everyone else saw the potential but Lionsgate had to shit on it so they could sink more money into (Kick-Ass was an independent pickup) and release that awful Tyler Perry movie instead on April 2nd.

The next dumb Lionsgate decision that will bite them in the ass: spending $75 million on a movie with Ashton Kutcher that could have easily been done for half that and open it in January instead of June. It will be lucky to gross half that number.

And last: Date Night better not pull an upset and take Number 1. That would show the problem with American audiences (they would rather watch unoriginal star vehicles than movies that actually take chances and get you to watch the movie for the plot rather than the stars).

I would rather see Date Night than Kick-Ass as well. Although I would like to see both, but i simply dont have the money to. Also, I dont see anything wrong with a movie opening first in foreign markets. The foreign markets are growing way faster than domestic ones, why shouldn't they release it in other markets where it would make more money. Also even though i want to see the movie, i always felt it was a very niche film, where only the fans of the comics and hardcore action fans. On the other thread, you said that there was no mainstream marketing, which i think is wrong, i have been seeing it everywhere (except for on kids channels, unless that is what you were meaning by mainstream). Obviously im not going to comment on if the movie is good or not as i havent seen it (it is a shame though, i really do like Vaughn as a director)

The problems with opening in foreign markets first: piracy and word-of-mouth. The studios and the MPAA hate it and therefore, more should be done about it. Hell, the UK has brought back mass sneak previews on Wednesday and Thursday nights to combat it.

In Lionsgate's case, Kick-Ass came two weeks later than the international release date. Considering the hype, this move did not make any sense and it impacted box office. Sony did the same thing two years ago with Quantum Of Solace (the US was one of the last countries to release after an October 31st, 2008 UK date and a November 7th, 2008 international date) and that movie underperformed.

Another problem with opening later is word-of-mouth. Today's strategy in Hollywood is to open as soon as possible and as wide as you can before bad word-of-mouth spreads. Even if it's a good movie, you should still open at the same time so to make as much as you can before word-of-mouth spreads. Though there have been expectations to the rule (such as Taken), they are few and far between.

I am really not surprised by these numbers at all. I think people over-hyped Kick-Ass a tad with its box office potential.

Buscemi piracy has litterally nothing to do with it. People who watch movies illegally are going to do it anyways. Avatar has over 40,000,000 views on the website I watch illegal movies on but did that hurt its BO? I don't think so.

I must say, after my "oh shit" moment after Dragons semi soft opening, I'm very glad I have it on almost all of my slates...it's def. taking advantage of a weak playing field! And the next couple weeks look to be no different. Fingers crossed it can help me get out of round 2!