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Not everyone likes Batman. Or Jokers. Or super awesome action films.

Kim Hollis: Does Mamma Mia!'s opening weekend prove once and for all that effective counter-programming can be quite successful or did Universal just catch lightning in a bottle?

Sean Collier: If there's one story this weekend unrelated to The Dark Knight, this is it. Mamma Mia! was going to do well no matter what it was up against - it's a hugely popular musical among certain groups, and those groups (young girls and middle age to older women, mostly) usually turn out pretty well - see Dreamgirls or Hairspray. It does happen to be the only demographic that the Joker doesn't have a full lock on, but I see the result as mostly independent of The Dark Knight.

David Mumpower: I am a staunch supporter of the idea of counter-programming. I see what has happened this weekend with Mamma Mia! and The Dark Knight as eerily similar to what happened in May of 1999. Notting Hill debuted to $21.8 million ($30.6 million in 2008 dollars) against the second weekend of Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace, a movie some observers believed would swallow it whole. There are innumerable demographics in play at the box office each weekend. Just because a tentpole might be the fabled four quadrants title that appeals to everyone does not mean that another quality release simultaneously cannot find its own niche.

Joel Corcoran: I agree with David. You also have to look at the numbers, which I think supports his theory. The Dark Knight beat Spider-Man 3's opening weekend total by about $4 million, but it beat Spider-Man 3's opening day total by over $8 million. A lot of that first-day take was due to a huge number of midnight and very early morning showings. But you've got to wonder how many couples out there said "Okay, we'll go see Batman right when it opens, then we'll do dinner and Mama Mia! on Saturday night." Also, let's not overlook the fact that this was a brilliant piece of counter-programming (or maybe mutual programming) for us gay guys who grew up on Batman (I won't go into the obvious analogies), cried at Brokeback Mountain, adored Heath Ledger, and would do just about anything for front-row tickets to see Mama Mia! on Broadway.





Daron Aldridge: While this did pull a bigger number than Notting Hill as John mentioned in the recap, I believe this further proves it can work. It is not a fluke; it just takes the right product to draw those outside the big movie's core. Incidentally, both Notting Hill and Mamma Mia! were put out by Universal, so they seem to know how to do this.

But they were chimps! In space!

Kim Hollis: Space Chimps opened to a mere $7.2 million. Say something funny about Space Chimps.

Sean Collier: I work part-time at a movie theater. This weekend, when people asked for tickets for Space Chimps, I assumed they were kidding and just punched up Dark Knight tickets. The few that had to explain to me that they weren't kidding didn't seem all that surprised at my assumption, either. Also, I'd like to point out that the Dark Knight made more in the four minutes from 12:01 a.m. to 12:05 a.m. Friday that Space Chimps did all weekend.

Max Braden: Christopher Nolan should direct Pigs in Space to show 'em how it's done.

Shane Jenkins: Two opposable thumbs down for this performance.

Calvin Trager: Space Gimps would be more appropriate for this outcome.

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