Movies Awards of Summer 2009

BIGGEST SURPRISE
THE HANGOVER
Total U.S. Gross: $270,237,753

With no A-list stars, no pre-established source material, and no way anyone under 17 could see it without a parent, the odds were stacked against "The Hangover." But a funny marketing campaign helped the movie open at #1 with $45 million -- $10 million more than it cost to make -- and excellent word-of-mouth kept it in the top 10 for eight more weeks. It ended up being the years fourth highest-grossing picture, and it passed "Beverly
Hills Cop" to become the biggest R-rated comedy ever.


BIGGEST LOSSER
LAND OF THE LOST
Total U.S. Gross: $49,438,370

There were certainly movies that made less money than "Land of the Lost" this summer, but none fell short of expectations quite as fully as this adaptation of the cult '70s children's show. It opened against "The Hangover," and while it had a much more recognizable star in Will Ferrell than its competition, it made less than half of what "Hangover" did that first weekend. "Land of the Lost" went on to earn barely enough to cover its marketing costs, let alone its $100 million-plus production budget.


BIGGEST WINNER:
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN Total U.S. Gross: $399,416,040

Everyone knew the sequel to "Transformers" -- 2007's third highest-grossing movie -- was going to be big, but no one knew just how big. It had the biggest first weekend ever for a film opening on a Wednesday. Currently, it has out-earned the first installment by $80 million and it hasn't given up yet. Expect it to be the ninth movie in history to crack the $400 million mark soon.



BIGGEST INTERNATIONAL HIT:
ICE AGE: DAWN OF TEH DINOSAURS
Total Foreign Gross: $613,790,529

In the U.S., the third "Ice Age" movie was a respectable success, bringing in $193 million, just shy of what the second one earned. Overseas, however, "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" was a monster, earning more than three times as much as it did here. Collectively, it made more money in France, Germany and the U.K. than it did in the U.S. While the movie ranks at #7 in this country, worldwide it's the third highest-grossing film of the year.


BIGGEST INDEPENDENT FILM:
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
Total U.S. Gross: $25,203,886

In a smart counterprogramming move, this little romantic comedy that won over audiences at Sundance went into a small number of theaters in mid-July. Positive buzz helped expand the movie to over 1,000 locations, and it eventually took in three times its budget. Of course, the other movie Joseph Gordon-Levitt appeared in this summer, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" made nearly as much money in its opening day.


BIGGEST WORLDWIDE:
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
Total Worldwide Gross: $895,958,075

Fans had to wait two years for the sixth chapter to appear in theaters, so when it finally did they turned out in droves. In the U.S., "Half-Blood Prince" became the second highest-grossing film of the year, and the second biggest "Potter" film to date. It performed better in foreign markets than "Transformers," though, making it #1 for the year. "Harry Potter" movies make up six of the all-time top 25 highest-grossing films worldwide.