Weekend Box Office – 21 JUMP STREET Nabs $35 Million Opening

After the high drama of last weekend’s John Carter opening, this morning’s box office is a bit anti-climactic: a comedy that was expected to take first place took first place.  From 3,121 locations 21 Jump Street earned an estimated $35 million.  But, as the only wide release of the frame, Jump Street could not keep 2012 in the black by itself.  For the first time this year the overall box office came in slightly below 2011 levels. But hey, it was nice while it lasted.

Getting back to the good news, the folks behind 21 Jump Street have a lot to be happy about this weekend.  Along with claiming the ‘number one movie in America’ title, their first weekend estimate came in well above the mid-twenty million that Sony was projecting.  Based on R-rated comedy comps, 21 Jump Street was on par with 2005’s Wedding Crashers and 2007’s Superbad (not adjusted for inflation), which is pretty good company to keep.  In addition, 21 Jump Street also claimed one of the highest-ever starts for a television-to-screen adaptation.  2008’s Get Smart ($38.6 million) and 2003’s S.W.A.T ($37 million) opened higher, but both of those were released during the summer.

21 Jump Street started life in 1987 as one of the first dramas on the fledgling Fox TV network.  The series ran for four years and made Johnny Depp a star, though it was also responsible for the career of Richard Grieco. Guess which actor was asked to shoot a cameo for the movie?  Written by Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall (who also shares credit on the current Project X), Jump Street was budgeted at a relatively-thrifty $45 million.  Even with a certain teen-book sensation waiting in the wings, incredible reviews and a distinct target audience should keep Jump Street in the money for the next few weeks or even few years, if the planned sequel becomes a reality.

Once upon a time, Andrew Stanton and Disney thought there might be a John Carter sequel or two; that seems like such a long, long time ago now.  After its much-publicized stumble last weekend, John Carter fell-off by an estimated 55% this week, bringing its domestic total to a disappointing $53.1 million.  When the film’s debut backlash is coupled with the arrival of The Hunger Games next weekend, JC’s domestic prospects are looking pretty dark; but what about the international market?  One week ago John Carter was off to a decent start in foreign markets, earning $70.6 million without major territories like China and Japan included.  Current international estimates give John Carter another $40.7 million ($10.4 from China alone) for a worldwide total of just under $180 million in ten days.  If not for the film’s $250 million pricetag, I’m sure that number would look pretty good.

Looking pretty damn good at a fraction of the price is the indie-release, Casa De Mi Padre.  The Spanish-language comedy starring Will Ferrell launched in 372 locations on Friday, surprising many when it earned enough to break into the day’s top ten. Originally expected to fall short of this weekend’s chart, Casa De Mi Padre managed to earn estimated $2.2 million and hold on to its spot in the top ten – leaping ahead of films like last weekend’s Silent House, which was off by 69% for a ten day total of just $10.5 million.

Low performers like Silent House helped put an end to 2012’s box office winning streak, despite the fact that 21 Jump Street came out 45% higher than Limitless did on this weekend one year ago.  If we can’t claim an unbroken winning streak, however, we can at least take solace in the fact that, next weekend, the space-money continuum is about to be broken in a big way.  Not only will The Hunger Games crush the $23.7 million of 2011’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, it has a real chance of breaking the all-time March record of $116.1 million set by Alice in Wonderland in 2010. Think it’ll happen?  Chime in below.

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Friday Box Office – 21 JUMP STREET Shoots to the Head of the Class

21 Jump Street is off to a very promising start – commercially and critically. Earning an estimated $13.1 million on Friday from 3,121 locations, the big screen adaptation of the former Fox TV series has also put up one of the most impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores of 2012 at 87% fresh.  As the only wide release of the weekend, box office watchers were pretty sure that the R-rated comedy was headed for number one, especially considering it stars two of the most popular young actors of this moment – Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill.  With John Carter continuing to disappoint (off 60% from its less-than-stellar debut last weekend), the only challenge for Jump Street was conquering family-friendly holdover The Lorax.  21 Jump Street is now projected to take in $35 million this weekend; little wonder that a sequel is already in the works.  We’ll have details and analysis tomorrow.

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TOP 5: 21 JUMP STREET, THE AVENGERS, CASA DE MI PADRE, DARK SHADOWS Trailer, SXSW 2012 Coverage

From here on out, when I see a movie and can’t quit thinking about it one week after my initial viewing I’m going to refer to it as the Martha Marcy May Marlene effect. I was uncertain how I felt about it while watching. Flash-forward one week later and I’m still uncertain. Combine some great performances from Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes, reserved but effective cinematography, sparse dialogue and even fewer musical cues and what I got was one of the most paranoia-filled movie experiences I’ve ever had. While that may sound like a backhanded compliment, if writer/director Sean Durkin was trying to evoke the type of emotions I think he was with Martha, it may be the highest compliment I can pay him.

In this, the St. Patty’s edition of the “Top 5?, you can find 21 Jump Street interviews with Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube and more, The Avengers bits in which Joss Whedon discusses the pic, its current runtime, The Avengers 2, etc., Casa de mi Padre interviews with Will Ferrell, Nick Offerman and more, the first trailer and poster for Tim Burton‘s Dark Shadows, and all of our SXSW 2012 coverage. A brief recap and link to each ensue after the jump.

1. 21 JUMP STREET Interviews with Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube and More

To be honest, I’m past the point of needing to be convinced to watch 21 Jump Street. While I’m in the Windy City this weekend for some St. Patty’s festivities, numero uno on the list for next weekend’s plans is catching this pic in my local theater. No if’s, and’s, or but’s. If you’re still on the fence about paying to see it yourself, this finger-blasting PSA should remove all doubt. If more convincing is what you require, check out these video interviews with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, Rob Riggle, co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and the one and only Ice Cube.

2. Joss Whedon Talks THE AVENGERS & THE AVENGERS 2

When Joss Whedon premiered he and director Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woods at SXSW 2012 people were excited. When he used some of that time to discuss The Avengers and The Avengers 2 people became more excited. In short, excitement abounds at SXSW 2012 (something we’ll discuss more below in #5). If Whedon discussing things like current Avengers runtime, Easter eggs, DVD extras, etc. isn’t enough, this week also brought us a considerable amount of new footage via this Japanese trailer.

3. CASA DE MI PADRE Interviews Will Ferrell, Nick Offerman and More

I remain skeptical about Will Ferrell’s Casa de mi Padre. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Ferrell’s considerable talents as much as the next 25 year-old who doesn’t dislike him just for the sake of being difficult. That said, I’m weary that Ferrell’s over-the-top nature may be turned up to 12 in Padre (which is about two notches above my over-the-top comfort level). All of this in mind, I encourage you to check out Matt’s review and all of our video interviews with Ferrell, Nick Offerman, Diego Luna, and the lovely Genesis Rodriguez in the spirit of developing your own Padre expectations.

4. First Trailer and Poster for DARK SHADOWS

I’m going to rely on our readers for this one because my knowledge of the ABC’s original Dark Shadows soap opera is ultra-limited. Am I supposed to think that Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows adaptation is the lovechild of The Addams Family and Sweeney Todd? Because the film’s first poster and trailer makes me think exactly that. I hope that I turn out to be very wrong, but for right now Tim Burton/Johnny Depp fatigue has set in. Yawn.

5. SXSW 2012 Coverage

In all honesty, my time with Collider has allowed me to take part in some very cool events and I’m thankful for that. And that’s about where my perspective ends and my envy of Matt and Scott for being in Austin at SXSW begins. In case you’ve missed any of the plethora of film reviews that those two have provided from the festival, be sure to click here for all of our SXSW 2012 coverage. And, while I’m here, kudos to the guys for churning that coverage out. I’ll only hold it against you for getting to see The Cabin in the Woods before me for seven years tops.

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Coming Soon - Seattle Street Food Revolution

For those of you who have visited Portland recently, you probably have noticed that Portland has a vibrant and thriving street food scene. It's hard to miss since over 580 food carts have popped up in empty lots throughout the city. When Abbie and I visited Portland last week, we were immediately impressed with the diversity of foods being served. Everything from Thai, to Vietnamese, to mini donuts, hot dogs, tacos, pulled pork, roast beef, and much more are offered within a 2 block area in downtown Portland. We made one circle to survey the offerings, and after a quick second walk around the block, I couldn't wait to unwrap my findings. My duck confit baguette from Addy's Sandwich Bar melted in my mouth with duck fat flavor while my poached chicken with rice was so good it warped me back to the streets of Bangkok.As a Seattle resident, I can only look at Portland's street food scene with envy, and I stare at vacant lots, sidewalks, and curbsides here in Seattle with nothing but wishful thinking. But our wishes might soon come true. Seattle is currently considering proposals to pilot a street food scene right here in Seattle, including here on Capitol Hill as soon as spring or summer!Current law limits Seattle street vendors to sell only hotdogs, espresso, popcorn, and flowers and are not allowed to setup within 200 feet of any parks. Mobile food trucks like Marination are currently only allowed to sell at construction sites or on private property. They aren't able to park on the street or public sidewalk to sell food. These restrictions are why Seattle's street food scene is in it's current state.The city of Seattle has examined Portland's street food scene and has found that it brings many benefits to the community.• Food vendors attract foot traffic to commercial districts, which means increased sales and a more vibrant retail business overall.

• Food vendors bring positive activity to the street and add a festive, people-oriented feel that improves public safety. Food vendors provide a window into many diverse cultures, introducing people to new foods and to the pleasures of spending time in the public space of the city.

• Food vending can be an ideal first business. For many immigrant and refugee communities, food vending offers a point of entry to the economy and a way to learn the food service industry.There are some concerns, however, about what the street food movement may bring. Local restaurants feel threatened that food carts and trucks might cut into their own profits. Questions of how to limit litter, garbage and over crowded sidewalks are also a concern. And of course, enforcement of hygiene and food safety is paramount.Looking ahead to the future, here are some key components to what the city has in mind in its proposals to change law regarding street food.• Diversify types of food that can be sold from food carts - This would allow street food vendors to serve more than just hot dogs, espresso, popcorn, and flowers. The Health Department is considering expanding this list to allow assembly of pre-cooked ingredients and other foods on a case-by-case basis.• Create a Street Use Permit for mobile trucks. This would allow the Seattle Department of Transportation to issue street use permits so mobile trucks could operate in designated spaces.• Create setbacks from restaurants and eliminate required 200' park setback. Since street vendors have been shown to improve park safety, the 200' park setback would be eliminated. Also, vendors would have to setup a minimum of 50' away from brick and mortar restaurants in order to protect their businesses.These proposals are to be piloted in Seattle's central neighborhoods, including on Broadway in Capitol Hill to help fill the void of Light Rail construction.Gary Johnson, The Department of Planning and Development coordinator that is leading this project, believes that the above proposals will be submitted to the City Council within a couple weeks. The council will likely take a couple of months to consider it and Johnson hopes that the new regulations will be in place by late spring/early summer.So whether you're going out for a quick lunch break or looking for grub between bar stops on a Saturday night, we may soon have a lot more to choose from than just cream cheese or no cream cheese on our hotdog.Late spring/early summer can't come soon enough.