Well the first estimate for opening day box office grossings for Ratatouille is in at Box Office Mojo. The film opened in 3940 theatres across the US and brought in an estimated $16,600,000 on Friday. This puts Ratatouille in 5th position for opening day grossings out of all Pixar films.
I don’t know about you, but I think word of mouth will help Ratatouille become the sleeper hit of the summer. I know I have been complaining a lot about Disney not giving Ratatouille a world wide release date, but I do think it is all for the best (even though it sucks having to wait), considering that Finding Nemo for example, came out in August in Australia and it went on to be the highest grossing film from Pixar. Now cue Jim Hill and his little Disney execs complaining about how Ratatouille is going to underperform and was the merger really worth it.
Last modified: July 1, 2007
Well, that’s a kick in the teeth. =(
I doubt it’s indicative of a larger trend but I just got back from seeing it (in Wilmington, NC) and the screening sold out. I was the last one to get a ticket. If the movie doesn’t explode in the short term, it will in the long.
It’s not a kick in the teeth. It’s a very respectable opening. I expected this. “Ratatouille” is going to become most successful through word of mouth.
More families go to movies on Saturday anyways.
It should be noted that this is only three million under the opening day gross of “Cars.”
You don’t have to cue Jim Hill to act like the arse that he already is. When I need to hear from that orifice, I just break wind. How kind of Jim Hill to willingly do that for us. 🙂
This will definitely build. I saw it Saturday. Deliberately kept myself in the dark about what it was, trusting the Pixar brand and Brad Bird to make it wonderful. (Frankly, the trailer was a bit of a turnoff and lowered my expectations). The only prep I did before the screening was to read Alice Waters recipe for ratatouille in Chez Panisse Vegetables.
And then… totally blown away by the richness and depth in every department. Especially the story, the sets, the food, the story, the knowledge, the love, the balls, the voices, the story, the music, the lighting, the textures, the story, the sets, the character design, the humor, the pacing, the sound design, the character animation, the magic, the soups, the sauces, Peter O’Toole, the insights … stop me.
This is a film that has earned— and will receive and reward multiple viewings. Ratatouille will win the lion’s share of my summer movie budget… and I’ll be dragging friends along as well.
Don’t worry about the grosses, guys. Pixar has set their vaccuum hose into deeply into our wallets.