Weekend Results - Fantastic!

1.) Fantastic Four ($56M, $15,546 th. avg.)
2.) War of the Worlds ($31.3M, $8,005 th. avg.)
3A.) Batman Begins ($10.2M, $3,055 th. avg.)
3B.) Dark Water ($10.1M, $3,811 th. avg.)

Dark Water floated right to where I expected it; Batman did a little better over all, but note the weaker per theater average. I really thought that in week 4, Fantastic Four would pull away much of the Comic Book fan audience, despite the differences in style (Batman is darker, FF looks to be campier, ironically something more like Schumacher's Batman & Robin.) But I guess all the comic book fans went weeks ago, leaving for this weekend those who won't be at San Diego's ComiCon next weekend.
FF created the third biggest opening this year, and broke the record-breaking streak of 19 weeks of sagging returns. War of the Worlds holds the number two opening record for it's premier last weekend (behind Star Wars III), but it had Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. FF is the first surprise breakout, so let me send my congratulations to writers Michael France & Mark Frost, director Tim Story, producers Ralph Winter, Bernd Eichinger, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, & Avi Arad, and an army of Production Assistants who will net close to minimum wage for their efforts. Good work all.