Let me start with the last weekend's domestic box office: as predicted, "Titanic" finally fell out of the top 50 movies, grossing somewhat less than 51,000 dollars.

On the international movie scene, Japan is doing incredibly well, the movie being the #4, another DiCaprio flick movie (TMITIM) being #2. So far, Titanic grossed 85 million dollars after 37 weeks, as of September 6th.

In Sweden, after 33 weeks, the movie is #7, with 21.5 million dollars theater sales, as of September 10th.

Finally, Brazil has the movie as #9, as of September 3rd, after 32 weeks, "Titanic" grossing 66.6 million dollars.

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), September 21, 1998

Answers

NOTE: The above dollar figures are cumulative.

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), September 21, 1998.

Sounds like it's March in Japan. And they were going to take over the world in the 80's....

-- Dalton (foo@bar.com), September 22, 1998.

I have no idea how many theaters Titanic is still in as of today,but I do know it is still at the Navy Pier Imax theater in Chicago Il! The video release killed the cinema audience for now.

-- MICHAEL PITT (xrrg10b@PRODIGY.COM), September 22, 1998.

Just find a web site listing TITANIC At #67 for the weekend down to only 49 theaters in North America and 14,003 for the three day weekend.

-- michael pitt (xrrg10b@prodigy.com), September 22, 1998.

Perhaps the overlap between theatrical showing and home video release is responsible for the lower-than-expected tape sales in the U.S. There was no time for anticipation or demand to build. I think it was a big marketing mistake to release the video now - around Thanksgiving or Christmas would have been better. That's when I'll buy mine, in the used section at the video rental store for $2.99.

-- Dalton (foo@bar.com), September 22, 1998.

I thought that the tape sales were exceeding everyone's expectations over in the States. Correct me if I'm wrong.

-- Emma (dilemma76@hotmail.com), September 23, 1998.

*swat*

You're corrected, Emma. Maybe expectations were too high. Titanic will probably be the 3rd or 4th best-selling video of all time, until the next hit Disney animated film comes out. Here's another possible reason (?): Given that a certain percentage of videos are sold or rented to people who missed the movie in the theater, and everyone and his valet saw "Titanic" in the theater at least once, there was no "I'll wait for the video" audience for the film. Result - lower than expected sales. Still, 3rd or 4th after being the number one box-office draw of all time isn't too bad.

-- Dalton (foo@bar.com), September 23, 1998.

20 million copies and countint ain't bad so far! It is the largest selling non cartoon video ever! Bigger then ET and Star Wars!

-- michael pitt (xrrg10b@prodigy.com), September 23, 1998.

Ouch! That hurt Dalton, you didn't have to swat me so hard ;-)

Michael has vindicated me by saying that Titanic has sold 20 million copies though, which is excellent. But what you said was true also Dalton, there was no real "demand" seeing as how it's still out at the cinemas.

-- Emma (dilemma76@hotmail.com), September 23, 1998.

As of September 24, "Titanic" is out of the top 10 movies in Sweden. As for Japan, on September 20, the movie was still the top 5 in the 39th weekend B.O., one place after TMITIM, playing on 23 screens, and cashing in $239,051, the total B.O. reaching $85,105,167. I believe the success of the movie can partially be attributed to some TV commercials (Kate with a shampoo, Leo with some pop).

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), October 09, 1998.