'Superbad' Trounces Competition & Helps Summer 2007 Stay On Track For Record

SUNDAY AM: It was the 6th “up” weekend in a row in overall summer box office which looks increasingly likely to set a new record for 2007. Summer to date’s domestic box office revenues of $3.82 billion (Media By Numbers) this year already have passed 2006. So the all-time record for May 1st through Labor Day is certain to go down since 2004 was the precedent setter with $3.95 billion. Sony’s Superbad helped by doing supergood at the domestic box office this weekend as the studio told me Judd Apatow’s low-cost coming of age comedy opened with a surprisingly big $31.2 million from 2,948 theaters. “It trounced all expectations,” a studio source explained. This is the only time a summer movie released after August 15th has gone over $30M. The breakdown of moviegoers seeing Superbad was 52% male and 48% female, with 60% of the debut weekend audience between the ages of 18-30. Once again, the comedy wheel from the fertile mind of mogul-in-the-making Apatow and his buddies produced another sweet but raunchy laugher that both young and older moviegoers want to see after months of bloated blockbusters. Instead of hundreds of millions, Superbad cost only $20M. For weeks the pic’s awareness level tracked lower than had been hoped, but great reviews made the difference for $12.3 mil Friday and $10.4 mil Saturday and a projected $8.4 mil Sunday. Here’s the rest of the updated box office: Sick Of Bloated Blockbusters, Filmgoers Flock To Small Teen Comedy ‘Superbad’