‘Dawn Treader’ Grosses $10.5m Over New Years Weekend

Happy 2011! The Voyage of the Dawn Treader grossed an estimated $10.5m over the holiday weekend. Box Office Mojo writes:

[Gulliver’s Travels] remained in eighth place and couldn’t top its 20th Century Fox stable mate The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which drew $10.3 million in its fourth weekend. With $86.9 million in 24 days, Voyage lost more ground to [Wardrobe] but it gained some on [Caspian].

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The film has now grossed $86.9m domestically. Its worldwide total is up to $297.1m.

Still no word on another Narnia film being green-lit, but keep checking back!

421 Responses

  1. revxstreme says:

    I did read that the majority of the marketing money spent by Fox was invested in overseas markets which would account for the little marketing done here in he U.S. However, that also means that Fox would be pleased with solid overseas numbers and acceptable domestic numbers seeing as they spent more there than here. Also, VDT is the highest grossing film for Fox in 2010 and it isn't even finished yet so my euducated guess would be that Fox is already looking at another film but don't want to confirm it until VDT's run is finished. Considering that Japan's premiere is in February, I wouldn't expect an announcement until March at the earliest.

  2. yeswelovenarnia says:

    I saw this the other day on IMDB and was so happy!! I really hope they do make more movies!! It is still within the top 5 in the box office and it is 4th week! I think that is really good!

  3. Caleb says:

    I Agree! PC was a flop, and they still made another one!

  4. High Queene Shelly Belly says:

    @tribunal: I was only joking, crabcake-

  5. High Queene Shelly Belly says:

    my motto- "don't disembowl a christian book, and lay off the ADHD meds while youre editing it"-

  6. Samuel the Magnificent says:

    We got quite a bit of advertising where I live which is in Fort Worth, Texas. I saw at least two billboards with Aslan on them. And there were tons of Narnia TV commercials.

  7. tuonela says:

    I'm really glad that it's doing so well! Hopefully that will continue.

    But everybody who has been talking about the bad publicity — you are so right! My local theater had no posters for it. And they couldn't even tell me when it would be playing there three days before it opened. How could they expect that anybody would go and see it, unless they were very determined? (I was ;-D)

  8. Hwin says:

    There is still a fairly good chance of the series continuing, you can't argue with that 😀 Obviously it could be better, but it could be WAY worse! In my opinion, this is 'quite good'. . .

  9. Lucylove says:

    I want Magician's Nephew but any book will do except for The Last Battle just because they might change A LOT from the book

  10. Lucylove says:

    Next movie should be out in the summer it's not doing very well during the Christmas Season.

  11. Moose4188 says:

    I have to disagree with you on your opinion of tribunal. He has stated his facts with accuracy and his assessment of the industry is spot on. That said I loved the film and have seen it multiple times. The film is by industry standards doing poorly at the box office in relation to expectation and cost. This does not mean they will not make another one it just means it is still an uphill battle. Because of Narnia's prestige it is compared to such franchises as the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, all of which grossed over 200 million domestically and 800 million worldwide. I believe VDT will make over 400 million worldwide and I believe another installment would increase the boxoffice intake.

  12. Fairytalelady says:

    Me three….

  13. Tom says:

    I think it'll make over 100 mil in the states and 300 mil worldwide, not to mention DVD sales. This will be enough for a Silver Chair, though they will probably slash the budget to 100 or 120 million. But you can make a great Fantasy movie on that budget.
    Some things we should insist on as the Narnia community: The studio needs to be sure to get a good screenplay written by someone who loves Narnia . . . and listen to Douglas Gresham! Dismiss his concerns and you dismiss the concerns of the Narnia community.

  14. Kelly says:

    It's good news and it's been fairly well-advertised at the cinema I went to see it at and that's the main cinema near to where I live. 🙂 I'm glad that it's getting in more money than PC- it could mean that SC is made. However, I don't think it will top LWW because that's the most popular book that everyone knows.

  15. Kelly says:

    I forgot to mention that VDT still hasn't come out in Venezuela & Japan, so it could still make a lot more money.

  16. Davey says:

    Voyage of the Dawn Treader is just about to beat Prince Caspian in the UK (a big market). Its at £11.2m and Prince Caspian finished with £11.6 so it will easily top it by next week.

  17. Queen Su says:

    On the edge of 300 million…great! 🙂

  18. JD says:

    Whatever Disney made with the first two Narnia films doesn't matter. It's what N3 made and if it was profitable for FOX. FOX doesn't have to worry about recouping PC's cost. I think it's safe to say that VDT will make around 400 million give or take 20 million.
    There have only been around 130 films that made 400 million worldwide. So the fact that the Narnia films have done that three times is no small feat and the opportunity cost is more than worth it. They'll lose little money on the downside and make a lot on the upside.
    And remember the 3D conversion of the film added to its cost, so TSC and others can be made for less than 150 million.
    There is little negative spin you can say about VDT if it makes around 400 million. The franchise is still strong and with the right casting could even be stronger. Whatever bad taste that was caused by PC has been corrected and VDT proved that the audience is still there and no evidence that it will change in the future.
    VDT made 1.1 million on Monday, looks like it'll end up making 115 millon plus domesically.

  19. Not Of This World says:

    glumPuddle, I got a great book about Narnia for Christmas that I thought you would like. It is about Narnia (of course 🙂 ) and it shows Christ in Narnia in a way I have never thought of. It is totally awesome. And it's completely about the books. Not the movies. It is just fantastic. It is called "Believing in Narnia" by Natalie Gillespie.

  20. Kiyoha says:

    I've seen it 4 times, once in 3D. Too bad the only cinema in my town that shows 3D films has stopped showing The Dawn Treader. I'm definitely going to see it again and again, but in 2D 🙂

    It's such a pity that they did hardly any advertising here in Estonia. Seriously, I haven't seen any posters in the streets or commercials on TV. Even the cinemas don't seem to care. Yet it's still rather popular, the hall is always quite crowded. I guess it's because there's no school right now (winter holidays for the win), so teenagers and kids have lots of time, and last week they showed Prince Caspian on TV, which might've made some people want to see the sequel. Still, I think it would be a lot better if they had advertised it more. I've told all my friends that they should go see it lol 😀

  21. Bob says:

    Pandering to the religious fanbase won't make Silver Chair a hit. You might as well just put on a local theater play with that attitude. Hate to burst your bubble but Christians didn't get VDT where it is now. The take is mostly from overseas and that is where it's future success lies as well. More marketing is necessary, but to a wider audience, not a narrower demographic. Besides, if you really want to get a message across as is the case with these books films, it's the untouched you need to touch. Ie, the unenlightened and wider audience. There's no point preaching to the already converted.

  22. Bob says:

    There's a difference between not being as successful as its predecessor and being a flop. It still made almost half a billion, not taking into account ongoing DVD sales.

  23. Bob says:

    I am happy for Voyage. It could have been better. The direction certainly wasn't as tight here, and the score was certainly nowhere near as good, but I did like it's more intimate style of storytelling. It felt more like a tv episode than a movie, but I put that down to the book. Needless to say, my favourite three books are done so I don't really care if Silver Chair is made. But if that gets us closer to HHB, the last book I have any interest in, I'll certainly be hoping the series continues.

  24. WhiteRider says:

    VDT is almost at $300 million worldwide and will probably make it to 115 million domestically adding an extra 25 million approximately. Narnia still opens in two huge markets overseas with China and Japan. PC made 12.5 million in China and 27 million in Japan. While LWW made 8 million in China and 57 million in Japan. So VDT should make an extra 40 million off of those two countries at the least. That's 75 million more, taking the worldwide total to 375 million including domestic total but still does not account for all the other countries it still has more money to make in. I'm very optimistic VDT will make it to 400 million.

  25. Pepper Darcy says:

    wild-witch-humps! The Japanse sure push the box-office market! China 8/Japan 57 million for LWW?! Oh my word! That is so stinkin' weird that there's such a difference. China is such a bigger country too! Well, let's hope they help out Dawn Treader!! 🙂

  26. Reep says:

    I love how so many of us keep mentioning the overseas markets that haven't debuted yet. I mean, how anxious must they be to see the movie we're all gushing over? I'd go crazy if I lived in China, Japan, etc.
    My cousin lives in South Korea and she was showing me how her church had a program for the youth group based on PC a couple years ago, complete w/ Narnia logos, music, T-shirts, and so on. East Asia seems to love the Narnia series for sure. (All the more reason to anticipate success there for VDT)

  27. WhiteRider says:

    Woops, meant 65 million not 75 million, bad math with adding domestic, China, and Japan.

  28. lucysdream says:

    i hope they make the silver chair i love narnia sosos much !!!! i am going to see it again hahha!!

  29. Glad to hear the numbers are up. The marketing has been terrible, so it's a surprise. Fox seems to no longer care to advertise the film, on TV or otherwise. Disney, meanwhile, is overdoing it with Tron. People need a reminder that the film is still out there, though not be so constantly hit over the head with it that they get sick of it.

    Ah well, it'll do what it does, but I think the film deserved greater attention than it got. I'm hoping they won't skimp on DVD/blu-ray and release an extended edition.

    It seems that Silver Chair is warranted. I just hope the suits at Fox don't try to stick their nasty paws in it. SC is a darker book (visually and otherwise) and needs the right artistic direction at the helm.

  30. Me ONE… 😀 sorry it's my favorite book overall and I HAVE to see it in film form.

  31. Xande says:

    I just saw the numbers on the box office drop yesterday down to $1,090,799. That's a drop of -68.7% compared to last week. We all knew this slowing down would happen this week, but there is still reason to remain optimistic. If we compare VDT's numbers (at day 25) with PC (at day 25), we can see that there is some positive aspects about them. At that same day PC was making less than VDT ($703,754 reported), despite the fact that it was shown in more theatres (3,065 against 2,948 of VDT). That is an indication that there is still more people/theatre for VDT. From day 25 on, PC was still able to pull out another 12.4 million domestically, and there is every reason to believe that VDT can do better than that.

  32. WhiteRider says:

    According to boxofficemojo PC grossed 21.6 million in the UK? Not sure where your source is coming from.

  33. Louloudi the Centaur says:

    While I can't say this is official, there is good news. I read on an Internet Movie Database board that someone had been in contact with Fox, and Fox said another sequel will indeed be lit if the worldwide total is about $400 million. I am not sure how accurate this is, but stay tuned for updates. We also have DVD sales to consider.

  34. The Silver Chair MUST come out. I'm not as worried about them not doing all seven than only doing three. SC is my absolute favorite book in this world and nothing can change that. If it doesn't come out I'll just have to become a director and make it happen. Don't worry I'd stick to the books.

  35. The Silver Chair MUST come out. I’m not as worried about them not doing all seven than only doing three. SC is my absolute favorite book in this world and nothing can change that. If it doesn’t come out I’ll just have to become a director and make it happen. Don’t worry I’d stick to the books.

  36. Xande says:

    Yes. $21,581,030 according to box office mojo.

  37. WhiteRider says:

    Really??? That is very interesting do you know or remember the link?

  38. Jon Turner says:

    $1.1 million on Monday? Is that good or bad?

  39. samuel says:

    Ahh I see you haven't learned the #1 unspoken rule on the internet. "It is impossible to write a comment so sarcastic that people won't take you seriously…" 😉 all in all I see that this conversation has been a classic case realist vs optimist, and honestly I don't think either side is too far from the realm of possibility. In the end Fox has a lot of factors to decide, possible benefit from having a seven movie completed set being one of them, people later down the line buying one dvd, will probably want to buy the second and so forth, but I think we just need to wait and see and influence with our wallets.

  40. Anhun says:

    Box Office Mojo reports in dollars. Davey's talking British pounds.

  41. Xande says:

    It should be a simple conversion…

  42. Anhun says:

    But the series fared even worse when it was released in the summer.

  43. Bearer of Truth says:

    Yeah, I was pretty worried that you wouldn't.

  44. Ted C says:

    I'll be able to sleep tonight.

  45. Ted C says:

    Ummm…PC was not a flop.

  46. Anhun says:

    It dropped less than LWW did (percentage-wise) the first day after the holidays. If that trend continues, it should make about 6.5 million next weekend. Basically, I would say it's not great, but it's not horrible either. I'd wager it'll pass the 100 million mark some time in it's 5th week.

  47. Davey says:

    These are official UK numbers, the reason I didn't convert it originally is because it's Britain and I'm British ;P

    UK Box Office:
    Prince Caspian (final gross): £11,653,554
    Voyage of the Dawn Treader: £11,263,418

    VODT will still make a few million more at this rate.

  48. Anhun says:

    Yeah, realistically, there's no way you can successfully market a "family friendly" movie in which everyone dies at the end.

  49. Xande says:

    Regardless of the currency, I guess the important thing is, as you pointed out, in the end, VDT will have a better gross than PC.

  50. Anhun says:

    @freya: I can't speak for Tribunal, but I was specifically talking about American earnings. The studios get a bigger cut of American ticket sales, so that income carries more weight.

  51. Davey says:

    Yeah it will be quite a landmark for VODT when it beats PC in the UK. Lets just hope it does the same in other markets. Its weird the way Prince Caspian did so badly back in 2008 but I guess it was the competition. I think Dawn Treader is getting good word of mouth in the UK as well as the US. I guess we're all just gotta keep seeing it.

  52. Fireflower says:

    Hey! I'll ditto that!!

  53. WhiteRider says:

    Oh I see now

  54. Louloudi the Centaur says:

    Unfortunately, there was no link. It was a report by someone who was in contact with Fox. Just wait and see if Fox releases any info on this; then we'll know it's true.

  55. Anhun says:

    @Bob: I have 2 completely different points to make in response, so I'm going to say them in 2 posts. First of all, what's wrong with preaching to the converted? Don't Christian preachers do that every week? Calling yourself "Christian" doesn't instantaneously turn you into a saint. And you can say the same about other religions. Calling yourself "Muslim" doesn't turn you into Muhammad, etc., etc. Helping the faithful explore and think about their faith in different ways is an important part of ministry in a number of world religions (yes, I know, not all of them). Also, I doubt that the Chronicles of Narnia would be that effective of an evangelical tool, if that's what you're suggesting. Although the moral lessons are pretty easy to spot, you can say the same about much of secular children's media. The religious symbolism is much more heavily veiled.

  56. Anhun says:

    Yes, but it cost 400 million to make and market.

  57. Anhun says:

    Japan has been the biggest source of overseas income for all of the Narnia films. Japan's a very wealthy country. China is progressing, but a number of the provinces are still, for all intents and purposes, 3rd world.

  58. Anhun says:

    I thought the character development in Silver Chair was some of the best in the series. Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum practically come alive on the page. It's one of the darkest books in the series, but, at the same time has more humour. Also the metaphor is striking.