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Look out, Ethan Hawke!

Kim Hollis: My Super Ex-Girlfriend earned only $8.7 million from 2,702 venues. Why did it bomb so dramatically?

Tim Briody: All I can come up with is that it's apparently not very good. It's still a bit surprising, given that this looked like a winner with the shark through the window money shot.

David Mumpower: People simply do not want satire with their super-heroism. I mentioned this yesterday in discussing Mystery Men. I don't claim to understand why not, and I completely agree with Tim that the "shark through the window" gag KILLS. It just wasn't enough to change natural tendencies. Bad comic book adaptations are unfortunately still superior projects to great comic book satires.

Kim Hollis: I still very much want to see it and think it looks incredibly fun (and not just because of Luke Wilson). Super heroes just aren't supposed to be made fun of, I guess.

Tim Briody: It's a brilliant idea, and the casting seemed solid enough, and none of the negative reviews fault the cast. People are staying away for the reason David is talking about, I would imagine.

David Mumpower: And that's a shame given the ridiculous nature of Superman. This also makes me curious about the box office potential of Watchmen. It's a different sort of comic book adaptation than we have seen in the past.

Steely Dan's lyrics bear no real resemblance to this plot whatsoever

Kim Hollis: You, Me and Dupree fell 41% to $12.8 million. The running total of $45.3 million after ten days makes this one a hit, doesn't it?

Tim Briody: Hey, remember the good old days when it wasn't surprising for summer movies to have legs? Dupree is apparently a throwback to those days.

David Mumpower: Yes, but I don't have to like it. All this does is encourage more scatological humor in trailers that otherwise would have no true selling point.

Kim Hollis: I don't know that I'd call it an unqualified hit, but it's going to do respectably. What I can only hope this means is that Owen Wilson will now take some time to do a nice, indie film. Or write a screenplay.

David Mumpower: With Cars, Over the Hedge and The Devil Wears Prada, we have witnessed a decent amount of leggy projects this summer.

Kim Hollis: And Owen is responsible for two such leggy projects!

Tim Briody: Animated movies are ringers!

Just wait. Now Dustin Hoffman gonna sue someone.

Kim Hollis: Little Man was surpassed by Dupree this week, but it still managed $11.0 million and has a grand total of $40.6 million. Will its final box office surpass Lady in the Water's?

Tim Briody: I'd put some money down on that to happen.

David Mumpower: And the real shocking answer of the summer is...yes. I don't expect Lady in the Water to surpass $55 million domestic. Little Man is poised to surpass that total. Apparently, a CGI shrinkage of a grown man is more appealing that M. Night Shyamalan's latest thriller. The news of this will send him to the bottle faster than you can say "Johnny Walker".

Tim Briody: Oh great, Shyamalan is now going to cast little people in his next movie now.

Kim Hollis: It'll be a creepy remake of the Wizard of Oz.

$300 million buys a *lot* of rum.

Kim Hollis: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest reached two milestones Saturday. It became the fastest film to $300 million and it surpassed the first Pirates movie's domestic box office total. What is the last financial blockbuster performance that impressed you as much as Pirates has?

David Mumpower: We have to go all the way back to Shrek 2 in May of 2004. That's a project for which I had high expectations, but the movie still outperformed each and every one. Dead Man's Chest has a solid chance to wind up in the top 10 all time, and $400 million remains a distinct possibility. That's a lot of gravy for Disney. Nina Jacobsen won't have any trouble finding a new job with Pirates 2 as the most recent project on her resume.

Tim Briody: I think this is a type of performance that is never going to be repeated, either.

Kim Hollis: I would certainly say it compares to stuff like Lord of the Rings. A fantasy-nature film that has staying power.

David Mumpower: Tim, I know what you mean. I keep looking at 2007-2009 releases trying to find the potential opener that beats it. There just doesn't seem to be one.

Tim Briody: When you get into the $300 million territory, you're dealing with either people who usually don't go out to the movies and/or repeat business. What do you think the cause is?

David Mumpower: The key aspect is fun. I cannot repeat this point enough. Sullen diatribes on existential subject matter have been done to death. Franchises like The Mummy and Pirates of the Caribbean celebrate life. Fantastic Four was such a shocker last year for the same reason and if we go back a ways, even Armageddon could make that claim to a degree. The first half of it was borderline vaudevillian in tone.

Kim Hollis: I also think an important element is whether families can make a huge outing to a film together. Pirates of the Caribbean is the kind of thing that can be a fun event for the day for most ages.

Tim Briody: So I should stop writing my screenplay about the pointlessness of life, hmm?

Kim Hollis: Leave that to the Charlie Kaufmans. Unless you don't care about making money.

David Mumpower: Isn't that M. Night Shyamalan's next script?