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"Clones" Cleans Up
Faster than a light saber-wielding Yoda, George Lucas' latest mega-prequel, Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones, has blasted out of the box office, snagging a Force-ful $30.1 million on its opening day Thursday.
That's the third biggest opening day of all time, passing The Phantom Menace.
Not too shabby for a film that scored mixed reviews from critics who whined louder than Luke Skywalker over clunky (and unintentionally funny) love scenes, wooden acting and a convoluted plot.
Of course, Clones, like Menace, is virtually critic-proof, as demonstrated by theaters that have been packed since midnight Wednesday.
With its $30.1 million, Clones edges past Menace, which generated a then-record $28.5 million when it opened on May 19, 1999. That opening day total was eclipsed last November by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which earned $32.3 million on its opening day.
That is, until along came Spider-Man. The comic book adaptation spun a new opening day record of $39.4 million when it opened on May 3. (Spidey pulled in an even bigger $43.6 million the following day.)
While it didn't top Spider-Man or Potter, both of which did their boffo business on a Friday (when there are more moviegoers flooding the cineplexes), Clones did manage to set a record for the best box office ever for a Thursday and looks like it will hit $100 million by Sunday.
Still, it seems unlikely Clones will manage to surpass the webslinger's record $114 million three-day weekend tally.
That's mainly because Clones is opening on fewer screens after Jedi Master Lucas decided his digital movie should play in theaters with beefed-up, THS-certified digital sound "to ensure optimum presentation." All told, Clones is in 3,161 theaters on about 6,000 screens, including 63 theaters with digital projectors. (Distributor 20th Century Fox reports Clones averaged a Jabba-like $9,535 per site.)
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, on the other hand, opened all over the neighborhood, playing on about 7,500 screens in 3,615 theaters.
As for Clones' unusual opening day, Lucas decided he wanted the prequel to premiere at the same time in most of the world, and in many European and Asian markets, films traditionally open on Thursdays. (Fans in Japan, Korea, India and most of Latin America and the Caribbean will have to wait a few more weeks for the flick.)
Studio reps also say the same-day opening in much of the world will help combat video pirates, who take advantage of the usual release lag time between North America and the rest of the word and make illicit copies of blockbusters available before the film hits local moviehouses.
For more Jedi juice, tune into the E! Entertainment Special Star Wars: The Force Is Back May 18 at 3 a.m. and May 19 at 9 a.m., and Ewan McGregor Revealed May 19 at 10 a.m.
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