"Indy" Unearths $126M In Box Office Gold

Overall Movie Receipts About 16 Percent Smaller Than Last Year's Memorial Day Weekend

(AP)  Indiana Jones unearthed box office gold at domestic theaters with a performance that puts the film on track to become the second biggest Memorial Day movie opening ever, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The fourth installment of the whip-cracking professor's exploits, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," grossed an estimated $101 million from Friday to Sunday, plus $25 million from its opening Thursday, distributor Paramount Pictures said. The company expects it to earn another $25 million on Monday.

That would put it behind only "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which had a Friday-through-Monday total of $139.8 million, in the pantheon of Memorial Day weekend blockbusters.

Including Thursday's receipts, "Indiana Jones" was expected to collect $151 million over five days, slightly behind "Pirates," which took in $153 million with a partial Thursday included.

"'Indiana Jones' did incredibly well for a film that comes 19 years after the previous installment," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of tracking firm Media By Numbers LLC.

The adventure flick received a lackluster reception from critics at the Cannes Film Festival, but audiences thought otherwise.

Box office estimates grew from $25 million on its opening Thursday through $37 million on Saturday, suggesting strong word of mouth, Dergarabedian said.

"This is the definition of a summer movie from two of the architects of the summer movie season - George Lucas and Steven Spielberg," he said. "These guys have it down to a science and audiences want to go along for that ride."

The first three Indy movies took in $1.2 billion worldwide.

Disney's action sequel, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," slipped to second place with $23 million, for a total of $91.1 million over two weeks. The company expected the movie to continue to play well as school lets out.

"Once you start getting the mass number of kids out of school, it turns into some serious money," said Chuck Viane, president of distribution for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" clinched another $20.1 million, bringing its domestic total to $252.3 million. A sequel is set for release in 2010.

The 20th Century Fox comedy, "What Happens in Vegas," continued to roll with $9 million in its third week, for a total of $54.2 million.

Fox senior vice president Bert Livingstone said high gas prices were encouraging people to see movies rather than take long trips away from home.

"This is the last great bargain," Livingstone said.

But movie receipts were about 16 percent smaller than last year's Memorial Day weekend, and revenue for the year to date is down nearly 4 percent at $3.3 billion, with attendance off nearly 7 percent.

By this time last year, there were seven movies that grossed over $100 million: "Pirates," "Shrek the Third," "Spider-Man 3," "300," "Wild Hogs," "Blades of Glory" and "Ghost Rider," according to Media By Numbers. This year, there are only three: "Iron Man," "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" and "Indiana Jones."

"It's no wonder that we're down in terms of revenues and attendance," Dergarabedian said. "You don't get out of a deficit like this overnight."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $101 million.

2. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," $23 million.

3. "Iron Man," $20.1 million.

4. "What Happens in Vegas," $9 million.

5. "Speed Racer," $4 million.

6. "Made of Honor," $3.4 million.

7. "Baby Mama," $3.3 million.

8. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," $1.7 million.

9. "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," $900,000.

10. "The Visitor," $800,000.

[hypnotoad72]

I wish these 9 movies were playing in the theatre:

* From Russia With Love
* For Your Eyes Only
* Superman II (1980)
* Star Trek II
* Ghostbusters
* Sunset Boulevard
* To Kill a Mockingbird
* Contact
* Serenity

[Meg003]

We just got back from seeing this film. If you want to enjoy a good-hearted adventure film, here''s your movie. This film works hard to entertain audiences, giving you a thrilling ride and lots of fun, too! Loved seeing Karen Allen and Harrison Ford!

[drivelphobe]

This movie proves that the movie-going public is craving some good, old-fashioned filmmaking. When will Hollywood get it. We are sick and tired of the films that are meaningless and produced only to fill the screen for a few bucks and then tossed on to our cable channels for fifteen years. It''s unbelievable that some films, which are so worthless, are even made. You would think that the actors and everyone involved would be embarrassed they are of such poor quality. I don''t get it.

Hypnotoad, Sunset Boulevard is one of the best and rarely shown on cable, as with hundreds of other good films. It seems Hollywood is bound and determined to force crappy films down our throats.

Nothing new in the Indiana Jones movie but to see 65 year old Harrison Ford swinging and punching as he did in days of yore was well worth the price.